Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Summary of Derivative Instruments [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Note 8 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Synovus utilizes derivative instruments to manage its exposure to various types of interest rate risk, exposures related to liquidity and credit risk, and to facilitate customer transactions. The primary types of derivative instruments utilized by Synovus consist of interest rate swaps, interest rate lock commitments made to prospective mortgage loan customers, commitments to sell fixed-rate mortgage loans, and foreign currency exchange forwards. Interest rate lock commitments represent derivative instruments since it is intended that such loans will be sold. Synovus is party to master netting arrangements with its dealer counterparties; however, Synovus does not offset assets and liabilities under these arrangements for financial statement presentation purposes. See "Part II - Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" to the consolidated financial statements of Synovus' 2019 Form 10-K for additional information regarding accounting policies for derivatives.

Hedging Derivatives

Cash flow hedge relationships mitigate exposure to the variability of future cash flows or other forecasted transactions. Synovus has entered into interest rate swap contracts to manage overall cash flow changes related to interest rate risk exposure on index-based variable rate commercial loans. The contracts effectively modify Synovus' exposure to interest rate risk by utilizing receive fixed/pay index-based variable rate interest rate swaps.

For cash flow hedges, the effective portion of the gain or loss related to the derivative instrument is initially reported as a component of other comprehensive income and subsequently reclassified into earnings when the forecasted transaction affects earnings or when the hedge is terminated and included in the same income statement line item as the earnings effect of the hedged item.

Synovus recorded an unrealized gain of $9.8 million, or $7.3 million after-tax, in OCI, during the three months ended March 31, 2020, related to terminated cash flow hedges, which will be amortized into earnings in conjunction with the effective terms of the original swaps through the third quarter of 2025. Synovus recognized pre-tax income of $120 thousand during the three months ended March 31, 2020 related to the amortization of terminated cash flow hedges.

As of March 31, 2020, Synovus expects to reclassify approximately $32 million of pre-tax gains from AOCI into interest income on cash flow hedges over the next twelve months. Included in this amount is approximately $3 million in pre-tax gains related to the amortization of terminated cash flow hedges. As of March 31, 2020, the maximum length of time over which Synovus is hedging its exposure to the variability in future cash flows is through the first quarter of 2024.

For derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments, changes in the fair value of the derivatives are recognized in earnings immediately.

Counterparty Credit Risk and Collateral

Entering into derivative contracts potentially exposes Synovus to the risk of counterparties’ failure to fulfill their legal obligations, including, but not limited to, potential amounts due or payable under each derivative contract. Notional principal amounts are often used to express the volume of these transactions, but the amounts potentially subject to credit risk are much smaller. Synovus assesses the credit risk of its dealer counterparties by regularly monitoring publicly available credit rating information, evaluating other market indicators, and periodically reviewing detailed financials. Dealer collateral requirements are determined via risk-based policies and procedures and in accordance with existing agreements. Synovus seeks to minimize dealer credit risk by dealing with highly rated counterparties and by obtaining collateral for exposures above certain predetermined limits. Management closely monitors credit conditions within the customer swap portfolio, which management deems to be of higher risk than dealer counterparties. Collateral is secured at origination and credit related fair value adjustments are recorded against the asset value of the derivative as deemed necessary based upon an analysis, which includes consideration of the current asset value of the swap, customer credit rating, collateral value, and customer standing with regards to its swap contractual obligations and other related matters. Such asset values fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates regardless of changes in notional amounts and changes in customer specific risk.

Collateral Requirements

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, certain derivative transactions have collateral requirements, both at the inception of the trade and as the value of each derivative position changes. As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, collateral totaling $157.8 million and $84.6 million, respectively, was pledged to the derivative counterparties to comply with collateral requirements. For derivatives cleared through central clearing houses, the variation margin payments made are legally characterized as settlements of the derivatives. As a result, these variation margin payments are netted against the fair value of the respective derivative contracts in the consolidated balance sheets and related disclosures. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, Synovus had a variation margin of $193.4 million and $113.7 million respectively, each reducing the derivative liability.

The following table reflects the notional amount and fair value of derivative instruments included on the consolidated balance sheets.


	March 31, 2020										December 31, 2019
			Fair Value								Fair Value
(in thousands)	Notional Amount		Derivative Assets ⁽¹⁾		Derivative Liabilities ⁽²⁾		Notional Amount		Derivative Assets ⁽¹⁾		Derivative Liabilities ⁽²⁾
Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships:
Interest rate contracts	$	2,750,000	$	90,246	$	—	$	2,000,000	$	54	$	8,624
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments			$	90,246	$	—			$	54	$	8,624

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate contracts⁽³⁾	$	8,260,884	$	367,841	$	178,496	$	7,258,159	$	138,672	$	25,849
Mortgage derivatives - interest rate lock commitments	412,218		8,314		—		70,481		1,290		—
Mortgage derivatives - forward commitments to sell fixed-rate mortgage loans	330,000		—		5,097		107,000		—		168
Other contracts⁽⁴⁾	159,412		—		428		145,764		—		91
Visa derivative	—		—		2,050		—		—		2,339
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments			$	376,155	$	186,071			$	139,962	$	28,447

⁽¹⁾Derivative assets are recorded in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

⁽²⁾Derivative liabilities are recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.

⁽³⁾Includes interest rate contracts for customer swaps and offsetting positions, net of variation margin payments.

⁽⁴⁾Includes risk participation agreements sold. Additionally, the notional amount of risk participation agreements purchased was $2.9 million and $3.0 million at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

Synovus also provides foreign currency exchange services, primarily forward contracts, with counterparties to allow commercial customers to mitigate exchange rate risk. Synovus covers its risk by entering into an offsetting foreign currency exchange forward contract. The notional amount of foreign currency exchange forwards was $47.2 million and $32.9 million at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The fair value of foreign currency exchange forwards was negligible at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 due to the very short duration of these contracts.

The following table presents the effect of hedging derivative instruments on the consolidated statements of income and the total amounts for the respective line item affected for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands)	2020		2019
Total amounts presented in the consolidated statements of income in interest income on loans	$	3,637	$	—

Gain/loss on cash flow hedging relationships:⁽¹⁾
Interest rate swaps:
Realized gains (losses) reclassified from AOCI, pre-tax, to interest income on loans	120		—
Pre-tax income recognized on cash flow hedges	$	120	$	—

⁽¹⁾See "Part I - Item 1. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Note 6 - Shareholders' Equity and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) in this Report for additional information.

The pre-tax effect of changes in fair value from derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments on the consolidated statements of income for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 is presented below.


		Gain (Loss) Recognized in Consolidated Statements of Income
		Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands)	Location in Consolidated Statements of Income	2020		2019
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Interest rate contracts⁽¹⁾	Capital markets income	$	(604)	$	(130)
Other contracts⁽²⁾	Capital markets income	(337)		—
Mortgage derivatives - interest rate lock commitments	Mortgage banking income	7,024		693
Mortgage derivatives - forward commitments to sell fixed-rate mortgage loans	Mortgage banking income	(4,929)		13

Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments		$	1,154	$	576

⁽¹⁾Additionally, losses related to termination of customer swaps of $2.5 million were recorded in other non-interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

⁽²⁾Includes risk participation agreements sold.