Univest Financial Corporation - 10-K annual report 2015

The information contained in this report may contain forward-looking statements. When used or incorporated by reference in disclosure documents, the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “target,” “goal” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including but not limited to those set forth below as well as the risk factors described in Item 1A, “Risk Factors”:

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated, expected or projected. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the report. The Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to publicly release any updates or revisions to reflect any change in the Corporation’s expectations with regard to any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania (the Corporation) is a Pennsylvania corporation organized in 1973 and registered as a bank holding company pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. The Corporation owns all of the capital stock of Univest Bank and Trust Co. (the Bank). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, the Bank. The Corporation’s and the Bank’s legal headquarters are located at 14 North Main Street, Souderton, PA 18964.

The Bank is a Pennsylvania state-chartered bank and trust company. As a state-chartered member bank of the Federal Reserve System, the Bank is regulated primarily by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

The Bank is engaged in the commercial and consumer banking business and provides a full range of banking and trust services to its customers. The Bank is the parent company of Delview, Inc., which is the parent company of Univest Insurance, Inc., an independent insurance agency, Univest Investments, Inc., a full-service broker-dealer and investment advisory firm and Girard Partners (Girard), a registered investment advisory firm acquired in January 2014. Univest Insurance has four offices in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland. Univest Investments has two offices in Pennsylvania. Girard is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania with two satellite offices in Virginia and Florida. The Bank is also the parent company of Univest Capital, Inc., an equipment financing business, and TCG Investment Advisory, a registered investment advisor which provides discretionary investment consulting and management services. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the Bank provides a variety of financial services to individuals, municipalities and businesses throughout its markets of operation. Univest Investments, Inc., Univest Insurance, Inc. and Univest Capital, Inc. were formed to enhance the traditional banking and trust services provided by the Bank, as was the acquisition of Girard Partners.

The Corporation is headquartered in Souderton, Pennsylvania, which is located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, approximately thirty-five miles north of Philadelphia. The highest concentration of our deposits and loans are in Montgomery and Bucks counties where twenty-six Bank retail financial service centers are located. The acquisition of Valley Green Bank brought the Corporation into the Philadelphia marketplace with three full-service branches and two administrative offices for loan production. Montgomery and Bucks counties are two of the wealthiest counties in Pennsylvania. Significant types of employment industries include pharmaceuticals, health care, electronics, computer services, insurance, industrial machinery, retailing and meat processing. Major companies throughout the two counties include Merck and Company, Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health, GlaxoSmithKline, Hatfield Quality Meats, Aetna/U.S. Healthcare, St. Mary Medical Center, Giant Food Stores LLC, Doylestown Hospital, Grand View Hospital and Northtec LLC. Unemployment rates at December 2015 were 3.0% in Montgomery County and 3.5% Bucks County, lower than Pennsylvania’s state unemployment rate of 4.8% and the federal unemployment rate of 5.0%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition to our hub in Montgomery and Bucks counties, we have commercial lending and insurance offices in the Lehigh Valley and Delaware and Chester counties. These areas currently represent a smaller segment of the Corporation’s market area.

The Corporation ranks fifth in market share in Montgomery County with fourteen financial service centers and ninth in Bucks County with twelve financial service centers; with 6% of total combined market share in the two counties according to data provided by SNL Financial. Montgomery County’s population has grown 3% to 800,000 from the year 2011 to 2015, and is expected to grow another 2% through 2020, while Bucks County’s population has decreased .9% to 628,000 during the same period, but is expected to grow .5% through 2020, according to SNL Financial. The median age is 40 years and 42 years in Montgomery and Bucks counties, respectively, consistent with the median age of 40 years in Pennsylvania and slightly higher than the median age in the United States of 38 years. County estimates project the median age to increase over the next two decades. The median yearly household income was $81,000 for Montgomery County and $76,000 for Bucks County during 2015 and is expected to increase 8% for Montgomery County and 5% for Bucks County through 2020, according to SNL Financial. The yearly median income for both counties is well above that of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States with both at $53,000 during 2015.

Upon completion of the pending merger with Fox Chase Bancorp anticipated in the third quarter of 2016, the Corporation will expand its physical presence into the New Jersey and Chester County, Pennsylvania marketplaces.

The Corporation’s service areas are characterized by intense competition for banking business among commercial banks, savings institutions and other financial institutions. The Corporation’s subsidiary bank actively competes with such banks and financial institutions for local retail and commercial accounts in Bucks, Montgomery and Chester counties and the Lehigh Valley, as well as other financial institutions outside its primary service area.

In competing with other banks, savings institutions and other financial institutions, the Bank seeks to provide personalized services through management’s knowledge and awareness of its service area, customers and borrowers.

Other competitors, including credit unions, consumer finance companies, insurance companies, wealth management providers, leasing companies and mutual funds, compete with certain lending and deposit gathering services and insurance and wealth management services offered by the Bank and its operating segments.

The financial services industry in the United States, particularly entities that are chartered as banks, is highly regulated by federal and state laws that limit the types of businesses in which banks and their holding companies may engage, and which impose significant operating requirements and limitations on banking entities. The discussion below is only a brief summary of some of the significant laws and regulations that affect the Bank and the Corporation, and is not intended to be a complete description of all such laws.

The Bank is subject to supervision and is regularly examined by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The Bank is also subject to examination by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

    

The Corporation is subject to the provisions of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and is registered pursuant to its provisions. The Corporation is subject to the reporting requirements of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Board); and the Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, is subject to examination by the Board. The Federal Reserve Act limits the amount of credit that a member bank may extend to its affiliates, and the amount of its funds that it may invest in or lend on the collateral of the securities of its affiliates. Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, insured banks are subject to the same limitations.

The Corporation is subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). SOX adopted new standards of corporate governance and imposed additional requirements on the board of directors and management of public companies. SOX also requires that the chief executive officer and chief financial officer certify the accuracy of periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Pursuant to Section 404 of SOX (SOX 404), the Corporation is required to furnish a report by its management on internal control over financial reporting, identify any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting and assert that such internal controls are effective. The Corporation has continued to be in compliance with SOX 404 during 2015. The Corporation must maintain effective internal controls, which requires an on-going commitment by management and the Corporation’s Audit Committee. The process has and will continue to require substantial resources in both financial costs and human capital.

The Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law on July 21, 2010. Uncertainty remains as to the ultimate impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, which could have a material adverse impact either on the financial services industry as a whole, or on the Corporation’s business, results of operations and financial condition. The Dodd-Frank Act, among other things:

The Corporation's wealth management and insurance businesses are subject to additional regulatory requirements. The securities brokerage activities of Univest Investments, Inc. are subject to regulation by the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Girard Partners and TCG Investment Advisory are registered investment advisory firms which are subject to regulation by the SEC. Univest Insurance, Inc. is subject to Pennsylvania insurance laws and the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance.

The Bank is affected by the fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government and its agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. An important function of these policies is to curb inflation and control recessions through control of the supply of money and credit. The Board uses its powers to regulate reserve requirements of member banks, the discount rate on member-bank borrowings, interest rates on time and savings deposits of member banks, and to conduct open-market operations in United States Government securities to exercise control over the supply of money and credit. The policies have a direct effect on the amount of bank loans and deposits and on the interest rates charged on loans and paid on deposits, with the result that the policies have a material effect on bank earnings. Future policies of the Board and other authorities cannot be predicted, nor can their effect on future bank earnings.

The deposits of the Bank are insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to applicable limits. Effective April 1, 2011, in accordance with the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC implemented a final rule regarding deposit insurance assessments. The rule changed the assessment base from domestic deposits to average consolidated total assets minus average tangible equity, adopted a new large-bank pricing assessment scheme, and set a target size for the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) at 2% of insured deposits. The rule adopted a new assessment rate schedule and, in lieu of dividends, other rate schedules when the reserve ratio reaches certain levels. The final rule also created a scorecard-based assessment system for banks with more than $10 billion in assets. The scorecards include financial measures that the FDIC believes are predictive of long-term performance.

Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania and its operating segments provide financial solutions to individuals, businesses, municipalities and nonprofit organizations. The Corporation prides itself on being a financial organization that continues to increase its scope of services while maintaining traditional beliefs and a determined commitment to the communities it serves. Over the past five years, the Corporation and its subsidiaries have experienced stable growth, both organically and through various acquisitions to be the best integrated financial solutions provider in the market.

The acquisitions included:

An investment in the Corporation’s common stock is subject to risks inherent to the Corporation’s business. Before making an investment, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this report. This report is qualified in its entirety by these risk factors.

The Corporation’s operations and profitability are impacted by general business and economic conditions; these conditions include long-term and short-term interest rates, inflation, money supply, political issues, legislative and regulatory changes, fluctuations in both debt and equity capital markets, broad trends in industry and finance, and the strength of the U.S. economy and the local economies in which we operate, all of which are beyond our control.

Uncertainty in the financial markets and concerns regarding general economic conditions have persisted over the past few years. While general economic trends and market conditions have shown improvement, economic growth has been slow as consumers continue to recover from previously high unemployment rates, lower housing prices and foreclosures in the housing market, financial difficulties and concerns about the level of national debt. The continued economic pressures on consumers and businesses or return of recessionary conditions may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The Dodd-Frank Act may have a material impact on our operations, particularly through increased compliance costs resulting from possible future consumer and fair lending regulations. Other changes to statutes, regulations or regulatory policies, could affect the Corporation in substantial and unpredictable ways. Such changes could subject the Corporation to additional costs, limit the types of financial services and products the Corporation may offer, limit the fees we may charge, increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products and limit our ability to attract and maintain our executive officers, among other things. Failure to comply with laws, regulations or policies could result in sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil money penalties and/or reputation damage, which could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation's business, financial condition and results of operations.

We at times utilize the FHLB for overnight borrowings and term advances; we also borrow from the Federal Reserve and from correspondent banks under our federal funds lines of credit. The amount loaned to us is generally dependent on the value of the collateral pledged as well as the FHLB’s internal credit rating of the Bank. These lenders could reduce the percentages loaned against various collateral categories, could eliminate certain types of collateral and could otherwise modify or even terminate their loan programs, particularly to the extent they are required to do so, because of capital adequacy or other balance sheet concerns. Any change or termination of our borrowings from the FHLB, the Federal Reserve or correspondent banks would have an adverse effect on our liquidity and profitability.

We may be required to record future impairment charges on our investment securities, including our investment in the FHLB, if they suffer declines in value that we consider other-than-temporary. Numerous factors, including the lack of liquidity for re-sales of certain investment securities, the absence of reliable pricing information for investment securities, adverse changes in the business climate, adverse regulatory actions or unanticipated changes in the competitive environment, could have a negative effect on our investment portfolio in future periods. If an impairment charge is significant enough, it could affect the ability of the Bank to pay dividends to us, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and our ability to pay dividends to shareholders. Significant impairment charges could also negatively impact our regulatory capital ratios and result in the Bank not being classified as “well-capitalized” for regulatory purposes.

We may need to raise additional capital in the future to provide us with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet our commitments and business needs. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on, among other things, conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and our financial performance.

Our customary sources of liquidity are, including, but not limited to, inter-bank borrowings, repurchase agreements and borrowings from the discount window of the Federal Reserve. Such sources of liquidity may not be available to us on acceptable terms or not available at all. Any occurrence that may limit our access to the capital markets, such as a decline in the confidence of debt purchasers, depositors of our bank or counterparties participating in the capital markets may adversely affect our capital costs and our ability to raise capital and, in turn, our liquidity. An inability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Unlike larger regional banks that operate in large geographies, the Corporation provides banking and financial services to customers primarily in Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Chester counties and the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. Because of our geographic concentration, continuation of a slow economic recovery in our region or a downturn in the local economy could make it more difficult to attract deposits and could cause higher rates of loss and delinquency on our loans than if the loans were more geographically diversified. Adverse economic conditions in the region, including, without limitation, declining real estate values, could cause our levels of non-performing assets and loan losses to increase. Regional economic conditions have a significant

We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors. Our competitors, including commercial banks, community banks, savings institutions, credit unions, consumer finance companies, insurance companies, securities dealers, brokers, mortgage bankers, investment advisors, money market mutual funds and other financial institutions, compete with lending and deposit-gathering services and insurance and wealth management services offered by us. Increased competition in our markets may result in reduced loans and deposits.

Many of these competing institutions have much greater financial and marketing resources than we have. Due to their size, many competitors can achieve larger economies of scale and may offer a broader range of products and services than we can. If we are unable to offer competitive products and services, our business may be negatively affected.

Some of the financial services organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as is imposed on bank holding companies and federally insured financial institutions. As a result, these non-bank competitors have certain advantages over us in accessing funding and in providing various services. The banking business in our primary market areas is very competitive, and the level of competition facing us may increase further, which may limit our asset growth and financial results.

Our management diligently reviews and updates the Corporation’s internal controls over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any failure or undetected circumvention of these controls could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

We regularly evaluate opportunities to acquire and invest in banks and in other complementary businesses. As a result, we may engage in negotiations or discussions that, if they were to result in a transaction, could have a material effect on our operating results and financial condition, including short and long-term liquidity. Our acquisition activities could be material to us. For example, we could issue additional shares of common stock in a purchase transaction, which could dilute current shareholders’ ownership interest. These activities could require us to use a substantial amount of cash, other liquid assets, and/or incur debt. In addition, if goodwill recorded in connection with our prior or potential future acquisitions were determined to be impaired, then we would be required to recognize a charge against our earnings, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations during the period in which the impairment was recognized. Any potential charges for impairment related to goodwill would not impact cash flow, tangible capital or liquidity.

We may not be successful in overcoming these risks or any other problems encountered in connection with potential acquisitions. Our inability to overcome these risks could have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our business strategy and maintain our market value.

We are dependent on the ability and experience of a number of key management personnel who have substantial experience with our operations, the financial services industry, and the markets in which we offer products and services. The loss of one or more senior executives or key managers may have an adverse effect on our operations. On February 26, 2016, the Corporation

Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to effectively embrace technology efficiencies to better serve customers and reduce costs. Failure to keep pace with technological change could potentially have an adverse effect on our business operations and financial condition.

Customer claims and other legal actions, whether founded or unfounded, could result in financial or reputation damage and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations if such claims are not resolved in a manner favorable to the Corporation.

Natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on the Corporation’s ability to conduct business. In addition, such events could affect the stability of the Corporation’s deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in loss of revenue and/or cause the Corporation to incur additional expenses. Our management has established disaster recovery policies and procedures that are expected to mitigate events related to natural or man-made disasters; however, the occurrence of any such event and the impact of an overall economic decline resulting from such a disaster could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s financial condition.

In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with customers and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished to us by or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information. We also may rely on representations of customers and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors. For example, in deciding whether to extend credit to clients, we may assume that a customer’s audited financial statements conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the customer. Our earnings are significantly affected by our ability to properly originate, underwrite and service loans. Our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted to the extent we incorrectly assess the creditworthiness of our borrowers, fail to detect or respond to deterioration in asset quality in a timely manner, or rely on financial statements that do not comply with GAAP or are materially misleading.

Net interest income may decline in a particular period if:

Our net interest income may decline based on our exposure to a difference in short-term and long-term interest rates. If the difference between the interest rates shrinks or disappears, the difference between rates paid on deposits and received on loans could narrow significantly resulting in a decrease in net interest income. In addition to these factors, if market interest rates rise rapidly, interest rate adjustment caps may limit increases in the interest rates on adjustable rate loans, thus reducing our net interest income. Also, certain adjustable rate loans re-price based on lagging interest rate indices. This lagging effect may also negatively impact our net interest income when general interest rates continue to rise periodically. Increasing interest rates may also reduce the fair value of our fixed rate investment securities.

Risks associated with lending activities include, among other things, the impact of changes in interest rates and economic conditions, which may adversely impact the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans and the value of the associated collateral. Various laws and regulations also affect our lending activities, and failure to comply with such applicable laws and regulations could subject the Corporation to enforcement actions and civil monetary penalties.

Commercial business loans are typically based on the borrowers’ ability to repay the loans from the cash flow of their businesses. These loans may involve greater risk because the availability of funds to repay each loan depends substantially on the success of the business itself. In addition, the collateral securing the loans often depreciates over time, is difficult to appraise and liquidate and fluctuates in value based on the success of the business.

Risk of loss on a construction loan depends largely upon whether our initial estimate of the property’s value at completion of construction equals or exceeds the cost of the property construction (including interest). During the construction phase, a number of factors can result in delays and cost overruns. If estimates of value are inaccurate or if actual construction costs exceed estimates, the value of the property securing the loan may be insufficient to ensure full repayment when completed through a permanent loan or by seizure of collateral. Included in real estate-construction is track development financing. Risk factors related to track development financing include the demand for residential housing and the real estate valuation market. When projects move slower than anticipated, the properties may have significantly lower values than when the original underwriting was completed, resulting in lower collateral values to support the loan. Extended time frames also cause the interest carrying cost for projects to be higher than the builder projected, negatively impacting the builder’s profit and cash flow and, therefore, their ability to make principal and interest payments.

Commercial real estate loans secured by owner-occupied properties are dependent upon the successful operation of the borrower’s business. If the operating company suffers difficulties in terms of sales volume and/or profitability, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Loans secured by properties where repayment is dependent upon payment of rent by third party

Commercial business, commercial real estate, and construction loans are more susceptible to a risk of loss during a downturn in the business cycle. Our underwriting, review, and monitoring cannot eliminate all of the risks related to these loans.

We maintain an allowance for loan and lease losses. The allowance is established through a provision for loan and lease losses based on management’s evaluation of the risks inherent in our loan portfolio and the general economy. The allowance is based upon a number of factors, including the size of the loan and lease portfolio, asset classifications, economic trends, industry experience and trends, industry and geographic concentrations, estimated collateral values, management’s assessment of the credit risk inherent in the portfolio, historical loan and lease loss experience and loan underwriting policies. In addition, we evaluate all loans and leases identified as problem loans and augment the allowance based upon our estimation of the potential loss associated with those problem loans and leases. Additions to our allowance for loan and lease losses decrease our net income.

If the evaluation we perform in connection with establishing loan and lease loss reserves is wrong, our allowance for loan and lease losses may not be sufficient to cover our losses, which would have an adverse effect on our operating results. Due to the volatile economy, we could experience an increase in delinquencies and losses as these loans continue to mature.

The federal regulators, in reviewing our loan and lease portfolio as part of a regulatory examination, may from time to time require us to increase our allowance for loan and lease losses, thereby negatively affecting our financial condition and earnings at that time. Moreover, additions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in economic and real estate market conditions, new information regarding existing loans and leases, identification of additional problem loans and leases and other factors, both within and outside of our control.

Changes in national and regional economic conditions could impact our loan portfolios. For example, an increase in unemployment, a decrease in real estate values or increases in interest rates, as well as other factors, could weaken the economies of the communities we serve. Weakness in the market areas we serve could depress our earnings and consequently our financial condition because customers may not demand our products or services; borrowers may not be able to repay their loans; the value of the collateral securing our loans to borrowers may decline and the quality of our loan portfolio may decline. Any of the latter three scenarios could require us to charge off a higher percentage of our loans and/or increase our provision for loan and lease losses, which would reduce our net income and could require us to raise capital.

We are subject to Federal Reserve Board regulation. The Bank is subject to extensive regulation, supervision, and examination by our primary federal regulators, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, and by the FDIC, the regulating authority that insures customer deposits. Also, as a member of the FHLB, the Bank must comply with applicable regulations of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the FHLB. Regulation by these agencies is intended primarily for the protection of our depositors and the deposit insurance fund and not for the benefit of our shareholders. The Bank’s activities are also regulated under consumer protection laws applicable to our lending, deposit, and other activities. A large claim against the Bank under these laws could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Proposals for further regulation of the financial services industry are continually being introduced in the Congress of the United States of America and the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. New financial reform legislation has been enacted by Congress changing the bank regulatory framework, creating an independent consumer protection bureau and establishing more stringent capital standards for financial institutions and their holding companies. The legislation has, and will likely continue to result, in new regulations including those that affect lending, funding, trading and investment activities of financial institutions and their holding companies. Such additional regulation and oversight could have a material and adverse impact on us.

The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries, known as “disintermediation,” could result in the loss of fee income as well as the loss of customer deposits and the related income generated from those deposits. The loss of these revenue streams could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The wealth management business derives the majority of its revenue from noninterest income which consists of trust, investment advisory and brokerage and other servicing fees. Substantial revenues are generated from investment management contracts with clients. Under these contracts, the investment advisory fees paid to us are typically based on the market value of assets under management. Assets under management and supervision may decline for various reasons including declines in the market value of the assets in the funds and accounts managed or supervised, which could be caused by price declines in the securities markets generally or by price declines in specific market segments. Assets under management may also decrease due to redemptions and other withdrawals by clients or termination of contracts. This could be in response to adverse market conditions or in pursuit of other investment opportunities.

The wealth management business is subject to regulation by a number of regulatory agencies that are charged with safeguarding the integrity of the securities and other financial markets and with protecting the interests of customers participating in those markets. In the event of non-compliance with an applicable regulation, governmental regulators, including the SEC, and FINRA, may institute administrative or judicial proceedings that may result in censure, fines, civil penalties, the issuance of cease-and-desist orders or the deregistration or suspension of the non-compliant broker-dealer or investment adviser or other adverse consequences. The imposition of any such penalties or orders could have a material adverse effect on the wealth management segment's operating results and financial condition. We may be adversely affected as a result of new or revised legislation or regulations. Regulatory changes have imposed and may continue to impose additional costs, which could adversely impact our profitability.

The revenues of our fee based insurance business are derived primarily from commissions from the sale of insurance policies, which commissions are generally calculated as a percentage of the policy premium. These insurance policy commissions can fluctuate as insurance carriers from time to time increase or decrease the premiums on the insurance products we sell. Due to the cyclical nature of the insurance market and the impact of other market and macro economic conditions on insurance premiums, commission levels may vary. The reduction of these commission rates, along with general volatility and/or declines in premiums, may adversely impact our profitability.

The Corporation’s common stock is not a bank deposit, is not insured by the FDIC or any other deposit insurance fund, and is subject to investment risk, including the loss of some or all of your investment. Our common stock is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock in any public company.

The Corporation’s stock price can fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, some of which are not under our control. These factors could cause the Corporation’s stock price to decrease regardless of our operating results. These factors include:

The Corporation’s common stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “UVSP”; the trading volume has historically been less than that of larger financial services companies. Stock price volatility may make it more difficult for you to sell your common stock when you want and at prices you find attractive.

A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends on the presence in the marketplace of willing buyers and sellers of our common stock at any given time. This presence depends on the individual decisions of investors and general economic and market conditions over which we have no control. Given the relatively low trading volume of our common stock, significant sales of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that those sales may occur, could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline or to be lower than it otherwise might be in the absence of those sales or perceptions.

The provisions of the Corporation’s shareholder rights plan, together with certain provisions in the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, as well as federal banking laws, regulatory approval requirements, and Pennsylvania law could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire the Corporation, even if doing so would be perceived to be beneficial to the Corporation’s shareholders.

The Corporation is generally not restricted from issuing additional common stock, including any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, common stock. The issuance of any additional shares of common stock or preferred stock or securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive common stock or the exercise of such securities could be substantially dilutive to shareholders of our common stock. Holders of our shares of common stock have no preemptive rights that entitle holders to purchase their pro rata share of any offering of shares of any class or series. The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of offerings or because of sales of shares of our common stock made after offerings or the perception that such sales could occur. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Thus, our shareholders bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting their stock holdings in us.

The Corporation is a bank holding company and our operations are conducted by our subsidiaries from which we receive dividends. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends is subject to legal and regulatory limitations, profitability, financial condition, capital expenditures and other cash flow requirements. The ability of the Bank to pay cash dividends to the Corporation is limited by its obligation to maintain sufficient capital and by other restrictions on its cash dividends that are applicable to state member banks in the Federal Reserve System. If the Bank is not permitted to pay cash dividends to the Corporation, it is unlikely that we would be able to pay cash dividends on our common stock.

The Corporation owns its corporate headquarters buildings, which are shared with the Bank, Univest Investments, Inc., and Univest Insurance, Inc. in Souderton, Montgomery County. The Bank has a leased office used by Univest Investments, Inc. and for loan production located in Allentown, Lehigh County. The Bank owns an office used by Univest Capital, Inc. and Univest Insurance, Inc. located in West Chester, Chester County. Univest Insurance, Inc. occupies five additional locations, of which one is owned by Univest Insurance, Inc. in Coopersburg, Lehigh County and one is owned by the Bank, in Lansdale, Montgomery County; and three are leased, one in North Beach, Calvert County in Maryland, one in Cherry Hill, Camden County in New Jersey, and one in Wyomissing, Berks County. Univest Capital, Inc. occupies one additional leased location in Bensalem, Bucks County. Girard occupies two leased offices, one located in King of Prussia, Montgomery County, and one located in Fort Meyers, Lee County in Florida. The Bank serves the area through its twenty-eight traditional offices and one supermarket branch that offer traditional community banking and trust services. Fourteen banking offices are located in Montgomery County, of which nine are owned, three are leased and two are buildings owned on leased land; twelve banking offices are located in Bucks County, of which three are owned, seven are leased and two are buildings owned on leased land; three banking offices are located in Philadelphia County, of which three are leased. The Bank has five additional regional leased offices, one primarily used for corporate banking and mortgage banking located in Doylestown, Bucks County, one used for commercial banking and wealth management located in West Chester, Chester County, two used for administrative offices for loan production located in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County and Radnor, Delaware County and one used for mortgage banking located in Huntingdon Valley, Montgomery County.

Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc. (Broadridge), serves as the Corporation’s transfer agent. Broadridge is located at 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717. Shareholders can contact a representative by calling 866-321-8021.

The following table shows the high and low closing sale prices of the Corporation’s common stock. The table also presents the cash dividends declared per share for each quarter.

For a description of regulatory restrictions on the ability of the Corporation and the Bank to pay dividends, see Note 21 “Regulatory Matters” included in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein under Item 8.

The discussion below outlines the Corporation’s critical accounting policies. For further information regarding accounting policies, refer to Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” included in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Management, in order to prepare the Corporation’s financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Corporation’s financial statements. There are uncertainties inherent in making these estimates and assumptions. Certain critical accounting policies, discussed below, could materially affect the results of operations and financial position of the Corporation should changes in circumstances require a change in related estimates or assumptions. The Corporation has identified the fair value measurement of investment securities available-for-sale and assessment for impairment of certain investment securities, reserve for loan and lease losses, valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets, mortgage servicing rights, deferred tax assets and liabilities, benefit plans and stock-based compensation as areas with critical accounting policies.

Fair values for securities are determined using independent pricing services and market-participating brokers. The Corporation’s independent pricing service utilizes evaluated pricing models that vary by asset class and incorporate available trade, bid and other market information for structured securities, cash flow and, when available, loan performance data. Because many fixed income securities do not trade on a daily basis, the pricing service’s evaluated pricing applications apply information as applicable through processes, such as benchmarking of like securities, sector groupings, and matrix pricing, to prepare evaluations. If at any time, the pricing service determines that it does have not sufficient verifiable information to value a particular security, the Corporation will utilize valuations from another pricing service. Management has a sufficient understanding of the third party service’s valuation models, assumptions and inputs used in determining the fair value of securities to enable management to maintain an appropriate system of internal control.

Management evaluates debt securities for other-than-temporary impairment by considering the current economic conditions, the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, market interest rates and the bond rating of each security. The Corporation evaluates its equity securities for other-than-temporary impairment and recognizes other-than-temporary impairment charges when it has determined that it is probable that the fair value of certain equity securities will not recover to the Corporation’s cost basis within a reasonable period of time due to a decline in the financial stability of the underlying companies. Management evaluates the near-term prospects of the issuers in relation to the severity and duration of the impairment and the Corporation’s positive intent and ability to hold these securities until recovery to the Corporation’s cost basis occurs.

The Corporation performs the qualitative assessment at the reporting unit level including Banking, Wealth Management, and Insurance. The Corporation identifies the significant drivers of fair value including macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions, overall financial performance, management’s knowledge of the business, key assumptions used in the most recent fair value determination and assumptions at the time of acquisition. As part of this analysis, the Corporation considered the results of the most recent fair value determination performed as of October, 31, 2014, including the amount of excess between the unit’s fair value and carrying amount, changes in the reporting unit and the economic environment in which the reporting unit operates. The Corporation performs a qualitative assessment of the likely impact of the factors on the fair value of the reporting unit and considers what events and circumstances have occurred that may have impacted the drivers of fair value. The Corporation considers the overall financial performance of the reporting unit, including current and projected earnings, funding resources, cashflows, salary and benefits expense, capital and tangible capital as well as changes in management and customers, general economic conditions and the regulatory environment. The Corporation considers the reporting unit’s performance in comparison to peers and recent merger and acquisition data including trading multiples of independent publicly traded entities of comparable sizes. The Corporation also considers changes in its stock price and in comparison to the banking industry. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Corporation determined based on the assessment of these qualitative factors and events and circumstances that may impact the drivers of fair value, it was more likely than not that the fair value of the Corporation and each of the reporting units was more than its carrying amount; therefore, the Corporation did not need to perform the two-step impairment test for the Corporation or the reporting units. The Corporation will perform the two-step impairment test as described below when the qualitative assessment indicates a material negative impact of the factors on the operating performance or cashflows of the Corporation and the reporting units which would more likely than not result in the fair value of the Corporation, including the reporting units, being less than its carrying amount.

For other identifiable intangible assets, changes in the useful life or economic value of acquired assets may require a reduction in the asset value carried on the financial statements of the Corporation and a related charge in the statement of income. Such changes in asset value could result from a change in market demand for the products or services offered by an acquired business or by reductions in the expected profit margins that can be obtained through the future delivery of the acquired product or service line.

    

The principal component of earnings for the Corporation is net interest income, which is the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities. The net interest margin, which is the ratio of net interest income to average earning assets, is affected by several factors including market interest rates, economic conditions, loan and lease demand, and deposit activity. As interest rates increase, fixed-rate assets that banks hold will tend to decrease in value; conversely, as interest rates decline, fixed-rate assets that banks hold will tend to increase in value. The Corporation is in a liability sensitive position from both a short-term maturity perspective and a short-term repricing perspective, as interest rates remain at historically low levels. Despite being liability sensitive, the Corporation projects increased net interest income in rising rate scenarios as the magnitude of the asset pricing change exceeds the liability pricing change.

During 2014, the Corporation repurchased 110,997 shares of common stock at a cost of $2.0 million under its 2013 Board approved share repurchase program. At December 31, 2014, total shares outstanding were 16,221,607.

Details of the changes in the various components of net income and the balance sheet are further discussed in the sections that follow.