Northwest Bancshares - 10-K annual report 2017

This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect” and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

 

 These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change.

 

Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements.  Please see “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

 

Except as may be required by law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Northwest Bancshares, Inc., a Maryland corporation, was incorporated in September 2009 to be the successor corporation to Northwest Bancorp, Inc., the former stock holding company for Northwest Bank, upon completion of the mutual-to-stock conversion of Northwest Bancorp, MHC. The terms “Northwest”, “the Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Northwest Bancshares, Inc.

    

Our executive offices are located at 100 Liberty Street, Warren, Pennsylvania 16365.  Our telephone number at this address is (814) 726-2140.

 

The Company’s website (www.northwest.com) contains a direct link to Northwest Bancshares, Inc.’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including copies of annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these filings, if any. Information on our website shall not be considered a part of this report. Copies of our filings may be obtained, without charge, by written request to Shareholder Relations, P.O. Box 128, Warren, Pennsylvania 16365.

 

Northwest Bank is a Pennsylvania-chartered stock savings bank headquartered in Warren, Pennsylvania, which is located in northwestern Pennsylvania. Northwest Bank is a community-oriented financial institution offering personal and business banking solutions, investment management and trust services and insurance products. Northwest Bank’s mutual savings bank predecessor was founded in 1896.

 

 

Our principal sources of funds are personal and business deposits, borrowed funds and the principal and interest payments on loans and marketable securities. Our principal source of income is interest received on loans and marketable securities. Our principal expenses are the cost of employee compensation and benefits and the interest paid on deposits and borrowed funds.

 

Northwest Bank’s principal executive office is located at 100 Liberty Street, Warren, Pennsylvania, and its telephone number at that address is (814) 726-2140.

 

The following description of our market area is based upon information obtained from SNL Securities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Federal Housing Financial Agency and the Mortgage Bankers Association.

 

 

 

As of September 30, 2017, the House Price Index for the last four quarters in the state of Pennsylvania increased by 4.3%, compared to an increase in the national average of 6.5%. Nationally, foreclosures have receded from their record highs to the lowest levels since the fourth quarter of 2006. As of September 30, 2016, the foreclosure rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four unit residential properties in the state of Pennsylvania was 1.6%, compared to the national average of 1.2%.

 

 

As of September 30, 2017, the House Price Index for the last four quarters in our New York market increased by 5.8%, compared to an increase in the national average of 6.5%. As of September 30, 2016, the foreclosure rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four unit residential properties in the state of New York was 3.7%, compared to the national average of 1.2%.

 

 

As of September 30, 2017, the House Price Index for the last four quarters in our Ohio market area increased by 5.9%, compared to an increase in the national average of 6.5%. As of September 30, 2016, the foreclosure rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four unit residential properties in the state of Ohio was 1.6%, compared to the national average of 1.2%.

 

 

In an effort to manage interest rate risk, we have sought to make our interest-earning assets more interest rate sensitive by originating adjustable-rate loans, such as adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, and by originating short-term and medium-term fixed-rate consumer loans. In recent years we have emphasized the origination of commercial real estate loans and commercial business loans, which generally have adjustable-rates of interest and shorter maturities

 

 

Our fixed-rate residential mortgage loan products offer fixed-rates for up to 30 years. Whenever possible, our fixed-rate residential mortgages are originated and underwritten according to secondary mortgage market guidelines in order to manage credit risk, as well as interest rate risk and liquidity. Our adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans offer initial interest rate adjustment periods of one, three, and five years, terms up to 30 years and adjustments based on changes in designated market indices. 

 

Regulations limit the amount that a savings bank may lend relative to appraised values of real estate securing the loans, as determined by an appraisal at the time of loan origination.  Appraisals are performed by in-house appraiser staff or by appraisers deemed qualified by our chief appraiser.  Such regulations permit a maximum loan-to-value of 95% for residential properties and 80% for all other real estate secured loans. We generally limit the maximum loan-to-value on both fixed- and adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans without private mortgage insurance, to 80% of the lesser of appraised values or purchase prices of real estate serving as collateral for our mortgage loans.  Limited special financing programs allow for insured loans with loan-to-value ratios of up to 97%, and uninsured loans with loan-to-value ratios up to 90%. The appraisal process is managed by Northwest Appraisal Services, and appraisals are performed by in-house appraiser staff or by appraisers deemed qualified by our chief appraiser. We require fire and casualty insurance, as well as a title guaranty regarding good title, on all properties securing our residential mortgage loans. We also require flood insurance for loans secured by properties located within special flood hazard areas.

Included in our $2.773 billion portfolio of residential mortgage loans are construction loans of $16.8 million, or 0.2% of our gross loan portfolio.  We offer fixed-rate and adjustable-rate residential construction-to-perm loans primarily for the construction of owner-occupied one-to four-family residences in our market area to builders or owners who have a contract for construction.  Construction loans are originated with terms of up to 30 years with an allowance of up to one year for construction.  Advances are made as construction is completed, and interest is charged on the total amount of credit extended.  At the end of the construction period, repayment terms convert to fully amortizing payments, with both principal and interest due monthly. Construction lending generally involves a greater degree of credit risk than permanent residential mortgage lending, as repayment of construction loans is often dependent upon the successful completion of construction projects.  Construction delays or the inability of borrowers to sell properties once construction is completed may impair borrowers’ ability to repay loans.  Private mortgage insurance is required for construction loans with loan-to-value ratios in excess of 80%, and the maximum loan-to-value ratio for construction loans is 95% of the lower of cost to build or as-completed appraised value.

 

Our residential mortgage loans customarily include due-on-sale clauses, which are provisions giving us the right to declare loans immediately due and payable in the event, among other things, borrowers sell or otherwise dispose of underlying real properties serving as collateral for loans.

 

 

The underwriting standards we employ for consumer loans include a determination of the applicant’s credit history and an assessment of ability to meet existing obligations and payments on the proposed loan. The stability of the applicant’s monthly income may be determined by verification of gross monthly income from primary employment, and additionally, from any verifiable secondary income. Creditworthiness of the applicant is of primary consideration; however, the underwriting process also includes a comparison of the value of the collateral in relation to the proposed loan amount.

 

 

Loans secured by multi-family commercial and commercial real estate generally involve a greater degree of credit risk than residential mortgage loans and carry larger loan balances. This increased credit risk is a result of several factors, including the concentration of principal in a limited number of loans and borrowers, the effects of general economic conditions on income producing properties, and the increased difficulty of evaluating and monitoring these types of loans. Furthermore, the repayment of loans secured by multi-family commercial and commercial real estate is typically dependent upon the successful operation of the related real estate property. If the cash flow from the project is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired.

 

 

Commercial business loans are offered with both fixed and adjustable interest rates. Underwriting standards we employ for commercial business loans include a determination of the applicant’s ability to meet existing obligations and payments on the proposed loan from operating cash flows generated by the applicant’s business. The financial strength of each applicant is also assessed through a review of financial statements provided by the applicant.

We originate commercial loans through our network of Small Business and Commercial Loan Officers located in our Regional areas. In addition, our Commercial Finance group originates loans where multiple banks may be involved in the credit facilities. These loans are made to companies residing in our market area. Many of these companies carry public debt ratings. 

Commercial loans generally have higher interest rates than residential loans, but they also may involve a higher risk of default since their repayment is generally dependent on the successful operation of the borrower’s business.  We strive to obtain personal guarantees from the borrower or a third party as a condition to originating commercial loans.

 

 

For our personal loans, including residential mortgage loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, automobile loans, credit cards and other unsecured loans, we have implemented a credit approval process based on a laddered individual loan authority system. Real estate secured loans are underwritten centrally by our licensed mortgage loan originators. Non-real estate loans are underwritten by local loan officers who are granted various levels of authority based on their lending experience and expertise.  These authority levels are reviewed by the Credit Committee on at least an annual basis. As part of the approval process, we assign independent credit officers to review the creditworthiness of all loans exceeding $500,000. If the credit officer has concerns regarding a loan that has been approved at a specific level, they have the authority to request that the loan be reviewed and approved at the next higher level.

 

Our commercial loan policy assigns individual lending limits for our various commercial loan officers and dual authority consisting of an individual from Commercial Lending and Credit Administration. Lending authorities are established by the Credit Committee. The Senior Loan Committee may approve extensions of credit in excess of the maximum dual authority. The Credit Committee meets quarterly to review the assigned lending limits and to monitor our lending policies, loan activity, economic conditions and concentrations of credit.

 

The commitment letter specifies the terms and conditions of the proposed loan including the amount, interest rate, amortization period, maturity, a description of the required collateral and required insurance coverage. Property searches are requested, as needed, on all loans secured by real property.

 

 

 

 

Our Board of Directors has primary responsibility for establishing and overseeing our investment policy. The Board of Directors has delegated authority to implement the investment policy to our Chief Financial Officer. The investment policy is reviewed at least annually, and any changes to the policy are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.  The overall objectives of the investment policy are to maintain a portfolio of high quality and diversified investments, to provide liquidity, and to control interest rate risk while providing an acceptable return. The investment portfolio is also used to provide collateral for qualified deposits and borrowings, to provide additional earnings when loan production is low, and to reduce our tax liability. The policy dictates that investment decisions give consideration to the safety of principal, liquidity requirements and potential returns. All purchase and sale transactions are reported to the Board of Directors on a monthly basis.

 

Our investment policy does not permit the purchase of complex securities and derivatives as defined in federal banking regulations and other high-risk securities, nor does it permit additional investments in non-agency mortgage-backed securities, pooled trust preferred securities, or single issuer trust preferred securities.

 

At the time of purchase, we designate a security as either held-to-maturity or available-for-sale based upon our ability and intentions.  Securities available-for-sale are carried at fair value and securities held-to-maturity are carried at amortized cost.  A periodic review and evaluation of the available-for-sale and held-to-maturity securities portfolios is conducted to determine if the fair value of any security has declined below its carrying value and whether such decline is other-than-temporary.  If impairment exists, credit related impairment losses are recorded in earnings while noncredit related impairment losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (for available-for-sale securities).  The fair values of our securities are based on published or securities dealers’ market values, when available.  See note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a detailed analysis and description of our investment portfolio and valuation techniques.

We purchase debentures and mortgage-backed securities that generally are issued by the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB"), Fannie Mae ("FNMA"), Freddie Mac ("FHLMC") or Ginnie Mae ("GNMA").  Historically, we have invested in mortgage-backed securities to achieve positive interest rate spreads with minimal administrative expense and to lower our credit risk as a result of the guarantees provided by FHLMC, FNMA or GNMA. 

 

 

 

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh functions as a central bank providing credit for Northwest Bank and other member financial institutions.  As a member, Northwest Bank is required to own capital stock in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh and is authorized to apply for borrowings on the security of certain of its real estate loans, provided certain standards related to creditworthiness have been met.  Borrowings are made pursuant to several different programs.  Each credit program has its own interest rate and range of maturities.  Depending on the program, limitations on the amount of borrowings are based either on a fixed percentage of a member institution’s net worth or on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s assessment of the institution’s creditworthiness. 

 

 

During 2017 Northwest Bank strategically ceased operating several business line.

Boetger and Associates, Inc. (doing business as Northwest Retirement Services) was sold on December 8, 2017.  While a subsidiary of Northwest Bank, Boetger and Associates, Inc. had net income of $62,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Federal regulations require insured institutions to provide 30 days advance notice to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) before establishing or acquiring a subsidiary or conducting a new activity in a subsidiary.  The insured institution must also provide the FDIC such information as may be required by applicable regulations and must conduct the activity in accordance with the rules and orders of the FDIC. In addition to other enforcement and supervision powers, the FDIC may determine after notice and opportunity for a hearing that the continuation of a savings bank’s ownership of or relation to a subsidiary constitutes a serious risk to the safety, soundness or stability of the savings bank, or is inconsistent with the purposes of federal banking laws.  Upon the making of such a determination, the FDIC may order the savings bank to divest the subsidiary or take other actions.

 

 

As a savings and loan holding company, we are required to comply with the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and are also required to file certain reports with and are subject to examination by the Federal Reserve Board. We are also subject to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the federal securities laws.

Northwest Bank is a Pennsylvania-chartered stock savings bank and our deposit accounts are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (the "DIF"). Northwest Bank is subject to extensive regulation by the Department of Banking and Securities of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the “Department of Banking”), as its chartering agency, and by the FDIC, as the insurer of its deposit accounts. Northwest Bank must file reports with the Department of Banking and the FDIC concerning its activities and financial condition in addition to obtaining regulatory approvals prior to entering into certain transactions including acquisitions of other financial institutions. Northwest Bank is examined periodically by the Department of Banking and the FDIC to test Northwest Bank’s compliance with various laws and regulations. This regulation and supervision, as well as federal and state law, establishes a comprehensive framework of activities in which Northwest Bank may engage and is intended primarily for the protection of the DIF and depositors. The regulatory structure also gives the regulatory authorities extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities and with their examination policies, including policies with respect to the classification of assets and the establishment of adequate loan loss reserves for regulatory purposes. Any change in these laws or regulations, whether by the Department of Banking or the FDIC, could have a material adverse impact on the Company, Northwest Bank and their respective operations. Additionally, when the consolidated assets of a financial institution and its holding company exceed $10 billion, the financial institution becomes subject to additional statutory and regulatory requirements that will result in additional costs. This includes enhanced risk management and corporate governance processes, stress-testing based on scenarios specified by the federal regulatory agencies and examination for compliance with federal financial consumer protection laws by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rather than the FDIC. As of December 31, 2017, our consolidated assets were $9.364 billion.

Set forth below is a brief description of certain regulatory requirements that are applicable to Northwest Bank and Northwest Bancshares, Inc. The description below is limited to certain material aspects of the statutes and regulations addressed, and is not intended to be a complete description of such statutes and regulations and their effects on Northwest Bank and Northwest Bancshares, Inc.

The Pennsylvania Banking Code of 1965, as amended (the “Banking Code”) contains detailed provisions governing the organization, operations, corporate powers, savings and investment authority, branching rights and responsibilities of directors, officers and employees of Pennsylvania savings banks. A Pennsylvania savings bank may locate or change the location of its principal place of business and establish an office anywhere in, or adjacent to, Pennsylvania, with the prior approval of the Department of Banking. The Banking Code delegates extensive rulemaking power and administrative discretion to the Department of Banking in its supervision and regulation of state-chartered savings banks.

Although the Department of Banking may accept the examinations and reports of the FDIC in lieu of its own examination, the current practice is for the Department of Banking to conduct joint examinations with the FDIC. The Department of Banking may order any savings bank to discontinue any violation of law or unsafe or unsound business practice and may direct any director, officer, or employee of a savings bank engaged in a violation of law, unsafe or unsound practice or breach of fiduciary duty to show cause at a hearing before the Department of Banking why such person should not be removed. The Department of Banking may also appoint a receiver or conservator for an institution in appropriate cases.

The “Banking Law Modernization Package” was Pennsylvania legislation effective in 2012. The legislation was intended to update, simplify and modernize the banking laws of Pennsylvania and reduce regulatory burden where possible. The legislation, among other things, increased the threshold for investments in bank premises without Department of Banking approval from 25% of capital, surplus, undivided profits and capital securities to 100%, eliminated certain lending requirements and pricing restrictions and changed the procedure for a Pennsylvania state chartered institution to close a branch from an application for approval to a notice. The legislation also clarified the Department of Banking’s examination and enforcement authority over subsidiaries of Pennsylvania institutions and authorized the assessment of civil money penalties of up to $25,000 under certain circumstances for violations of laws or orders related to the institution or unsafe or unsound practices or breaches of fiduciary duties.

The FDIC currently maintains the DIF, which was created in 2006 through the merger of the Bank Insurance Fund and the Savings Association Insurance Fund.  The deposit accounts of our subsidiary bank are insured by the DIF to the maximum amount provided by law.  This insurance is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.

As insurer, the FDIC is authorized to conduct examinations of and to require reporting by DIF-insured institutions.  It also may prohibit any DIF-insured institution from engaging in any activity the FDIC determines by regulation or order to pose a serious threat to the DIF.  The FDIC also has the authority to take enforcement actions against insured institutions.

The FDIC charges insured depository institutions premiums to maintain the Deposit Insurance Fund. Under the FDIC’s risk-based assessment system, insured institutions were assigned a risk category based on supervisory evaluations, regulatory capital levels and certain other factors. An institution’s rate depended upon the category to which it is assigned, and certain adjustments specified by FDIC regulations. Institutions deemed less risky pay lower FDIC assessments. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2016 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) required the FDIC to revise its procedures to base its assessments upon each insured institution’s total assets less tangible equity instead of deposits. The FDIC finalized a rule, effective April 1, 2011, that set the assessment range at 2.5 to 45 basis points of total assets less tangible equity.

Effective July 1, 2016, the FDIC adopted changes that eliminated the risk categories. Assessments for most institutions are now based on financial measures and supervisory ratings derived from statistical modeling estimating the probability of failure within three years. In conjunction with the Deposit Insurance Fund reserve ratio achieving 1.15%, the assessment range was reduced for most banks and savings associations of less than $10 billion in total assets to 1.5 basis points from 30 basis points (inclusive of possible adjustments), effective July 1, 2016. The Dodd-Frank Act specifies that banks of greater than $10 billion in assets be required to bear the burden of raising the reserve ratio form 1.15% to 1.35%. Such institutions are subject to an annual surcharge of 4.5 basis points of total assets exceeding $10 billion. This surcharge will remain in place until the earlier of the Deposit Insurance Fund reaching the 1.35% ratio or December 31, 2018, at which point a shortfall assessment would be applied.

In addition, all institutions with deposits insured by the FDIC are required to pay assessments to fund interest payments on bonds issued by the Financing Corporation, a mixed-ownership government corporation established to recapitalize a predecessor to the Deposit Insurance Fund.  These assessments will continue until the Financing Corporation bonds mature in 2019.

Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that the institution has engaged or is engaging in unsafe and unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC or written agreement entered into with the FDIC. The management of the Bank does not know of any practice, condition or violation that might lead to termination of deposit insurance.

Federal regulations require federally insured depository institutions to meet several minimum capital standards: a common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio of 4.5%, a Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio of 6.0%, a total capital to risk-based assets of 8.0%, and a 4.0% Tier 1 capital to total assets leverage ratio. These capital requirements were effective January 1, 2015 and are the result of a final rule implementing recommendations of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and certain requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”).

In determining the amount of risk-weighted assets for purposes of calculating risk-based capital ratios, all assets, including certain off-balance sheet assets (e.g., recourse obligations, direct credit substitutes, residual interests) are multiplied by a risk weight factor assigned by the regulations based on the risks believed inherent in the type of asset. Higher levels of capital are required for asset categories believed to present greater risk. Common equity Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Tier 1 capital is generally defined as common equity Tier 1 and additional Tier 1 capital. Additional Tier 1 capital includes certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries. Total capital includes Tier 1 capital (common equity Tier 1 capital plus additional Tier 1 capital) and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital is comprised of capital instruments and related surplus, meeting specified requirements, and may include cumulative preferred stock and long-term perpetual preferred stock, mandatory convertible securities, intermediate preferred stock and subordinated debt. Also included in Tier 2 capital is the allowance for loan and lease losses limited to a maximum of 1.25% of risk-weighted assets and, for institutions that have exercised an opt-out election regarding the treatment of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, up to 45% of net unrealized gains on available-for-sale equity securities with readily determinable fair market values. Calculation of all types of regulatory capital is subject to deductions and adjustments specified in the regulations. In assessing an institution’s capital adequacy, the FDIC takes into consideration, not only these numeric factors, but qualitative factors as well, and has the authority to establish higher capital requirements for individual institutions where deemed necessary.

Any institution that fails any of the regulatory capital requirements is subject to enforcement action by the FDIC. Such action may include a capital directive, a cease and desist order, civil money penalties, restrictions on an institution’s operations, termination of federal deposit insurance, and the appointment of a conservator or receiver. Such action, through enforcement proceedings or otherwise, may require a variety of corrective measures. The regulations limit capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments to management if the institution does not hold a “capital conservation buffer” consisting of 2.5% of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted asset above the amount necessary to meet its minimum risk-based capital requirements. The capital conservation buffer requirement is being phased in beginning January 1, 2016 at 0.625% of risk-weighted assets and increasing each year until fully implemented at 2.5% on January 1, 2019. The capital conservation buffer was 1.25% for calendar 2017 and increased to 1.875% effective January 1, 2018.

Federal law requires, among other things, that federal bank regulators take “prompt corrective action” with respect to institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. For this purpose, the law establishes five capital categories: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. The applicable FDIC regulations were amended to incorporate the previously mentioned increased regulatory capital standards that were effective January 1, 2015. Under the amended regulations, an institution is deemed to be “well capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 6.5% or greater. An institution is “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater, a leverage ratio of 4.0% or greater and a common equity Tier 1 ratio of 4.5% or greater. An institution is “undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 4.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 4.5%. An institution is deemed to be “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0%, a leverage ratio of less than 3.0% or a common equity Tier 1 ratio of less than 3.0%. An institution is considered to be “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0%. Institutions that fall into an “undercapitalized” category are subject to a variety of mandatory and discretionary supervisory actions, including a restriction on capital distributions and the requirement to file a capital restoration plan with the regulators. Performance under the capital restoration plan must be guaranteed by the parent holding company up to the lesser of the amount of the capital deficiency when deemed undercapitalized or 5% of the institution’s total assets. Federal regulations also specify circumstances under which a federal banking agency may reclassify a well capitalized institution as adequately capitalized, and may require an adequately capitalized institution to comply with supervisory actions as if it were in the next lower category (except that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation may not reclassify a significantly undercapitalized institution as critically undercapitalized). As of December 31, 2017, Northwest Bank was “well-capitalized” for this purpose.

In accordance with the Banking Code, a Pennsylvania chartered savings bank, with certain limited exceptions, may lend to a single or related group of borrowers on an “unsecured” basis an amount equal to 15% of its capital accounts, the aggregate of capital, surplus, undivided profits, capital securities and reserve for loan losses. The Credit Committee has established an internal lending limit, either individually or in the aggregate to one customer, of $20.0 million. Under certain circumstances, for instance well qualified customers or customers with multiple individually qualified projects, this limit may be exceeded subject to the approval of the Senior Loan Committee. As of December 31, 2017 we had 23 credit relationships that equal or exceed our $20.0 million internal limit.

Federal law generally limits the activities and equity investments of state-chartered banks insured by the FDIC to those that are permissible for national banks. Under regulations dealing with equity investments, an insured state bank generally may not, directly or indirectly, acquire or retain any equity investment of a type, or in an amount, that is not permissible for a national bank. An insured state bank is not prohibited from, among other things: (i) acquiring or retaining a majority interest in a subsidiary; (ii) investing as a limited partner in a partnership the sole purpose of which is direct or indirect investment in the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of a qualified housing project, provided that such limited partnership investments may not exceed 2% of the bank’s total assets; (iii) acquiring up to 10% of the voting stock of a company that solely provides or reinsures liability insurance for directors, trustees or officers, or blanket bond group insurance coverage for insured depository institutions; and (iv) acquiring or retaining the voting shares of a depository institution if certain requirements are met. Activities of state banks and their subsidiaries are generally limited to those permissible for national banks. Exceptions include where the bank meets applicable regulatory capital requirements and the FDIC determines that the proposed activity does not pose a significant risk to the deposit insurance fund.

The USA Patriot Act gives the federal government powers to address terrorist threats through enhanced domestic security measures, expanded surveillance powers, increased information sharing and broadened anti-money laundering requirements. The USA Patriot Act also requires the federal banking agencies to take into consideration the effectiveness of controls designed to combat money-laundering activities in determining whether to approve a merger or other acquisition application of a member institution. Accordingly, if we engage in a merger or other acquisition, our controls designed to combat money laundering would be considered as part of the application process. We have established policies, procedures and systems designed to comply with these regulations.

Federal law prohibits a savings and loan holding company, including Northwest Bancshares, Inc., directly or indirectly, or through one or more subsidiaries, from acquiring more than 5% of another savings institution or holding company thereof, without prior written approval of the Federal Reserve Board. It also prohibits, with certain exceptions, the acquisition or retention of more than 5% of a non-subsidiary company engaged in activities that are not closely related to banking or financial in nature, or acquiring or retaining control of an institution that is not federally insured. In evaluating applications by holding companies to acquire savings institutions, the Federal Reserve Board must consider, among other factors, the financial and managerial resources and future prospects of the company and institution involved, the effect of the acquisition on the risk to the federal deposit insurance fund, the convenience and needs of the community and competitive factors.

The Federal Reserve Board is prohibited from approving any acquisition that would result in a multiple savings and loan holding company controlling savings institutions in more than one state, subject to two exceptions:

The states vary in the extent to which they permit interstate savings and loan holding company acquisitions.

The Federal Reserve Board has issued a policy statement regarding capital distributions by bank holding companies that it has made applicable to savings and loan holding companies as well. In general, the policy provides that dividends should be paid only out of current earnings and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention by the holding company appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. The ability of a holding company to pay dividends may be restricted if a subsidiary depository institution becomes undercapitalized. Regulatory guidance provides for prior regulatory consultation with respect to dividends in certain circumstances, such as where the company’s net income for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid over that period, is insufficient to fully fund the dividend or the company’s overall rate of earnings retention is inconsistent with the company’s capital needs and overall financial condition. The guidance similarly provides for regulatory review of stock repurchases or redemptions under certain circumstances. These regulatory policies could affect our ability to pay dividends or otherwise engage in capital distributions, including stock repurchases.

As a subsidiary of a savings and loan holding company, Northwest Bank must notify the Federal Reserve Board thirty days before declaring any dividend to the Company. The dividend notice may be objected to under certain circumstances, such as where the dividend raises safety or soundness concerns, the dividend would cause the savings bank to be undercapitalized or the dividend would violate a law, regulation, regulatory condition or enforcement order.

Our common stock is registered with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We are also subject to the proxy rules, tender offer rules, insider trading restrictions, annual and periodic reporting, and other requirements of the Exchange Act.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted to increase corporate responsibility, to provide for enhanced penalties for accounting and auditing improprieties at publicly traded companies, and to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures pursuant to the securities laws. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act generally applies to all companies that file or are required to file periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

As directed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are required to certify that our quarterly and annual reports do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact. The rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act have several requirements, including having these officers certify that: they are responsible for establishing, maintaining and regularly evaluating the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting; they have made certain disclosures to our auditors and the audit committee of the board of directors about our internal control over financial reporting; and they have included information in our quarterly and annual reports about their evaluation and whether there have been changes in our internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that could materially affect internal control over financial reporting.

 

We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method which accounts for deferred income taxes by applying the enacted statutory rates in effect at the balance sheet date to differences between the book basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities.  The resulting deferred tax liabilities and assets are adjusted to reflect changes in tax laws.

On December 22, 2017, H.R.1, commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”), was signed into law. The Act includes many provisions that will affect our income tax expense, including reducing our federal tax rate from 35.0% to 21.0% effective January 1, 2018. As a result of the rate reduction, we are required to re-measure, through income tax expense in the period of enactment, our deferred tax assets and liabilities using the enacted rate at which we expect them to be recovered or settled. The re-measurement of our net deferred tax liability resulted in a 2017 income tax benefit of $3.1 million.

 

Northwest Bank is subject to Pennsylvania’s mutual thrift institutions tax based on Northwest Bank’s net income determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, with certain adjustments.  The tax rate under the mutual thrift institutions tax is 11.5%.  Interest on Pennsylvania and federal obligations is excluded from net income.  An allocable portion of interest expense incurred to carry the tax-free obligations is disallowed as a deduction.  Northwest Bank is also subject to taxes in the other states in which it conducts business.  These taxes are apportioned based upon the volume of business conducted in those states as a percentage of the whole.  Because a majority of Northwest Bank’s affairs are conducted in Pennsylvania, taxes paid to other states are not material.

 

The subsidiaries of Northwest Bank are subject to a Pennsylvania corporate net income tax and are also subject to other applicable taxes in the states where they conduct business.

Our performance is significantly impacted by the general economic conditions in our primary markets in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. At December 31, 2017, 59.7% of our loan portfolio was secured by properties located in Pennsylvania, with a large portion of the rest of our loans secured by real estate located in New York and Ohio. Local economic conditions have a significant impact on the ability of our borrowers to repay loans and the value of the collateral securing loans.

A deterioration in economic conditions could result in the following consequences, any of which could have a material adverse affect on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations:

In addition, deflationary pressures, while possibly lowering our operating costs, could have a significant negative effect on our borrowers, especially our business borrowers, and the values of underlying collateral securing loans, which could negatively affect our financial performance.

The Company and Northwest Bank are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by the Federal Reserve Board, the Department of Banking and the FDIC. These regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the ability to impose restrictions on Northwest Bank’s operations, reclassify assets, determine the adequacy of Northwest Bank’s allowance for loan losses and determine the level of deposit insurance premiums assessed. The laws and regulations applicable to us are subject to frequent change and interpretations. Any change in these regulations and oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, new regulations or legislation or additional deposit insurance premiums could have a material impact on our operations.

The potential exists for additional federal or state laws and regulations, or changes in policy, affecting lending and funding practices and liquidity standards. Moreover, bank regulatory agencies have been active in responding to concerns and trends identified in examinations, and have issued many formal enforcement orders requiring capital ratios in excess of regulatory requirements. Bank regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Reserve Board, the Department of Banking, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the FDIC, govern the activities in which we may engage, primarily for the protection of depositors, and not for the protection or benefit of potential investors. In addition, new laws and regulations may increase our costs of regulatory compliance and of doing business, and otherwise affect our operations. New laws and regulations may significantly affect the markets in which we do business, the markets for and value of our loans and investments, the fees we can charge and our ongoing operations, costs and profitability.

Final capital rules effective January 1, 2015 include new minimum risk-based capital and leverage ratios and refined the definition of what constitutes “capital” for purposes of calculating these ratios. The new minimum capital requirements are: (i) a new common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%; (ii) a Tier 1 to risk-based assets capital ratio of 6% (increased from 4%); (iii) a total capital ratio of 8% (unchanged from current rules); and (iv) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4%. The final rule also establishes a “capital conservation buffer” of 2.5%, and will result in the following minimum ratios: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 7.0%, (ii) a Tier 1 to risk-based assets capital ratio of 8.5%, and (iii) a total capital ratio of 10.5%. The new capital conservation buffer requirement is being phased in beginning in January 2016 at 0.625% of risk-weighted assets and would increase each year until fully implemented in January 2019. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount. These limitations will establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that can be utilized for such actions.

The application of more stringent capital requirements for Northwest Bank could, among other things, result in lower returns on equity, require the raising of additional capital, and result in regulatory actions constraining us from paying dividends or repurchasing shares if we were to be unable to comply with such requirements.

Provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws may prevent or impede holders of our common stock from obtaining representation on our Board of Directors and may make takeovers of Northwest Bancshares, Inc. more difficult. As a result, our stockholders may not have the opportunity to participate in such a transaction, which could provide a premium over the prevailing price of our common stock. The provisions that may discourage takeover attempts or make them more difficult include that our Board of Directors is divided into three staggered classes. A classified board makes it more difficult for stockholders to change a majority of the directors because it generally takes at least two annual elections of directors for this to occur. Our articles of incorporation include a provision that no person will be entitled to vote any shares of our common stock in excess of 10% of our outstanding shares of common stock. This limitation does not apply to the purchase of shares by a tax-qualified employee stock benefit plan established by us. In addition, our articles of incorporation and bylaws restrict who may call special meetings of stockholders and how directors may be removed from office. Additionally, in certain instances, the Maryland General Corporation Law requires a supermajority vote of our stockholders to approve a merger or other business combination with a large stockholder, if the proposed transaction is not approved by a majority of our directors.

While we strive to control the impact of changes in interest rates on our net income, our results of operations and financial condition could be significantly affected by changes in interest rates. Our results of operations depend substantially on our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income we earn on our interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and the interest expense we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits, borrowings and trust preferred securities. Because it is difficult to perfectly match the maturities and cash flows from our financial assets and liabilities our net income could be adversely impacted by changes in the level of interest rates or the slope of the Treasury yield curve.

Changes in interest rates may also affect the average life of loans and mortgage-related securities. Decreases in interest rates can result in increased prepayments of loans and mortgage-related securities, as borrowers refinance to reduce their borrowing costs. Under these circumstances, we are subject to reinvestment risk to the extent that we are unable to reinvest the cash received from such prepayments at rates that are comparable to the rates on existing loans and investment securities. Additionally, increases in interest rates may decrease loan demand and make it more difficult for borrowers to repay adjustable rate loans. Also, increases

Changes in interest rates also affect the current fair value of our interest-earning investment securities portfolio. Generally, the value of securities moves inversely with changes in interest rates. At December 31, 2017, the fair value of our investment and mortgage-backed securities portfolio totaled $822.2 million. Net unrealized losses on these securities totaled $7.6 million at December 31, 2017.

Any increase in market interest rates may reduce our mortgage banking income. We generate revenues primarily from gains on the sale of mortgage loans to investors, and from the amortization of deferred mortgage servicing rights. We recognized noninterest income of $1.4 million on mortgage banking activities during the year ended December 31, 2017. We also earn interest on loans held for sale while awaiting delivery to our investors.  In a rising or higher interest rate environment, our mortgage loan originations may decrease, resulting in fewer loans that are available for sale. This would result in a decrease in interest income and a decrease in revenues from loan sales. In addition, our results of operations are affected by the amount of noninterest expense associated with mortgage banking activities, such as salaries and employee benefits, occupancy, equipment, data processing and other operating costs. During periods of reduced loan demand, our results of operations may be adversely affected to the extent that we are unable to reduce expenses commensurate with the decline in mortgage loan origination activity.

At December 31, 2017, our interest rate risk analysis indicated that the market value of our equity would decrease by 7.3% if there was an instant parallel 200 basis point increase in market interest rates. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

We are a community bank, and our reputation is one of the most valuable components of our business. A key component of our business strategy is to rely on our reputation for customer service and knowledge of local markets to expand our presence by capturing new business opportunities from existing and prospective customers in our current market and contiguous areas. As such, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. This is done, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities we serve, delivering superior service to our customers and caring about our customers and associates. If our reputation is negatively affected, by the actions of our employees, by our inability to conduct our operations in a manner that is appealing to current or prospective customers, or otherwise, our business and operating results may be adversely affected.

Our customers may not repay their loans according to the original terms, and the collateral, if any, securing the payment of these loans may be insufficient to pay any remaining loan balance. We may experience significant loan losses, which may have a material adverse effect on operating results. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of the loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of loans. If our assumptions prove to be incorrect, the allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, resulting in additions to the allowance. Material additions to the allowance would materially decrease net income.

Our emphasis on originating commercial real estate and commercial loans is one of the more significant factors in evaluating the allowance for loan losses. As we continue to increase the amount of such loans, increased provisions for loan losses may be necessary, which would decrease our earnings.

The FASB has adopted a new accounting standard that will be effective for our first fiscal year after December 15, 2019. This standard, referred to as Current Expected Credit Loss ("CECL"), will require financial institutions to determine periodic estimates of lifetime expected credit losses on loans, and recognize the expected credit losses as allowances for loan losses. This will change the current method of providing allowances for loan losses that are probable, which may require us to increase our allowance for loan losses, and to greatly increase the types of data we would need to collect and review to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses. We are currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on our results of operations and financial position.

Bank regulators periodically review our allowance for loan losses and may require an increase to the provision for loan losses or further loan charge-offs. Any increase in our allowance for loan losses or loan charge-offs as required by these regulatory authorities may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

Commercial loans generally expose a lender to greater risk of non-payment and loss than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans because repayment of the loans often depends on the successful operation of the business and the income stream of the borrowers.  Such loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers compared to one- to four-family residential mortgage loans.  Also, many of our commercial borrowers have more than one loan outstanding with us.  Consequently, an adverse development with respect to one loan or one credit relationship can expose us to a significantly greater risk of loss compared to an adverse development with respect to a one- to four-family residential mortgage loan.  Commercial business loans expose us to additional risk since they typically are dependent on the borrower’s ability to make repayments from the cash flows of the business and are secured by non-real estate collateral that may depreciate over time.  Further, our commercial business loans may be secured by collateral other than real estate, such as inventory and accounts receivable, the value of which may be more difficult to appraise, control or collect and may be more susceptible to fluctuation in value at the time of default.

A number of factors or combinations of factors could require us to conclude in one or more future reporting periods that an unrealized loss that exists with respect to these and other securities constitutes an impairment that is other-than-temporary, which could result in material losses to us. These factors include, but are not limited to, failure by the issuer to make scheduled interest payments, an increase in the severity of the unrealized loss on a particular security, an increase in the continuous duration of the unrealized loss without an improvement in value or changes in market conditions and/or industry or issuer specific factors that would render us unable to forecast a full recovery in value. In addition, the fair values of securities could decline if the overall economy and the financial condition of some of the issuers deteriorates and there remains limited liquidity for these securities.

See “Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Balance Sheet Analysis-Securities” for a discussion of our securities portfolio and the unrealized losses related to the portfolio, as well as the “Marketable Securities” and “Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments” footnotes to the audited financial statements.

The USA PATRIOT and Bank Secrecy Acts require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money laundering and terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These rules require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers seeking to open new financial accounts. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines or sanctions or affect our ability to pursue further acquisition opportunities. During the last year, several banking institutions have received large fines for non-compliance with these laws and regulations. While we have developed policies and procedures designed to assist in compliance with these laws and regulations, these policies and procedures may not be effective in preventing violations of these laws and regulations.

The Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. A successful regulatory challenge to an institution’s performance under the CRA or fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including the required payment of damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity and restrictions on expansion. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Federal law requires that a holding company act as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary bank and to commit resources to support such subsidiary bank. Under the “source of strength” doctrine, the Federal Reserve Board may require a holding company to make capital injections into a troubled subsidiary bank and may charge the holding company with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to a subsidiary bank. A capital injection may be required at times when the holding company may not have the resources to provide it and therefore may be required to borrow the funds or raise capital. Any loans by a holding company to its subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary bank. In the event of a holding company’s bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee will assume any commitment by the holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank. Moreover, bankruptcy law provides that claims based on any such commitment will be entitled to a priority of payment over the claims of the institution’s general unsecured creditors, including the holders of its note obligations. Thus, any borrowing that must be done by the Company to make a required capital injection becomes more difficult and expensive and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are required to test our goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis and more regularly if indicators of impairment exist. The impairment testing process considers a variety of factors, including the current market price of our common stock, the estimated net present value of our assets and liabilities and information concerning the terminal valuation of similar insured depository institutions. Future impairment testing may result in a partial or full impairment of the value of our goodwill or other identifiable intangible assets, or both. If an impairment determination is made in a future reporting period, our earnings and the book value of these intangible assets will be reduced by the amount of the impairment. However, the recording of such an impairment loss would have no impact on the tangible book value of our shares of common stock or our regulatory capital levels.

Competition in the banking and financial services industry is intense. We compete with commercial banks, savings institutions, mortgage brokerage firms, credit unions, finance companies, fintech companies, mutual funds, insurance companies, and brokerage and investment banking firms operating locally and elsewhere. Many of these competitors (whether regional or national institutions) have substantially greater resources and lending limits than we have and may offer certain services that we do not or cannot provide. In addition, some have competitive advantages such as the credit union exemption from paying Federal income tax. Our profitability depends upon our ability to successfully compete in our market areas.

There have been proposals made by members of Congress and others that would reduce the amount distressed borrowers are otherwise contractually obligated to pay under their mortgage loans and limit an institution’s ability to foreclose on mortgage collateral. Were proposals such as these, or other proposals limiting our rights as a creditor, to be implemented, we could experience increased credit losses or increased expense in pursuing our remedies as a creditor.

We, and other participants in the financial services industry upon whom we rely to operate, have been and may in the future become involved in legal and regulatory proceedings. Most of the proceedings we consider to be in the normal course of our business or typical for the industry; however, it is inherently difficult to assess the outcome of these matters, and other participants in the financial services industry or we may not prevail in any proceeding or litigation. There could be substantial cost and management diversion in such litigation and proceedings, and any adverse determination could have a materially adverse effect on our business, brand or image, or our financial condition and results of our operations.

In addition to being affected by general economic conditions, our earnings and growth are affected by the policies of the Federal Reserve Board. An important function of the Federal Reserve Board is to regulate the money supply and credit conditions. Among the instruments used by the Federal Reserve Board to implement these objectives are open market purchases and sales of U.S. government securities, adjustments of the discount rate and changes in banks’ reserve requirements against bank deposits.

The monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board have had a significant effect on the operating results of financial institutions in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. The effects of such policies upon our business, financial condition and results of operations cannot be predicted.

Our municipal bond portfolio may be impacted by the effects of economic stress on state and local governments. At December 31, 2017, we had $51.0 million invested in debt obligations of states, municipalities and political subdivisions (collectively referred to as our municipal bond portfolio). We also had $157.2 million of loans outstanding to municipalities and political subdivisions. Widespread concern currently exists regarding the stress on state and local governments emanating from: (i) declining revenues; (ii) large unfunded liabilities to government workers; and (iii) entrenched cost structures. Debt-to-gross domestic product ratios for the majority of states have been deteriorating due to, among other factors, declines in federal monetary assistance provided as the United States is currently experiencing the largest deficit in its history. This concern has led to speculation about the potential for a significant deterioration in the municipal bond market, which could materially affect our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. We may not be able to mitigate the exposure in our municipal portfolio if state and local governments are unable to fulfill their obligations. The risk of widespread issuer defaults may also increase if there are changes in legislation that permit states, or additional municipalities and political subdivisions, to file for bankruptcy protection or if there are judicial interpretations that, in a bankruptcy or other proceeding, lessen the value of any structural protections.

Within our investment portfolio, we have a significant amount of corporate debt and mortgage-backed securities issued by companies in the financial services sector. Given current market conditions, this sector has an enhanced level of credit risk.

Information technology systems are critical to our business.  We use various technology systems to manage our customer relationships, general ledger, deposits, and loans.  We have established policies and procedures to prevent or limit the impact of system failures, interruptions, and security breaches, but such events may still occur or may not be adequately addressed if they do occur.  In addition, any compromise of our systems could deter customers from using our products and services.  Although we rely on security systems to provide security and authentication necessary to effect the secure transmission of data, these precautions may not protect our systems from compromises or breaches of security.

Our business is subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act which, among other things: (i) imposes certain limitations on our ability to share nonpublic personal information about our customers with nonaffiliated third parties; (ii) requires that we provide certain disclosures to customers about our information collection, sharing and security practices and afford customers the right to “opt out” of any information sharing by us with nonaffiliated third parties (with certain exceptions); and (iii) requires that we develop, implement and maintain a written comprehensive information security program containing appropriate safeguards based on our size and complexity, the nature and scope of our activities, and the sensitivity of customer information we process, as well as plans for responding to data security breaches. Ensuring that our collection, use, transfer and storage of personal information complies with all applicable laws and regulations can increase our costs. Despite the defensive measures we take to manage our internal technological and operational infrastructure, threats may originate externally from third parties such as foreign governments, organized crime and other hackers, and outsource or infrastructure-support providers and application developers, or may originate internally from within our organization. Furthermore, we may not be able to ensure that all of our clients, suppliers, counterparties and other third parties have appropriate controls in place to protect the confidentiality of the information that they exchange with us, particularly where such information is transmitted by electronic means.

In addition, we outsource a significant amount of our data processing to certain third-party providers.  If these third-party providers encounter difficulties, or if we have difficulty communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for transactions could be affected, and our business operations could be adversely affected.  Threats to information security also exist in the processing of customer information through various other vendors and their personnel.

The occurrence of any system failures, interruption, or breach of security could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and business, could subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or could expose us to litigation and possible financial liability.  Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our risk management framework is designed to minimize risk and loss to us. We seek to identify, measure, monitor, report and control our exposure to risk, including strategic, market, liquidity, credit, interest rate, compliance and operational risks. While we use a broad and diversified set of risk monitoring and mitigation techniques, these techniques are inherently limited because they cannot anticipate the existence or future development of currently unanticipated or unknown risks. Recent economic conditions and heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny of the financial services industry, among other developments, have increased our level of risk. Accordingly, we could suffer losses as a result of our failure to properly anticipate and manage these risks.

Our loans to businesses and individuals and our deposit relationships and related transactions are subject to exposure to the risk of loss due to fraud and other financial crimes.  Nationally, reported incidents of fraud and other financial crimes have increased.  We have also experienced losses due to apparent fraud and other financial crimes.  While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent such losses, losses may still occur.

We regularly evaluate merger and acquisition opportunities with other financial institutions and financial services companies. As a result, negotiations may take place and future mergers or acquisitions involving cash, debt, or equity securities may occur at any time. We would seek acquisition partners that offer us either significant market presence or the potential to expand our market footprint and improve profitability through economies of scale or expanded services.

Acquisitions may not enhance our cash flows, business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects as expected and such acquisitions may have an adverse effect on our results of operations, particularly during periods in which the acquisitions are being integrated into our operations.

We are required by federal regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations.  We anticipate that we will have sufficient capital resources to satisfy our capital requirements for the foreseeable future.  We may at some point, however, need to raise additional capital to support our continued growth.  If we raise capital through the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or other securities, it would dilute the ownership interests of existing stockholders and may dilute the per share book value of our common stock.  New investors may also have rights, preferences and privileges senior to our current stockholders, which may adversely impact our current stockholders.  Also, the need to raise additional capital may force our management to spend more time in managerial and financing-related activities than in operational activities.

Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and on our financial performance.  Accordingly, we may not be able to raise additional capital, if needed, with favorable terms.  If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations through internal growth and acquisitions could be materially impaired.

The Dodd-Frank Act resulted in several new requirements for banking institutions with $10 billion or more in assets. As of December 31, 2017, we had consolidated assets of $9.364 billion. If we surpass this threshold, these provisions, subject to a phase-in period, may significantly increase our compliance or operating costs or otherwise have a significant impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Such provisions include:

It is difficult to predict the overall compliance cost of these provisions. However, compliance with these provisions would likely require additional staffing, engagement of external consultants and other operating costs that could have a material adverse effect on our future financial condition and results of operations.

Our business strategy includes growth in assets, deposits and the scale of our operations. Achieving our growth targets will require us to attract customers that currently bank at other financial institutions in our market, thereby increasing our share of the market. Our ability to successfully grow will depend on a variety of factors, including our ability to attract and retain experienced bankers, the continued availability of desirable business opportunities, the competitive responses from other financial institutions in our market area and our ability to manage our growth. Growth opportunities may not be available or we may not be able to manage our growth successfully. If we do not manage our growth effectively, our financial condition and operating results could be negatively affected.

We must maintain sufficient funds to respond to the needs of depositors and borrowers. As a part of our liquidity management, we use a number of funding sources in addition to core deposit growth and repayments and maturities of loans and investments. As we continue to grow, we are likely to become more dependent on these sources, which may include Federal Home Loan Bank advances, proceeds from the sale of loans, federal funds purchased and brokered certificates of deposit. Adverse operating results or changes in industry conditions could lead to difficulty or an inability to access these additional funding sources. Our financial flexibility will be severely constrained if we are unable to maintain our access to funding or if adequate financing is not available to accommodate future growth at acceptable interest rates. If we are required to rely more heavily on more expensive funding sources to support future growth, our revenues may not increase proportionately to cover our costs. In this case, our operating margins and profitability would be adversely affected.

In order to provide our debit card and cash management solutions, we are members of the Visa network. As such, we are subject to card network rules that could subject us to a variety of fines or penalties that may be assessed on us. The termination of our membership or any changes in card network rules or standards, including interpretation and implementation of existing rules or standards, could increase the cost of operating our merchant services business or limit our ability to provide debit card and cash management solutions to or through our customers, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

From time to time, the card networks increase the fees (known as interchange fees) that they charge to acquirers and that we charge to our merchants. It is possible that competitive pressures will result in us absorbing a portion of such increases in the future, which would increase our costs, reduce our profit margin and adversely affect our business and financial condition. In addition, the card networks require certain capital requirements. An increase in the required capital level would further limit our use of capital for other purposes.

As the financial services industry evolves, consumers may find debit financial services to be less attractive than traditional or other financial services. Consumers might not use debit card financial services for any number of reasons, including the general perception of our industry. If consumers do not continue or increase their usage of debit cards, including making changes in the way debit cards are loaded, our operating revenues and debit card deposits may remain at current levels or decline. Any projected growth for the industry may not occur or may occur more slowly than estimated. If consumer acceptance of debit financial services does not continue to develop or develops more slowly than expected or if there is a shift in the mix of payment forms, such as cash, credit cards, traditional debit cards and debit cards, away from our products and services, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

In preparing this annual report as well as periodic reports we are required to file under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including our consolidated financial statements, our management is and will be required under applicable rules and regulations to make estimates and assumptions as of a specified date. These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best estimates and experience as of that date and are subject to substantial risk and uncertainty. Materially different results may occur as circumstances change and additional information becomes known. Areas requiring significant estimates and assumptions by management include our valuation of investment securities, our determination of our income tax provision and goodwill, and our evaluation of the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses.

Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including commercial banks, brokers and dealers, investment banks and other institutional customers. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of a default by a counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when our collateral cannot be foreclosed upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the credit or derivative exposure due. Furthermore, successful operation of our debit card and cash management solutions business

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate, and we could become subject to environmental liabilities with respect to one or more of these properties. During the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties securing defaulted loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous conditions or toxic substances are found on these properties, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage, civil fines and criminal penalties regardless of when the hazardous conditions or toxic substances first affected any particular property. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses to address unknown liabilities and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase our exposure to environmental liability. Although we have policies and procedures to perform an environmental review before initiating any foreclosure action on nonresidential real property, these reviews may not be sufficient to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on us.

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. and its subsidiaries are subject to various legal actions arising in the normal course of business.  In the opinion of management, the resolution of these legal actions is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and/or results of operations. See note 18 in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Payment of dividends on our shares of common stock is subject to determination and declaration by the Board of Directors and will depend upon a number of factors, including capital requirements, regulatory limitations on the payment of dividends, our results of operations and financial condition, tax considerations and general economic conditions. No assurance can be given that dividends will continue to be declared or, if declared, what the amount of dividends will be. See Item 1. Business “Supervision and Regulation — Holding Company Regulation — Source of Strength/ Capital Distributions” for additional information regarding our ability to pay dividends.

There can be no assurance that our stock performance will continue in the future with the same or similar trend depicted in the graph.  We will not make or endorse any predictions as to future stock performance.

(5) 2016 includes $37.0 million FHLB prepayment penalty, $12.2 million restructuring/ acquisition expense and $5.1 million ESOP termination expense.

Our principal business consists of collecting deposits and making loans secured by various types of collateral, including real estate and other assets in the markets in which we operate.  Attracting and maintaining deposits is affected by a number of factors, including interest rates paid on competing investments offered by other financial and non-financial institutions, account maturities, fee structures, and levels of personal income and savings.  Lending activities are affected by the demand for funds and thus are influenced by interest rates, the number and quality of lenders and regional economic conditions. Sources of funds for lending activities include deposits, borrowings, repayments on loans, cash flows from investment and mortgage-backed securities and income provided from operations.

 

Our earnings depend primarily on net interest income, which is the difference between interest earned on our interest-earning assets, consisting primarily of loans and investment securities, and the interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities, consisting primarily of deposits, borrowed funds, and trust-preferred securities. Net interest income is a function of our interest rate spread, which is the difference between the average yield earned on our interest-earning assets and the average rate paid on our interest-bearing liabilities, as well as a function of the average balance of interest-earning assets compared to the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities.  Also contributing to our earnings is noninterest income, which consists primarily of service charges and fees on loan and deposit products and services, fees related to insurance and investment management and trust services, and net gains and losses on the sale of assets.  Net interest income and noninterest income are offset by provisions for loan losses, general administrative and other expenses, including employee compensation and benefits and occupancy and processing costs, as well as by state and federal income tax expense.

 

 

Certain accounting policies are important to the understanding of our financial condition, since they require management to make difficult, complex or subjective judgments, some of which may relate to matters that are inherently uncertain. Estimates associated with these policies are susceptible to material changes as a result of changes in facts and circumstances, including, but without limitation, changes in interest rates, performance of the economy, financial condition of borrowers and laws and regulations.  The following are the accounting policies we believe are critical.

 

 

We conduct a quarterly review of all investment securities to determine if any declines in fair value are other than temporary. In making this determination, we consider the period of time the securities have been in an unrealized loss position, the percentage decline in comparison to the securities’ amortized cost, the financial condition of the issuer, if applicable, and the delinquency or default rates of underlying collateral. We consider our intent to sell the investment securities evaluated and the likelihood that we will not have to sell the investment securities before recovery of their cost basis.  If impairment exists, credit related impairment losses are recorded in earnings while noncredit related impairment losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of income taxes. Any future deterioration in the fair value of an investment security, or the determination that the existing unrealized loss of an investment security is other-than-temporary, may have a material adverse affect on future earnings.

 

Future changes in the economic environment or the operations of the reporting units could cause changes to these variables, which could give rise to declines in the estimated fair value of goodwill.  Declines in fair value could result in impairment being identified.  We have established June 30 of each year as the date for conducting our annual goodwill impairment assessment.  Quarterly, we evaluate if there are any triggering events that would require an update to our previous assessment.  The variables are selected as of June 30 and the valuation model is run to determine the fair value of the reporting unit. We have determined that goodwill was not impaired as of June 30, 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the amortized cost and fair value of our available-for-sale investment securities portfolio and mortgage-backed securities portfolio at the dates indicated.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the amortized cost and fair value of our held-to-maturity investment securities portfolio and mortgage-backed securities portfolio at the dates indicated.

The following table sets forth information regarding the issuers and the carrying value of our mortgage-backed securities at the dates indicated.