SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of Consolidation and Organization: The consolidated financial statements of the Company are prepared on the accrual basis and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Peapack-Gladstone Bank (the “Bank”). The consolidated statements also include the Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, PGB Trust & Investments of Delaware, Peapack Capital Corporation (formed in the second quarter of 2017), Murphy Capital Management (“MCM”) (acquired in the third quarter of 2017), Quadrant Capital Management (“QCM”) (acquired in the fourth quarter of 2017), Peapack-Gladstone Mortgage Group, Inc. and Peapack-Gladstone Mortgage Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary, PG Investment Company of Delaware, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Peapack-Gladstone Realty, Inc., a New Jersey real estate investment company. While the following footnotes include the collective results of the Company and the Bank, these footnotes primarily reflect the Bank’s and its subsidiaries’ activities. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated from the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Business: The Bank is a commercial bank that provides innovative private banking services to businesses, non-profits and consumers. Wealth management services are also provided through its subsidiaries, PGB Trust & Investments of Delaware, Murphy Capital Management and Quadrant Capital Management. The Bank is subject to competition from other financial institutions, is regulated by certain federal and state agencies and undergoes periodic examinations by those regulatory authorities.

Basis of Financial Statement Presentation: The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. In preparing the financial statements, Management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the statement of condition and revenues and expenses for that period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Segment Information: The Company’s business is conducted through two business segments: its banking subsidiary, which involves the delivery of loan and deposit products to customers and the Private Wealth Management Division which includes asset management services provided for individuals and institutions. Management uses certain methodologies to allocate income and expense to the business segments.

The Banking segment includes commercial, commercial real estate, multifamily, residential and consumer lending activities; deposit generation; operation of ATMs; telephone and internet banking services; merchant credit card services and customer support sales.

Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s Private Wealth Management Division includes: asset management services for individuals and institutions; personal trust services, including services as executor, trustee, administrator, custodian and guardian; corporate trust services including services as trustee for pension and profit sharing plans; and other financial planning and advisory services. This segment also includes the activity from the Delaware subsidiary, PGB Trust and Investments of Delaware, MCM and QCM. Income is recognized as earned.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: For purposes of the statements of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash and due from banks, interest-earning deposits and federal funds sold. Generally, federal funds are sold for one-day periods. Cash equivalents are of original maturities of 90 days or less. Net cash flows are reported for customer loan and deposit transactions and overnight borrowings.

Interest-Earning Deposits in Other Financial Institutions: Interest-earning deposits in other financial institutions mature within one year and are carried at cost.

Securities: All securities are classified as available for sale and are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income, net of tax.

Interest income includes amortization of purchase premiums and discounts. Premiums and discounts on securities are amortized on the level-yield method without anticipating prepayments, except for mortgage-backed securities where prepayments are anticipated and premiums on callable debt securities which will be amortized to the earliest call date. Gains and losses on sales are recorded on the trade date and determined using the specific identification method.

Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment on at least a quarterly basis, and more frequently when economic or market conditions warrant such an evaluation. For securities in an unrealized loss position, Management considers the extent and duration of the unrealized loss and the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer. Management also assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell, a security in an unrealized loss position before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the entire difference between amortized cost and fair value is recognized as impairment through earnings. For debt securities that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, the amount of impairment is split into two components as follows: 1) other-than-temporary impairment related to credit loss, which is recognized in the income statement and 2) other-than-temporary impairment related to other factors, which is recognized in other comprehensive income. The credit loss is defined as the difference between the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected and the amortized cost basis. For equity securities, the entire amount of impairment is recognized through earnings.

Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) Stock: The Bank is a member of the FHLB system. Members are required to own a certain amount of FHLB stock, based on the level of borrowings and other factors. FHLB stock is carried at cost, classified as a restricted security and periodically evaluated for impairment based on ultimate recovery of par value. Dividends are reported as income.

The Bank is also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank and required to own a certain amount of FRB stock. FRB stock is carried at cost and classified as a restricted security. Dividends are reported as income.

Loans Held for Sale: Mortgage loans originated with the intent to sell in the secondary market are carried at fair value, as determined by outstanding commitments from investors.

Mortgage loans held for sale are generally sold with servicing rights released; therefore, no servicing rights are recorded. Gains and losses on sales of mortgage loans, shown as gain on sale of loans on the Statement of Income, are based on the difference between the selling price and the carrying value of the related loan sold.

SBA loans originated with the intent to sell in the secondary market are carried at the lower of cost or fair value. SBA loans are generally sold with the servicing rights retained. Gains and losses on the sale of SBA loans are based on the difference between the selling price and the carrying value of the related loan sold. Total SBA loans serviced totaled $20.1 million and $5.8 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. SBA loans held for sale totaled $187 thousand and $388 thousand as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The servicing asset recorded was not material.

Loans originated with the intent to hold and subsequently transferred to loans held for sale are carried at the lower of cost or fair value. These are loans that the Company no longer has the intent to hold for the foreseeable future.

Loans: Loans that Management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity are stated at the principal amount outstanding. Interest on loans is recognized based upon the principal amount outstanding. Loans are stated at face value, less purchased premium and discounts and net deferred fees. Loan origination fees and certain direct loan origination costs are deferred and recognized over the life of the loan as an adjustment, on a level-yield method, to the loan’s yield. The definition of recorded investment in loans includes accrued interest receivable and deferred fees/cost, however, for the Company’s loan disclosures, accrued interest and deferred fees/costs are excluded as the impact is not material.

Loans are considered past due when they are not paid in accordance with contractual terms. The accrual of income on loans, including impaired loans, is discontinued if, in the opinion of Management, principal or interest is not likely to be paid in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement, or when principal or interest is past due 90 days or more and collateral, if any, is insufficient to cover principal and interest. All interest accrued but not received for loans placed on nonaccrual are reversed against interest income. Payments received on nonaccrual loans are recorded as principal payments. A nonaccrual loan is returned to accrual status only when interest and principal payments are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured, generally when the Bank receives contractual payments for a minimum of six months. Commercial loans are generally charged off after an analysis is completed which indicates that collectability of the full principal balance is in doubt. Consumer loans are generally charged off after they become 120 days past due. Subsequent payments are credited to income only if collection of principal is not in doubt. If principal and interest payments are brought contractually current and future collectability is reasonably assured, loans are returned to accrual status. Nonaccrual mortgage loans are generally charged off when the value of the underlying collateral does not cover the outstanding principal balance. The majority of the Company’s loans are secured by real estate in New Jersey and New York.

Allowance for Loan Losses: The allowance for loan and lease losses is a valuation allowance for credit losses that is management’s estimate of inherent losses in the loan portfolio. The process to determine reserves utilizes analytic tools and management judgement and is reviewed on a quarterly basis. When Management is reasonably certain that a loan balance is not fully collectable, an impairment analysis is completed whereby a specific reserve may be established or a full or partial charge off is recorded against the allowance. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Management estimates the allowance balance required using past loan loss experience, the size and composition of the portfolio, information about specific borrower situations, estimated collateral values, economic conditions and other factors. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans via a specific reserve, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in Management’s judgment, should be charged off.

The allowance consists of specific and general components. The specific component of the allowance relates to loans that are individually classified as impaired.

A loan is impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by Management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Management determines the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed.

Loans are individually evaluated for impairment when they are classified as substandard by Management. If a loan is considered impaired, a portion of the allowance may be allocated so that the loan is reported, net, at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s existing rate or if repayment is expected solely from the underlying collateral, the loan principal balance is compared to the fair value of collateral less estimated disposition costs to determine the need, if any, for a charge off.

A troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) is a modified loan with concessions made by the lender to a borrower who is experiencing financial difficulty. TDRs are impaired and are generally measured at the present value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s effective rate at inception. If a TDR is considered to be a collateral dependent loan, the loan is reported, net, at the fair value of the collateral, less estimated disposition costs. For TDRs that subsequently default, the Company determines the amount of reserve in accordance with the accounting policy for the allowance for loan and lease losses.

The general component of the allowance covers non-impaired loans and is based primarily on the Bank’s historical loss experience adjusted for current factors. The historical loss experience is determined by portfolio segment and is based on the actual loss history experience by the Company on a weighted average basis over the previous three years. This actual loss experience is adjusted by other qualitative factors based on the risks present for each portfolio segment. These qualitative factors include consideration of the following: levels of and trends in delinquencies and impaired loans; effects of any changes in risk selection and underwriting standards; other changes in lending policies, procedures and practices; experience, ability and depth of lending management and other relevant staff; national and local economic trends and conditions; industry conditions; volatility adjustment; and effects of changes in credit concentrations. For loans that are graded as non-impaired, the Company allocates a higher general reserve percentage than pass-rated loans using a multiple that is calculated annually through a migration analysis. At December 31, 2017, the multiple was 2.25 times for non-impaired special mention loans and 3.50 times for non-impaired substandard loans.  The results of the December 31, 2017 migration analysis changed slightly, compared to the migration analysis prepared at December 31, 2016 which resulted in a 2.0 times multiple for non-impaired special mention loans and 4.0 times multiple for non-impaired substandard loans.

In determining an appropriate amount for the allowance, the Bank segments and evaluates the loan portfolio based on Federal call report codes, which are based on collateral. The following portfolio classes have been identified:

Primary Residential Mortgages. The Bank originates one to four family residential mortgage loans in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut), Pennsylvania and Florida. Loans are secured by first liens on the primary residence or investment property. Primary risk characteristics associated with residential mortgage loans typically involve major living or lifestyle changes to the borrower, including unemployment or other loss of income; unexpected significant expenses, such as for major medical issues or catastrophic events; and divorce or death. In addition, residential mortgage loans that have adjustable rates could expose the borrower to higher debt service requirements in a rising interest rate environment. Further, real estate values could drop significantly and cause the value of the property to fall below the loan amount, creating additional potential exposure for the Bank.

Home Equity Lines of Credit. The Bank provides revolving lines of credit against one to four family residences in the Tri-State area. Primary risk characteristics associated with home equity lines of credit typically involve major living or lifestyle changes to the borrower, including unemployment or other loss of income; unexpected significant expenses, such as for major medical issues or catastrophic events; and divorce or death. In addition, home equity lines of credit typically are made with variable or floating interest rates, such as the Prime Rate, which could expose the borrower to higher debt service requirements in a rising interest rate environment. Further, real estate values could drop significantly and cause the value of the property to fall below the loan amount, creating additional potential exposure for the Bank.

Junior Lien Loan on Residence. The Bank provides junior lien loans (“JLL”) against one to four family properties in the Tri-State area. JLLs can be either in the form of an amortizing home equity loan or a revolving home equity line of credit. These loans are subordinate to a first mortgage which may be from another lending institution. Primary risk characteristics associated with JLLs typically involve major living or lifestyle changes to the borrower, including unemployment or other loss of income; unexpected significant expenses, such as for major medical issues or catastrophic events; and divorce or death. Further, real estate values could drop significantly and cause the value of the property to fall below the loan amount, creating additional potential exposure for the Bank.

Multifamily and Commercial Real Estate Loans. The Bank provides mortgage loans for multifamily properties (i.e. buildings which have five or more residential units) and other commercial real estate that is either owner occupied or managed as an investment property (non-owner occupied) in the Tri-State area and Pennsylvania. Commercial real estate properties primarily include retail buildings/shopping centers, hotels, office/medical buildings and industrial/warehouse space. Some properties are considered “mixed use” as they are a combination of building types, such as a building with retail space on the ground floor and either residential apartments or office suites on the upper floors. Multifamily loans are expected to be repaid from the cash flows of the underlying property so the collective amount of rents must be sufficient to cover all operating expenses, property management and maintenance, taxes and debt service. Increases in vacancy rates, interest rates or other changes in general economic conditions can have an impact on the borrower and its ability to repay the loan. Commercial real estate loans are generally considered to have a higher degree of credit risk than multifamily loans as they may be dependent on the ongoing success and operating viability of a fewer number of tenants who are occupying the property and who may have a greater degree of exposure to economic conditions.

Commercial and Industrial Loans. The Bank provides lines of credit and term loans to operating companies for business purposes. The loans are generally secured by business assets such as accounts receivable, inventory, business vehicles and equipment. In addition, these loans often include commercial real estate as collateral to strengthen the Bank’s position and further mitigate risk. Commercial and industrial loans are typically repaid first by the cash flows generated by the borrower’s business operations. The primary risk characteristics are specific to the underlying business and its ability to generate sustainable profitability and resulting positive cash flows. Factors that may influence a business’s profitability include, but are not limited to, demand for its products or services, quality and depth of management, degree of competition, regulatory changes, and general economic conditions. Commercial and industrial loans are generally secured by business assets; however, the ability of the Bank to foreclose and realize sufficient value from the assets is often highly uncertain. To mitigate the risk characteristics of commercial and industrial loans, the Bank will often require more frequent reporting requirements from the borrower in order to better monitor its business performance.

Leasing and Equipment Finance. Peapack Capital Corporation (“PCC”), a subsidiary of the Bank, offers a range of finance solutions nationally. PCC provides term loans and leases secured by assets financed for U.S. based mid-size and large companies. Facilities tend to be fully drawn under fixed rate terms. PCC serves a broad range of industries including transportation, manufacturing, heavy construction and utilities.

Asset risk in PCC’s portfolio is generally recognized through changes to loan income, or through changes to lease related income streams due to fluctuations in lease rates. Changes to lease income can occur when the existing lease contract expires, the asset comes off lease, or the business seeks to enter a new lease agreement. Asset risk may also change depreciation, resulting from changes in the residual value of the operating lease asset or through impairment of the asset carrying value, which can occur at any time during the life of the asset.

Credit risk in PCC’s portfolio generally results from the potential default of borrowers or lessees, which may be driven by customer specific or broader industry related conditions. Credit losses can impact multiple parts of the income statement including loss of interest/lease/rental income and/or via higher costs and expenses related to the repossession, refurbishment, re-marketing and or re-leasing of assets.

Consumer and Other. These are loans to individuals for household, family and other personal expenditures as well as obligations of states and political subdivisions in the U.S. This also represents all other loans that cannot be categorized in any of the previous mentioned loan segments.

Premises and Equipment: Land is carried at cost. Premises and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation charges are computed using the straight-line method. Equipment and other fixed assets are depreciated over the estimated useful lives, which range from three to ten years. Premises are depreciated over the estimated useful life of 40 years, while leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the term of the lease. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. The cost of major renewals and improvements are capitalized. Gains or losses realized on routine dispositions are recorded as other income or other expense.

Other Real Estate Owned (OREO): OREO acquired through foreclosure on loans secured by real estate is initially recorded at fair value less costs to sell. Physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan occurs when legal title is obtained upon completion of foreclosure or when the borrower conveys all interest in the property to satisfy the loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. The assets are subsequently accounted for at the lower of cost or fair value, as established by a current appraisal, less estimated costs to sell. Any write-downs at the date of foreclosure are charged to the allowance for loan losses. Expenses incurred to maintain these properties, losses resulting from write-downs after the date of foreclosure, and realized gains and losses upon sale of the properties are included in other noninterest expense and other noninterest income, as appropriate.

Bank Owned Life Insurance (BOLI): The Bank has purchased life insurance policies on certain key executives. BOLI is recorded at the amount that can be realized under the insurance contract at the balance sheet date, which is the cash surrender value adjusted for other charges or other amounts due that are probable at settlement.

Loan Commitments and Related Financial Instruments: Financial instruments include off-balance sheet credit instruments, such as commitments to make loans and commercial letters of credit, issued to meet customer financing needs. The face amount for these items represents the exposure to loss, before considering customer collateral or ability to repay. Such financial instruments are recorded when they are funded.

Derivatives: At the inception of a derivative contract, the Company designates the derivative as one of three types based on the Company’s intentions and belief as to likely effectiveness as a hedge. These three types are (1) a hedge of the fair value of a recognized asset or liability or of an unrecognized firm commitment (“fair value hedge”), (2) a hedge of a forecasted transaction or the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (“cash flow hedge”), or (3) an instrument with no hedging designation. For a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item, are recognized in current earnings as fair values change. For a cash flow hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative is reported in other comprehensive income and is reclassified into earnings in the same periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. For both types of hedges, changes in the fair value of derivatives that are not highly effective in hedging the changes in fair value or expected cash flows of the hedged item are recognized immediately in current earnings. Changes in the fair value of derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported currently in earnings as non-interest income.

Net cash settlements on derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting are recorded in interest income or interest expense, based on the item being hedged. Net cash settlements on derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported in non-interest income. Cash flows on hedges are classified in the cash flow statement the same as the cash flows of the items being hedged.

The Company formally documents the relationship between derivatives and hedged items, as well as the risk-management objective and the strategy for undertaking hedge transactions at the inception of the hedging relationship. This documentation includes linking fair value or cash flow hedges to specific assets and liabilities on the balance sheet or to specific firm commitments or forecasted transactions. The Company discontinues hedge accounting when it determines that the derivative is no longer effective in offsetting changes in the fair value or cash flows of the hedged item, the derivative is settled or terminates, a hedged forecasted transaction is no longer probable, a hedged firm commitment is no longer firm, or treatment of the derivative as a hedge is no longer appropriate or intended.

When hedge accounting is discontinued, subsequent changes in fair value of the derivative are recorded as non-interest income. When a cash flow hedge is discontinued but the hedged cash flows or forecasted transactions are still expected to occur, gains or losses that were accumulated in other comprehensive income are amortized into earnings over the same periods which the hedged transactions will affect earnings.

Income Taxes: The Company files a consolidated Federal income tax return. Separate state income tax returns are filed for each subsidiary based on current laws and regulations.

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in its financial statements or tax returns. The measurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities is based on the enacted tax rates. Such tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effect of a change in tax rates in the period of enactment.

The Company recognizes a tax position as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded.

The Company is no longer subject to examination by the U.S. Federal tax authorities for years prior to 2014 or by state and local tax authorities for years prior to 2013.

The Company recognizes interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Employee’s Savings and Investment Plan: The Company has a 401(k) profit-sharing and investment plan, which covers substantially all salaried employees over the age of 21 with at least 12 months of service. The Company made an $889 thousand contribution in Company common stock during 2017.

Stock-Based Compensation: Compensation cost is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards/units issued to employees and non-employee directors, based on the fair value of these awards at the date of grant. A Black-Scholes model is utilized to estimate the fair value of stock options, while the fair value of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant is used for restricted stock awards/units. Compensation expense is recognized over the required service or performance period, generally defined as the vesting period. For awards with graded vesting, compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The stock options granted under these plans are exercisable at a price equal to the fair value of common stock on the date of grant and expire not more than ten years after the date of grant.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”): On April 22, 2014, the shareholders of the Company approved the 2014 ESPP. The ESPP provides the right to purchase up to 150,000 shares of Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation common stock. Subject to certain eligibility requirements and restrictions, the ESPP allows employees to purchase shares during four three-month offering periods (“Offering Periods”). Each participant in the Offering Period is granted an option to purchase a number of shares and may contribute between one percent and 15 percent of their compensation. At the end of each Offering Period on the purchase date, the number of shares to be purchased by the employee is determined by dividing the employee’s contributions accumulated during the Offering Period by the applicable purchase price. The purchase price is an amount equal to 85 percent of the closing market price of a share of common stock on the purchase date. Participation in the ESPP is entirely voluntary and employees can cancel their purchases at any time during the period without penalty. The fair value of each share purchase right is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and the Company recorded $116 thousand, $100 thousand and $100 thousand of expense in salaries and employee benefits expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Total shares issued under the ESPP were 25,404, 32,190 and 30,766 during 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Earnings Per Share (“EPS”): In calculating earnings per share, there are no adjustments to net income available to common shareholders, which is the numerator of both the Basic and Diluted EPS. The weighted average number of shares outstanding used in the denominator for Diluted EPS is increased over the denominator used for Basic EPS by the effect of potentially dilutive common stock equivalents utilizing the treasury stock method. Common stock options outstanding are common stock equivalents, as are restricted stock units until vested. Earnings and dividends per share are restated for all stock splits and stock dividends through the date of issuance of the financial statements.

The following table shows the calculation of both basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015:

(In thousands, except share and per share data)	2017		2016		2015
Net income available to common shareholders	$	36,497	$	26,477	$	19,972
Basic weighted average shares outstanding		17,659,625		16,318,868		15,187,637
Plus:  common stock equivalents		284,060		196,130		247,359
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		17,943,685		16,514,998		15,434,996
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	2.06	$	1.62	$	1.31
Diluted		2.03		1.60		1.29

For the year ended December 31, 2017, there were no stock options excluded in the computation of diluted earnings per share. All stock options were considered dilutive. Stock options totaling 2,479 and 92,720 shares were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share in the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, because they were considered anti-dilutive. Anti-dilutive shares are common stock equivalents with weighted average exercise prices in excess of the weighted average market value for the periods presented.

Loss Contingencies: Loss contingencies, including claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, are recorded as liabilities when the likelihood of loss is probable and an amount or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Management does not believe there are any such matters that will have a material effect on the financial statements.

Restrictions on Cash: Cash on hand or on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank was required to meet regulatory reserve and clearing requirements.

Comprehensive Income: Comprehensive income consists of net income and the change during the period in the Company’s net unrealized gains or losses on securities available for sale and unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedge, net of tax, less adjustments for realized gains and losses.

Equity: Stock dividends in excess of 20 percent are reported by transferring the par value of the stock issued from retained earnings to common stock. Stock dividends for 20 percent or less are reported by transferring the fair value, as of the ex-dividend date, of the stock issued from retained earnings to common stock and additional paid-in capital. Fractional share amounts are paid in cash with a reduction in retained earnings. Treasury stock is carried at cost.

Transfers of Financial Assets:  Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales, when control over the assets has been relinquished.  Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when the assets have been isolated from the Company, the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, and the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets:  Goodwill is generally determined as the excess of the fair value of the consideration transferred, plus the fair value of any noncontrolling interests in the acquiree (if any), over the fair value of the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date.  Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events and circumstances exists that indicate that a goodwill impairment test should be performed. The Company has selected December 31 as the date to perform the annual impairment test.  Intangible assets with definite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values. Goodwill and assembly workforce are the intangible asset with an indefinite life on our balance sheet.

Other intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationship intangible assets arising from acquisition are amortized on an accelerated method over their estimated useful lives, which range from 5 to 15 years.

Reclassification: Certain reclassifications have been made in the prior periods’ financial statements in order to conform to the 2017 presentation and had no effect on the consolidated income statements or shareholders’ equity.

New Accounting Policies: Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” implements a common revenue standard that clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity should apply the following steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. In July 2015, FASB deferred the effective date of the ASU by one year which means ASU 2014-09 will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2018.  In March 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-08 which amended illustrative examples to clarify how to apply the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations. The Company completed its initial assessment of revenue streams and determined that, in accordance with the standard, interest income, income from bank owned life insurance, gains on sales of loans and securities and derivatives income are all out of scope of the ASU.  The Company has reviewed contracts potentially affected by the ASU including wealth management fee income, service charges and fees, and other income and has not identified any material changes to the timing or amount of its revenue recognition under 2014-09. The Company adopted the provisions of this guidance on January 1, 2018 which did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments”. This guidance amends existing guidance to improve accounting standards for financial instruments including clarification and simplification of accounting and disclosure requirements and the requirement for public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes. The Company recorded a cumulative effect adjustment for its sole equity instrument to the balance sheet as of January 1, 2018 in the amount of $127 thousand, representing the unrealized loss of $176 thousand at December 31, 2017 net of taxes of $49 thousand. Going forward the fair values will be realized in the statement of income. These amendments are effective for public business entities for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. In addition to the change noted above, adoption of this standard will impact the fair value disclosures included in footnote 8.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”. The standard requires a lessee to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for leases with lease terms greater than 12 months. For lessees, virtually all leases will be required to be recognized on the balance sheet by recording a right-of-use asset and lease liability. Subsequent accounting for leases varies depending on whether the lease is an operating lease or a finance lease. The ASU requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures with the objective of enabling users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. The Company continues to evaluate the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on its financial position, results of operations, and its financial statement disclosures. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 is expected to result in leased assets and related lease liabilities to be included on its balance sheet, along with the related leasehold amortization and interest expense included in its statement of income.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. Under the ASU, an entity recognizes all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement. This change eliminates the notion of the additional paid in capital (“APIC”) pool and reduces the complexity and cost of accounting for excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies. Excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are considered discrete items in the reporting period they occur and are not included in the estimate of an entity’s annual effective tax rate. Additionally, this update permits an entity-wide accounting policy election to either estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest or account for forfeitures as they occur. This accounting guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted the provisions of this standard during the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Upon adoption, excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are recognized in the provision for income taxes on the consolidated statement of operations and are presented within operating activities on the consolidated statement of cash flows. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 resulted in an income tax benefit of $1.0 million and a reduction in our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2017.

On June 16, 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”.   This ASU replaces the incurred loss model with an expected loss model, referred to as “current expected credit loss” (CECL) model.  It will significantly change estimates for credit losses related to financial assets measured at amortized cost, including loans receivable, held-to-maturity (HTM) debt securities and certain other contracts.   The largest impact will be on lenders and the allowance for loan and lease losses (ALLL).  This ASU will be effective for public business entities (PBEs) in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years.  The Company has reviewed the potential impact to our securities portfolio, which primarily consists of U.S. government sponsored entities, mortgage-backed securities and municipal securities which have no history of credit loss and have strong credit ratings. The Company does not expect the standard to have a material impact on its financial statements as it relates to the Company’s securities portfolio. The Company is also currently evaluating the impact the CECL model will have on our accounting and allowance for loans losses. The Company is in the process of evaluating third party firms to assist in the development of a CECL program, and has selected an in-house software model to assist in the calculation of the allowance for loan and lease losses in preparation for the change to the expected loss model. The Company expects to recognize a one-time cumulative-effect adjustment to our allowance for loan and lease losses as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the new standard is effective, consistent with regulatory expectations set forth in interagency guidance issued at the end of 2016. The Company cannot yet determine the magnitude of any such one-time cumulative adjustment or of the overall impact of the new standard on our financial condition or results of operations.

On August 26, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments)”. This ASU addresses the following eight specific cash flow issues: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies (COLIs) (including bank-owned life insurance policies (BOLIs)); distributions received from equity method investees; beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. This amendment is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. There is no material impact on our statement of cash flows as a result of this ASU.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04: “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment”.  This accounting standard updated simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill, by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test.  In computing the implied fair value of goodwill under Step 2, an entity had to perform procedures to determine the fair value at the impairment testing date of its assets and liabilities (including unrecognized assets and liabilities) following the procedure that would be required in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Instead, under the amendments in this update, an entity should perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.  An entity should apply the amendments in this update on a prospective basis.  A public business entity that is a SEC filer should adopt the amendments in this update for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019.  Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017.  The adoption of this ASU will not have a material impact to the consolidated financial statements at this time.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09: “Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting”. The amendments in this update provide guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. An entity should account for the effects of a modification unless all the following are met: 1.) The fair value (or calculated value or intrinsic value, if such an alternative measurement method is used) of the modified award is the same as the fair value (or calculated value or intrinsic value, if such an alternative measurement method is used) of the original award immediately before the original award is modified. If the modification does not affect any of the inputs to the valuation technique that the entity uses to value the award, the entity is not required to estimate the value immediately before and after the modification. 2.) The vesting conditions of the modified award are the same as the vesting conditions of the original award immediately before the original award is modified. 3.) The classification of the modified award as an equity instrument or a liability instrument is the same as the classification of the original award immediately before the original award is modified. The current disclosure requirements in Topic 718 apply regardless of whether an entity is required to apply modification accounting under the amendments in this update. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual periods.  The Company does not anticipate a material impact to the consolidated financial statements at this time.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12: “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities”. The purpose of this updated guidance is to better align a company’s financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities. ASU 2017-12 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption, including adoption in an interim period, permitted. The Company plans to adopt ASU 2017-12 on January 1, 2019. ASU 2017-12 requires a modified retrospective transition method in which the Company will recognize the cumulative effect of the change on the opening balance of each affected component of equity in the statement of financial position as of the date of adoption. While the Company continues to assess all potential impacts of the standard, the Company does not anticipate a material impact to the consolidated financial statements at this time.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, “Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.” The ASU required a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the newly enacted federal corporate income tax rate as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The amount of the reclassification is the difference between the historical corporate income tax rate and the newly enacted twenty-one percent corporate income tax rate. The new guidance will be effective for the Company’s year ending December 31, 2018, however, the Company chose to early adopt the new standard for the year ending December 31, 2017, as allowed under the new standard. The amount of the reclassification for the Company was $215 thousand, as shown in the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity, subject to Staff Accounting Bulletin 118, Income Tax Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“SAB 118”). SAB 118 provides a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date to adjust the accounting for certain elements of the tax reform. The Company does not anticipate a material adjustment to tax expense during the measurement period.