

NOTE 3 – INVESTMENT SECURITIES

The following tables present the amortized cost and estimated fair values of investment securities, which were all classified as available for sale, as of December 31:



	Amortized Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value
	(in thousands)
2015
U.S. Government securities	$	—	$	—	$	—		$	—
U.S. Government sponsored agency securities	25,154		35		(53		)	25,136
State and municipal securities	256,746		6,019		—			262,765
Corporate debt securities	100,336		2,695		(6,076		)	96,955
Collateralized mortgage obligations	835,439		3,042		(16,972		)	821,509
Mortgage-backed securities	1,154,935		10,104		(6,204		)	1,158,835
Auction rate securities	106,772		—		(8,713		)	98,059
Total Debt Securities	2,479,382		21,895		(38,018		)	2,463,259
Equity securities	14,677		6,845		(8		)	21,514
Total	$	2,494,059	$	28,740	$	(38,026	)	$	2,484,773

2014
U.S. Government securities	$	200	$	—	$	—		$	200
U.S. Government sponsored agency securities	209		5		—			214
State and municipal securities	238,250		7,231		(266		)	245,215
Corporate debt securities	99,016		5,126		(6,108		)	98,034
Collateralized mortgage obligations	917,395		5,705		(20,787		)	902,313
Mortgage-backed securities	914,797		16,978		(2,944		)	928,831
Auction rate securities	108,751		—		(7,810		)	100,941
Total Debt Securities	2,278,618		35,045		(37,915		)	2,275,748
Equity securities	33,469		14,167		(13		)	47,623
Total	$	2,312,087	$	49,212	$	(37,928	)	$	2,323,371

Securities carried at $1.7 billion as of both December 31, 2015 and 2014 were pledged as collateral to secure public and trust deposits and customer repurchase agreements.

Equity securities include common stocks of financial institutions (estimated fair value of $20.6 million at December 31, 2015 and $41.8 million at December 31, 2014) and other equity investments (estimated fair value of $914,000 at December 31, 2015 and $5.8 million at December 31, 2014).

As of December 31, 2015, the financial institutions stock portfolio had a cost basis of $13.9 million and an estimated fair value of $20.6 million, including an investment in a single financial institution with a cost basis of $7.4 million and an estimated fair value of $10.2 million. This investment accounted for 49.5% of the estimated fair value of the Corporation's investments in the common stocks of publicly traded financial institutions. No other investment in the financial institutions stock portfolio exceeded 10% of the portfolio's estimated fair value.

The amortized cost and estimated fair values of debt securities as of December 31, 2015, by contractual maturity, are shown in the following table. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.



	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
	(in thousands)

Due in one year or less	$	75,458	$	75,945
Due from one year to five years	85,840		87,877
Due from five years to ten years	124,190		127,103
Due after ten years	203,520		191,990
	489,008		482,915
Collateralized mortgage obligations	835,439		821,509
Mortgage-backed securities	1,154,935		1,158,835
Total	$	2,479,382	$	2,463,259

The following table presents information related to gross gains and losses on the sales of equity and debt securities, and losses recognized for other-than-temporary impairment of investments:



	Gross Realized Gains		Gross Realized Losses			Other- than- temporary Impairment Losses			Net Gains
	(in thousands)
2015:
Equity securities	$	6,496	$	(1	)	$	—		$	6,495
Debt securities	2,571		—			—			2,571
Total	$	9,067	$	(1	)	$	—		$	9,066
2014:
Equity securities	$	335	$	—		$	(12	)	$	323
Debt securities	2,058		(322		)	(18		)	1,718
Total	$	2,393	$	(322	)	$	(30	)	$	2,041
2013:
Equity securities	$	4,391	$	(28	)	$	(27	)	$	4,336
Debt securities	3,787		(22		)	(97		)	3,668
Total	$	8,178	$	(50	)	$	(124	)	$	8,004

The following table presents a summary of other-than-temporary impairment charges recorded as decreases to investment securities gains on the consolidated statements of income, by investment security type. There were no other-than-temporary impairment charges recorded as decreases to investment securities gains in 2015.



		2014		2013
	(in thousands)
Equity securities - financial institution stocks		$	12	$	27
Pooled trust preferred securities		18		97
Total other-than-temporary impairment charges		$	30	$	124

Other-than-temporary impairment charges related to investments in common stocks of financial institutions were due to the severity and duration of the declines in fair values of certain financial institution stocks, in conjunction with management’s assessment of the near-term prospects of each specific financial institution. The credit related other-than-temporary impairment charges for debt securities were determined based on expected cash flows models.

The following table presents a summary of the cumulative credit related other-than-temporary impairment charges, recognized as components of earnings, for debt securities held by the Corporation at December 31:



	2015			2014			2013
	(in thousands)
Balance of cumulative credit losses on debt securities, beginning of year	$	(16,242	)	$	(20,691	)	$	(23,079	)
Additions for credit losses recorded which were not previously recognized as components of earnings	—			(18		)	(97		)
Reductions for securities sold during the period	4,730			4,460			2,468
Reductions for increases in cash flows expected to be collected that are recognized over the remaining life of the security	2			7			17
Balance of cumulative credit losses on debt securities, end of year	$	(11,510	)	$	(16,242	)	$	(20,691	)

The following table presents the gross unrealized losses and estimated fair values of investments, aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position, as of December 31, 2015:



	Less Than 12 months					12 Months or Longer					Total
	Estimated Fair Value		Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Unrealized Losses			Estimated Fair Value		Unrealized Losses
	(in thousands)
U.S. Government sponsored agency securities	$	9,957	$	(53	)	$	—	$	—		$	9,957	$	(53	)
Corporate debt securities	12,892		(97		)	33,036		(5,979		)	45,928		(6,076		)
Collateralized mortgage obligations	166,007		(1,467		)	467,778		(15,505		)	633,785		(16,972		)
Mortgage-backed securities	611,920		(4,783		)	63,818		(1,421		)	675,738		(6,204		)
Auction rate securities	—		—			98,059		(8,713		)	98,059		(8,713		)
Total debt securities	800,776		(6,400		)	662,691		(31,618		)	1,463,467		(38,018		)
Equity securities	—		—			14		(8		)	14		(8		)
Total	$	800,776	$	(6,400	)	$	662,705	$	(31,626	)	$	1,463,481	$	(38,026	)

The Corporation’s collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage-backed securities have contractual terms that generally do not permit the issuer to settle the securities at a price less than the amortized cost of the investment. Because the decline in fair value of these securities is attributable to changes in interest rates and not credit quality, and because the Corporation does not have the intent to sell and does not believe it will more likely than not be required to sell any of these securities prior to a recovery of their fair value to amortized cost, the Corporation did not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2015.

As of December 31, 2015, all student loan auction rate certificates (ARCs) were current and making scheduled interest payments and were rated above investment grade, with approximately $5.6 million, or 6%, "AAA" rated and $92.5 million, or 94%, "AA" rated. All of the loans underlying the ARCs have principal payments which are guaranteed by the federal government. Based on management’s evaluations, ARCs with a fair value of $98.1 million were not subject to any other-than-temporary impairment charges as of December 31, 2015. The Corporation does not have the intent to sell and does not believe it will more likely than not be required to sell these securities prior to a recovery of their fair value to amortized cost, which may be at maturity.

For its investments in equity securities, particularly its investments in common stocks of financial institutions, management evaluates the near-term prospects of the issuers in relation to the severity and duration of the impairment. Based on that evaluation and the Corporation’s ability and intent to hold those investments for a reasonable period of time sufficient for a recovery of fair value, the Corporation does not consider those investments with unrealized holding losses as of December 31, 2015 to be other-than-temporarily impaired.

The majority of the Corporation’s available for sale corporate debt securities are issued by financial institutions. The following table presents the amortized cost and estimated fair values of corporate debt securities as of December 31:



	2015				2014
	Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value		Amortized Cost		Estimated Fair Value
	(in thousands)
Single-issuer trust preferred securities	$	44,648	$	39,106	$	47,569	$	42,016
Subordinated debt	51,653		53,108		47,530		50,023
Pooled trust preferred securities	—		706		2,010		4,088
Corporate debt securities issued by financial institutions	96,301		92,920		97,109		96,127
Other corporate debt securities	4,035		4,035		1,907		1,907
Available for sale corporate debt securities	$	100,336	$	96,955	$	99,016	$	98,034

Single-issuer trust preferred securities had an unrealized loss of $5.5 million as of December 31, 2015. Seven of the 19 single-issuer trust preferred securities held were rated below investment grade by at least one ratings agency, with an amortized cost of $12.5 million and an estimated fair value of $10.7 million as of December 31, 2015. All of the single-issuer trust preferred securities rated below investment grade were rated "BB" or "Ba." Two single-issuer trust preferred securities with an amortized cost of $3.7 million and an estimated fair value of $2.6 million as of December 31, 2015 were not rated by any ratings agency.

Based on management's evaluations, corporate debt securities with a fair value of $97.0 million were not subject to any additional other-than-temporary impairment charges as of December 31, 2015. The Corporation does not have the intent to sell and does not believe it will more likely than not be required to sell any of these securities prior to a recovery of their fair value to amortized cost, which may be at maturity.