Fair Value

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Note 7—Fair Value

The Company uses fair value measurements to record fair value adjustments to certain financial and non-financial assets and liabilities and to determine fair value disclosures. Various financial instruments such as available-for-sale securities are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Additionally, from time to time, the Company may be required to record at fair value other assets and liabilities on a non-recurring basis, such as collateral dependent loans and other real estate owned. These non-recurring fair value adjustments typically involve lower of cost or fair value accounting or write-down of individual assets.

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Depending on the nature of the asset or liability, the Company uses various valuation techniques and assumptions when estimating fair value. For accounting disclosure purposes, a three-level valuation hierarchy of fair value measurements has been established. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows:

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Level 1 – inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

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Level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, and inputs that are observable for the assets or liabilities, either directly or indirectly (such as interest rates, yield curves, and prepayment speeds).

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Level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value. These may be internally developed, using the Company’s best information and assumptions that a market participant would consider.

The carrying amounts and estimated fair values of financial instruments held by the Company are set forth below. Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time based on relevant market information. They do not reflect any premium or discount that could result from offering for sale at one time the Company’s entire holdings of a particular financial instrument. Because no market exists for many of the Company’s financial instruments, fair value estimates are based on judgements regarding future expected loss experience, risk characteristics and economic conditions. These estimates are subjective, involve uncertainties, and cannot be determined with precision. Changes in assumptions could significantly affect the estimates.

Management monitors the availability of observable market data to assess the appropriate classification of financial instruments within the fair value hierarchy. Changes in economic conditions or model-based valuation techniques may require the transfer of financial instruments from one fair value level to another. In such instances, the transfer is reported at the beginning of the reporting period.

Management evaluates the significance of transfers between levels based upon the nature of the financial instrument and size of the transfer relative to total assets, total liabilities or total earnings.

Securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value on a recurring basis utilizing Level 1, 2 and 3 inputs. For these securities, the Company obtains fair value measurements from an independent pricing service. The fair value measurements consider observable data that may include dealer quotes, market spreads, cash flows, the U.S. Treasury yield curve, live trading levels, trade execution data, market consensus prepayment speeds, credit information and the bond’s terms and conditions, among other things.

The Company does not record all loans and leases at fair value on a recurring basis. However, from time to time, a loan or lease is considered collateral dependent and an allowance for credit losses is established. Once a loan or lease is identified as collaterally dependent, management measures impairment in accordance FASB ASC Topic 326.

These appraisals may utilize a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including sales comparison, cost and the income approach. Adjustments are often made in the appraisal process by the appraisers to take into account differences between the comparable sales and income and other available data. Such adjustments can be significant and typically result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value. The valuation technique used for Level 3 non-recurring collateral dependent loans is primarily the sales comparison approach less estimated selling costs.

Other Real Estate Owned (“OREO”) is reported at fair value on a non-recurring basis. Fair values are based on recent real estate appraisals. These appraisals may use a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including sales comparison, cost and the income approach. Adjustments are often made in the appraisal process by the appraisers to take into account differences between the comparable sales and income and other available data. Such adjustments can be significant and typically result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value. The valuation technique used for Level 3 non-recurring OREO is primarily the sales comparison approach less estimated selling costs.

The following tables presents information about the Bank’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring and non-recurring basis and indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized by the Bank to determine such fair value for the periods indicated.

March 31, 2024			Fair Value Measurements
(Dollars in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Fair valued on a recurring basis:
Available-for-sale securities
U.S. Government-sponsored securities	$	3,048	$	-	$	3,048	$	-	$	3,048
Mortgage-backed securities		216,093		-		216,093		-		216,093
Collateralized mortgage obligations		5,654		-		5,654		-		5,654
Corporate securities		14,751		-		14,751		-		14,751
Other		310		-		310		-		310

Fair valued on a non-recurring basis:
Collateral dependent loans	$	1,642	$	-	$	-	$	1,642	$	1,642
Other real estate owned		873		-		-		873		873

December 31, 2023			Fair Value Measurements
(Dollars in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Fair valued on a recurring basis:
Available-for-sale securities
U.S. Government-sponsored securities	$	3,224	$	-	$	3,224	$	-	$	3,224
Mortgage-backed securities		163,838		-		163,838		-		163,838
Collateralized mortgage obligations		535		-		535		-		535
Corporate securities		14,605		-		14,605		-		14,605
Other		310		-		310		-		310

Fair valued on a non-recurring basis:
Collateral dependent loans	$	9,884	$	-	$	-	$	9,884	$	9,884
Other real estate owned		873		-		-		873		873

Collateral dependent loans

While the overall loan portfolio is not carried at fair value, the Company periodically records nonrecurring adjustments to the carrying value of loans based on fair value measurements for partial charge-offs of the uncollectible portions of those loans. Nonrecurring adjustments also include certain impairment amounts for collateral dependent loans when establishing the allowance for credit losses on loans. Such amounts are generally based on the fair value of the underlying collateral supporting the loan. In determining the value of real estate collateral, the Company relies on external and internal appraisals of property values depending on the size and complexity of the real estate collateral. The Company maintains a list of qualified property appraisers who review appraisal reports for reasonableness. In the case of non-real estate collateral, reliance is placed on a variety of sources, including external estimates of value and judgments based on the experience and expertise of internal specialists. Values of all loan collateral are regularly reviewed by credit administration. Unobservable inputs to these measurements, which include estimates and judgments often used in conjunction with appraisals, are not readily quantifiable. These measurements are classified as Level 3.

The following tables summarize the carrying amount and estimated fair values of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities not carried at fair value, and indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized by the Company to determine such fair value for the periods indicated.

March 31, 2024			Fair Value Measurements
(Dollars in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	738,397	$	738,397	$	-	$	-	$	738,397
Held-to-maturity securities		806,521		-		607,853		57,387		665,240
Non-marketable securities, at cost		15,549		-		15,549		-		15,549
Loans and leases, net		3,621,277		-		-		3,402,777		3,402,777

Financial Liabilities:
Total deposits	$	4,959,589	$	-	$	4,082,127	$	871,395	$	4,953,522
Federal Home Loan Bank advances		100,000		-		-		100,003		100,003
Subordinated debentures		10,310		-		12,418		-		12,418

December 31, 2023			Fair Value Measurements
(Dollars in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total Fair Value
Financial Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	410,642	$	410,642	$	-	$	-	$	410,642
Held-to-maturity securities		817,238		-		629,051		58,192		687,243
Non-marketable securities, at cost		15,549		-		15,549		-		15,549
Loans and leases, net		3,579,724		-		-		3,369,255		3,369,255

Financial Liabilities:
Total deposits	$	4,668,095	$	-	$	4,023,467	$	639,315	$	4,662,782
Subordinated debentures		10,310		-		12,763		-		12,763

Non-marketable securities include FHLB stock, Pacific Coast Bankers’ Bank (“PCBB”) stock and The Independent BankersBank (“TIB”) stock which are recorded at cost. Ownership of these stocks is restricted to member banks and the securities do not have a readily determinable market value. Purchases and sales of these securities are at par value with the issuer. The fair value of these investments is equal to the carrying amount.