Regulatory Matters

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Banking and Thrift [Abstract]

Regulatory Matters

NOTE 16 - REGULATORY MATTERS

Banks and bank holding companies are subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by federal banking agencies. Capital adequacy guidelines and, additionally for banks, prompt corrective action regulations, involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance-sheet items calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators. Failure to meet capital requirements can initiate regulatory action. The final rules implementing Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s capital guidelines for U.S. banks (Basel III rules) became effective for the Company on January 1, 2015 with full compliance with all of the requirements being phased in over a multi-year schedule, and fully phased in by January 1, 2019. The net unrealized gain or loss on available-for-sale securities is not included in computing regulatory capital. Capital amounts and rations for December 31, 2014 are calculated using Basel I rules. Management believes as of December 31, 2015, the Company and Bank meet all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject.

Prompt corrective action regulations provide five classifications: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, and critically undercapitalized, although these terms are not used to represent overall financial condition. If adequately capitalized, regulatory approval is required to accept brokered deposits. If undercapitalized, capital distributions are limited, as are asset growth and acquisitions, and capital restoration plans are required.

As of December 31, 2015, the most recent notifications from the federal regulatory agencies categorized Equity Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized, Equity Bank must maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier 1 risk-based, and Tier 1 leverage ratios as set forth in the table. There are no conditions or events since that notification that management believes have changed Equity Bank’s category.

The Company’s and Equity Bank’s capital amounts and ratios at December 31, 2015 and 2014 are presented in the tables below. Ratios provided for Equity Bancshares, Inc. represent the ratios of the Company on a consolidated basis.

	Actual					Minimum Required for Capital Adequacy Purposes					To Be Well Capitalized Under Prompt Corrective Provisions
	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio
December 31, 2015
Total capital to risk weighted assets
Equity Bancshares, Inc.	$	156,358		14.35	%	$	87,146		8.0	%	$	N/A		N/A
Equity Bank		139,275		12.77	%		87,256		8.0	%		109,070		10.0	%
Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets
Equity Bancshares, Inc.		150,852		13.85	%		65,359		6.0	%		N/A		N/A
Equity Bank		133,769		12.26	%		65,442		6.0	%		87,256		8.0	%
Common equity Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets
Equity Bancshares, Inc.		134,480		12.35	%		49,019		4.5	%		N/A		N/A
Equity Bank		133,769		12.26	%		49,082		4.5	%		70,896		6.5	%
Tier 1 leverage to average assets
Equity Bancshares, Inc.		150,852		9.47	%		63,728		4.0	%		N/A		N/A
Equity Bank		133,769		8.39	%		63,790		4.0	%		79,737		5.0	%
December 31, 2014
Total capital to risk weighted assets
Equity Bancshares, Inc.	$	116,882		13.86	%	$	67,409		8.0	%	$	N/A		N/A
Equity Bank		124,513		14.74	%		67,573		8.0	%		84,466		10.0	%
Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets
Equity Bancshares, Inc.		110,859		13.16	%		33,704		4.0	%		N/A		N/A
Equity Bank		118,550		14.04	%		33,786		4.0	%		50,680		6.0	%
Tier 1 leverage to average assets
Equity Bancshares, Inc.		110,859		9.62	%		46,085		4.0	%		N/A		N/A
Equity Bank		118,550		10.28	%		46,149		4.0	%		57,686		5.0	%

Equity Bank is subject to certain restrictions on the amount of dividends that it may declare without prior regulatory approval.