Business Segments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Business Segments

BUSINESS SEGMENTS (Note 22)

Valley has four business segments that it monitors and reports on to manage Valley’s business operations. These segments are consumer lending, commercial lending, investment management, and corporate and other adjustments. Valley’s reportable segments have been determined based upon its internal structure of operations and lines of business. Each business segment is reviewed routinely for its asset growth, contribution to income before income taxes and return on average interest earning assets and impairment (if events or circumstances indicate a possible inability to realize the carrying amount). Expenses related to the branch network, all other components of retail banking, along with the back office departments of our subsidiary bank are allocated from the corporate and other adjustments segment to each of the other three business segments. Interest expense and internal transfer expense (for general corporate expenses) are allocated to each business segment utilizing a “pool funding” methodology, which involves the allocation of uniform funding cost based on each segments’ average earning assets outstanding for the period. The financial reporting for each segment contains allocations and reporting in line with Valley’s operations, which may not necessarily be comparable to any other financial institution. The accounting for each segment includes internal accounting policies designed to measure consistent and reasonable financial reporting, and may result in income and expense measurements that differ from amounts under U.S. GAAP. Furthermore, changes in management structure or allocation methodologies and procedures may result in changes in reported segment financial data.

The consumer lending segment is mainly comprised of residential mortgages, home equity loans and automobile loans. The duration of the residential mortgage loan portfolio is subject to movements in the market level of interest rates and forecasted prepayment speeds. The average weighted life of the automobile loans within the portfolio is relatively unaffected by movements in the market level of interest rates. However, the average life may be impacted by new loans as a result of the availability of credit within the automobile marketplace and consumer demand for purchasing new or used automobiles. Consumer lending segment also includes the Wealth Management Division, comprised of trust, asset management, insurance services, and asset-based lending support services.

The commercial lending segment is mainly comprised of floating rate and adjustable rate commercial and industrial loans, as well as fixed rate owner occupied and commercial real estate loans. Due to the portfolio’s interest rate characteristics, commercial lending is Valley’s business segment that is most sensitive to movements in market interest rates.

The investment management segment generates a large portion of Valley’s income through investments in various types of securities. These securities are mainly comprised of fixed rate investments and depending on our liquid cash position, federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks (primarily the Federal Reserve Bank of New York), as part of our asset/liability management strategies. The fixed rate investments are one of Valley’s assets that are least sensitive assets to immediate changes in market interest rates. However, a portion of the investment portfolio is invested in shorter-duration securities to maintain the overall asset sensitivity of Valley’s balance sheet. Net gains and losses on the change in fair value of trading securities and net impairment losses on securities, if incurred, are reflected in the corporate and other adjustments segment.

The amounts disclosed as “corporate and other adjustments” represent income and expense items not directly attributable to a specific segment, including net trading and securities gains and losses, and net impairment losses on securities not reported in the investment management segment above, interest expense related to the junior subordinated debentures issued to capital trusts, the change in fair value of Valley’s junior subordinated debentures carried at fair value, interest expense related to subordinated notes, as well as income and expense from derivative financial instruments.

The following tables represent the financial data for Valley’s four business segments for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:

	Year Ended December 31, 2015
	Consumer Lending			Commercial Lending			Investment Management			Corporate and Other Adjustments			Total
	($ in thousands)
Average interest earning assets (unaudited)	$	4,764,306		$	9,682,714		$	2,978,484		$	—		$	17,425,504
Interest income	$	170,569		$	463,062		$	81,669		$	(8,277	)	$	707,023
Interest expense	39,787			80,861			24,873			11,233			156,754
Net interest income (loss)	130,782			382,201			56,796			(19,510		)	550,269
Provision for credit losses	1,153			6,948			—			—			8,101
Net interest income (loss) after provision for credit losses	129,629			375,253			56,796			(19,510		)	542,168
Non-interest income	45,306			744			6,815			30,937			83,802
Non-interest expense	59,794			68,156			1,074			370,051			499,075
Internal expense transfer	72,441			146,463			45,460			(264,364		)	—
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	42,700		$	161,378		$	17,077		$	(94,260	)	$	126,895
Return on average interest earning assets (pre-tax) (unaudited)	0.90		%	1.67		%	0.57		%	N/A			0.73		%

	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	Consumer Lending			Commercial Lending			Investment Management			Corporate and Other Adjustments			Total
	($ in thousands)
Average interest earning assets (unaudited)	$	4,122,468		$	7,959,215		$	2,959,100		$	—		$	15,040,783
Interest income	$	154,078		$	399,192		$	91,689		$	(8,356	)	$	636,603
Interest expense	41,343			79,820			29,676			11,007			161,846
Net interest income (loss)	112,735			319,372			62,013			(19,363		)	474,757
Provision for credit losses	438			1,446			—			—			1,884
Net interest income (loss) after provision for credit losses	112,297			317,926			62,013			(19,363		)	472,873
Non-interest income	40,611			(19,624		)	6,392			50,237			77,616
Non-interest expense	59,051			58,142			1,369			284,693			403,255
Internal expense transfer	65,477			126,465			47,060			(239,002		)	—
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	28,380		$	113,695		$	19,976		$	(14,817	)	$	147,234
Return on average interest earning assets (pre-tax) (unaudited)	0.69		%	1.43		%	0.68		%	N/A			0.98		%

	Year Ended December 31, 2013
	Consumer Lending			Commercial Lending			Investment Management			Corporate and Other Adjustments			Total
	($ in thousands)
Average interest earning assets (unaudited)	$	3,915,395		$	7,272,573		$	3,054,234		$	—		$	14,242,202
Interest income	$	157,482		$	380,369		$	86,564		$	(8,318	)	$	616,097
Interest expense	41,556			77,187			32,416			17,218			168,377
Net interest income (loss)	115,926			303,182			54,148			(25,536		)	447,720
Provision for credit losses	2,094			14,001			—			—			16,095
Net interest income (loss) after provision for credit losses	113,832			289,181			54,148			(25,536		)	431,625
Non-interest income	75,028			(7,219		)	5,962			54,882			128,653
Non-interest expense	77,231			57,096			1,355			245,656			381,338
Internal expense transfer	64,142			118,546			50,011			(232,699		)	—
Income before income taxes	$	47,487		$	106,320		$	8,744		$	16,389		$	178,940
Return on average interest earning assets (pre-tax) (unaudited)	1.21		%	1.46		%	0.29		%	N/A			1.26		%