Derivative Financial Instruments

The Corporation manages its exposure to certain interest rate and foreign currency risks through the use of derivatives. None of the Corporation's outstanding derivative contracts are designated as hedges, and none are entered into for speculative purposes. Derivative instruments are carried at fair value, with changes in fair values recognized in earnings as components of non-interest income and non-interest expense on the consolidated statements of income.

Derivative contracts create counterparty credit risk with both the Corporation's customers and with institutional derivative counterparties. The Corporation manages counterparty credit risk through its credit approval processes, monitoring procedures and obtaining adequate collateral, when the Corporation determines it is appropriate to do so and in accordance with counterparty contracts.

Mortgage Banking Derivatives

In connection with its mortgage banking activities, the Corporation enters into commitments to originate certain fixed-rate residential mortgage loans for customers, also referred to as interest rate locks. In addition, the Corporation enters into forward commitments for the future sales or purchases of mortgage-backed securities to or from third-party counterparties to hedge the effect of changes in interest rates on the values of both the interest rate locks and mortgage loans held for sale. Forward sales commitments may also be in the form of commitments to sell individual mortgage loans at a fixed price at a future date. The amount necessary to settle each interest rate lock is based on the price that secondary market investors would pay for loans with similar characteristics, including interest rate and term, as of the date fair value is measured. Gross derivative assets and liabilities are recorded in other assets and other liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheets, and changes in fair values during the period are recorded in mortgage banking income on the consolidated statements of income.

Interest Rate Swaps

The Corporation enters into interest rate swaps with certain qualifying commercial loan customers to meet their interest rate risk management needs. The Corporation simultaneously enters into interest rate swaps with dealer counterparties, with identical notional amounts and terms. The net result of these interest rate swaps is that the customer pays a fixed rate of interest and the Corporation receives a floating rate. These interest rate swaps are derivative financial instruments and the gross fair values are recorded in other assets and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, with changes in fair values during the period recorded in other non-interest expense on the consolidated statements of income. Fulton Bank, N.A. ("Fulton Bank"), the Corporation's largest banking subsidiary, exceeded $10 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2016 and was required to clear all eligible interest rate swap contracts with a central counterparty, effective January 1, 2017. As a result, Fulton Bank became subject to the regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC").

Foreign Exchange Contracts

The Corporation enters into foreign exchange contracts to accommodate the needs of its customers. Foreign exchange contracts are commitments to buy or sell foreign currency on a future date at a contractual price. The Corporation offsets its foreign exchange contract exposure with customers by entering into contracts with third-party correspondent financial institutions to mitigate its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The Corporation also holds certain amounts of foreign currency with international correspondent banks. The Corporation's policy limits the total net foreign currency open positions, which includes all outstanding contracts and foreign account balances, to $500,000. Gross fair values are recorded in other assets and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, with changes in fair values during the period recorded within other service charges and fees on the consolidated statements of income.

The following table presents a summary of the notional amounts and fair values of derivative financial instruments:



	September 30, 2017					December 31, 2016
	Notional Amount		Asset (Liability) Fair Value			Notional Amount		Asset (Liability) Fair Value
	(in thousands)
Interest Rate Locks with Customers
Positive fair values	$	141,250	$	1,283		$	87,119	$	863
Negative fair values	5,530		(16		)	18,239		(227		)
Net interest rate locks with customers			1,267					636
Forward Commitments
Positive fair values	27,562		48			70,031		2,223
Negative fair values	77,000		(207		)	19,964		(112		)
Net forward commitments			(159		)			2,111
Interest Rate Swaps with Customers
Positive fair values	1,329,394		34,028			876,744		24,397
Negative fair values	578,120		(13,682		)	583,060		(16,998		)
Net interest rate swaps with customers			20,346					7,399
Interest Rate Swaps with Dealer Counterparties
Positive fair values	578,120		13,682			583,060		16,998
Negative fair values ⁽¹⁾	1,329,394		(27,663		)	876,744		(24,397		)
Net interest rate swaps with dealer counterparties			(13,981		)			(7,399		)
Foreign Exchange Contracts with Customers
Positive fair values	5,912		332			11,674		504
Negative fair values	5,473		(226		)	4,659		(221		)
Net foreign exchange contracts with customers			106					283
Foreign Exchange Contracts with Correspondent Banks
Positive fair values	8,978		293			7,040		241
Negative fair values	4,420		(280		)	12,869		(447		)
Net foreign exchange contracts with correspondent banks			13					(206		)
Net derivative fair value asset			$	7,592				$	2,824

(1) Includes centrally cleared interest rate swaps with a notional amount of $324.3 million and a fair value of $0 as of September 30, 2017. Collateral is posted daily through a clearing agent for changes in the fair value.

The following table presents a summary of the fair value gains (losses) on derivative financial instruments:



	Three months ended September 30						Nine months ended September 30
	2017			2016			2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Interest rate locks with customers	$	(59	)	$	178		$	631		$	1,922
Forward commitments	(48		)	970			(2,270		)	(1,042		)
Interest rate swaps with customers	(47		)	(1,948		)	12,947			48,052
Interest rate swaps with dealer counterparties	1,248			1,948			(6,582		)	(48,052		)
Foreign exchange contracts with customers	140			47			(177		)	502
Foreign exchange contracts with correspondent banks	(111		)	(266		)	219			(613		)
Net fair value gains on derivative financial instruments	$	1,123		$	929		$	4,768		$	769

Fair Value Option

U.S. GAAP permits entities to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value and requires certain disclosures for amounts for which the fair value option is applied. The Corporation has elected to measure mortgage loans held for sale at fair value to more accurately reflect the financial results of its mortgage banking activities in its consolidated financial statements. Derivative financial instruments related to these activities are also recorded at fair value, as noted above. The Corporation determines fair value for its mortgage loans held for sale based on the price that secondary market investors would pay for loans with similar characteristics, including interest rate and term, as of the date fair value is measured. Changes in fair values during the period are recorded as components of mortgage banking income on the consolidated statements of income. Interest income earned on mortgage loans held for sale is classified in interest income on the consolidated statements of income.

The following table presents a summary of the Corporation’s mortgage loans held for sale:



	September 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
	(in thousands)
Cost	$	22,615	$	28,708
Fair value	23,049		28,697

During the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Corporation recorded losses related to changes in fair values of mortgage loans held for sale of $120,000 and $360,000, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Corporation recorded gains related to changes in fair values of mortgage loans held for sale of $445,000 and $504,000, respectively.

Balance Sheet Offsetting

Certain financial assets and liabilities may be eligible for offset on the consolidated balance sheets because they are subject to master netting arrangements or similar agreements. The Corporation elects to not offset certain assets and liabilities subject to such arrangements on the consolidated financial statements.

The Corporation is a party to interest rate swap transactions with financial institution counterparties and customers, disclosed in detail above. Under these agreements, the Corporation has the right to net-settle multiple contracts with the same counterparty in the event of default on, or termination of, any one contract. Cash collateral is posted by the party with a net liability position in accordance with contract thresholds and can be used to settle the fair value of the interest rate swap agreements in the event of default. Collateral is posted daily through a clearing agent for changes in the fair value of centrally cleared derivatives with negative fair values. As a result, the total fair values of interest rate swap derivative assets and derivative liabilities recognized on the consolidated balance sheet are not equal and offsetting.

The Corporation is also a party to foreign currency exchange contracts with financial institution counterparties, under which the Corporation has the right to net-settle multiple contracts with the same counterparty in the event of default on, or termination of, any one contract. As with interest rate swap contracts, collateral is posted by the party with a net liability position in accordance with contract thresholds and can be used to settle the fair value of the foreign currency exchange contracts in the event of default.

The Corporation also enters into agreements with customers in which it sells securities subject to an obligation to repurchase the same or similar securities, referred to as repurchase agreements. Under these agreements, the Corporation may transfer legal control over the assets but still maintain effective control through agreements that both entitle and obligate the Corporation to repurchase the assets. Therefore, repurchase agreements are reported as secured borrowings, classified in short-term borrowings on the consolidated balance sheets, while the securities underlying the repurchase agreements remain classified with investment securities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Corporation has no intention of setting off these amounts. Therefore, these repurchase agreements are not eligible for offset.

The following table presents the Corporation's financial instruments that are eligible for offset, and the effects of offsetting, on the consolidated balance sheets:



	Gross Amounts		Gross Amounts Not Offset
	Recognized		on the Consolidated
	on the		Balance Sheets
	Consolidated		Financial			Cash			Net
	Balance Sheets		Instruments⁽¹⁾			Collateral ⁽²⁾			Amount
	(in thousands)
September 30, 2017
Interest rate swap derivative assets	$	47,710	$	(14,163	)	$	—		$	33,547
Foreign exchange derivative assets with correspondent banks	293		(280		)	—			13
Total	$	48,003	$	(14,443	)	$	—		$	33,560

Interest rate swap derivative liabilities	$	41,345	$	(14,163	)	$	(15,520	)	$	11,662
Foreign exchange derivative liabilities with correspondent banks	280		(280		)	—			—
Total	$	41,625	$	(14,443	)	$	(15,520	)	$	11,662

December 31, 2016
Interest rate swap derivative assets	$	41,395	$	(15,117	)	$	—		$	26,278
Foreign exchange derivative assets with correspondent banks	241		(241		)	—			—
Total	$	41,636	$	(15,358	)	$	—		$	26,278

Interest rate swap derivative liabilities	$	41,395	$	(15,117	)	$	(4,010	)	$	22,268
Foreign exchange derivative liabilities with correspondent banks	447		(241		)	(206		)	—
Total	$	41,842	$	(15,358	)	$	(4,216	)	$	22,268


(1)	For derivative assets, amounts represent any derivative liability fair values that could be offset in the event of counterparty or customer default. For derivative liabilities, amounts represent any derivative asset fair values that could be offset in the event of counterparty or customer default.


(2)	Amounts represent collateral received from the counterparty or (posted by the Corporation).