-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, Ap96NCYkI1j6bb8481La1UUI4QXozJX8cJz7Ygj8bLKmTYmCpiMEbWfdAM+E0Mdw Mo9470VLYeu1f3i72fy3+g== 0000893220-07-002776.txt : 20070809 0000893220-07-002776.hdr.sgml : 20070809 20070809155240 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000893220-07-002776 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 10-Q PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 5 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20070630 FILED AS OF DATE: 20070809 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20070809 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: SOVEREIGN BANCORP INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000811830 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: SAVINGS INSTITUTION, FEDERALLY CHARTERED [6035] IRS NUMBER: 232453088 STATE OF INCORPORATION: PA FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 10-Q SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-16581 FILM NUMBER: 071040260 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 1500 MARKET ST CITY: PHILADELPHIA STATE: PA ZIP: 19102 BUSINESS PHONE: 2155574630 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: MC11-900-IR5 STREET 2: 1130 BERKSHIRE BLVD CITY: WYOMISSING STATE: PA ZIP: 19610 10-Q 1 w37883e10vq.htm FORM 10-Q SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. e10vq
 

 
 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
     
þ   QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
for the quarter ended June 30, 2007
OR
     
o   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
for the transition period from                    to                     .
Commission File Number: 001-16581
SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC.
 
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
     
Pennsylvania   23-2453088
 
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
     
1500 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Address of principal executive offices)
  19102
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number: (215) 557-4630
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ. No o.
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer or a non-accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act): Large accelerated filer þ     Accelerated filer o     Non-accelerated filer o
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) Yes o. No þ.
APPLICABLE ONLY TO CORPORATE ISSUERS:
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
     
Class   Outstanding at July 31, 2007
Common Stock (no par value)   479,413,999 shares
 
 

 


 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
     The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. (“Sovereign”). Sovereign may from time to time make forward-looking statements in Sovereign’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the Exhibits hereto), in its reports to shareholders (including its 2006 Annual Report) and in other communications by Sovereign, which are made in good faith by Sovereign, pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some of the disclosure communications by Sovereign, including any statements preceded by, followed by or which include the words “may,” “could,” “should,” “pro forma,” “looking forward,” “will,” “would,” “believe,” “expect,” “hope,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “strive,” “hopefully,” “try,” “assume” or similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements.
     These forward-looking statements include statements with respect to Sovereign’s vision, mission, strategies, goals, beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, intentions, financial condition, results of operations, future performance and business of Sovereign, including statements relating to:
    growth in net income, shareholder value and internal tangible equity generation;
 
    growth in earnings per share;
 
    return on equity;
 
    return on assets;
 
    efficiency ratio;
 
    Tier 1 leverage ratio;
 
    annualized net charge-offs and other asset quality measures;
 
    fee income as a percentage of total revenue;
 
    ratio of tangible equity to assets or other capital adequacy measures;
 
    book value and tangible book value per share; and
 
    loan and deposit portfolio compositions, employee retention, deposit retention, asset quality and reserve adequacy.
     These forward-looking statements, implicitly and explicitly, include the assumptions underlying the statements. Although Sovereign believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties which are subject to change based on various important factors (some of which are beyond Sovereign’s control). The following factors, among others, could cause Sovereign’s financial performance to differ materially from its goals, plans, objectives, intentions, expectations, forecasts and projections (and the underlying assumptions) expressed in the forward-looking statements:
    the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the regional and local economies in which Sovereign conducts operations;
 
    the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
 
    inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations;
 
    adverse changes may occur in the securities markets, including those related to the financial condition of significant issuers in our investment portfolio;
 
    Sovereign’s ability to successfully integrate any assets, liabilities, customers, systems and management personnel Sovereign acquires into its operations and its ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames;

1


 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
(continued)
    the implementation of cost savings initiatives may take longer to implement, or may cost more to implement than anticipated;
 
    the implementation of cost savings initiatives may have unintended impacts on our ability to attract and retain businesses and customers;
 
    revenue enhancement ideas may not be successful in the marketplace or may result in unintended costs;
 
    assumed attrition required to achieve workforce reductions may not come in the right place or at the right times to meet planned goals;
 
    changing market conditions may force us to alter the implementation or continuation of cost savings or revenue enhancement strategies;
 
    Sovereign’s timely development of competitive new products and services in a changing environment and the acceptance of such products and services by customers;
 
    the willingness of customers to substitute competitors’ products and services and vice versa;
 
    the ability of Sovereign and its third party vendors to convert and maintain Sovereign’s data processing and related systems on a timely and acceptable basis and within projected cost estimates;
 
    the impact of changes in financial services policies, laws and regulations, including laws, regulations, policies and practices concerning taxes, banking, capital, liquidity, proper accounting treatment, securities and insurance, and the application thereof by regulatory bodies and the impact of changes in and interpretation of generally accepted accounting principles;
 
    technological changes;
 
    competitors of Sovereign may have greater financial resources and develop products and technology that enable those competitors to compete more successfully than Sovereign;
 
    changes in consumer spending and savings habits;
 
    acts of terrorism or domestic or foreign military conflicts; and acts of God, including natural disasters;
 
    regulatory or judicial proceedings;
 
    changes in asset quality;
 
    if Sovereign acquires companies with weak internal controls, it will take time to get the acquired companies up to the same level of operating effectiveness as Sovereign’s internal control structure. Sovereign’s inability to address these risks could negatively affect Sovereign’s operating results; and
 
    Sovereign’s success in managing the risks involved in the foregoing.
     If one or more of the factors affecting Sovereign’s forward-looking information and statements proves incorrect, then its actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking information and statements. Therefore, Sovereign cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information and statements. The effects of these factors are difficult to predict. New factors emerge from time to time and we cannot assess the impact of any such factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward looking statement. Any forward looking statements only speak as of the date of this document.
     Sovereign does not intend to update any forward-looking information and statements, whether written or oral, to reflect any change. All forward-looking statements attributable to Sovereign are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

2


 

INDEX
                 
              Page  
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
               
Item 1. Financial Statements
               
Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006
            4  
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 and 2006
            5-6  
Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007
            7  
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 and 2006
            8-9  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
            10–29  
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
            30–54  
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
            55  
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
            55  
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
               
1. Legal Proceedings
            56  
1A. Risk Factors
            56  
Item 5. Other information
            56  
Item 6. Exhibits
            57  
SIGNATURES
            58  
EXHIBITS INDEX
            59  
Ex-31.1 Certification
               
Ex-31.2 Certification
               
Ex-32.1 Certification
               
Ex-32.2 Certification
               

3


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
                 
    June 30,     December 31,  
    2007     2006  
    (in thousands, except share data)  
ASSETS
               
Cash and amounts due from depository institutions
  $ 1,867,294     $ 1,804,117  
Investment securities:
               
Available-for-sale
    13,303,432       13,874,628  
Other investments
    798,452       1,003,012  
Loans held for investment
    55,799,216       54,976,675  
Allowance for loan losses
    (503,685 )     (471,030 )
 
           
 
               
Net loans
    55,295,531       54,505,645  
 
           
 
               
Loans held for sale
    727,902       7,611,921  
Premises and equipment
    570,074       605,707  
Accrued interest receivable
    368,849       422,901  
Goodwill
    5,003,195       5,005,185  
Core deposit intangibles and other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $694,728 and $629,218 at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively
    433,164       498,420  
Bank owned life insurance
    1,764,137       1,725,222  
Other assets
    2,605,061       2,585,091  
 
           
 
               
TOTAL ASSETS
  $ 82,737,091     $ 89,641,849  
 
           
 
               
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Deposits and other customer accounts
  $ 49,844,635     $ 52,384,554  
Borrowings and other debt obligations
    22,461,638       26,849,717  
Advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance
    104,347       98,041  
Other liabilities
    1,400,441       1,508,753  
 
           
 
               
TOTAL LIABILITIES
    73,811,061       80,841,065  
 
           
 
               
Minority interests
    145,742       156,385  
 
           
 
               
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
Preferred stock; no par value; $50 liquidation preference; 7,500,000 shares authorized; 8,000 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006
    195,445       195,445  
Common stock; no par value; 800,000,000 shares authorized; 480,561,324 shares issued at June 30, 2007 and 479,228,330 shares issued at December 31, 2006
    6,253,146       6,183,281  
Warrants and employee stock options issued
    346,278       343,391  
Unallocated common stock held by the Employee Stock Ownership Plan at cost; 0 shares at June 30, 2007 and 2,760,133 shares at December 31, 2006
          (19,019 )
Treasury stock at cost; 1,411,510 shares at June 30, 2007 and 2,713,086 shares at December 31, 2006
    (21,303 )     (49,028 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
    (121,184 )     (24,746 )
Retained earnings
    2,127,906       2,015,075  
 
           
 
               
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    8,780,288       8,644,399  
 
           
 
               
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
  $ 82,737,091     $ 89,641,849  
 
           
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

4


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
                                 
    Three-Month Period     Six-Month Period  
    Ended June 30,     Ended June 30,  
    2007     2006     2007     2006  
            (in thousands, except per share data)          
INTEREST INCOME:
                               
Interest-earning deposits
  $ 4,144     $ 2,954     $ 10,380     $ 5,070  
Investment securities:
                               
Available-for-sale
    180,252       116,653       370,087       206,748  
Held-to-maturity
          50,473             104,026  
Other investments
    11,179       13,016       25,480       18,619  
Interest on loans
    943,860       808,922       1,960,827       1,497,088  
 
                       
 
                               
TOTAL INTEREST INCOME
    1,139,435       992,018       2,366,774       1,831,551  
 
                       
 
                               
INTEREST EXPENSE:
                               
Deposits and customer accounts
    409,616       306,030       822,867       537,867  
Borrowings and other debt obligations
    276,435       247,217       602,670       450,955  
 
                       
 
                               
TOTAL INTEREST EXPENSE
    686,051       553,247       1,425,537       988,822  
 
                       
 
                               
NET INTEREST INCOME
    453,384       438,771       941,237       842,729  
Provision for credit losses
    51,000       44,500       97,000       73,500  
 
                       
 
                               
NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES
    402,384       394,271       844,237       769,229  
 
                       
 
                               
NON-INTEREST INCOME:
                               
Consumer banking fees
    77,268       67,467       145,282       128,265  
Commercial banking fees
    52,046       43,949       101,454       82,965  
Mortgage banking (loss)/income
    26,500       4,524       (80,705 )     17,516  
Capital markets revenue
    5,982       2,313       11,671       6,202  
Bank owned life insurance
    20,274       15,359       40,783       26,686  
Miscellaneous income
    8,227       8,363       17,694       14,682  
 
                       
 
                               
TOTAL FEES AND OTHER INCOME
    190,297       141,975       236,179       276,316  
Net gain/(loss) on investment securities
          (305,027 )     970       (305,027 )
 
                       
 
                               
TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME
    190,297       (163,052 )     237,149       (28,711 )
 
                       
 
                               
GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES:
                               
Compensation and benefits
    171,557       149,467       345,353       293,245  
Occupancy and equipment expenses
    75,637       68,155       156,156       132,348  
Technology expense
    23,812       23,114       47,148       44,680  
Outside services
    16,969       16,592       32,247       31,347  
Marketing expense
    17,092       14,548       25,924       24,770  
Other administrative expenses
    31,525       31,417       59,760       56,882  
 
                       
 
                               
TOTAL GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
    336,592       303,293       666,588       583,272  
 
                       

5


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
(continued)
                                 
    Three-Month Period     Six-Month Period  
    Ended June 30,     Ended June 30,  
    2007     2006     2007     2006  
            (in thousands, except per share data)          
OTHER EXPENSES:
                               
Amortization of intangibles
  $ 32,257     $ 24,225     $ 65,510     $ 41,444  
Loss on economic hedges
          11,387             11,387  
Minority interest expense
    4,989       6,079       10,355       12,071  
Merger-related and integration charges
    166       6,257       2,242       3,459  
Equity method investments
    9,498       10,954       22,547       20,996  
Restructuring, other employee severance and debt extinguishment charges
    35,938             55,970        
ESOP (benefit)/expense related to freezing of plan
    (3,266 )           40,119        
Proxy and related professional (recoveries)/fees
    (125 )           (516 )     14,337  
 
                       
 
                               
TOTAL OTHER EXPENSES
    79,457       58,902       196,227       103,694  
 
                       
 
                               
INCOME/(LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES
    176,632       (130,976 )     218,571       53,552  
Income tax provision (benefit)
    29,180       (71,920 )     23,060       (28,790 )
 
                       
 
                               
NET INCOME/(LOSS)
  $ 147,452     $ (59,056 )   $ 195,511     $ 82,342  
 
                       
 
                               
EARNINGS/(LOSS) PER SHARE:
                               
Basic
  $ 0.30     $ (0.15 )   $ 0.39     $ 0.20  
 
                       
 
                               
Diluted
  $ 0.29     $ (0.15 )   $ 0.39     $ 0.20  
 
                       
 
                               
DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE
  $ 0.08     $ 0.08     $ 0.16     $ 0.14  
 
                       
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

6


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2007
(Unaudited)
(in thousands)
                                                                         
                                    Unallocated                              
    Common                             Common             Accumulated             Total  
    Shares                     Warrants     Stock             Other             Stock-  
    Out-     Preferred     Common     & Stock     Held by     Treasury     Comprehensive     Retained     Holders’  
    Standing     Stock     Stock     Options     ESOP     Stock     Income/(Loss)     Earnings     Equity  
Balance, December 31, 2006
    473,755     $ 195,445     $ 6,183,281     $ 343,391     $ (19,019 )   $ (49,028 )   $ (24,746 )   $ 2,015,075     $ 8,644,399  
 
                                                                       
Comprehensive income:
                                                                       
 
                                                                       
Net income
                                              195,511       195,511  
Change in unrealized gain/loss, net of tax:
                                                                       
 
                                                                       
Investment securities available for sale
                                        (142,963 )           (142,963 )
 
                                                                       
Pension liabilities
                                        1,263             1,263  
 
                                                                       
Cash flow hedge derivative financial instruments
                                        45,262             45,262  
 
                                                                     
 
                                                                       
Total comprehensive income
                                                                    99,073  
 
                                                                       
Stock issued in connection with employee benefit and incentive compensation plans
    2,403             9,418       (538 )           34,598                   43,478  
 
                                                                       
Employee stock options earned
                      3,425                               3,425  
Dividends paid on common stock
                                              (76,332 )     (76,332 )
Dividends paid on preferred stock
                                              (7,300 )     (7,300 )
Cumulative transition adjustment related to the adoption of FIN 48
                                              952       952  
Issuance of common stock
    503             12,774                                     12,774  
ESOP shares sold in conjunction with plan termination
    1,102             18,979             7,594                         26,573  
Allocation of ESOP shares
    1,658             28,694             11,425                         40,119  
Stock repurchased
    (271 )                             (6,873 )                 (6,873 )
 
                                                     
 
                                                                       
Balance, June 30, 2007
    479,150     $ 195,445     $ 6,253,146     $ 346,278     $     $ (21,303 )   $ (121,184 )   $ 2,127,906     $ 8,780,288  
 
                                                     
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

7


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
                 
    Six-Month Period  
    Ended June 30,  
    2007     2006  
    (in thousands)  
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITES:
               
Net income
  $ 195,511     $ 82,342  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
               
Provision for credit losses
    97,000       73,500  
Depreciation and amortization
    133,782       90,969  
Net amortization/accretion of investment securities and loan premiums and discounts
    25,712       58,324  
Net (gain)/loss on sale of loans
    47,497       (15,847 )
Net (gain)/loss on investment securities
    (970 )     305,027  
Net (gain)/loss on real estate owned and premises and equipment
    393       1,239  
Loss on debt extinguishments
    13,782        
Net loss on economic hedges
          11,387  
Stock-based compensation
    14,043       14,658  
Allocation of Employee Stock Ownership Plan
    40,119        
Origination and purchases of loans held for sale, net of repayments
    (2,201,980 )     (1,284,353 )
Proceeds from sales of loans held for sale
    2,021,862       989,453  
Net change in:
               
Accrued interest receivable
    54,052       (10,077 )
Other assets and bank owned life insurance
    46,972       (2,589,603 )
Other liabilities
    (106,619 )     (184,929 )
 
           
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
    381,156       (2,457,910 )
 
           
 
               
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
               
Adjustments to reconcile net cash used in investing activities:
               
Proceeds from sales of investment securities:
               
Available-for-sale
    124,506       2,177,043  
Held-to-maturity
          1,774,475  
Proceeds from repayments and maturities of investment securities:
               
Available-for-sale
    3,721,591       447,665  
Held-to-maturity
          186,845  
Net change in other short-term investments
    353,490       (26,486 )
Purchases of available-for-sale investment securities
    (3,635,412 )     (1,847,708 )
Purchases of held-to-maturity investment securities
          (557,704 )
Proceeds from sales of loans
    8,971,331       2,513,362  
Purchase of loans
    (96,306 )     (4,998,949 )
Net change in loans other than purchases and sales
    (2,765,442 )     (1,963,624 )
Proceeds from sales of premises and equipment
    19,365       1,558  
Purchases of premises and equipment
    (27,761 )     (37,820 )
Proceeds from sales of real estate owned
    7,166       3,015  
Net cash (paid)/received from business combinations
          (2,709,738 )
 
           
Net cash (provided by)/used in investing activities
    6,672,528       (5,038,066 )
 
           

8


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
                 
    Six-Month Period  
    Ended June 30,  
    2007     2006  
    (in thousands)  
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
               
Adjustments to reconcile net cash provided by financing activities:
               
Net increase/(decrease) in deposits and other customer accounts
    (2,546,013 )     3,583,680  
Net increase/(decrease) in borrowings
    (3,857,878 )     1,227,335  
Proceeds from issuance of trust preferred securities
          625,000  
Proceeds from senior notes and credit facility
    580,000       250,000  
Repayments of borrowings and other debt obligations
    (1,124,590 )     (150,000 )
Net increase/(decrease) in advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance
    6,306       (27,276 )
Repurchase of minority interests
    (11,822 )      
Cash dividends paid to preferred stockholders
    (7,300 )      
Cash dividends paid to common stockholders
    (76,332 )     (50,386 )
Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock, net of transaction costs
          195,445  
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of transaction costs
    14,689       2,029,681  
Sale of unallocated ESOP shares
    26,574        
Treasury stock repurchases, net of proceeds
    5,859       394,603  
 
           
Net cash (provided by)/used in financing activities
    (6,990,507 )     8,078,082  
 
           
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
    63,177       582,106  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
    1,804,117       1,131,936  
 
           
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
  $ 1,867,294     $ 1,714,042  
 
           
                 
    Six-Month Period
    Ended June 30,
    2007   2006
    (in thousands)
Supplemental Disclosures:
               
Income taxes paid
  $ 28,613     $ 36,856  
Interest paid
  $ 1,577,702     $ 875,869  
     Non cash transactions: In the first quarter of 2007, Sovereign reclassified $658 million of correspondent home equity loans that were previously classified as held for sale to its loans held for investment portfolio. See Note 4 for further discussion.
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

9


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(1) BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
     The accompanying financial statements of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiaries (“Sovereign” or the “Company”) include the accounts of the parent company, Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including the following wholly-owned subsidiaries: Sovereign Bank, Independence Community Bank Corp., and Sovereign Delaware Investment Corporation. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
     These financial statements have been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, in the opinion of management, the accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal and recurring nature necessary to present fairly the consolidated balance sheet, statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods indicated, and contain adequate disclosure to make the information presented not misleading. It is suggested that these consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the Company’s latest annual report on Form 10-K.
     The preparation of these financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The results of operations for any interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results which may be expected for the entire year.
(2) EARNINGS PER SHARE
     Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted average common shares outstanding, excluding options and warrants. The dilutive effect of our options is calculated using the treasury stock method, the dilutive effect of our warrants that were issued in connection with our contingently convertible debt issuance is calculated under the if-converted method.
     The following table presents the computation of earnings per share for the periods indicated (amounts in thousands, except per share):
                                 
    Three-Month Period     Six-Month Period  
    Ended June 30,     Ended June 30,  
    2007     2006     2007     2006  
CALCULATION OF INCOME FOR BASIC AND DILUTED EPS:
                               
Net income as reported and for basic EPS
  $ 147,452     $ (59,056 )   $ 195,511     $ 82,342  
Less preferred dividend
    (3,650 )     (2,433 )     (7,300 )     (2,433 )
 
                       
Net income available to common stockholders
    143,802       (61,489 )     188,211       79,909  
Contingently convertible trust preferred interest expense, net of tax (1)
    6,413             12,825        
 
                       
Net income for diluted EPS available to common stockholders
  $ 150,215     $ (61,489 )   $ 201,036     $ 79,909  
 
                       
 
                               
WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING:
                               
Weighted average basic shares
    478,278       412,000       476,722       394,579  
Dilutive effect of:
                               
Warrants (1)
    27,435             27,435        
Stock options (1)
    6,928             6,923        
 
                       
Weighted average diluted shares
    512,641       412,000       511,080       394,579  
 
                       
 
                               
EARNINGS PER SHARE:
                               
Basic
  $ 0.30     $ (0.15 )   $ 0.39     $ 0.20  
Diluted
  $ 0.29     $ (0.15 )   $ 0.39     $ 0.20  
 
(1)   These items were excluded from diluted earnings per share for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2006 since the result would have been anti-dilutive.

10


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(3) INVESTMENT SECURITIES
     The following table presents the composition and fair value of investment securities available-for-sale at the dates indicated (in thousands):
                                 
    June 30, 2007  
    Amortized     Unrealized     Unrealized     Fair  
    Cost     Appreciation     Depreciation     Value  
Investment Securities:
                               
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities
  $ 824,740     $ 12     $ 84     $ 824,668  
Debentures of FHLB, FNMA, and FHLMC
    197,949       1,769       1,146       198,572  
Corporate debt and asset-backed securities
    959,054       5       24,790       934,269  
Equity securities (1)
    819,882       37,409       80       857,211  
State and municipal securities
    2,508,241       12,382       55,348       2,465,275  
Mortgage-backed securities:
                               
U.S. government agencies
    261,330       224       3,988       257,566  
FHLMC and FNMA debt securities
    3,832,437       2,564       55,651       3,779,350  
Non-agency securities
    4,061,627       5,811       80,917       3,986,521  
 
                       
 
                               
Total investment securities available-for-sale
  $ 13,465,260     $ 60,176     $ 222,004     $ 13,303,432  
 
                       
                                 
    December 31, 2006  
    Amortized     Unrealized     Unrealized     Fair  
    Cost     Appreciation     Depreciation     Value  
Investment Securities:
                               
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities
  $ 1,561,685     $ 38     $ 878     $ 1,560,845  
Debentures of FHLB, FNMA, and FHLMC
    242,248       3,001       1,149       244,100  
Corporate debt and asset-backed securities
    953,374       3,443       6,315       950,502  
Equity securities (1)
    893,627       48,491             942,118  
State and municipal securities
    2,510,975       45,325       1,494       2,554,806  
Mortgage-backed securities:
                               
U.S. government agencies
    45,400       765       105       46,060  
FHLMC and FNMA debt securities
    3,598,731       12,088       5,185       3,605,634  
Non-agency securities
    4,009,789       13,139       52,365       3,970,563  
 
                       
 
                               
Total investment securities available-for-sale
  $ 13,815,829     $ 126,290     $ 67,491     $ 13,874,628  
 
                       
 
(1)   Equity securities consist principally of preferred stock of FHLMC and FNMA.
     Investment securities available for sale with an estimated fair value of $8.9 billion and $9.7 billion were pledged as collateral for borrowings, standby letters of credit, interest rate agreements and certain public deposits at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively.
     During the three month period ended June 30, 2006, following the acquisition of Independence (discussed in Note 16), Sovereign sold $3.5 billion of investment securities with a combined effective yield of 4.40% for asset/liability management purposes, to maintain compliance with its existing interest rate policies and guidelines and to offset, in part, the negative effect of the current yield curve on net interest margin for future periods and incurred a pre-tax loss of $238.3 million ($154.9 million after-tax or $0.36 per share). Of the total $3.5 billion of investments sold, $1.8 billion had been previously classified as held-to-maturity and Sovereign recorded a pre-tax loss of $130.1 million related to the sale of the held-to-maturity securities. As a result of the sale of the held-to-maturity securities, Sovereign concluded that it was required to reclassify the remaining $3.2 billion of held-to-maturity investment securities to the available-for-sale investment category.

11


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(3) INVESTMENT SECURITIES (continued)
     The following table discloses the age of gross unrealized losses in Sovereign’s total investment portfolio as of June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 (in thousands):
                                                 
    At June 30, 2007  
    Less than 12 months     12 months or longer     Total  
    Fair Value     Unrealized Losses     Fair Value     Unrealized Losses     Fair Value     Unrealized Losses  
Investment Securities
                                               
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities
  $ 57,127     $ (43 )   $ 3,015     $ (41 )   $ 60,142     $ (84 )
Debentures of FHLB, FNMA and FHLMC
                56,732       (1,146 )     56,732       (1,146 )
Corporate debt and asset-backed securities
    684,407       (20,644 )     108,652       (4,146 )     793,059       (24,790 )
Equity securities
    9,380       (80 )                 9,380       (80 )
State and municipal securities
    1,814,805       (54,998 )     20,920       (350 )     1,835,725       (55,348 )
Mortgage-backed Securities:
                                               
U.S. government agencies
    236,348       (3,903 )     2,077       (85 )     238,425       (3,988 )
FHLMC and FNMA debt securities
    3,388,074       (51,425 )     112,828       (4,226 )     3,500,902       (55,651 )
Non-agency securities
    1,209,665       (13,348 )     1,647,523       (67,569 )     2,857,188       (80,917 )
 
                                   
 
                                               
Total investment securities available-for-sale
  $ 7,399,806     $ (144,441 )   $ 1,951,747     $ (77,563 )   $ 9,351,553     $ (222,004 )
 
                                   
 
    At December 31, 2006  
    Less than 12 months     12 months or longer     Total  
    Fair Value     Unrealized Losses     Fair Value     Unrealized Losses     Fair Value     Unrealized Losses  
Investment Securities
                                               
U.S. Treasury and government agency securities
  $ 1,495,712     $ (733 )   $ 15,995     $ (145 )   $ 1,511,707     $ (878 )
Debentures of FHLB, FNMA and FHLMC
                101,341       (1,149 )     101,341       (1,149 )
Corporate debt and asset-backed securities
    446,261       (4,014 )     61,820       (2,301 )     508,081       (6,315 )
State and municipal securities
    247,409       (1,312 )     21,239       (182 )     268,648       (1,494 )
Mortgage-backed Securities:
                                               
U.S. government agencies
    219       (8 )     2,258       (97 )     2,477       (105 )
FHLMC and FNMA debt securities
    641,851       (1,009 )     126,193       (4,176 )     768,044       (5,185 )
Non-agency securities
    456,897       (1,703 )     1,962,694       (50,662 )     2,419,591       (52,365 )
 
                                   
 
                                               
Total investment securities available-for-sale
  $ 3,288,349     $ (8,779 )   $ 2,291,540     $ (58,712 )   $ 5,579,889     $ (67,491 )
 
                                   

12


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(3) INVESTMENT SECURITIES (continued)
     As of June 30, 2007, management has concluded that the unrealized losses above on its investment securities (which totaled 410 individual securities) are temporary in nature since they are not related to the underlying credit quality of the issuers, and the Company has the intent and ability to hold these investments for the time necessary to recover its cost and will ultimately recover its cost at maturity (i.e. these investments have contractual maturities that, absent credit default, ensure Sovereign will ultimately recover its cost). In making its other than temporary impairment evaluation, Sovereign considered the fact that the principal and interest on these securities are from U.S. Government and Government Agencies as well as issuers that are investment grade (Aaa rated). The change in the unrealized losses on the U.S. Government and Government Agencies mortgage-backed securities, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”) and Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) securities and the non-agency mortgage-backed securities were caused by changes in interest rates. Because the decline in market value is attributable to changes in interest rates and not credit quality, and because the Company has the intent and ability to hold those investments until a recovery of fair value, which may be maturity, the Company does not consider those investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired.
     During the three-month period ended June 30, 2006, Sovereign recorded other-than-temporary impairment charges of $67.5 million on FNMA and FHLMC preferred stock. Sovereign determined that certain unrealized losses on perpetual preferred stock of FNMA and FHLMC was other-than-temporary in accordance with SFAS 115 “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities” and the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 59 “Accounting for Non-current Marketable Equity Securities”. The Company’s assessment considered the duration and the severity of the unrealized loss, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuers, and the likelihood of the market value of these instruments increasing to our initial cost basis within a reasonable period of time based upon the anticipated interest rate environment. As a result of these factors, Sovereign concluded that the unrealized losses were other-than-temporary and recorded a non-cash impairment charge. As of June 30, 2007, Sovereign held $803.1 million of perpetual preferred stock of FNMA and FHLMC which had a net unrealized gain of $37.1 million.
(4) LOANS
     The following table presents the composition of the loans held for investment portfolio by type of loan and by fixed and adjustable rates at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
                                 
    June 30, 2007     December 31, 2006  
    Amount     Percent     Amount     Percent  
Commercial real estate loans
  $ 11,603,757       20.8 %   $ 11,514,983       21.0 %
Commercial and industrial loans
    13,267,950       23.8       11,561,183       21.0  
Multifamily loans
    3,857,178       6.9       5,621,429       10.2  
Other
    388,486       0.7       1,518,603       2.8  
 
                       
 
                               
Total commercial loans held for investment
    29,117,371       52.2       30,216,198       55.0  
 
                       
 
                               
Residential mortgages
    14,089,908       25.3       14,316,168       26.0  
Home equity loans and lines of credit
    5,954,925       10.6       5,176,346       9.4  
 
                       
 
                               
Total consumer loans secured by real estate
    20,044,833       35.9       19,492,514       35.4  
 
                               
Auto loans
    6,320,010       11.3       4,848,204       8.8  
Other
    317,002       0.6       419,759       0.8  
 
                       
 
                               
Total consumer loans held for investment
    26,681,845       47.8       24,760,477       45.0  
 
                       
 
                               
Total loans held for investment (1)
  $ 55,799,216       100.0 %   $ 54,976,675       100.0 %
 
                       
 
                               
Total loans held for investment with:
                               
Fixed rate
  $ 32,443,276       58.1 %   $ 32,321,464       58.8 %
Variable rate
    23,355,940       41.9       22,655,211       41.2  
 
                       
 
                               
Total loans held for investment (1)
  $ 55,799,216       100.0 %   $ 54,976,675       100.0 %
 
                       
 
(1)   Loans held for investment total includes deferred loan origination costs, net of deferred loan fees and unamortized purchase premiums, net of discounts as well as purchase accounting adjustments. These items resulted in a net increase in loans of $266.9 million and $258.4 million at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively. Loans pledged as collateral totaled $15.3 billion and $17.7 billion at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively.

13


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(4) LOANS (continued)
     The following table presents the composition of the loan held for sale portfolio by type of loan and by fixed and adjustable rates at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
                                 
    June 30, 2007     December 31, 2006  
    Amount     Percent     Amount     Percent  
Commercial real estate
  $ 137,722       18.9 %   $       %
Commercial and industrial loans
    149,397       20.5       109,123       1.4  
Multifamily
    143,349       19.7       147,022       1.9  
Residential mortgages
    297,434       40.9       3,088,562       40.6  
Home equity loans and lines of credit
                4,267,214       56.1  
 
                       
 
                               
Total loans held for sale
  $ 727,902       100.0 %   $ 7,611,921       100.0 %
 
                       
 
                               
Total loans held for sale with:
                               
Fixed rate
  $ 727,902       100.0 %   $ 7,395,494       97.2 %
Variable rate
                216,427       2.8  
 
                       
 
                               
Total loans held for sale
  $ 727,902       100.0 %   $ 7,611,921       100.0 %
 
                       
     During the three-month period ended March 31, 2007, Sovereign transferred back into its loan portfolio $658 million of correspondent home equity loans that had been previously classified as held for sale. Due to adverse market conditions for non-prime loans, the Company decided not to sell these loans and to hold them for investment. Before transferring these loans back into the held for investment loan portfolio, Sovereign marked this portfolio to market as of March 31, 2007 utilizing a discounted cash flow model. The discounted cash flow model takes into account expected prepayment factors and the degree of credit risk associated with the loans and the estimated effects of changes in market interest rates relative to the loans’ interest rates. As a result, Sovereign wrote down this loan portfolio by $84.2 million via a reduction to mortgage banking revenues during the three-month period ended March 31, 2007.
(5) DEPOSIT PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION
     The following table presents the composition of deposits and other customer accounts at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):
                                                 
    June 30, 2007     December 31, 2006  
                    Weighted                     Weighted  
                    Average                     Average  
            Account Type   Amount     Percent     Rate     Amount     Percent     Rate  
Demand deposit accounts
  $ 6,313,408       13 %     %   $ 6,577,585       12 %     %
NOW accounts
    5,950,960       12       1.10       6,333,667       12       1.24  
Wholesale NOW
    3,661,659       7       5.17       3,573,861       7       4.97  
Customer repurchase agreements
    2,525,932       5       4.41       2,206,445       4       4.74  
Savings accounts
    4,312,492       9       0.66       4,637,346       9       0.65  
Money market accounts
    10,005,554       20       3.58       8,875,353       17       3.17  
Wholesale money market accounts
    1,951,496       4       5.50       4,116,417       8       5.51  
Certificates of deposit
    10,998,580       22       4.57       11,338,935       22       4.45  
Wholesale certificates of deposit
    4,124,554       8       5.29       4,724,945       9       5.14  
 
                                   
 
                                               
Total deposits
  $ 49,844,635       100 %     3.17 %   $ 52,384,554       100 %     3.14 %
 
                                   

14


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(6) BORROWINGS AND OTHER DEBT OBLIGATIONS
     The following table presents information regarding borrowings and other debt obligations at the dates indicated:
                                 
    June 30, 2007     December 31, 2006  
            Effective             Effective  
    Balance     Rate     Balance     Rate  
Sovereign Bank borrowings and other debt obligations:
                               
Securities sold under repurchase agreements
  $ 76,046       4.12 %   $ 199,671       3.85 %
Fed funds purchased
    420,000       5.30       1,700,000       5.22  
FHLB advances
    17,124,085       4.91       19,563,985       4.81  
Credit facility
    180,000       5.85              
Asset-backed floating rate notes and secured financings
    1,150,000       5.73       1,971,000       3.58  
Subordinated notes
    1,144,138       4.67       1,139,511       4.68  
Holding company borrowings and other debt obligations:
                               
Senior notes
    1,041,101       5.25       740,334       5.13  
Junior subordinated debentures due to Capital Trust Entities
    1,326,268       7.41       1,535,216       7.65  
 
                       
 
                               
Total borrowings and other debt obligations
  $ 22,461,638       5.12 %   $ 26,849,717       4.90 %
 
                       
     As more fully discussed in our 2006 Form 10-K, Sovereign restructured its balance sheet in order to improve its capital position. In the first quarter Sovereign sold approximately $8.0 billion of low margin and/or higher credit risk assets and utilized the proceeds to reduce higher cost borrowing obligations.
     Sovereign currently has a series of callable advances totaling $2.6 billion with the FHLB. These advances provide variable funding (currently at 3.76%) during the non-call period which ranges from 6 to 18 months. After the non-call period, the interest rates on these advances resets to a fixed rate of interest with certain caps (ranging from 4.95% to 5.50%) and floors of 0%. Based on the current interest rate environment, these instruments may be called by the FHLB upon the expiration of the non-call period.
     On March 23, 2007, Sovereign issued $300 million of 3 year, floating rate Senior notes. The floating rate notes bear interest at a rate of 3 month LIBOR plus 23 basis points (adjusted quarterly) and mature on March 23, 2010. The notes are not redeemable at Sovereign’s option nor are they repayable prior to maturity at the option of the holders. The proceeds of the offering were used for general corporate purposes.
     In the first quarter of 2007, Sovereign renegotiated its $400 million, 364-day revolving line of credit at the holding company with the Bank of Scotland. This line of credit has now been separated into two $200 million lines with maturity dates of August 28, 2007 and February 27, 2008 at LIBOR plus 60 basis points.
     During the first six months of 2007, Sovereign redeemed approximately $929 million of asset backed floating rate notes and junior subordinated debentures due to Capital Trust Entities. In connection with these transactions, Sovereign incurred debt extinguishment charges of $13.3 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2007.

15


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(7) DERIVATIVES
     One of Sovereign’s primary market risks is interest rate risk. Management uses derivative instruments to mitigate the impact of interest rate movements on the value of certain liabilities, assets and on probable forecasted cash flows. These instruments primarily include interest rate swaps that have underlying interest rates based on key benchmark indices and forward sale or purchase commitments. The nature and volume of the derivative instruments used to manage interest rate risk depend on the level and type of assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and the risk management strategies for the current and anticipated interest rate environment.
     Fair Value Hedges. Sovereign has entered into pay-variable, receive-fixed interest rate swaps to hedge changes in fair values of certain brokered certificates of deposits and certain debt obligations. For the six month period ended June 30, 2007 and 2006, hedge ineffectiveness income/(loss) of $(1.7) million and $0.1 million, respectively, was recorded in earnings associated with fair value hedges.
     During the fourth quarter of 2005, Sovereign terminated $211.3 million of receive fixed-pay variable interest rate swaps that were hedging the fair value of $211.3 million of junior subordinated debentures due to capital trust entities. The fair value adjustment to the basis of the debt was $11.6 million at the date of termination. Sovereign had utilized the short-cut method of assessing hedge effectiveness under SFAS No. 133 when this hedge was in place. On July 21, 2006, in connection with the SEC’s review of the Company’s filings, it was determined that this hedge did not qualify for the short-cut method due to the fact that the junior subordinated debentures contained an interest deferral feature. As a result, Sovereign recorded a pretax charge of $11.4 million in the second quarter of 2006 to write-off the remaining fair value adjustment. This charge was recorded within other expenses on Sovereign’s consolidated statement of operations as losses from economic hedges.
     Cash Flow Hedges. Sovereign hedges exposures to changes in cash flows associated with forecasted interest payments on variable-rate liabilities, through the use of pay-fixed, receive variable interest rate swaps. For the six months ended June 30, 2007 and 2006, no hedge ineffectiveness was required to be recognized in earnings associated with cash flow hedges. During the first quarter of 2007, Sovereign terminated $3.2 billion of pay-fixed interest rate swaps that were hedging the future cash flows on $3.2 billion of borrowings, resulting in a net after-tax gain of $1.6 million. The gain will continue to be deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) and will be reclassified into interest expense as the future cash flows occur, unless it becomes probable that the forecasted interest payments originally hedged will not occur, in which case the losses in AOCI will be recognized immediately. No gains or losses deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income were reclassified into earnings during the six months ended June 30, 2007 or 2006 as a result of discontinuance of cash flow hedges for which the forecasted transaction was not probable of occurring. As of June 30, 2007, Sovereign expects approximately $5.0 million of the deferred net after-tax loss on derivative instruments included in accumulated other comprehensive income to be reclassified to earnings during the next twelve months.
     Other Derivative Activities. Sovereign’s derivative portfolio also includes derivative instruments not designated in SFAS No. 133 hedge relationships.
     Those derivatives include mortgage banking interest rate lock commitments and forward sale commitments used for risk management purposes and derivatives executed with commercial banking customers, primarily interest rate swaps and foreign currency contracts. The Company also enters into precious metals customer forward arrangements and forward sale agreements.

16


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(7) DERIVATIVES (continued)
     Shown below is a summary of the derivatives designated as hedges under SFAS No. 133 at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 (dollars in thousands):
                                                 
    Notional                     Receive     Pay     Life  
    Amount     Asset     Liability     Rate     Rate     (Years)  
June 30, 2007
                                               
Fair value hedges:
                                               
Receive fixed – pay variable interest rate swaps
  $ 1,186,000     $     $ 22,529       4.25 %     5.25 %     1.8  
Cash flow hedges:
                                               
Pay fixed – receive floating interest rate swaps
    7,900,000       37,511       4,814       5.36 %     5.14 %     2.3  
 
                               
 
                                   
Total derivatives used in SFAS 133 hedging relationships
  $ 9,086,000     $ 37,511     $ 27,343       5.21 %     5.15 %     2.2  
 
                                         
 
                                               
December 31, 2006
                                               
Fair value hedges:
                                               
Receive fixed – pay variable interest rate swaps
  $ 1,344,000     $     $ 22,806       4.16 %     5.25 %     1.8  
Cash flow hedges:
                                               
Pay fixed – receive floating interest rate swaps
    8,500,000       19,174       45,842       5.37 %     5.09 %     2.4  
 
                               
 
                                   
Total derivatives used in SFAS 133 hedging relationships
  $ 9,844,000     $ 19,174     $ 68,648       5.20 %     5.11 %     2.3  
 
                                         
Summary information regarding other derivative activities at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 follows (in thousands):
                 
    June 30,     December 31,  
    2007     2006  
    Net Asset     Net Asset  
    (Liability)     (Liability)  
Mortgage banking derivatives:
               
Forward commitments to sell loans
  $ 10,811     $ 304  
Interest rate lock commitments
    (216 )     (11 )
 
           
 
               
Total mortgage banking risk management
    10,595       293  
 
               
Swaps receive fixed
    (35,138 )     2,380  
Swaps pay fixed
    65,537       26,431  
Market value hedge
    1,727       1,490  
 
           
 
               
Net customer related interest rate hedges
    32,126       30,301  
 
               
Precious metals forward sale agreements
    5,957       (11,763 )
Precious metals forward purchase arrangements
    (4,181 )     12,039  
Foreign exchange
    (313 )     (89 )
 
           
 
               
Total activity
  $ 44,184     $ 30,781  
 
           

17


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(7) DERIVATIVES (continued)
     The following financial statement line items were impacted by Sovereign’s derivative activity as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2007:
         
    Balance Sheet Effect at   Income Statement Effect For The Six Months Ended
            Derivative Activity   June 30, 2007   June 30, 2007
Fair value hedges:
       
Receive fixed-pay variable interest
rate swaps
  Decrease to CDs of $22.5 million and an increase to other liabilities of $22.5 million.   Resulted in a decrease of net interest income of $6.9 million.
 
       
Cash flow hedges:
       
Pay fixed-receive floating interest
rate swaps
  Increase to other assets and other liabilities of $37.5 million and $4.8 million, respectively, and increase to deferred taxes and stockholders’ equity of $11.4 million and $21.3 million, respectively.   Resulted in an increase in net interest income of $8.5 million.
 
       
Other hedges:
       
Forward commitments to sell loans
  Increase to other assets of $10.8 million.   Increase to mortgage banking revenues of $31.2 million.
 
       
Interest rate lock commitments
  Decrease to mortgage loans of $0.2 million.   Decrease to mortgage banking revenues of $0.2 million.
 
       
Net customer related hedges
  Increase to other assets of $32.1 million.   Increase in capital markets revenue of $5.4 million.
 
       
Forward commitments to sell precious metals inventory, net
  Increase to other assets of $1.8 million.   Increase to commercial banking fees of $1.5 million.
 
       
Foreign exchange
  Increase to other liabilities of $0.3 million.   Decrease to commercial banking revenues of $0.2 million.

18


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(7) DERIVATIVES (continued)
     The following financial statement line items were impacted by Sovereign’s derivative activity as of December 31, 2006 and for the six months ended June 30, 2006:
         
    Balance Sheet Effect at   Income Statement Effect For The Six Months
          Derivative Activity   December 31, 2006   Ended June 30, 2006
Fair value hedges:
       
Receive fixed-pay variable
interest rate swaps
  Decrease to CDs of $22.8 million and an increase to other liabilities of $22.8 million.   Resulted in a decrease of net interest income of $10.2 million.
 
       
Cash flow hedges:
       
Pay fixed-receive floating
interest rate swaps
  Increase to other assets and other liabilities of $19.2 million and $45.8 million, respectively, and a decrease to deferred taxes and stockholders’ equity of $9.3 million and $17.3 million, respectively.   Resulted in an increase in net interest income of $2.2 million.
 
       
Other hedges:
       
Forward commitments to sell loans
  Increase to other assets of $0.3 million.   Increase to mortgage banking revenues of $1.8 million.
 
       
Interest rate lock commitments
  Decrease to mortgage loans of $11 thousand.   Decrease to mortgage banking revenues of $0.6 million.
 
       
Net customer related swaps
  Increase to other assets of $30.3 million.   Increase in capital markets revenue of $2.1 million.
 
       
Forward commitments and forward settlement arrangements on precious metals
  Increase to other assets of $0.3 million.   Increase to commercial banking fees of $0.1 million.
 
       
Foreign exchange
  Increase to other liabilities of $90 thousand.   Decrease to commercial banking revenues of $0.7 million.
     Net interest income resulting from interest rate exchange agreements included $91.0 million and $199.4 million of income and $94.5 million and $206.6 million of expense for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared with $65.4 million and $118.0 million of income and $67.8 million and $126.0 million of expense for the corresponding periods in the prior year.
     Net gains generated from derivative instruments (including trading revenues) executed with customers are included as capital markets revenue on the income statement and totaled $3.2 million and $6.5 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007, compared with $2.4 million and $4.8 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2006.

19


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(8) COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
     The following table presents the components of comprehensive income, net of related tax, for the periods indicated (in thousands):
                                 
    Three-Month Period     Six-Month Period  
    Ended June 30,     Ended June 30,  
    2007     2006     2007     2006  
Net income
  $ 147,452     $ (59,056 )   $ 195,511     $ 82,342  
Change in accumulated losses on cash flow hedge derivative financial instruments, net of tax
    48,427       16,436       39,712       32,090  
Change in unrealized gains/(losses) on investment securities available-for-sale, net of tax
    (160,184 )     (89,267 )     (142,345 )     (148,854 )
Add unrealized loss resulting from HTM to AFS reclass, net of tax
          (25,625 )           (25,625 )
Less reclassification adjustment, net of tax:
                               
Derivative instruments
    (2,603 )     (3,329 )     (5,550 )     (6,300 )
Pensions
    (1,146 )           (1,263 )      
Investments available-for-sale
          (113,701 )     618       (113,701 )
 
                       
 
                               
 
                       
Comprehensive income
  $ 39,444     $ (40,482 )   $ 99,073     $ 59,954  
 
                       
     Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of related tax, consisted of net unrealized losses on securities of $104.7 million, net accumulated losses on unfunded pension liabilities of $4.9 million and net accumulated losses on derivatives of $11.6 million at June 30, 2007 and net unrealized gains on securities of $38.3 million, net accumulated losses on unfunded pension liabilities of $6.1 million and net accumulated losses on derivatives of $56.9 million at December 31, 2006.
(9) MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS
     Sovereign adopted SFAS No. 156, “Accounting for Servicing of Financial Assets” and elected to continue to account for mortgage servicing rights as required under SFAS No. 140, “Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities” and for purposes of determining impairment, the mortgage servicing rights are stratified by certain risk characteristics and underlying loan strata that include, but are not limited to, interest rate bands, and further into residential real estate 30-year and 15-year fixed rate mortgage loans, adjustable rate mortgage loans and balloon loans. A valuation reserve is recorded in the period in which the impairment occurs through a charge to income equal to the amount by which the carrying value of the strata exceeds the fair value. If it is later determined that all or a portion of the temporary impairment no longer exists for a particular strata, the valuation allowance is reduced with an offsetting credit to income.
     Mortgage servicing rights are also reviewed for permanent impairment. Permanent impairment exists when the recoverability of a recorded valuation allowance is determined to be remote taking into consideration historical and projected interest rates and loan pay-off activity. When this situation occurs, the unrecoverable portion of the valuation reserve is applied as a direct write-down to the carrying value of the mortgage servicing right. Unlike a valuation allowance, a direct write-down permanently reduces the carrying value of the mortgage servicing asset and the valuation allowance, precluding subsequent recoveries.
     At June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, Sovereign serviced residential real estate loans for the benefit of others totaling $9.7 billion and $9.2 billion, respectively. The fair value of the servicing portfolio at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 was $150.9 million and $123.1 million, respectively. The following table presents a summary of the activity of the asset established for Sovereign’s residential mortgage servicing rights (in thousands).
         
Gross balance as of December 31, 2006
  $ 118,638  
Mortgage servicing assets recognized
    24,196  
Amortization
    (17,062 )
Write-off of servicing assets
    (72 )
 
     
Gross balance at June 30, 2007
    125,700  
Valuation allowance
    (494 )
 
     
Balance as June 30, 2007
  $ 125,206  
 
     

20


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(9) MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS (continued)
     The fair value of our residential mortgage servicing rights is estimated using a discounted cash flow model. This model estimates the present value of the future net cash flows of the servicing portfolio based on various assumptions. The most important assumptions in the valuation of residential mortgage servicing rights are anticipated loan prepayment rates (CPR speed) and the positive spread we receive on holding escrow related balances. Increases in prepayment speeds result in lower valuations of mortgage servicing rights. The escrow related credit spread is the estimated reinvestment yield earned on the serviced loan escrow deposits. Increases in escrow related credit spreads result in higher valuations of mortgage servicing rights. For each of these items, Sovereign must make assumptions based on future expectations. All of the assumptions are based on standards that we believe would be utilized by market participants in valuing mortgage servicing rights and are consistently derived and/or benchmarked against independent public sources. Additionally, an independent appraisal of the fair value of our residential mortgage servicing rights is obtained annually and is used by management to evaluate the reasonableness of the discounted cash flow model.
Listed below are the most significant assumptions that were utilized by Sovereign in its evaluation of residential mortgage servicing rights for the periods presented.
                         
    June 30, 2007   December 31, 2006   June 30, 2006
CPR speed
    11.43 %     14.23 %     10.94 %
Escrow credit spread
    5.07 %     4.85 %     4.53 %
A valuation allowance is established for the excess of the cost of each residential mortgage servicing asset stratum over its estimated fair value. Activity in the valuation allowance for mortgage servicing rights for the six months ended June 30, 2007 consisted of the following (in thousands):
         
Balance as of December 31, 2006
  $ 1,222  
Write-offs of reserves
    (72 )
Decrease in valuation allowance for mortgage servicing rights
    (656 )
 
     
Balance as June 30, 2007
  $ 494  
 
     
     For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, mortgage servicing fee income was $10.5 million and $20.2 million, compared with $6.7 million and $12.7 million for the corresponding periods in the prior year. Sovereign has (losses)/gains on the sale of mortgage loans, multifamily loans and home equity loans of $9.1 million and $(94.7) million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, compared with $3.1 million and $12.9 million for the corresponding periods ended June 30, 2006. The loss recorded for the six month period ended June 30, 2007 is a result of a $119.9 million charge recorded on the correspondent home equity loans. Sovereign had planned on selling $4.3 billion of correspondent home equity loans as of December 31, 2006. However, we were not able to sell $658 million of loans and as a result wrote them down to fair value incurring a charge of $84.2 million which was recorded within mortgage banking revenue. In addition, Sovereign also established a reserve for any potential loan repurchases that may result from certain representation and warranty clauses contained within the sale agreement. Finally, we were required to further write down the loans that we sold in the first quarter due to lower pricing on the execution of the sales which resulted from increases in delinquencies on the loan portfolio since year-end and lower pricing in the market place for non-prime loans. The total charge recorded in connection with these two items was $35.7 million.
     Mortgage banking revenues also included a gain of $13.8 million and $10.5 million, respectively for the three month period and six month period ended June 30, 2007 related to commercial mortgage backed securitization. See Note 12 for additional discussion.
     Sovereign also originates and sells multifamily loans in the secondary market to Fannie Mae while retaining servicing. At June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, Sovereign serviced $9.9 billion and $8.0 billion, respectively, of loans for Fannie Mae and as a result has recorded servicing assets of $21.6 million and $20.4 million, respectively. Sovereign recorded servicing asset amortization of $3.1 million related to the multifamily loans sold to Fannie Mae and recognized servicing assets of $4.3 million during the first half of 2007.

21


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(10) BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION
The following tables present certain information regarding the Company’s segments (in thousands):
                                                         
    Mid-   New   Metro                
    Atlantic   England   New York   Shared   Shared        
For the three-month period ended   Banking   Banking   Banking   Services   Services        
June 30, 2007   Division   Division   Division   Consumer   Commercial   Other   Total
 
Net interest income (expense)
  $ 77,265     $ 157,522     $ 142,828     $ 71,764     $ 67,652     $ (63,647 )   $ 453,384  
Fees and other income
    21,051       42,210       48,738       12,986       42,755       22,557       190,297  
Provision for credit losses
    6,320       4,667       6,854       20,014       13,145             51,000  
General and administrative expenses
    70,651       118,946       109,688       24,843       35,699       (23,235 )     336,592  
Depreciation/Amortization
    2,569       4,074       5,852       10,273       2,040       41,733       66,541  
Income (loss) before income taxes
    21,346       76,120       75,025       34,453       61,476       (91,788 )     176,632  
Intersegment revenues (expense) (1)
    47,269       174,794       67,468       (256,008 )     (151,586 )     118,063        
Total average assets
  $ 4,949,969     $ 6,403,757     $ 11,984,582     $ 22,480,256     $ 13,118,376     $ 23,003,981     $ 81,940,921  
                                                         
    Mid-   New   Metro                
    Atlantic   England   New York   Shared   Shared        
For the six-month period ended   Banking   Banking   Banking   Services   Services        
June 30, 2007   Division   Division   Division   Consumer   Commercial   Other   Total
 
Net interest income (expense)
  $ 152,719     $ 313,177     $ 295,956     $ 172,181     $ 129,384     $ (122,180 )   $ 941,237  
Fees and other income
    40,596       82,418       80,653       (99,366 )     84,707       47,171       236,179  
Provision for credit losses
    9,774       8,573       10,612       38,709       29,332             97,000  
General and administrative expenses
    140,204       234,900       215,614       51,868       72,448       (48,446 )     666,588  
Depreciation/Amortization
    5,213       8,445       11,728       22,078       4,145       82,173       133,782  
Income (loss) before income taxes
    43,337       152,121       150,383       (28,764 )     112,139       (210,645 )     218,571  
Intersegment revenues (expense) (1)
    93,713       341,867       118,393       (554,602 )     (298,000 )     298,629        
Total average assets
  $ 4,911,152     $ 6,327,999     $ 12,607,229     $ 24,521,415     $ 12,859,508     $ 23,534,304     $ 84,761,607  
                                                         
    Mid-   New   Metro                
    Atlantic   England   New York   Shared   Shared        
For the three-month period ended   Banking   Banking   Banking   Services   Services        
June 30, 2006   Division   Division   Division   Consumer   Commercial   Other   Total
 
Net interest income (expense)
  $ 79,455     $ 165,493     $ 86,522     $ 79,701     $ 56,904     $ (29,304 )   $ 438,771  
Fees and other income
    20,974       43,256       20,157       7,095       34,557       15,936       141,975  
Provision for credit losses
    4,220       4,292       13,878       20,645       1,465             44,500  
General and administrative expenses
    71,605       126,219       61,269       28,734       33,844       (18,378 )     303,293  
Depreciation/Amortization
    2,833       4,435       11,225       7,368       1,558       23,153       50,572  
Income (loss) before income taxes
    24,604       78,239       20,898       32,103       57,894       (344,714 )     (130,976 )
Intersegment revenues (expense) (1)
    54,139       168,965       64,195       (274,130 )     (130,139 )     116,970        
Total average assets
  $ 4,566,943     $ 5,812,445     $ 8,361,817     $ 24,841,713     $ 11,292,654     $ 18,565,044     $ 73,440,616  
                                                         
    Mid-   New   Metro                
    Atlantic   England   New York   Shared   Shared        
For the six-month period ended   Banking   Banking   Banking   Services   Services        
June 30, 2006   Division   Division   Division   Consumer   Commercial   Other   Total
 
Net interest income (expense)
  $ 160,080     $ 328,769     $ 145,352     $ 166,966     $ 111,496     $ (69,934 )   $ 842,729  
Fees and other income
    40,971       83,791       32,929       22,817       65,769       30,039       276,316  
Provision for credit losses
    4,005       7,739       17,377       39,767       4,612             73,500  
General and administrative expenses
    139,433       245,215       98,088       65,465       63,195       (28,124 )     583,272  
Depreciation/Amortization
    5,353       8,576       12,328       14,508       3,059       47,145       90,969  
Income (loss) before income taxes
    57,613       159,606       52,182       74,783       111,215       (401,847 )     53,552  
Intersegment revenues (expense) (1)
    105,638       327,428       136,359       (525,274 )     (236,771 )     192,620        
Total average assets
  $ 4,487,799     $ 5,670,248     $ 5,004,497     $ 24,440,999     $ 11,025,187     $ 18,137,345     $ 68,766,075  
 
(1)   Intersegment revenues (expense) represent charges or credits for funds used or provided by each of the segments and are included in net interest income.

22


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(11) RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
     In September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements” (FAS 157), which addresses how companies should measure fair value when they are required to use a fair value measure for recognition or disclosure purposes under generally accepted accounting principles. As a result of FAS 157 there is now a common definition of fair value to be used throughout GAAP. This new standard will make the measurement for fair value more consistent and comparable and improve disclosures about those measures. The statement does not require any new fair value measurement but will result in increased disclosures. This interpretation is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2007. Sovereign will adopt this interpretation on January 1, 2008.
     On February 15, 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities — Including an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 115” (FAS 159). This standard permits an entity to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. Most of the provisions in FAS 159 are elective; however, the amendment to FASB Statement No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities, applies to all entities with available-for-sale and trading securities.
     The fair value option established by FAS 159 permits all entities to choose to measure eligible items at fair value at specified election dates. A business entity will report unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been elected in earnings at each subsequent reporting date. The fair value option: (a) may be applied instrument by instrument, with a few exceptions, such as investments otherwise accounted for by the equity method; (b) is irrevocable (unless a new election date occurs); and (c) is applied only to entire instruments and not to portions of instruments.
     FAS 159 is effective as of the beginning of an entity’s first fiscal year that begins after November 15, 2007. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of the previous fiscal year provided that the entity makes that choice in the first 120 days of that fiscal year and also elects to apply the provisions of FAS 157. Sovereign will adopt this pronouncement on January 1, 2008 and is currently evaluating whether it will elect to carry any assets or liabilities at fair value.

23


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(12) INTERESTS THAT CONTINUE TO BE HELD BY SOVEREIGN IN ASSET SECURITIZATIONS
     As described more fully in its annual report filed on Form 10-K, Sovereign has securitized certain financial assets to qualified special purpose entities which were deconsolidated in accordance with FAS 140.
     During the second quarter of 2007, Sovereign executed a commercial mortgage backed securitization which consisted of approximately $687.7 million of multi-family loans and $327.0 million of commercial real estate loans. Sovereign retained certain subordinated certificates issued in connection with the securitization which were valued in the market place at approximately $15.6 million as well as certain servicing responsibilities for the assets that were sold. In connection with this transaction, Sovereign recorded a pretax gain of $13.8 million in the second quarter of 2007, which is included in mortgage banking revenues. This gain was determined based on the carrying amount of the loans sold, including any related allowance for loan loss, and was allocated to the loans sold and the retained interests based on their relative fair values at the sale date. The value of the retained subordinated certificates are subject to credit and prepayment risk. In accordance with SFAS No. 140, the subordinated certificates are classified in investments available for sale on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. The investors have no recourse to the Company’s other assets, other than the retained subordinated certificates, to serve as additional collateral to protect their interests in the securitization.
     Shown below are the types of assets underlying the securitizations for which Sovereign owns and continues to own an interest in and the related balances and delinquencies at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, and the net credit losses for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 and the year ended December 31, 2006 (in thousands):
                                                 
    June 30, 2007     December 31, 2006  
            Principal     Net             Principal     Net  
    Total     90 Days     Credit     Total     90 Days     Credit  
    Principal     Past Due     Losses     Principal     Past Due     Losses  
Mortgage Loans
  $ 14,454,031     $ 102,132     $ 1,588     $ 17,480,841     $ 101,448     $ 8,782  
Home Equity Loans and lines of credit
    6,071,604       35,891       3,142       9,574,735       125,253       448,526 (1)
Commercial Real Estate and multi-family loans
    16,740,117       63,947       6,820                    
Automotive Floor Plan Loans
    1,243,486       42       2,024       1,389,164              
 
                                   
 
                                               
Total Owned and Securitized
  $ 38,509,238     $ 202,012     $ 13,574     $ 28,444,740     $ 226,701     $ 457,308  
 
                                   
 
                                               
Less:
                                               
Securitized Mortgage Loans
  $ 66,689     $ 363     $ 30     $ 76,111     $ 383     $ 17  
Securitized Home Equity Loans
    116,679       18,192       1,208       131,175       14,907       3,322  
Commercial Real Estate and multi-family loans
    998,111                                
Securitized Automotive Floor Plan Loans
    855,000             2,024       855,000              
 
                                   
 
                                               
Total Securitized Loans
  $ 2,036,479     $ 18,555     $ 3,262     $ 1,062,286     $ 15,290     $ 3,339  
 
                                   
 
                                               
Net Loans
  $ 36,472,759     $ 183,457     $ 10,312     $ 27,382,454     $ 211,411     $ 453,969  
 
                                   
 
(1)   Includes charge of $382.5 million related to correspondent home equity loans classified as held for sale at December 31, 2006.

24


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(12) INTERESTS THAT CONTINUE TO BE HELD BY SOVEREIGN IN ASSET SECURITIZATIONS (continued)
At June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, key economic assumptions and the sensitivity of the fair value of the retained interests to immediate 10 percent and 20 percent adverse changes in those assumptions are as follows (dollars in thousands):
                                         
            Home                      
            Equity             Commercial        
            Loans &     Auto     Loans        
    Mortgage     Lines of     Floor     secured by        
    Loans     Credit     Plan Loans     real estate     Total  
Interests that continue to be held by Sovereign:
                                       
Accrued interest receivable
  $     $     $ 5,813     $     $ 5,813  
Subordinated interest retained
    17,616             43,996       15,604       77,216  
Servicing rights
    967       246                   1,213  
Interest only strips
          6,668       1,010             7,678  
Cash reserve
                4,381             4,381  
 
                             
 
                                       
Total Interests that continue to be held by Sovereign
  $ 18,583     $ 6,914     $ 55,200     $ 15,604     $ 96,301  
 
                             
 
                                       
Weighted-average life (in yrs)
    0.42       1.86       0.36       9.97          
Prepayment speed assumption (annual rate)
                                       
As of the date of the securitization
    40 %     22 %     50 %     10 %        
As of December 31, 2006
    40 %     19 %     46 %              
As of June 30, 2007
    40 %     18 %     46 %     10 %        
Impact on fair value of 10% adverse change
  $     $ (73 )   $ (55 )   $          
Impact on fair value of 20% adverse change
  $ (5 )   $ (179 )   $ (72 )   $          
Expected credit losses (annual rate)
                                       
As of the date of the securitization
    0.12 %     0.75 %     0.25 %     0.05 %        
As of December 31, 2006
    0.12 %     1.95 %     0.25 %              
As of June 30, 2007
    0.12 %     2.47 %     0.25 %     0.05 %        
Impact on fair value of 10% adverse change
  $ (3 )   $ (127 )   $ (40 )   $ (178 )        
Impact on fair value of 20% adverse change
  $ (6 )   $ (259 )   $ (79 )   $ (355 )        
Residual cash flows discount rate (annual)
                                       
As of the date of the securitization
    9 %     12 %     8 %     11 %        
As of December 31, 2006
    9 %     12 %     8 %              
As of June 30, 2007
    9 %     12 %     8 %     11 %        
Impact on fair value of 10% adverse change
  $ (4 )   $ (94 )   $ (95 )   $ (360 )        
Impact on fair value of 20% adverse change
  $ (8 )   $ (187 )   $ (190 )   $ (706 )        
     These sensitivities are hypothetical and should be used with caution. As the figures indicate, changes in fair value based on a 10 percent variation in assumptions generally cannot be extrapolated because the relationship of the change in assumption to the change in fair value may not be linear. Also in this table, the effect of a variation in a particular assumption on the fair value of the retained interest is calculated without changing any other assumption. In reality, changes in one factor may result in changes in another (for example, increases in market interest rates may result in lower prepayments and increased credit losses), which might magnify or counteract the sensitivities.
     Sovereign enters into partnerships, which are variable interest entities under FIN 46, with real estate developers for the construction and development of low-income housing. The partnerships are structured with the real estate developer as the general partner and Sovereign as the limited partner. Sovereign is not the primary beneficiary of these variable interest entities. The Company’s risk of loss is limited to its investment in the partnerships, which totaled $165.9 million at June 30, 2007 and any future cash obligations that Sovereign is committed to the partnerships. Future cash obligations related to these partnerships totaled $39.9 million at June 30, 2007. Sovereign investments in these partnerships are accounted for under the equity method.

25


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(13) ADOPTION OF FASB INTERPRETATION NO. 48
     Sovereign adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, on January 1, 2007. As a result of the implementation of Interpretation 48, the Company recognized a $0.9 million decrease in the liability for unrecognized tax benefits, which was accounted for as an increase to the January 1, 2007, balance of retained earnings. On January 1, 2007, Sovereign had unrecognized tax benefit reserves related to uncertain tax positions of $67.2 million. Of this amount, approximately $10.7 million related to reserves established for uncertain tax positions was from the acquisition of Independence Community Bank Corp (“Independence”). Any adjustments to these reserves in future periods will be adjusted through goodwill. The remaining balance of $56.5 million represents the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate.
     Sovereign’s unrecognized tax benefit reserve increased $7.2 million during the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 to $74.4 million as a result of $8.2 million of unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions taken during the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 offset by a $1.0 million reduction as a result of a lapse of applicable statute of limitations. Sovereign recognizes penalties and interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Operations. During the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, Sovereign recognized approximately $1.5 million and for the years ended December 31, 2006, and 2005, the Company recognized approximately $1.7 million and $0.8 million, respectively, in interest and penalties. The Company had approximately $4.7 million for the payment of interest and penalties accrued at June 30, 2007.
     Actual income taxes paid may vary from estimates depending upon changes in income tax laws, actual results of operations, and the final audit of tax returns by taxing authorities. Tax assessments may arise several years after tax returns have been filed. Sovereign reviews its tax balances quarterly and as new information becomes available, the balances are adjusted, as appropriate. The Company is subject to ongoing tax examinations and assessments in various jurisdictions. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) is currently examining the Company’s federal income tax returns for the years 2002 through 2005. The Company anticipates that the IRS will complete this review in 2007. Included in this examination cycle are two separate financing transactions with an international bank, totaling $1.2 billion which are discussed in Note 12 in the Company’s Form 10K. As a result of these transactions, Sovereign was subject to foreign taxes of $154.0 million during the years 2003 through 2005 and claimed a corresponding foreign tax credit for foreign taxes paid during those years. In 2006 and during the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, Sovereign accrued an additional $87.6 million and $21.9 million of foreign taxes from this financing transaction and claimed a corresponding foreign tax credit. It is possible that the IRS may challenge the Company’s ability to claim these foreign tax credits. Sovereign believes that it is entitled to claim these foreign tax credits and also believes that its recorded tax reserves for this position of $55.4 million adequately provides for any liabilities to the IRS related to foreign tax credits and other tax assessments. However, the completion of the IRS review and their conclusion on Sovereign’s tax positions included in the tax returns for 2002 through 2005 could result in an adjustment to the tax balances and reserves that have been recorded and may materially affect Sovereign’s income tax provision in future periods.
(14) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
     Loans to related parties include loans made to certain officers, directors and their affiliated interests. These loans were made on terms similar to non-related parties. The following table discloses the changes in Sovereign’s related party loan balances since December 31, 2006. During the second quarter of 2007, the number of directors at Sovereign Bank was reduced from 15 to 12. As a result certain loans that had been previously classified as related party loans are no longer considered as such at June 30, 2007.
         
Related party loans at December 31, 2006
  $ 59,777  
Loan fundings
    8,959  
Resignation of executive officers
    (1,250 )
Reduction of Sovereign Bank directors
    (52,078 )
Loan repayments
    (1,685 )
 
     
 
       
Related party loan balance at June 30, 2007
  $ 13,723  
 
     
     Related party loans at June 30, 2007 included commercial loans to affiliated businesses of directors of Sovereign Bancorp and Sovereign Bank totaling $10.3 million compared with $55.0 million at December 31, 2006. The decline is due to the reduction in the number of Sovereign Bank directors.

26


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(14) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (continued)
     Related party loans at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 also included consumer loans secured by residential real estate of $3.4 million and $4.8 million, respectively, to executive officers and directors of Sovereign Bancorp.
     Related party loans do not include undrawn commercial and consumer lines of credit that totaled $1.7 million and $66.5 million at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively. The decline is due to the reduction in the number of Sovereign Bank directors.
     The Company is engaged in certain activities with Meridian Capital due to its acquisition of Independence. Meridian Capital is deemed to be a “related party” of the Company as such term is defined in SFAS No. 57 since Sovereign has a 35% minority equity investment in Meridian Capital, which is 65% owned by Meridian Funding, a New-York based mortgage firm. Meridian Capital refers borrowers seeking financing of their multi-family and/or commercial real estate loans to Sovereign as well as to numerous other financial institutions. Sovereign recognized $2.4 million and $3.9 million of income due to its investment in Meridian Capital for the three-month and six month periods ended June 30, 2007.
     As discussed in Note 16 in Sovereign’s 2006 Form 10-K, Sovereign raised $2.4 billion of equity by issuing 88.7 million shares to Banco Santander Central Hispano (“Santander”), which makes Santander the largest shareholder and related party.
     In January 2006, Santander extended a total of $400 million in unsecured lines of credit to Sovereign Bank for federal funds and Eurodollar borrowings and for the confirmation of standby letters of credit issued by Sovereign Bank. These lines are at a market rate and in the ordinary course of business and can be cancelled by either Sovereign Bank or Santander at any time and can be replaced by Sovereign at any time. As of June 30, 2007, the average balance outstanding was $52.0 million, which consisted entirely of standby letters of credit. As of June 30, 2007, there was no outstanding balance on the unsecured lines of credit for fed funds and Eurodollar borrowings. Sovereign Bank paid approximately $0.2 million in fees and $0.4 million in interest to Santander for the six month period ended June 30, 2007 in connection with these commitments.
     In May 2006, Santander’s capital markets group, Santander Investment Securities, Inc., received approximately $800,000 in underwriting discounts in connection with Sovereign’s capital market initiatives to fund the acquisition of Independence Community Bank Corp. on June 1, 2006. Also, per the terms of Sovereign’s investment agreement with Santander, Sovereign is permitted to have at least three Santander employees on its payroll, and Santander is permitted to have at least three Sovereign employees on its payroll.
     In February 2007, Sovereign entered into an agreement with Isban U.K., Ltd. (“Isban”), a Santander Group information technology subsidiary, under which Isban performed a review of, and recommend enhancements to, Sovereign’s banking information systems. Sovereign has paid Isban $475,000, excluding expenses, for this review. In June 2007, Sovereign and Isban entered into an agreement whereby Isban will provide Sovereign certain consulting services through December 31, 2008. Sovereign has agreed to pay Isban $2.2 million, excluding expenses for these services.
     As discussed in Note 6, Sovereign issued $300 million of senior notes during the first quarter of 2007 and Santander was a co-issuer of this issuance. Santander received underwriting fees of $37,500 in connection with this transaction.

27


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(15) RESTRUCTURING COSTS AND OTHER CHARGES
     As more fully discussed in Sovereign’s 2006 Form 10-K, Sovereign’s management completed a comprehensive review of Sovereign’s operating cost structure in the fourth quarter of 2006. During the first quarter, Sovereign finalized a decision to close or consolidate approximately 40 underperforming branch locations. This action was executed in the second quarter of 2007. As a result, Sovereign wrote down the fair value of the fixed assets and recorded other charges at these locations of $15.0 million and $24.4 million during the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007. Sovereign also terminated additional employees in the first half of 2007, resulting in severance charges of $3.1 million and $10.3 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007. These charges are included in restructuring, other employee severance and debt extinguishment charges on the consolidated income statement and recorded in the Other segment. A rollforward of the restructuring and severance accrual is summarized below:
                                 
    Contract                    
    termination     Severance     Other     Total  
Accrued at December 31, 2006
  $ 7,043     $ 45,930     $ 5,906     $ 58,879  
Payments
    (4,236 )     (41,127 )     (7,483 )     (52,846 )
Charges recorded in earnings
    15,626       10,287       4,758       30,671  
 
                       
Accrued at June 30, 2007
  $ 18,433     $ 15,090     $ 3,181     $ 36,704  
 
                       
     Sovereign’s executive management team and Board of Directors decided to freeze the Company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and communicated this decision to its employee base during the first quarter. During the second quarter, the debt owed by the ESOP was repaid with the proceeds from the sale of a portion of the unallocated shares held by the ESOP and all remaining shares were allocated to the eligible participants. During the first quarter of 2007, Sovereign recorded a non-deductible non-cash charge of $43.4 million in connection with this action based on the value of its common stock at March 31, 2007. In the second quarter, the charge was adjusted based on the final price of Sovereign’s common stock on the date that the ESOP was repaid which reduced the previous charge recorded in the first quarter by $3.3 million.
     Sovereign incurred pre-tax charges of $14.3 million of proxy and related professional fees in the six-months ended June 30, 2006. These fees were related to certain advertisements and legal and professional fees incurred in connection with the Relational Investors LLC (“Relational”) matter. Due to the settlement with Relational, the Company does not anticipate any additional significant costs related to this matter.

28


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
(Unaudited)
(16) PURCHASE OF INDEPENDENCE COMMUNITY BANK CORP. (“INDEPENDENCE”)
     Sovereign closed on its acquisition of Independence effective June 1, 2006 for $42 per share in cash, representing an aggregate transaction value of $3.6 billion. Sovereign funded this acquisition using the proceeds from the $2.4 billion equity offering to Santander, net proceeds from recent issuances of perpetual and trust preferred securities and cash on hand. Sovereign issued 88,705,123 shares to Santander, which makes Santander its largest shareholder. Independence was headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, with 125 community banking offices in the five boroughs of New York City, Nassau and Suffolk Counties and New Jersey. Sovereign acquired Independence to connect their Mid-Atlantic geographic footprint to New England and create new markets in certain areas of New York.
     The purchase price was allocated to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities of Independence based on estimated fair value as of June 1, 2006. (dollars in millions):
         
Assets
       
Investments
  $ 3,126.5  
Loans:
       
Multifamily
    5,571.2  
Commercial
    5,313.3  
Consumer
    517.2  
Residential
    1,829.0  
 
     
Total loans
    13,230.7  
Less allowance for loan losses
    (97.8 )
 
     
 
Total loans, net
    13,132.9  
 
       
Cash acquired, net of cash paid
    (2,713.2 )
Premises and equipment, net
    167.9  
Bank Owned Life Insurance
    343.3  
Other assets
    370.5  
Core deposit and other intangibles
    394.2  
Goodwill
    2,280.6  
 
     
 
Total assets
  $ 17,102.7  
 
     
 
Liabilities
       
Deposits:
       
Core
  $ 6,960.8  
Time
    4,070.1  
 
     
Total deposits
    11,030.9  
Borrowings and other debt obligations
    5,488.8  
Other liabilities (1)
    583.0  
 
     
 
       
Total liabilities
  $ 17,102.7  
 
     
 
(1)   Includes liabilities of $26.2 million directly associated with the transaction which were recorded as part of the purchase price which is primarily comprised of $14.4 million of termination penalties for canceling certain long-term Independence contracts related to redundant services and $2.8 million related to branch consolidation.
     The status of reserves related to the Independence acquisition is summarized below (in thousands):
         
Reserve balance at December 31, 2006
  $ 22,432  
Charge recorded in earnings
    2,242  
Payments
    (9,252 )
 
     
Reserve balance at June 30, 2007
  $ 15,422  
 
     

29


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
     Sovereign is an $83 billion financial institution with community banking offices, operations and team members located principally in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Delaware. Sovereign gathers substantially all of its deposits in these market areas. We use these deposits, as well as other financing sources, to fund our loan and investment portfolios. We earn interest income on our loans and investments. In addition, we generate non-interest income from a number of sources including: deposit and loan services, sales of residential, home equity, and multi-family loans and investment securities, capital markets products, cash management products, and bank owned life insurance. Our principal non-interest expenses include employee compensation and benefits, occupancy and facility related costs, technology and other administrative expenses. Our volumes, and accordingly our financial results, are affected by various factors including the economic environment, including interest rates, consumer and business confidence and spending, as well as competitive conditions within our geographic footprint.
     We are one of the 20 largest banking institutions in the United States as measured by total assets. Our customers select Sovereign for banking and other financial services based on our ability to assist customers by understanding and anticipating their individual financial needs and providing customized solutions. Our major strengths include: a strong franchise value in terms of market share and demographics; diversified loan portfolio and products; and the ability to internally generate equity through earnings. Our weaknesses have included operating returns and capital ratios that are lower than certain of our peers. We have not achieved our growth targets with respect to low cost core deposits.
     Management is in the process of implementing strategies to address these weaknesses. Management completed a comprehensive review of Sovereign’s operating cost structure, and has virtually completed a restructuring plan, which was approved by Sovereign’s Board of Directors in the fourth quarter of 2006. The restructuring plan focused on a number of strategies which helped to strengthen our capital position and related capital ratios which decreased following the Independence acquisition and improved our financial performance. Management has developed the following key initiatives to deliver improved quality of earnings, provide greater transparency and understanding of Sovereign’s businesses and strategy, and better position Sovereign for sustainable growth.
The three initiatives are to:
1. Improve productivity and expense management;
2. Improve the capital position and quality of earnings; and
3. Improve the customer experience.
     In the productivity and expense management initiative we are focused on eliminating functional redundancies and improving operating inefficiencies by deemphasizing products/business lines not meeting profit or strategic goals, leveraging economies of scale with vendor supply and service contracts, optimizing capacity utilization and expenses associated with facilities, consolidating departments and optimizing retail delivery channels while minimizing the impact on customer facing activities and organic revenue generation. Management identified approximately $100 million of expense reductions involving consolidation of support groups, exit of business lines performing below expectations, contract renegotiations, and a reduction in workforce.
     In mid-December, Sovereign notified approximately 360 employees that their positions had been eliminated. Additionally, we expect that approximately 400 positions will be eliminated primarily through attrition by the third quarter of 2007 and the Company does not plan on filling approximately 140 open positions. Sovereign terminated additional employees in the first half of 2007, resulting in year to date severance charges of $10.3 million. We also closed approximately 40 underperforming branch locations to date in 2007. In connection with the decision to close these locations, Sovereign recorded charges of $15.0 million and $24.4 million in the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, respectively. We intend to continue to make investments in our retail franchise, we have opened or relocated 8 new branches year to date and are targeting the opening or relocation of 20 new branch offices during the remainder of this year and into 2008 in more desirable locations.
     In order to improve our capital position, Sovereign sold approximately $8.0 billion of low margin and/or high credit risk assets and reduced our wholesale fundings significantly in the first quarter of 2007 with the proceeds from the sales. These loan sales enhanced the quality of our balance sheet, improved the quality of our earnings, and enhanced our capital ratios while repositioning Sovereign for sustainable growth in core earnings over the long-term.

30


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Sovereign’s strategy is to acquire and retain customers by demonstrating convenience through our locations, technology and business approach while offering innovative and easy-to-use products and service. We are focused on a number of initiatives to improve the customer experience. Customer service personnel are receiving refresher service training and we have migrated back to all customer service functions being domestically based. We are realigning consumer and commercial infrastructure by consolidating our commercial and retail on-line banking management structure. We have also rationalized and simplified our retail deposit product set by reducing our retail checking product set in half. During 2006, Sovereign completed the branding of approximately 1,050 ATM machines in CVS Pharmacy locations in the Northeast. This more than doubled the number of branded ATM locations and provides greater convenience for our customers. We also announced an agreement with OPEN from American Express, the company’s small business unit, to offer co-branded American Express Cards to Sovereign’s small business customers. This relationship will generate an additional source of fee revenue for Sovereign and will enable us to leverage the American Express brand to help Sovereign generate core deposits and build and retain small-business relationships. We also entered into an alliance with ADP, the country’s leading payroll services provider. With this partnership, ADP provides approximately 200 dedicated representatives throughout our footprint to assist our commercial relationship managers in providing payroll solutions for our business customers.
RECENT INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION IN OUR GEOGRAPHIC FOOTPRINT
     The Banking industry has experienced significant consolidation in recent years. Consolidation may affect the markets in which Sovereign operates as new or restructured competitors integrate acquired businesses, adopt new business practices or change product pricing as they attempt to maintain or grow market share. Recent merger activity involving national, regional and community banks and specialty finance companies in the northeastern United States, including acquisitions by Sovereign, have affected the competitive landscape in the markets we serve. Sovereign acquired Independence on June 1, 2006, and we believe this acquisition will strengthen our franchise. Management continually monitors the environment in which it operates to assess the impact of the industry consolidation on Sovereign, as well as the practices and strategies of our competition, including loan and deposit pricing, customer expectations and the capital markets.
CURRENT INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT
     Net interest income represents a substantial portion of the Company’s revenues. Accordingly, the interest rate environment has a significant impact on Sovereign’s earnings. Sovereign currently has a liability sensitive interest rate risk position. The impact of the flattening to inverted yield curve that has been experienced in 2006 and 2007 has negatively impacted our margin since the spread between our longer-term assets and our shorter-term liabilities has narrowed. As discussed in Note 6, Sovereign restructured its balance sheet and sold approximately $8.0 billion of low margin and/or high credit risk assets. We utilized the proceeds to pay off higher cost borrowings. These actions helped increase our net interest margin during the second quarter of 2007 to 2.71% from 2.60% in the fourth quarter of 2006 prior to the restructuring. Net interest margin in future periods will also be impacted by several factors such as but not limited to, our ability to grow and retain core deposits, the future interest rate environment, and loan and investment prepayment rates. We would expect our net interest margin to benefit from any substantial sustained expansion between long-term and short-term interest rates, and if we are able to grow low-cost core deposits. See our discussion of Asset and Liability Management practices in a later section of this MD&A, including the estimated impact of changes in interest rates on Sovereign’s net interest income.

31


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
CREDIT RISK ENVIRONMENT
     The credit quality of our loan portfolio has a significant impact on our operating results. We experienced a slight weakening in certain key credit quality performance indicators in the past quarter, however our credit quality metrics remain strong and our credit quality metrics are by historical standards very favorable. We do not expect this very favorable credit performance to continue in future periods indefinitely and would expect to see an increase in losses in future periods. We believe the sale of our correspondent home equity portfolio and the sale of certain residential mortgage loans in the first quarter has improved the overall risk profile of our portfolio. In addition to our credit risk mitigation programs, the economic conditions in our geographic footprint have been stable. We believe the credit risk within our investment portfolio is low. Any significant change in the credit quality of our loan portfolio would have a significant effect on our financial position and results of operations.
     As discussed previously, there were approximately $658 million of correspondent home equity loans that we did not sell and are now holding for investment. The loans were marked to market at March 31, 2007 which considered the credit risk at that time associated with the loans. Many of these correspondent home equity loans were non-prime loans. The non-prime market has been impacted by the housing market and has shown increasing levels of delinquencies and charge offs. As of June 30, 2007, we concluded that our existing reserves are adequate to cover losses for this loan portfolio. However, if the housing market deteriorates further and or delinquencies or loss rates rise, Sovereign could be required to record additional provisions for loan losses for this portfolio in future periods.
     The mortgage industry has been impacted by adverse developments in the non-prime sector related to loan losses which has caused decreased investor demand for loans originated and sold by mortgage companies. This has resulted in liquidity issues for certain mortgage companies and has had an adverse impact on financial results for these companies. Sovereign provides warehouse financing to various mortgage companies which is included in our commercial loan portfolio. These financings comprise less than 3% of our commercial loan portfolio and we believe our existing reserve levels are adequate to cover losses for these financings. However, we will continue to monitor this portfolio in future periods given recent market conditions for the mortgage industry and determine the impact, if any, on the allowance for loan losses related to these financings.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
General
     Net income/(loss) was $147.5 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, and $195.5 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 as compared to $(59.1) million, or $(0.15) per diluted share, and $82.3 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2006.
     During the first quarter, as previously discussed, the Company’s Board of Directors approved management’s decision to close/consolidate approximately 40 underperforming branches. During the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, Sovereign recorded charges of $15.0 million and $24.4 million related to the decision to write-down to fair value the fixed assets at these locations and to accrue for the present values of the remaining lease obligations, net of the estimated fair value of sub-leasing these properties. The fair value sublease estimate was derived by comparing current market lease rates for comparable properties. If the actual proceeds from any subleases on these properties are different than our estimate, then the difference will be reflected as either additional restructuring expense or a reversal thereof.
     In mid-December, Sovereign notified approximately 360 employees that their positions had been eliminated. Additionally, we expect that approximately 400 positions will be eliminated primarily through attrition by the third quarter of 2007 and the Company does not plan on filling approximately 140 open positions. Sovereign terminated additional employees in the first half of 2007, resulting in year to date severance charges of $10.3 million.

32


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Sovereign’s executive management team and Board of Directors decided to freeze the Company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and communicated this decision to its employee base during the first quarter. During the second quarter, the debt owed by the ESOP was repaid with the proceeds from the sale of a portion of the unallocated shares held by the ESOP and all remaining shares were allocated to the eligible participants. During the first quarter of 2007, Sovereign recorded a non-deductible non-cash charge of $43.4 million in connection with this action based on the value of our common stock at March 31, 2007. In the second quarter, the charge was adjusted based on the final price of our common stock on the date that the ESOP was repaid which reduced the previous charge recorded in the first quarter by $3.3 million.
     As part of the restructuring plan, Sovereign redeemed certain asset backed floating rate notes and junior subordinated debentures due to Capital Trust Entities totaling approximately $929 million. In connection with these transactions, Sovereign incurred debt extinguishment charges of $13.3 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2007. Sovereign believes these actions will improve net income in future periods as the financings were higher cost borrowings.
     In the second quarter of 2007, Sovereign sold $1.0 billion of multi-family and commercial real estate loans as part of the CMBS securitization which resulted in a gain of $13.8 million which is recorded in mortgage banking revenues. See Note 12 for further discussion.
     In the first quarter of 2007, Sovereign sold $2.9 billion of residential loans, $1.3 billion of multi-family loans and $3.4 billion of correspondent home equity loans. Sovereign had planned on selling $4.3 billion of correspondent home equity loans as of December 31, 2006. As discussed previously, we were not able to sell $658 million of loans and as a result wrote them down to fair value incurring a charge of $84.2 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2007, which was recorded within mortgage banking revenue. In addition to this charge, Sovereign also established a reserve for any potential loan repurchases that may result from certain representation and warranty clauses contained within the sale agreement. We also were required to further write down the loans that we sold in the first quarter due to lower pricing on the execution of the sales which resulted from the deterioration of the loan portfolio since year-end and lower pricing in the market place for non-prime loans. The total charge recorded in connection with these two items was $35.7 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2007. The total charge related to the correspondent home equity loan sale of $119.9 million in 2007 is reflected in mortgage banking income/(loss).
     During the three month period ended June 30, 2006, following the acquisition of Independence (discussed in Note 16), Sovereign sold $3.5 billion of investment securities with a combined effective yield of 4.40% for asset/liability management purposes, to maintain compliance with its existing interest rate policies and guidelines and to offset, in part, the negative effect of the current yield curve on net interest margin for future periods. As a result, we incurred a pre-tax loss of $238.3 million ($154.9 million after-tax or $0.36 per share). Of the total $3.5 billion of investments sold, $1.8 million had been previously classified as held-to-maturity, and Sovereign recorded a pre-tax loss of $130.1 million related to the sale of the held-to-maturity securities. As a result of the sale of the held-to-maturity securities, Sovereign concluded that it was required to reclassify the remaining $3.2 billion of held-to-maturity investment securities to the available-for-sale investment category.
     During the three-month period ended June 30, 2006, Sovereign also recorded other-than-temporary impairment charges of $67.5 million on FNMA and FHLMC preferred stock. Sovereign determined that certain unrealized losses on perpetual preferred stock of FNMA and FHLMC was other-than-temporary in accordance with SFAS 115 “Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities” and the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 59 “Accounting for Non-current Marketable Equity Securities”. The Company’s assessment considered the duration and the severity of the unrealized loss, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuers, and the likelihood of the market value of these instruments increasing to our initial cost basis within a reasonable period of time based upon the anticipated interest rate environment. As a result of these factors, Sovereign concluded that the unrealized losses were other-than-temporary and recorded a non-cash impairment charge. As of June 30, 2007, Sovereign held $803.1 million of perpetual preferred stock of FNMA and FHLMC which had a net unrealized gain of $37.1 million.

33


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
CONSOLIDATED AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET / TAX EQUIVALENT NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS
SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2007 AND 2006
(in thousands)
     
                                                 
    2007     2006  
            Tax                     Tax        
    Average     Equivalent     Yield/     Average     Equivalent     Yield/  
    Balance     Interest     Rate     Balance     Interest     Rate  
EARNING ASSETS
                                               
INVESTMENTS
  $ 14,605,167     $ 446,257       6.12 %   $ 13,465,431     $ 352,178       5.50 %
LOANS:
                                               
Commercial loans
    25,037,502       896,922       7.21 %     18,004,647       630,664       7.08 %
Multi-Family
    5,260,766       170,970       6.51 %     1,001,868       31,285       6.25 %
Consumer loans
                                               
Residential mortgages
    15,007,930       426,604       5.69 %     13,627,166       379,714       5.57 %
Home equity loans and lines of credit
    7,705,765       267,154       6.98 %     9,902,583       314,190       6.38 %
 
                                   
Total consumer loans secured by real estate
    22,713,695       693,758       6.13 %     23,529,749       693,904       5.91 %
 
                                   
Auto loans
    5,558,312       189,007       6.86 %     4,403,218       126,009       5.77 %
Other
    405,150       17,114       8.52 %     465,093       17,529       7.60 %
 
                                   
Total consumer
    28,677,157       899,879       6.30 %     28,398,060       837,442       5.92 %
 
                                   
Total loans
    58,975,425       1,967,771       6.71 %     47,404,575       1,499,391       6.37 %
Allowance for loan losses
    (484,122 )                 (437,527 )            
 
                                   
NET LOANS
    58,491,303       1,967,771       6.76 %     46,967,048       1,499,391       6.43 %
 
                                   
TOTAL EARNING ASSETS
    73,096,470       2,414,028       6.63 %     60,432,479       1,851,569       6.22 %
Other assets
    11,665,137                   8,333,596              
 
                                   
TOTAL ASSETS
  $ 84,761,607     $ 2,414,028       5.72 %   $ 68,766,075     $ 1,851,569       5.47 %
 
                                   
 
                                               
FUNDING LIABILITIES
                                               
Deposits and other customer related accounts:
                                               
Core deposits and other related accounts
  $ 29,432,728     $ 447,246       3.06 %   $ 23,393,489     $ 282,992       2.44 %
Time deposits
    15,587,954       375,621       4.86 %     12,399,719       254,875       4.15 %
 
                                   
TOTAL DEPOSITS
    45,020,682       822,867       3.69 %     35,793,208       537,867       3.03 %
 
                                   
BORROWED FUNDS:
                                               
FHLB advances
    16,155,849       404,590       5.03 %     14,404,317       307,622       4.30 %
Fed funds and repurchase agreements
    1,451,213       38,748       5.38 %     1,008,563       24,655       4.91 %
Other borrowings
    5,318,968       159,332       6.00 %     4,604,700       118,678       5.17 %
 
                                   
TOTAL BORROWED FUNDS
    22,926,030       602,670       5.28 %     20,017,580       450,955       4.53 %
 
                                   
TOTAL FUNDING LIABILITIES
    67,946,712       1,425,537       4.22 %     55,810,788       988,822       3.57 %
Demand deposit accounts
    6,378,845                   5,376,537              
Other liabilities
    1,660,284                   1,278,892              
 
                                   
TOTAL LIABILITIES
    75,985,841       1,425,537       3.78 %     62,466,217       988,822       3.19 %
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    8,775,766                   6,299,858              
 
                                   
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
  $ 84,761,607       1,425,537       3.39 %   $ 68,766,075       988,822       2.90 %
 
                                   
NET INTEREST INCOME
          $ 988,491                     $ 862,747          
 
                                           
NET INTEREST SPREAD (1)
                    2.41 %                     2.65 %
 
                                           
 
                                               
NET INTEREST MARGIN (2)
                    2.71 %                     2.92 %
 
                                           
 
(1)   Represents the difference between the yield on total earning assets and the cost of total funding liabilities.
 
(2)   Represents annualized, taxable equivalent net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

34


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Net Interest Income
     Net interest income for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 was $453.4 million and $941.2 million compared to $438.8 million and $842.7 million for the same periods in 2006. The increase in net interest income was due to growth in average interest earning assets to $70.3 billion and $73.1 billion for the three-month and six-month periods ending June 30, 2007 compared to $64.3 billion and $60.4 billion for the three-month and six-month periods ending June 30, 2006. These increases are due to the Independence acquisition as well as strong growth in commercial and auto loans. Partially offsetting this increase was a decrease in net interest margin for the three-month period and six-month period ended June 30, 2007 to 2.71%, compared to the corresponding periods in the prior year of 2.86% and 2.92%, respectively, resulting from the flattening yield curve, which became inverted during the first quarter of 2006 and whose spread has continued to remain under pressure. Additionally, low-cost core deposit growth has not kept pace with our loan growth and as a result loan growth has been funded with higher cost borrowings which has put pressure on our net interest margin.
     Interest on investment securities and interest earning deposits was $195.6 million and $405.9 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $183.1 million and $334.5 million for the same periods in 2006. The average balance of investment securities was $14.6 billion with an average tax equivalent yield of 6.12% for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 compared to an average balance of $13.5 billion with an average yield of 5.50% for the same period in 2006. The increase in yield is primarily due to a rise in market interest rates and due to the investment restructuring Sovereign executed in the second and fourth quarters of 2006. The increase in average balance was due to the acquisition of Independence.
     Interest on loans was $943.9 million and $2.0 billion for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $808.9 million and $1.5 billion for the three-month and six-month periods in 2006. The average balance of loans was $59.0 billion with an average yield of 6.71% for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 compared to an average balance of $47.4 billion with an average yield of 6.37% for the same period in 2006. Average balances of commercial loans in 2007 increased $7.0 billion, as compared to 2006 primarily due to strong organic growth in our commercial loan portfolio and the impact of loans acquired from Independence. Commercial loan yields have increased 13 basis points due to the rise in short-term interest rates which has particularly increased the yields on our variable rate loan products. Average residential mortgages increased $1.4 billion due to loans acquired from Independence. Average home equity loans and lines of credit decreased $2.2 billion from the prior year due to Sovereign’s decision to cease purchasing correspondent home equity loans in the first quarter of 2006 and due to the sale of $3.3 billion of these loans at the end of the first quarter of 2007. Sovereign also acquired a $5.6 billion multi-family loan portfolio from Independence whose average balance totaled $5.3 billion in the six-month period ended June 30, 2007. Sovereign sold $1.3 billion of multi-family loans in the first quarter of 2007 and approximately $687.7 million in the second quarter of 2007 as a part of the CMBS securitization. Average balances of auto loans increased to $5.6 billion from $4.4 billion due to organic in-market growth and a recent decision towards the middle of 2006 to expand loan production offices in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States (“the Southwest and Southeast production offices”). These production offices have significantly contributed to the growth in auto loan balances and these loan portfolios comprise approximately 30% of our outstanding portfolio and approximately 61% of our 2007 originations.
     Interest on deposits and related customer accounts was $409.6 million and $822.9 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $306.0 million and $537.9 million for the same periods in 2006. The average balance of deposits was $45.0 billion with an average cost of 3.69% for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 compared to an average balance of $35.8 billion with an average cost of 3.03% for the same period in 2006. Additionally, the average balance of non-interest bearing demand deposits has increased to $6.4 billion at June 30, 2007 from $5.4 billion for the same period in the prior year. The increase in the balance of total deposits is primarily due to the addition of deposits in connection with the Independence acquisition. Also contributing to the increase is time deposit and money market growth which has become a more favorable funding alternative as costs on shorter term borrowing obligations continue to increase.
     Interest on borrowed funds was $276.4 million and $602.7 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $247.2 million and $451.0 million for the same periods in 2006. The average balance of borrowings was $22.9 billion with an average cost of 5.28% for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 compared to an average balance of $20.0 billion with an average cost of 4.53% for the same period in 2006.
     Sovereign currently has a series of callable advances totaling $2.6 billion with the FHLB. These advances provide variable funding (currently at 3.76%) during the non-call period which ranges from 6 to 18 months. After the non-call period, the interest rates on these advances resets to a fixed rate of interest with certain caps (ranging from 4.95% to 5.50%) and floors of 0%. Based on the current interest rate environment, these instruments may be called by the FHLB upon the expiration of the non-call period.

35


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Provision for Credit Losses
     The provision for credit losses is based upon credit loss experience, growth or contraction of specific segments of the loan portfolio, and the estimate of losses inherent in the current loan portfolio. The provision for credit losses for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 was $51.0 million and $97.0 million compared to $44.5 million and $73.5 million for the same periods in 2006. The provision for credit losses for the six months ended June 30, 2007 includes a higher level of provision versus 2006 due to an increase in criticized categories of our commercial loan portfolio in 2007 and loan growth primarily in our commercial and auto loan portfolios.
     Net loan charge-offs for the six months ended June 30, 2007 were $49.8 million compared to $57.7 million for the comparable period in the prior year. This equates to an annualized net loan charge-off to average loan ratio of 0.17% for the six months ended June 30, 2007 compared to 0.21% for the comparable period in the prior year. However, prior year results include charge-offs associated with the correspondent home equity portfolio of $10.2 million or 0.12%. Sovereign sold the majority of this portfolio in the first quarter and the remaining loans in the portfolio have been written down to fair value. Non-performing loans and non-performing assets at June 30, 2007 exclude $51.6 million of loans related to the remaining correspondent home equity portfolio that was written down to fair value since this write down considered future credit losses. Non-performing assets were $282.4 million or 0.34% of total assets at June 30, 2007, compared to $221.6 million or 0.27% of total assets (excluding loans held for sale) at December 31, 2006 and $259.1 million or 0.29% of total assets at June 30, 2006. Management regularly evaluates Sovereign’s loan portfolios, and its allowance for loan losses, and adjusts the loan loss allowance as deemed necessary.
     The following table presents the activity in the allowance for credit losses for the periods indicated (in thousands):
                 
    Six-Month Period Ended  
    June 30,  
    2007     2006  
Allowance for loan losses, beginning of period
  $ 471,030     $ 419,599  
 
               
Charge-offs:
               
Commercial
    27,613       24,248  
Consumer secured by real estate
    11,476       28,947  
Consumer not secured by real estate
    46,159       36,004  
 
           
 
               
Total Charge-offs
    85,248       89,199  
 
           
 
               
Recoveries:
               
Commercial
    6,156       7,388  
Consumer secured by real estate
    5,897       2,946  
Consumer not secured by real estate
    23,431       21,142  
 
           
 
               
Total Recoveries
    35,484       31,476  
 
           
 
               
Charge-offs, net of recoveries
    49,764       57,723  
Provision for loan losses (1)
    94,828       77,672  
Allowance released in connection with loan sales
    12,409        
Acquired allowance for loan losses from business acquisitions
          97,824  
 
           
 
               
Allowance for loan losses, end of period
  $ 503,685     $ 537,372  
 
               
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, beginning of period
    15,255       18,212  
Provision/(benefit) for unfunded lending commitments (1)
    2,172       (4,172 )
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments, end of period
    17,427       14,040  
 
           
Total Allowance for credit losses
  $ 521,112     $ 551,412  
 
           
 
(1)   Sovereign defines the provision for credit losses on the consolidated statement of operations as the sum of the total provision for loan losses and provision for unfunded lending commitments.

36


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Non-Interest Income
     Total non-interest income/(loss) was $190.3 million and $237.1 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $(163.1) million and $(28.7) million for the same periods in 2006. The previously discussed $119.9 million charge on the correspondent home equity loan portfolio was included in the six months ended June 30, 2007. The losses in 2006 were driven by the previously mentioned $238.3 million loss on sale of investment securities and an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $67.5 million on FNMA/FHLMC preferred stock.
     Consumer banking fees were $77.3 million and $145.3 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $67.5 million and $128.3 million for the same periods in 2006, representing a 15% and 13% increase, respectively. The increase for the six months ended June 30, 2007 was due primarily to growth in loan fees to $5.7 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 compared to $1.5 million for the corresponding period in the prior year due to the acquisition of Independence as well as a gain of $2.7 million on the sale of $78.8 million of student loans during the quarter ended June 30, 2007. Average deposits increased from $35.8 billion for the six-month period ended June 30, 2006 to $45.0 billion for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, as a result of the Independence acquisition.
     Commercial banking fees were $52.0 million and $101.5 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $43.9 million and $83.0 million for the same periods in 2006, representing an increase of 18% and 22%, respectively. This was primarily due to higher loan fees resulting from growth in the commercial loan portfolio (resulting from the Independence acquisition as well as organic growth). Average commercial loans increased from $18.0 billion for the six-month period ended June 30, 2006 to $25.0 billion for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007.
Net mortgage banking income was composed of the following components (in thousands):
                                 
    Three months ended     Six months ended  
    June 30,     June 30,  
    2007     2006     2007     2006  
Mortgage servicing fees
  $ 10,460     $ 6,744     $ 20,189     $ 12,718  
Amortization of mortgage servicing rights
    (8,236 )     (4,693 )     (17,718 )     (8,527 )
Net gains/(loss) under SFAS 133
    783       (663 )     395       427  
Recoveries of mortgage servicing rights
    656             656        
Net gain recorded on commercial mortgage backed securitization
    13,772             10,496        
Sales of mortgage loans and related securities, home equity and multifamily loans
    9,065       3,136       (94,723 )     12,898  
 
                       
Total mortgage banking income
  $ 26,500     $ 4,524     $ (80,705 )   $ 17,516  
 
                       
     Mortgage banking results consist of fees associated with servicing loans not held by Sovereign, as well as amortization and changes in the fair value of mortgage servicing rights. Mortgage banking results also include gains or losses on the sales of mortgage, home equity loans and lines of credit and multifamily loans and mortgage-backed securities that were related to loans originated or purchased and held by Sovereign, as well as gains or losses on mortgage banking derivative and hedging transactions. Mortgage banking derivative instruments include principally interest rate lock commitments and forward sale commitments.
     In the second quarter of 2007, Sovereign securitized $687.7 million and $327.0 million of multi-family and commercial real estate loans, respectively. As discussed in Note 12, Sovereign retained certain subordinated certificates in this transaction. In connection with the $1.0 billion securitization, Sovereign recorded a gain of $13.8 million, which is included in mortgage banking revenues. This gain was determined based on the carrying amount of the loans sold, including any related allowance for loan loss, and was allocated to the loans sold and the retained interests, based on their relative fair values at the sale date. In the first quarter of 2007, Sovereign sold $1.3 billion of multi-family loans and recorded a gain of $6.1 million in connection with the sale. Mortgage banking revenues declined from the prior year due to the previously discussed $119.9 million charge on the correspondent home equity portfolio.

37


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     At June 30, 2007, Sovereign serviced approximately $9.7 billion of mortgage loans for others and our net mortgage servicing asset was $125.2 million, compared to $9.2 billion of loans serviced for others and a net mortgage servicing asset of $118.6 million, at December 31, 2006. The most important assumptions in the valuation of mortgage servicing rights are anticipated loan prepayment rates (CPR speed) and the positive spread we receive on holding escrow related balances. Increases in prepayment speeds (which are generally driven by lower long term interest rates) result in lower valuations of mortgage servicing rights, while lower prepayment speeds result in higher valuations. The escrow related credit spread is the estimated reinvestment yield earned on the serviced loan escrow deposits. Increases in escrow related credit spreads result in higher valuations of mortgage servicing rights while lower spreads result in lower valuations. For each of these items, Sovereign must make assumptions based on future expectations. All of the assumptions are based on standards that we believe would be utilized by market participants in valuing mortgage servicing rights and are consistently derived and/or benchmarked against independent public sources. Additionally, an independent appraisal of the fair value of our mortgage servicing rights is obtained at least annually and is used by management to evaluate the reasonableness of our discounted cash flow model.
     Listed below are the most significant assumptions that were utilized by Sovereign in its evaluation of mortgage servicing rights for the periods presented.
                         
    June 30, 2007   December 31, 2006   June 30, 2006
CPR speed
    11.43 %     14.23 %     10.94 %
Escrow credit spread
    5.07 %     4.85 %     4.53 %
     Sovereign will periodically sell qualifying mortgage loans to FHLMC, GNMA, and FNMA (“Fannie Mae”) in return for mortgage-backed securities issued by those agencies. Sovereign reclassifies the net book balance of the loans sold to such agencies from loans to investment securities available for sale. For those loans sold to the agencies in which Sovereign retains servicing rights, Sovereign allocates the net book balance transferred between servicing rights and investment securities based on their relative fair values. If Sovereign sells the mortgage-backed securities which relate to underlying loans previously held by the Company, the gain or loss on the sale is recorded in mortgage banking income in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. The gain or loss on the sale of all other mortgage-backed securities is recorded in gains on sales of investment securities on the consolidated statement of operations.
     Sovereign originates and sells multi-family loans in the secondary market to Fannie Mae while retaining servicing. Generally, the Company can originate and sell loans to Fannie Mae for not more than $20.0 million per loan. Under the terms of the sales program with Fannie Mae, we retain a portion of the credit risk associated with such loans. As a result of this agreement with Fannie Mae, Sovereign retains a 100% first loss position on each multi-family loan sold to Fannie Mae under such program until the earlier to occur of (i) the aggregate losses on the multifamily loans sold to Fannie Mae reaching the maximum loss exposure for the portfolio as a whole or (ii) until all of the loans sold to Fannie Mae under this program are fully paid off. The maximum loss exposure is available to satisfy any losses on loans sold in the program subject to the foregoing limitations.
     The maximum loss exposure of the associated credit risk related to the loans sold to Fannie Mae under this program is calculated pursuant to a review of each loan sold to Fannie Mae. A risk level is assigned to each such loan based upon the loan product, debt service coverage ratio and loan to value ratio of the loan. Each risk level has a corresponding sizing factor which, when applied to the original principal balance of the loan sold, equates to a recourse balance for the loan. The sizing factors are periodically reviewed by Fannie Mae based upon its ongoing review of loan performance and are subject to adjustment. The recourse balances for each of the loans are aggregated to create a maximum loss exposure for the entire portfolio at any given point in time. The Company’s maximum loss exposure for the entire portfolio of sold loans is periodically reviewed and, based upon factors such as amount, size, types of loans and loan performance, may be adjusted downward. Fannie Mae is restricted from increasing the maximum exposure on loans previously sold to it under this program as long as (i) the total borrower concentration (i.e., the total amount of loans extended to a particular borrower or a group of related borrowers) as applied to all mortgage loans delivered to Fannie Mae since the sales program began does not exceed 10% of the aggregate loans sold to Fannie Mae under the program and (ii) the average principal balance per loan of all mortgage loans delivered to Fannie Mae since the sales program began continues to be $4.0 million or less.

38


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Although all of the loans serviced for Fannie Mae (both loans originated for sale and loans sold from portfolio) are currently fully performing, the Company has established a liability which represents the fair value of the retained credit exposure. This liability represents the amount that the Company estimates that it would have to pay a third party to assume the retained recourse obligation. The estimated liability represents the present value of the estimated losses that the portfolio is projected to incur based upon an industry-based default curve with a range of estimated losses. At June 30, 2007, Sovereign had a $19.9 million liability related to the fair value of the retained credit exposure for loans sold to Fannie Mae under this sales program.
     At June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, Sovereign serviced $9.9 billion and $8.0 billion, respectively, of loans for Fannie Mae sold to it pursuant to this program with a maximum potential loss exposure of $191.4 million and $152.3 million, respectively. As a result of retaining servicing, the Company had a $21.6 million and $20.4 million loan servicing asset at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively. Sovereign recorded servicing asset amortization of $1.6 million and $3.1 million related to the multi-family loans sold to Fannie Mae for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 and recognized servicing assets of $1.3 million and $4.2 million during the same periods.
     Bank owned life insurance (BOLI) income represents the increase in the cash surrender value of life insurance policies for certain employees where the Bank is the beneficiary of the policies as well as the receipt of insurance proceeds. The increase in BOLI income to $20.3 million and $40.8 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $15.4 million and $26.7 million for the comparable periods in the prior year is due to BOLI acquired in our acquisition of Independence and a purchase of $300 million of BOLI made by Sovereign in the second quarter of 2006.
General and Administrative Expenses
     General and administrative expenses for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 were $336.6 million and $666.6 million compared to $303.3 million and $583.3 million for the same periods in 2006. General and administrative expenses increased in 2007 primarily due to increased compensation and benefit costs associated with the hiring of additional team members and operating expenses associated with the Independence acquisition. Average full time equivalents during the second quarter of 2007 rose to 11,411 from 9,760 for the comparable prior year period due to team members acquired from Independence.
Other Expenses
     Other expenses consist primarily of amortization of intangibles, minority interest expense, merger related and integration charges, equity method investment expense, employee severance and other restructuring and proxy and related professional fees. Other expenses were $79.5 million and $196.2 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, compared to $58.9 million and $103.7 million for the same periods in 2006. The reason for the variance is discussed below.
     Sovereign has an investment in a synthetic fuel partnership that generates IRC Section 29 tax credits for the production of fuel from a non-conventional source (“the Synthetic Fuel Partnership”). Our investment balance totaled $8.1 million at June 30, 2007. Sovereign is amortizing this investment through December 31, 2007, which is the period through which we expect to receive alternative energy tax credits. Reductions in the investment value and our allocation of the partnership’s earnings or losses totaled $6.7 million and $12.9 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, respectively, and are included as expense in the line “Equity method investments” in our consolidated statement of operations, while the alternative energy tax credits we receive are included as a reduction of income tax expense. We anticipate receiving tax credits in excess of our recorded investment over the remaining life of the partnership. The alternative energy tax credit is reduced and ultimately eliminated based on a formula tied to the annual average wellhead price per barrel of domestic crude oil which is not subject to regulation by the United States.
     As previously discussed, Sovereign recorded charges of $42.2 million and $40.1 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 associated with restructuring charges and freezing its ESOP, respectively. Sovereign also recorded debt extinguishment charges of $13.3 million and $13.8 million during the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007.
     Sovereign recorded intangible amortization expense of $32.3 million and $65.5 million for the three-month period and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $24.2 million and $41.4 million for the corresponding periods in the prior year. The reason for the increase is due primarily to the additional intangible amortization expense associated with core deposit and other intangible assets of $394.2 million recorded in connection with the Independence acquisition.

39


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Income Tax Provision
     An income tax provision of $29.2 million and $23.1 million was recorded for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007, compared to a benefit of $71.9 million and $28.8 million for the same periods in 2006. The effective tax rate for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 was 16.5% and 10.6%, respectively, compared to 54.9% and (53.8)% for the same periods in 2006. The effective tax rate differs from the statutory rate of 35% primarily due to income from tax-exempt investments, income related to bank-owned life insurance, tax credits associated with low income housing investment partnerships and the Synthetic Fuel Partnership. The lower effective tax rate for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 results from the reduced level of pre-tax income of the Company due to the previously discussed restructuring charges and charges associated with freezing its ESOP and additional charges on the correspondent home equity loan portfolio. The effective tax rate for three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2006 were impacted by the tax benefit recorded on the $238.3 million loss on our investment restructuring and the $67.5 million other-than-temporary charge on FNMA/FHLMC preferred stock.
     Sovereign is subject to the income tax laws of the U.S., its states and municipalities as well as certain foreign countries. These tax laws are complex and subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and the relevant Governmental taxing authorities. In establishing a provision for income tax expense, the Company must make judgments and interpretations about the application of these inherently complex tax laws.
     Actual income taxes paid may vary from estimates depending upon changes in income tax laws, actual results of operations, and the final audit of tax returns by taxing authorities. Tax assessments may arise several years after tax returns have been filed. Sovereign reviews its tax balances quarterly and as new information becomes available, the balances are adjusted, as appropriate. The Company is subject to ongoing tax examinations and assessments in various jurisdictions. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) is currently examining the Company’s federal income tax returns for the years 2002 through 2005. We anticipate that the IRS will complete this review in 2007. Included in this examination cycle are the two separate financing transactions with an international bank, totaling $1.2 billion which are discussed in Note 13 in the Company’s Form 10K. As a result of these transactions, Sovereign was subject to foreign taxes of $154.0 million dollars during the years 2003 through 2005 and claimed a corresponding foreign tax credit for foreign taxes paid during those years. In 2006 and for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007, Sovereign accrued an additional $87.6 million and $21.9 million of foreign taxes from this financing transaction and claimed a corresponding foreign tax credit. It is possible that the IRS may challenge the Company’s ability to claim these foreign tax credits. Sovereign believes that it is entitled to claim these foreign tax credits and also believes that its recorded tax reserves for this position of $55.4 million adequately provides for any potential exposure to the IRS related to foreign tax credits and other tax assessments. However, the completion of the IRS review and their conclusion on Sovereign’s tax positions included in the tax returns for 2002 through 2005 could result in an adjustment to the tax balances and reserves that have been recorded and may materially affect our income tax provision in future periods.

40


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Line of Business Results
     Segment results are derived from the Company’s business unit profitability reporting system by specifically attributing managed balance sheet assets, deposits and other liabilities and their related interest income or expense. Funds transfer pricing methodologies are utilized to allocate a cost for funds used or a credit for funds provided to business line deposits, loans and selected other assets using a matched funding concept. The provision for credit losses recorded by each segment is based on the net charge-offs of each line of business and the difference between the provision for credit losses recognized by the Company on a consolidated basis and the provision recorded by the business line at the time of charge-off is allocated to each business line based on the risk profile of their loan portfolio. Other income and expenses directly managed by each business line, including fees, service charges, salaries and benefits, and other direct expenses as well as certain allocated corporate expenses are accounted for within each segment’s financial results. Where practical, the results are adjusted to present consistent methodologies for the segments. Accounting policies for the lines of business are the same as those used in preparation of the consolidated financial statements with respect to activities specifically attributable to each business line. However, the preparation of business line results requires management to establish methodologies to allocate funding costs and benefits, expenses and other financial elements to each line of business.
     The Mid-Atlantic Banking Division’s net interest income decreased $2.9 million and $7.4 million to $77.3 million and $152.7 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year. The decrease in net interest income was due to margin compression on a matched funded basis. The net spread on a match funded basis for this segment was 2.44% for the first six months of 2007 compared to 2.58% for the same period in the prior year reflecting the difficult interest rate environment. The average balance of loans was $4.9 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2007 compared to an average balance of $4.4 billion for the corresponding period in the preceding year. The average balance of deposits was $8.1 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2007, compared to $8.3 billion for the same period a year ago. The provision for credit losses increased $2.1 million and $5.8 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007 and is driven by the charge-offs in the division’s loan portfolio. General and administrative expenses totaled $70.7 million and $140.2 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007, compared to $71.6 million and $139.4 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2006.
     The New England Banking Division’s net interest income decreased $8.0 million and $15.6 million to $157.5 million and $313.2 million for the three-month and six month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year. The decrease in net interest income was principally due to margin compression on a matched funded basis. The net spread on a match funded basis for this segment was 2.68% for the first six months of 2007 compared to 2.94% for the same period in the prior year. The average balance of loans was $6.1 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2007 compared to an average balance of $5.4 billion for the corresponding period in the preceding year. The average balance of deposits was $18.2 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2007, compared to $17.7 billion for the same period a year ago. The provision for credit losses increased $0.4 million and $0.8 million to $4.7 million and $8.6 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007. General and administrative expenses (including allocated corporate and direct support costs) decreased from $126.2 million and $245.2 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2006, to $118.9 million and $234.9 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007 or a decrease of 5.8% and 4.2%, respectively. This decline is due to our previously mentioned expense savings initiative.
     The Metro New York Banking Division’s net interest income increased $56.3 million and $150.6 million to $142.8 million and $296.0 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year. The increase in net interest income was principally due to the acquisition of Independence on June 1, 2006 and was partially offset by a compression in net spreads in this segment. The net spread on a match funded basis for this segment was 2.12% for the first six months of 2007 compared to 2.52% for the same period in the prior year reflecting the difficult interest rate environment. The average balance of loans was $12.5 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2007 compared to an average balance of $3.8 billion for the corresponding period in the preceding year. The average balance of deposits was $16.2 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2007, compared to $8.9 billion for the same period a year ago. The increase in fees and other income of $28.6 million and $47.7 million for the three-month and six month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year was primarily due to the acquisition of Independence on June 1, 2006. The provision for credit losses decreased $7.0 million and $6.8 million to $6.9 million and $10.6 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007. During the second quarter of 2006, Sovereign engaged an outside consultant to conduct an analysis of Independence’s multi-family loan portfolio, since this was largely a new asset class for Sovereign. As a result of the analysis, Sovereign increased the loss percentage that Independence had historically maintained on pass rated multi-family loans which caused Sovereign to record additional provision for credit losses of $12.5 million. General and administrative expenses (including allocated corporate and direct support costs) increased from $61.3 million and $98.1 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2006, to $109.7 million and $215.6 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007. The increase in general and administrative expenses is principally due to the acquisition of Independence on June 1, 2006.

41


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     The Shared Services Consumer segment net interest income decreased $7.9 million to $71.8 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2007 and increased $5.2 million to $172.2 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year. The net spread on a match funded basis for this segment was 1.56% for the first six months of 2007 compared to 1.42% for the same period in the prior year. The increase in spreads is due to the impact of the sale of $3.3 billion of correspondent home equity loans at the end of the first quarter of 2007, as well as increased originations of higher yielding auto loans. The average balance of loans for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 was $23.5 billion compared with $23.9 billion for the corresponding period in the prior year. Fees and other income was a net loss of $99.4 million for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 compared to income of $22.8 million for the corresponding period in the prior year. The reason for the decline was the previously discussed charge of $119.9 million on the correspondent home equity loan portfolio. The provision for credit losses decreased $0.6 million and $1.1 million to $20.0 million and $38.7 million at June 30, 2007 due to lower charge-offs because of the previously mentioned sale of the correspondent home equity loan business in the first quarter of 2007. This benefit has been partially offset by higher losses on our indirect auto loans due to this portfolio’s growth. General and administrative expenses totaled $24.8 million and $51.9 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007, compared to $28.7 million and $65.5 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2006. This decline in expenses is a result of the aforementioned closure of the correspondent home equity business and the impact of our expense savings initiatives.
     The Shared Services Commercial segment net interest income increased $10.7 million and $17.9 million to $67.7 million and $129.4 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year due to growth in our commercial loan portfolios. The net spread on a match funded basis for this segment was 2.23% for the first six months of 2007 compared to 2.37% for the same period in the prior year reflecting the difficult interest rate environment. The average balance of loans for the six months ended June 30, 2007 was $12.0 billion compared with $9.9 billion for the corresponding period in the prior year. The increase in fees and other income of $8.2 million and $18.9 million for the three-month and six month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year was primarily due to increases in capital markets revenue and commercial loan fees. The provision for credit losses increased $11.7 million and $24.7 million to $13.1 million and $29.3 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007 due to loan growth and increased commercial charge-offs. General and administrative expenses (including allocated corporate and direct support costs) were $35.7 million and $72.4 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007 compared with $33.8 million and $63.2 million for the corresponding periods in the prior year. The reason for the increase is due to investments needed to support the growth of this reporting segment.
     The net loss before income taxes for Other decreased $252.9 million and $191.2 million to a loss of $91.8 million and $210.6 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year. Net interest expense increased $34.3 million and $52.2 million to $63.6 million and $122.2 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2007 compared to the corresponding periods in the preceding year due primarily to a $2.9 billion increase in average borrowings offset by a $1.1 billion increase in average investments. Average borrowings for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 and 2006 was $22.9 billion and $20.0 billion, respectively, with an average cost of 5.28% and 4.53%. Average investments for the six-month period ended June 30, 2007 and 2006 was $14.6 billion and $13.5 billion respectively, at an average yield of 6.12% and 5.50%. The increase in average balance was due to our Independence acquisition. The increase in the yield is primarily due to the rise in market interest rates between periods and the investment restructuring Sovereign executed in the second and fourth quarters of 2006.
     The Other segment includes the previously mentioned restructuring, severance and debt extinguishment charges of $56.0 million for the six-months ended June 30, 2007 as well as $40.1 million expense related to freezing our ESOP plan. See Note 15 for further discussion. The Other segment includes amortization of intangible asset expense of $32.3 million and $65.5 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2007 compared to $24.2 million and $41.4 million for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2006. The reason for the increase is due to the core deposit and other intangibles created as a result of the Independence acquisition. The six-month period ended June 30, 2006 included proxy and related professional fee expense of $14.3 million which is also discussed in Note 15. The three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2006 included investment restructuring losses of $238.3 million on the sale of $3.5 billion of investments and an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $67.5 million of FNMA and FHLMC preferred stock. See Note 3 for further discussion.

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SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Critical Accounting Policies
     The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to the December 31, 2006 consolidated financial statements filed on Form 10-K. The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates. We have identified accounting for the allowance for loan losses, securitizations, derivatives and goodwill as our most critical accounting policies and estimates in that they are important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results, and they require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. These accounting policies, including the nature of the estimates and types of assumptions used, are described throughout this Management’s Discussion and Analysis and the December 31, 2006 Management’s Discussion and Analysis filed on Form 10-K.
     A discussion of the impact of new accounting standards issued by the FASB and other standard setters are included in Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements.
FINANCIAL CONDITION
Loan Portfolio
     At June 30, 2007, commercial loans totaled $25.5 billion representing 45.2% of Sovereign’s loan portfolio, compared to $24.7 billion or 39.5% of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2006 and $22.9 billion or 37.1% of the loan portfolio at June 30, 2006. At both June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, only 7% and 6%, respectively, of our total commercial portfolio was unsecured. The increase in commercial loans since December 31, 2006 has been driven by organic loan growth, offset by the sale of $327 million of commercial real estate loans as part of the securitization in the second quarter. The increase in commercial loans as a percentage of the total loan portfolio is consistent with management’s restructuring plan to deemphasize lower yielding residential and multi-family loans and increase our commercial loan portfolio.
     At June 30, 2007, multi-family loans totaled $4.0 billion representing 7.1% of Sovereign’s loan portfolio, compared to $5.8 billion or 9.2% of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2006 and $6.1 billion or 10.0% of the loan portfolio at June 30, 2006. The decrease from the prior year is due to recent loan sales. In the second quarter of 2007 Sovereign sold $687.7 million of this loan portfolio as part of the commercial mortgage backed securitization. In the first quarter of 2007 Sovereign sold $1.3 billion of this loan portfolio as part of the Company’s previously discussed balance sheet restructuring plan.
     The consumer loan portfolio secured by real estate (consisting of home equity loans and lines of credit of $5.9 billion and residential loans of $14.4 billion) totaled $20.3 billion at June 30, 2007, representing 36.0% of Sovereign’s loan portfolio, compared to $26.8 billion, or 42.9%, of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2006 and $27.8 billion or 45.0% of the loan portfolio at June 30, 2006. The decrease in the consumer loan portfolio secured by real estate was driven by the sale of $3.4 billion of correspondent home equity loans and $2.9 million of residential loans that occurred during the first quarter in connection with the balance sheet restructuring.
     The consumer loan portfolio not secured by real estate (consisting of indirect automobile loans of $6.3 billion and other consumer loans of $0.3 million) totaled $6.6 billion at June 30, 2007, representing 11.7% of Sovereign’s loan portfolio, compared to $5.3 billion, or 8.4%, of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2006 and $4.9 billion or 7.9% of the loan portfolio at June 30, 2006. The increase in the consumer loan portfolio not secured by real estate is primarily due to organic in-market growth and a recent decision towards the middle of 2006 to expand loan production offices in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States. The Southwest and Southeast production offices have significantly contributed to the growth in auto loan balances; and these loan portfolios are approximately 30% of our outstanding auto loan portfolio and approximately 61% of our 2007 auto loan originations.

43


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Non-Performing Assets
     At June 30, 2007, Sovereign’s non-performing assets increased by $46.8 million to $282.4 million compared to $235.6 million at December 31, 2006. This increase is due primarily to non-accrual commercial loans as well as an increase in residential non-accrual loans and other real estate owned. Non-performing assets as a percentage of total loans, real estate owned and repossessed assets weakened to 0.50% at June 30, 2007 from 0.43% at December 31, 2006. Sovereign generally places all commercial loans on non-performing status at 90 days delinquent or sooner, if management believes the loan has become impaired (unless return to current status is expected imminently). All other consumer and residential loans continue to accrue interest until they are 120 days delinquent, at which point they are either charged-off or placed on non-accrual status and anticipated losses are reserved for. Loans secured by residential real estate with loan to values of 50% or less, based on current valuations, are considered well secured and in the process of collection and therefore continue to accrue interest. At 180 days delinquent, anticipated losses on residential real estate loans are fully reserved for or charged off.
     The following table presents the composition of non-performing assets at the dates indicated (amounts in thousands):
                 
    June 30,     December 31,  
    2007     2006  
Non-accrual loans:
               
Consumer:
               
Residential mortgages
  $ 69,392     $ 47,687  
Home equity loans and lines of credit
    12,875       10,312  
Auto loans and other consumer loans
    2,334       2,955  
 
           
Total consumer loans
    84,601       60,954  
Commercial
    80,706       69,207  
Commercial real estate
    69,525       75,710  
Multifamily
    4,552       1,486  
 
           
 
               
Total non-accrual loans
    239,384       207,357  
Restructured loans
    503       557  
 
           
 
               
Total non-performing loans (2)
    239,887       207,914  
 
               
Other real estate owned
    34,724       22,562  
Other repossessed assets
    7,755       5,126  
 
           
 
               
Total other real estate owned and other repossessed assets
    42,479       27,688  
 
           
 
               
Total non-performing assets (2)
  $ 282,366     $ 235,602  
 
           
 
               
Past due 90 days or more as to interest or principal and accruing interest
  $ 42,585     $ 40,103  
Annualized net loan charge-offs to average loans (3)
    .17 %     .96 %
Non-performing assets as a percentage of total assets (2) (4)
    .34 %     .29 %
Non-performing loans as a percentage of total loans (2) (4)
    .42 %     .38 %
Non-performing assets as a percentage of total loans and real estate owned (2) (4)
    .50 %     .43 %
Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total non-performing assets (2) (1)
    184.6 %     206.4 %
Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total non-performing loans (2) (1)
    217.2 %     233.9 %
 
(1)   Allowance for credit losses is comprised of the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded commitments, which is included in other liabilities.
 
(2)   Non-performing loans and assets at June 30, 2007 exclude $51.6 million of correspondent home equity loans that were written down to fair value at March 31, 2007 since they were previously classified as held for sale at December 31, 2006. Sovereign has reclassified these loans back into our loan portfolio as of March 31, 2007. Non-performing loans and assets at December 31, 2006 exclude $21.5 million of residential non-accrual loans and $66.0 million of home equity non-accrual loans that were classified as held for sale.
 
(3)   Includes lower of cost of market adjustments resulting in a charge-off of $382.5 million on the correspondent home equity loans and a charge-off of approximately $7.1 million on the purchased residential mortgage portfolio both of which were classified as held for sale at December 31, 2006. These charge-offs accounted for 71 basis points of the total 96 basis points above.
 
(4)   The calculation of these ratios at June 30, 2007 excludes approximately $491 million of loans that have been marked down to fair value as of March 31, 2007. The calculation of these ratios at December 31, 2006 excludes $7.6 billion of loans held for sale.

44


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Loans ninety (90) days or more past due and still accruing interest increased by $2.5 million from December 31, 2006 to June 30, 2007, mostly attributable to increases of $1.4 million in residential loans.
     Potential problem loans (commercial loans delinquent more than 30 days but less than 90 days, although not currently classified as non-performing loans) amounted to approximately $122.0 million and $102.1 million at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively. This increase in potential problem loans relates primarily to a mild weakening of the credit quality of our commercial loan portfolio. As a percentage of total loans, potential problem loans were 0.22% and 0.16% at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, respectively.
Allowance for Credit Losses
     The following table presents the allocation of the allowance for loan losses and the percentage of each loan type to total loans at the dates indicated (amounts in thousands):
                                 
    June 30, 2007     December 31, 2006  
            % of             % of  
            Loans             Loans  
            to             to  
            Total             Total  
    Amount     Loans     Amount     Loans  
Allocated allowance:
                               
Commercial loans
  $ 385,702       52 %   $ 375,014       49 %
Consumer loans secured by real estate
    51,410       36       45,521       43  
Consumer loans not secured by real estate
    63,055       12       45,730       8  
Unallocated allowance
    3,518       n/a       4,765       n/a  
 
                           
 
                               
Total allowance for loan losses
  $ 503,685       100 %   $ 471,030       100 %
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments
    17,427               15,255          
 
                           
 
                               
 
  $ 521,112             $ 486,285          
 
                           
     The allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments are maintained at levels that management considers adequate to provide for losses based upon an evaluation of known and inherent risks in the loan portfolio. Management’s evaluation takes into consideration the risks inherent in the loan portfolio, past loan loss experience, specific loans with loss potential, geographic and industry concentrations, delinquency trends, economic conditions, the level of originations and other relevant factors. While management uses the best information available to make such evaluations, future adjustments to the allowance for credit losses may be necessary if conditions differ substantially from the assumptions used in making the evaluations.
     The allowance for loan losses consists of two elements: (i) an allocated allowance, which is comprised of allowances established on specific loans, and class allowances based on historical loan loss experience adjusted for current trends and adjusted for both general economic conditions and other risk factors in the Company’s loan portfolios, and (ii) an unallocated allowance to account for a level of imprecision in management’s estimation process.
     The specific allowance element is calculated in accordance with SFAS No. 114 “Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loan” and SFAS No. 118 “Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loan – Income Recognition and Disclosure” and is based on a regular analysis of criticized commercial loans where internal credit ratings are below a predetermined quality level. This analysis is performed by the Managed Assets Division, and periodically reviewed by other parties, including the Commercial Asset Review Department. The specific allowance established for these criticized loans is based on a careful analysis of related collateral value, cash flow considerations and, if applicable, guarantor capacity.
     The class allowance element is determined by an internal loan grading process in conjunction with associated allowance factors. These class allowance factors are evaluated at least quarterly and are the result of detailed analysis to estimate loan losses. The loss analysis is based on actual historical loss experience and considers: levels and trends in delinquencies and charge-offs, trends in loan volume and terms, changes in risk composition and underwriting standards, experience and ability of staff, economic and industry conditions, and effects of any credit concentrations.

45


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Additionally, the Company reserves for certain inherent, but undetected, losses that are probable within the loan portfolio. This is due to several factors, such as, but not limited to, inherent delays in obtaining information regarding a customer’s financial condition or changes in their unique business conditions and the interpretation of economic trends. While this analysis is conducted at least quarterly, the Company has the ability to revise the class allowance factors whenever necessary in order to address improving or deteriorating credit quality trends or specific risks associated with a given loan pool classification.
     Regardless of the extent of the Company’s analysis of customer performance, portfolio evaluations, trends or risk management processes established a level of imprecision will always exist due to the judgmental nature of loan portfolio and/or individual loan evaluations. The Company maintains an unallocated allowance to recognize the existence of these exposures.
     These risk factors are continuously reviewed and revised by management where conditions indicate that the estimates initially applied are different from actual results. A comprehensive analysis of the allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments is performed by the Company on a quarterly basis. In addition, a review of allowance levels based on nationally published statistics is conducted on at least an annual basis.
     In addition to the Allowance for Loan Losses, we also estimate probable losses related to unfunded lending commitments. Unfunded lending commitments are subject to individual reviews, and are analyzed and segregated by risk according to the Corporation’s internal risk rating scale. These risk classifications, in conjunction with an analysis of historical loss experience, current economic conditions and performance trends within specific portfolio segments, and any other pertinent information result in the estimation of the reserve for unfunded lending commitments. Additions to the reserve for unfunded lending commitments are made by charges to the provision for credit losses.
     The factors supporting the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments do not diminish the fact that the entire allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments are available to absorb losses in the loan portfolio and related commitment portfolio, respectively. The Company’s principal focus, therefore, is on the adequacy of the total allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments.
     The allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments are subject to review by banking regulators. The Company’s primary bank regulators regularly conduct examinations of the allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded lending commitments and make assessments regarding their adequacy and the methodology employed in their determination.
     Commercial Portfolio. The portion of the allowance for loan losses related to the commercial portfolio has increased from $375.0 million at December 31, 2006 to $385.7 million at June 30, 2007. This is a result of an increase in criticized assets at June 30, 2007 and loan growth which required additional reserves. As a percentage of commercial loans, the allowance increased from 1.24% to 1.32% at June 30, 2007 which reflects the mild weakening of the commercial loan portfolio in 2007.
     Consumer Secured by Real Estate Portfolio. The allowance for the consumer loans secured by real estate portfolio increased to $51.4 million at June 30, 2007 from $45.5 million at December 31, 2006. As a percentage of consumer loans secured by real estate the allowance was 0.26% at June 30, 2007 compared with 0.23% at December 31, 2006. This increased reserve level reflects a mild weakening of the credit quality of this portfolio.
     During the second quarter of 2006, Sovereign entered into a credit default swap on a portion of its residential real estate loan portfolio through a synthetic securitization structure. Under the terms of the credit default swap, Sovereign is responsible for the first ten basis points of losses on the $3.6 billion residential real estate loan portfolio. Sovereign is reimbursed for losses above ten basis points up to aggregate losses of 120 basis points under the terms of the credit default swap. This credit default swap term is equal to the term of the loan portfolio. The structure resulted in fewer reserves being allocated to the residential loan portfolio as a portion of the losses are reimbursed through the credit default swap.
     Consumer Not Secured by Real Estate Portfolio. The allowance for the consumer not secured by real estate portfolio increased from $45.7 million at December 31, 2006 to $63.1 million at June 30, 2007 primarily due to an increase of $1.5 billion in auto loans. This growth has been due primarily to our efforts to expand into certain markets in the Southeast and Southwestern United States. Loan originations for these markets during the first six months of 2007 totaled $1.7 billion at a weighted average yield of 8.12%. As a result of this loan growth and a mild weakening of the credit quality of this portfolio, the allowance for loan losses increased, and as a result the reserve as a percentage of consumer loans not secured by real estate has increased from 0.87% at December 31, 2006 to 0.95% at June 30, 2007.

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SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Unallocated Allowance. The unallocated allowance for loan losses decreased to $3.5 million at June 30, 2007 from $4.8 million at December 31, 2006. Management continuously evaluates its class allowance reserving methodology; however the unallocated allowance is subject to changes each reporting period due to a level of imprecision in management’s estimation process.
     Reserve for unfunded lending commitments. The reserve for unfunded lending commitments has increased from $15.3 million at December 31, 2006 to $17.4 million at June 30, 2007 due to changes in the amounts of unfunded commitments during these time periods, as well as increases in the amount of criticized lines since year end.
Investment Securities
     Investment securities consist primarily of mortgage-backed securities, tax-free municipal securities, U.S. Treasury and government agency securities, corporate debt securities and stock in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (“FHLB”), Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Mortgage-backed securities consist of pass-throughs and collateralized mortgage obligations issued by federal agencies or private label issuers. Sovereign’s mortgage-backed securities are generally either guaranteed as to principal and interest by the issuer or have ratings of “AAA” by Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s at the date of issuance. Sovereign purchases classes which are senior positions backed by subordinate classes. The subordinate classes absorb the losses and must be completely eliminated before any losses flow through the senior positions. The effective duration of the available for sale investment portfolio at June 30, 2007 was 4.6 years.
     Total investment securities available-for-sale were $13.3 billion at June 30, 2007 and $13.9 billion at December 31, 2006. The reason for the decrease is due to maturation of US Treasury securities that were not reinvested. For additional information with respect to Sovereign’s investment securities, see Note 3 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
     Other investments, which consists primarily of FHLB stock, decreased to $798.5 million at June 30, 2007 from $1.0 billion at December 31, 2006 as the Company sold FHLB stock given the reduced level of FHLB borrowings as a result of the balance sheet restructuring.
Goodwill and Core Deposit Intangible Assets
     Goodwill remained constant at $5.0 billion at both June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 and core deposit intangibles decreased by $63.4 million since December 31, 2006 due to year-to-date amortization expense. There were no goodwill or core deposit intangible asset impairment charges recorded in 2006 and through June 30, 2007.
     The estimated aggregate amortization expense related to core deposit intangibles for each of the five succeeding calendar years ending December 31, is (in thousands):
                         
    Calendar           Remaining
    Year   Recorded   Amount
Year   Amount   To Date   To Record
2007
  $ 122,897     $ 63,404     $ 59,493  
2008
    100,467             100,467  
2009
    71,341             71,341  
2010
    56,617             56,617  
2011
    44,963             44,963  
Deposits and Other Customer Accounts
     Sovereign attracts deposits within its primary market area with an offering of deposit instruments including demand accounts, NOW accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit and retirement savings plans. Total deposits and other customer accounts at June 30, 2007 were $49.8 billion compared to $52.4 billion at December 31, 2006.

47


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations
     Sovereign utilizes borrowings and other debt obligations as a source of funds for its asset growth and its asset/liability management. Collateralized advances are available from the FHLB provided certain standards related to creditworthiness have been met. Sovereign also utilizes reverse repurchase agreements, which are short-term obligations collateralized by securities fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government or an agency thereof, and federal funds lines with other financial institutions. Total borrowings at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 were $22.5 billion and $26.8 billion, respectively. This decline is due to the balance sheet restructuring that was previously discussed. See Note 6 for further discussion.
     On March 23, 2007, Sovereign issued $300 million of 3 year, floating rate Senior notes. The floating rate notes bear interest at a rate of 3 month LIBOR plus 23 basis points (adjusted quarterly) and mature on March 23, 2010. The notes are not redeemable at Sovereign’s option nor are they repayable prior to maturity at the option of the holders. The proceeds of the offering were used for general corporate purposes.
     In connection with the balance sheet restructuring, Sovereign redeemed certain asset backed floating rate notes and junior subordinated debentures due to Capital Trust Entities totaling approximately $929 million. In connection with these transactions, Sovereign incurred debt extinguishment charges of $13.3 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2007. Sovereign believes these actions will improve net income in future periods as these borrowings had higher interest rates than other sources of funding available to Sovereign.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
     Securitization transactions contribute to Sovereign’s overall funding and regulatory capital management. These transactions involve periodic transfers of loans or other financial assets to special purpose entities (“SPEs”). The SPEs are either consolidated in or excluded from Sovereign’s consolidated financial statements depending on whether the transactions qualify as a sale of assets in accordance with SFAS No. 140, “Transfers of Financial Assets and Liabilities” (“SFAS No. 140”).
     In certain transactions, Sovereign has transferred assets to SPEs qualifying for non-consolidation (“QSPE”) and has accounted for the transaction as a sale in accordance with SFAS No. 140. Sovereign also has interests that continue to be held in the QSPEs. Off-balance sheet QSPEs had $2.0 billion of assets that Sovereign sold to the QSPEs which are not included in Sovereign’s Consolidated Balance Sheet at June 30, 2007. Sovereign’s interests that continue to be held and servicing assets in such QSPEs was $96.3 million at June 30, 2007 and this amount represents Sovereign’s maximum exposure to credit losses related to these unconsolidated securitizations. Sovereign does not provide contractual legal recourse to third party investors that purchase debt or equity securities issued by the QSPEs beyond the credit enhancement inherent in Sovereign’s subordinated interests in the QSPEs. At June 30, 2007, there are no known events or uncertainties that would result in or are reasonably likely to result in the termination or material reduction in availability to Sovereign’s access to off-balance sheet markets. See Note 12 for a description of Sovereign’s interests that continue to be held in its off-balance sheet asset securitizations.

48


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Bank Regulatory Capital
     The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (“FIRREA”) requires institutions regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) to have a minimum leverage capital ratio equal to 3% of tangible assets and 4% of risk-adjusted assets, and a risk-based capital ratio equal to 8% as defined. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (“FDICIA”) requires OTS regulated institutions to have minimum tangible capital equal to 2% of total tangible assets.
     The FDICIA established five capital tiers: well-capitalized, adequately-capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. A depository institution’s capital tier depends upon its capital levels in relation to various relevant capital measures, which include leverage and risk-based capital measures and certain other factors. Depository institutions that are not classified as well-capitalized or adequately-capitalized are subject to various restrictions regarding capital distributions, payment of management fees, acceptance of brokered deposits and other operating activities. At June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006, Sovereign Bank had met all quantitative thresholds necessary to be classified as well-capitalized under regulatory guidelines.
     Federal banking laws, regulations and policies also limit Sovereign Bank’s ability to pay dividends and make other distributions to Sovereign Bancorp. Sovereign Bank is required to give prior notice to the OTS before paying any dividend. In addition Sovereign Bank must obtain prior OTS approval to declare a dividend or make any other capital distribution if, after such dividend or distribution, Sovereign Bank’s total distributions to Sovereign within that calendar year would exceed 100% of its net income during the year plus retained net income for the prior two years, or if Sovereign Bank is not adequately capitalized at the time. In addition, OTS prior approval would be required if Sovereign Bank’s examination or CRA ratings fall below certain levels or Sovereign Bank is notified by the OTS that it is a problem association or an association in troubled condition. The following schedule summarizes the actual capital balances of Sovereign Bank at June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2006 (in thousands):
                                 
                    TIER 1     TOTAL  
            TIER 1     RISK-BASED     RISK-BASED  
    TANGIBLE     LEVERAGE     CAPITAL TO     CAPITAL TO  
    CAPITAL TO     CAPITAL TO     RISK     RISK  
    TANGIBLE     TANGIBLE     ADJUSTED     ADJUSTED  
REGULATORY CAPITAL   ASSETS     ASSETS     ASSETS     ASSETS  
Sovereign Bank at June 30, 2007:
                               
Regulatory capital
  $ 5,359,371     $ 5,359,371     $ 5,095,754     $ 6,805,141  
Minimum capital requirement (1)
    1,547,560       3,095,121       2,603,969       5,207,939  
 
                       
 
                               
Excess
  $ 3,811,811     $ 2,264,250     $ 2,491,785     $ 1,597,202  
 
                       
 
                               
Sovereign Bank capital ratio
    6.93 %     6.93 %     7.83 %     10.45 %
 
                               
Sovereign Bank at December 31, 2006:
                               
Regulatory capital
  $ 5,224,710     $ 5,224,710     $ 5,023,535     $ 6,726,462  
Minimum capital requirement (1)
    1,679,397       3,358,794       2,671,247       5,342,494  
 
                       
 
                               
Excess
  $ 3,545,313     $ 1,865,916     $ 2,352,288     $ 1,383,968  
 
                       
 
                               
Sovereign Bank capital ratio
    6.22 %     6.22 %     7.52 %     10.07 %
 
(1)   Minimum capital requirement as defined by OTS Regulations.
     Listed below are capital ratios for Sovereign Bancorp.
                         
    TANGIBLE        
    COMMON   TANGIBLE   TIER 1
    EQUITY TO   EQUITY TO   LEVERAGE
    TANGIBLE   TANGIBLE   CAPITAL
REGULATORY CAPITAL   ASSETS   ASSETS   RATIO
Capital ratio at June 30, 2007 (1)
    4.07 %     4.33 %     6.40 %
Capital ratio at December 31, 2006 (1)
    3.50 %     3.73 %     5.73 %
 
(1)   OTS capital regulations do not apply to savings and loan holding companies. These ratios are computed as if those regulations did apply to Sovereign Bancorp, Inc.

49


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     The Sovereign Bancorp capital ratios at June 30, 2007 have increased from December 31, 2006 levels due to significant charges that were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2006 related to the balance sheet restructuring and the expense saving initiatives as discussed in our Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
     Liquidity represents the ability of Sovereign to obtain cost effective funding to meet the needs of customers, as well as Sovereign’s financial obligations. Sovereign’s primary sources of liquidity include retail and commercial deposit gathering, Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) borrowings, federal funds purchases, reverse repurchase agreements and wholesale deposit purchases. Other sources of liquidity include asset securitizations, loan sales, and periodic cash flows from amortizing mortgage backed securities.
     Factors which impact the liquidity position of Sovereign Bank include loan origination volumes, loan prepayment rates, maturity structure of existing loans, core deposit growth levels, CD maturity structure and retention, Sovereign’s credit ratings, general market conditions, investment portfolio cash flows and maturity structure of wholesale funding, etc. These risks are monitored and centrally managed. This process includes reviewing all available wholesale liquidity sources. As of June 30, 2007, Sovereign had $11.3 billion in available overnight liquidity in the form of unused federal funds purchased lines, unused FHLB borrowing capacity and unencumbered investments to be pledged as collateral for additional borrowings. Sovereign also forecasts future liquidity needs and develops strategies to ensure that adequate liquidity is available at all times.
     Sovereign Bancorp has the following major sources of funding to meet its liquidity requirements: dividends and returns of investment from its subsidiaries, a revolving credit agreement and access to the capital markets. Sovereign Bank may pay dividends to its parent subject to approval of the OTS, as discussed above. Sovereign also has approximately $1.8 billion of availability under a shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission permitting access to the public debt and equity markets.
     Cash and cash equivalents increased $63.2 million from December 31, 2006. Net cash provided by operating activities was $381.2 million for 2007. Net cash provided by investing activities for 2007 was $6.7 billion and consisted primarily of proceeds from the sale of loans of $9.0 billion and the maturity or prepayment of investment securities of $3.7 billion, offset by investment purchases and the net change in loans of $3.6 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively. Net cash used by financing activities for 2007 was $7.0 billion, which was primarily due to decreases of $3.9 billion and $2.5 billion in borrowings and deposits, respectively. See the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for further details on our sources and uses of cash.
     Sovereign’s debt agreements impose customary limitations on dividends, other payments and transactions. These limits are not expected to affect dividend payments at current levels, or if declared, reasonably anticipated increases.

50


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments
     Sovereign enters into contractual obligations in the normal course of business as a source of funds for its asset growth and its asset/liability management, to fund acquisitions, and to meet required capital needs. These obligations require Sovereign to make cash payments over time as detailed in the table below.
Contractual Obligations
(in thousands of dollars)
                                         
    Payments Due by Period  
            Less than     Over 1 yr     Over 3 yrs     Over  
    Total     1 year     to 3 yrs     to 5 yrs     5 yrs  
FHLB advances (1)
  $ 19,051,982     $ 11,726,767     $ 1,486,114     $ 872,112     $ 4,966,989  
Securities sold under repurchase agreements (1)
    80,490       3,225       77,265              
Fed Funds (1)
    420,060       420,060                    
Other debt obligations (1)
    4,082,641       1,445,472       697,781       670,075       1,269,313  
Junior subordinated debentures due to Capital Trust entities (1)(2)
    4,250,770       154,110       186,820       188,018       3,721,822  
Certificates of deposit (1)
    15,832,193       13,397,748       1,644,480       308,377       481,588  
Investment partnership commitments (3)
    39,891       24,920       14,845       32       94  
Operating leases
    827,980       99,872       174,114       155,957       398,037  
 
                             
 
                                       
Total contractual cash obligations
  $ 44,586,007     $ 27,272,174     $ 4,281,419     $ 2,194,571     $ 10,837,843  
 
                             
 
(1)   Includes interest on both fixed and variable rate obligations. The interest associated with variable rate obligations is based upon interest rates in effect at June 30, 2007. The contractual amounts to be paid on variable rate obligations are affected by changes in market interest rates. Future changes in market interest rates could materially affect the contractual amounts to be paid.
 
(2)   Excludes unamortized premiums or discounts.
 
(3)   The commitments to fund investment partnerships represent future cash outlays for the construction and development of properties for low-income housing, and historic tax credit projects. The timing and amounts of these commitments are projected based upon the financing arrangements provided in each project’s partnership or operating agreement, and could change due to variances in the construction schedule, project revisions, or the cancellation of the project.
     Excluded from the above table are deposits of $34.7 billion that are due on demand by customers.

51


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Sovereign’s senior credit facility requires Sovereign to maintain certain financial ratios and to maintain a “well capitalized” regulatory status. Sovereign has complied with these covenants as of June 30, 2007 and expects to be in compliance with these covenants for the foreseeable future. However, if in the future Sovereign is not in compliance with these ratios or is deemed to be other than well capitalized by the OTS, and is unable to obtain a waiver from its lenders, Sovereign would be in default under this credit facility and the lenders could terminate the facility and accelerate the maturity of any outstanding borrowings thereunder. Due to cross-default provisions in such senior credit facility, if more than $5 million of Sovereign’s debt is in default, Sovereign will be in default under this credit facility and the lenders could terminate the facility and accelerate the maturity of any borrowings thereunder.
     Sovereign is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers and to manage its own exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit, standby letters of credit, loans sold with recourse, forward contracts and interest rate swaps, caps and floors. These financial instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheet. The contract or notional amounts of these financial instruments reflect the extent of involvement Sovereign has in particular classes of financial instruments. Commitments to extend credit, including standby letters of credit, do not necessarily represent future cash requirements, in that these commitments often expire without being drawn upon.
     Sovereign’s exposure to credit loss in the event of non-performance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit, standby letters of credit and loans sold with recourse is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. Sovereign uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instruments. For interest rate swaps, caps and floors and forward contracts, the contract or notional amounts do not represent exposure to credit loss. Sovereign controls the credit risk of its interest rate swaps, caps and floors and forward contracts through credit approvals, limits and monitoring procedures.
Amount of Commitment Expiration Per Period
                                         
    Total                          
         Other Commercial   Amounts     Less than     Over 1 yr     Over 3 yrs        
           Commitments   Committed     1 year     to 3 yrs     to 5 yrs     Over 5 yrs  
    (in thousands of dollars)                                        
Commitments to extend credit
  $ 20,978,583     $ 9,817,177     $ 3,384,728     $ 3,471,965     $ 4,304,713  
Standby letters of credit
    4,151,049       911,730       1,188,328       1,758,412       292,579  
Loans sold with recourse
    267,171       4,564       23,752       46,075       192,780  
Forward buy commitments
    444,866       444,866                    
 
                             
 
                                       
Total commercial commitments
  $ 25,841,669     $ 11,178,337     $ 4,596,808     $ 5,276,452     $ 4,790,072  
 
                             
     Sovereign’s standby letters of credit meet the definition of a guarantee under FASB Interpretation No. 45 “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others”. These transactions are conditional commitments issued by Sovereign to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. The guarantees are primarily issued to support public and private borrowing arrangements. The weighted average term of these commitments is 3.0 years. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities to customers. In the event of a draw by the beneficiary that complies with the terms of the letter of credit, Sovereign would be required to honor the commitment. Sovereign has various forms of collateral, such as real estate assets and customer business assets. The maximum undiscounted exposure related to these commitments at June 30, 2007 was $4.2 billion, and the approximate value of the underlying collateral upon liquidation that would be expected to cover this maximum potential exposure was $3.2 billion. The fees related to standby letters of credit are deferred and amortized over the life of the commitment. These fees are immaterial to Sovereign’s financial statements at June 30, 2007. We believe that the utilization rate of these letters of credit will continue to be substantially less than the amount of these commitments, as has been our experience to date.

52


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
Asset and Liability Management
     Interest rate risk arises primarily through Sovereign’s traditional business activities of extending loans and accepting deposits. Many factors, including economic and financial conditions, movements in market interest rates and consumer preferences, affect the spread between interest earned on assets and interest paid on liabilities. In managing its interest rate risk, the Company seeks to minimize the variability of net interest income across various likely scenarios while at the same time maximizing its net interest income and net interest margin. To achieve these objectives, the treasury group works closely with each business line in the Company and guides new business. The treasury group also uses various other tools to manage interest rate risk including wholesale funding maturity targeting, investment portfolio purchase strategies, asset securitization/sale, and financial derivatives.
     Interest rate risk is managed centrally by the treasury group with oversight by the Asset and Liability Committee. Management reviews various forms of analysis to monitor interest rate risk including net interest income sensitivity, market value sensitivity, repricing frequency of assets versus liabilities and scenario analysis. Numerous assumptions are made to produce these analyses including, but not limited to, assumptions on new business volumes, loan and investment prepayment rates, deposit flows, interest rate curves, economic conditions, and competitor pricing.
     Sovereign simulates the impact of changing interest rates on its expected future interest income and interest expense (net interest income sensitivity). This simulation is run monthly and it includes up to twelve different stress scenarios. These scenarios shift interest rates up and down. Certain other scenarios shift short-term rates up while holding longer-term rates constant and vice versa. These shocks are instantaneous and the analysis helps management to better understand its short-term interest rate risk. Actual rate shifts do not occur in an instantaneous manner but these stress scenarios help to better highlight imbalances. This information is then used to develop proactive strategies to ensure that the Company is not overly sensitive to the future direction of interest rates.
     The table below discloses the estimated sensitivity to Sovereign’s net interest income based on interest rate changes:
         
    The following estimated percentage
If interest rates changed in parallel by the   increase/(decrease) to net interest
amounts below at June 30, 2007 income would result
Up 100 basis points
    (2.43 )%
Down 100 basis points
    1.22 %
     The matching of assets and liabilities may be analyzed by examining the extent to which such assets and liabilities are “interest rate sensitive” and by monitoring a bank’s interest rate sensitivity “gap.” An asset or liability is said to be interest rate sensitive within a specific time frame if it will mature or reprice within that period of time. The interest rate sensitivity gap is defined as the difference between the amount of interest-earning assets maturing or repricing within a specific time frame and the amount of interest-bearing liabilities maturing or repricing within that same period of time. In a rising interest rate environment, an institution with a negative gap would generally be expected, absent the effects of other factors, to experience a greater increase in the cost of its interest-bearing liabilities than it would in the yield on its interest-earning assets, thus producing a decline in its net interest income. Conversely, in a declining rate environment, an institution with a negative gap would generally be expected to experience a lesser reduction in the yield on its interest-earning assets than it would in the cost of its interest-bearing liabilities, thus producing an increase in its net interest income.
     As of June 30, 2007, the one year cumulative gap was (1.78)%, compared to (4.97)% at December 31, 2006. The impact of the previously discussed balance sheet restructuring has brought this ratio closer to 0%.

53


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (continued)
     Finally, Sovereign calculates the market value of its balance sheet including all assets, liabilities and hedges. This market value analysis is very useful because it measures the present value of all estimated future interest income and interest expense cash flows of the Company. Management calculates a Net Portfolio Value (NPV) which is the market value of assets minus the market value of liabilities and is used to assess long-term interest rate risk. A higher NPV ratio indicates lower long-term interest rate risk and a more valuable franchise. The table below discloses Sovereign’s estimated net portfolio value based on interest rate changes:
                 
If interest rates changed in parallel by the   Estimated NPV Ratio
amounts below at June 30, 2007   June 30, 2007   December 31, 2006
Base
    12.72 %     10.87 %
Up 200 basis points
    11.92 %     10.16 %
Up 100 basis points
    12.35 %     10.58 %
Down 100 basis points
    12.76 %     10.79 %
Down 200 basis points
    12.44 %     10.33 %
     Because the assumptions used are inherently uncertain, Sovereign cannot precisely predict the effect of higher or lower interest rates on net interest income. Actual results will differ from simulated results due to the timing, magnitude and frequency of interest rate changes, the difference between actual experience and the assumed volume and characteristics of new business and behavior of existing positions, and changes in market conditions and management strategies, among other factors.
     Pursuant to its interest rate risk management strategy, Sovereign enters into hedging transactions that involve interest rate exchange agreements (swaps, caps, and floors) and forward sale or purchase commitments for interest rate risk management purposes. Sovereign’s objective in managing its interest rate risk is to provide sustainable levels of net interest income while limiting the impact that changes in interest rates have on net interest income.
     Interest rate swaps are generally used to convert fixed rate assets and liabilities to variable rate assets and liabilities and vice versa. Sovereign utilizes interest rate swaps that have a high degree of correlation to the related financial instrument.
     As part of its overall business strategy, Sovereign originates fixed rate residential mortgages. It sells a portion of this production to FHLMC, FNMA, and private investors. The loans are exchanged for cash or marketable fixed rate mortgage-backed securities which are generally sold. This helps insulate Sovereign from the interest rate risk associated with these fixed rate assets. Sovereign uses forward sales, cash sales and options on mortgage-backed securities as a means of hedging against changes in interest rate on the mortgages that are originated for sale and on interest rate lock commitments.
     To accommodate customer needs, Sovereign enters into customer-related financial derivative transactions primarily consisting of interest rate swaps, caps, floors and foreign exchange contracts. Risk exposure from customer positions is managed through transactions with other dealers.
     Through the Company’s capital markets, mortgage-banking and precious metals activities, it is subject to trading risk. The Company employs various tools to measure and manage price risk in its trading portfolios. In addition, the Board of Directors has established certain limits relative to positions and activities. The level of price risk exposure at any given point in time depends on the market environment and expectations of future price and market movements, and will vary from period to period.

54


 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
     Incorporated by reference from Part I, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition — Asset and Liability Management” hereof.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
     The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined under Rule 13a-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of June 30, 2007. There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended June 30, 2007, that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

55


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1 is not applicable.
Item 1A – Risk Factors
     There has been no material change in the Corporation’s risk factors as previously disclosed in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 in response to Item 1A to Part I of such Form 10-K. Such risk factors are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 2 – Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
The table below summarizes the Company’s repurchases of common equity securities during the quarter ended June 30, 2007:
                                 
                            Maximum Number
            Average   Total Number of   of Shares
    Total   Price   Shares Purchased   that may be
    Number of   Paid   as Part of Publicly   Purchased Under
    Shares   Per   Announced Plans   the Plans or
            Period   Purchased   Share   or Programs (1)   Programs (1)
4/1/07 through 4/30/07
    1,339     $ 25.41       N/A       19,500,000  
5/1/07 through 5/31/07
    303       24.00       N/A       19,500,000  
6/1/07 through 6/30/07
    10,741       22.28       N/A       19,500,000  
 
(1)   Sovereign has three stock repurchase programs in effect that would allow the Company to repurchase up to 40.5 million shares of common stock as of June 30, 2007. Twenty one million shares have been purchased under these repurchase programs as of June 30, 2007. All of Sovereign’s stock repurchase programs have no prescribed time limit in which to fill the authorized repurchase amount.
 
Sovereign does occasionally repurchase its common securities on the open market to fund equity compensation plans for its employees. Additionally, Sovereign repurchases its shares from employees who surrender a portion of their shares received through the Company’s stock based compensation plans to cover their associated minimum income tax liabilities. Sovereign repurchased 12,383 shares outside of publicly announced repurchase programs during the second quarter of 2007.
Item 3 is not applicable or the response is negative.
Item 4 — Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
     The 2007 annual meeting of the shareholders of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. was held on May 3, 2007. The following is a brief description of each matter voted on at the meeting.
                                         
    SHARES
                                  BROKER
PROPOSAL FOR AGAINST WITHHELD ABSTENTIONS NON-VOTES
1. To elect three (3) Class II directors of Sovereign, each to serve for a term of three years and until their successors shall have been elected and qualified:
                                       
P. Michael Ehlerman
    379,522,607       N/A       37,841,774              
Andrew C. Hove, Jr.
    380,898,181       N/A       36,466,200              
Juan Rodriguez-Inciarte
    377,717,607       N/A       39,646,774              
2. To ratify the appointment by the Audit Committee of Sovereign’s Board of Directors of Ernst & Young LLP as Sovereign’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007
    413,726,337       1,224,642             2,413,402        
3. To approve the shareholder proposal to amend the Company’s amended and restated articles of incorporation to “opt out” of coverage of Subchapter E of Chapter 25 of Pennsylvania’s Business Corporation Law
    361,425,314       52,676,810             3,262,257        
Item 5 is not applicable or the response is negative.

56


 

Item 6 – Exhibits
     (a) Exhibits
     
(3.1)
  Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sovereign Bancorp’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007).
 
   
(3.2)
  Bylaws of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc., as amended and restated (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Sovereign Bancorp’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007).
 
   
(4.1)
  Second Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement (the “Second Amendment”), dated as of June 29, 2007, between Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. and Mellon Investor Services LLC (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 of Sovereign Bancorp’s Form 8-K/A No. 5 filed June 29, 2007).
 
   
(4.2)
  Form of Rights Certificate (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit B to the Second Amendment). Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, the Amendment and the Second Amendment, Rights will not be distributed until after the Distribution Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement, as amended).
 
   
(31.1)
  Chief Executive Officer certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
(31.2)
  Chief Financial Officer certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
(32.1)
  Chief Executive Officer certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
(32.2)
  Chief Financial Officer certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

57


 

SIGNATURES
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
     
 
  SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC.
 
  (Registrant)
 
   
Date: August 8, 2007
  /s/ Joseph P. Campanelli
 
   
 
  Joseph P. Campanelli,
 
  Chief Executive Officer and President
 
  (Authorized Officer)
 
   
Date: August 8, 2007
  /s/ Mark R. McCollom
 
   
 
  Mark R. McCollom
 
  Chief Financial Officer
 
  (Principal Financial Officer)

58


 

SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
EXHIBITS INDEX
     
(3.1)
  Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Sovereign Bancorp’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007).
 
   
(3.2)
  Bylaws of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc., as amended and restated (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Sovereign Bancorp’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2007).
 
   
(4.1)
  Second Amendment to Second Amended and Restated Rights Agreement (the “Second Amendment”), dated as of June 29, 2007, between Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. and Mellon Investor Services LLC (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 of Sovereign Bancorp’s Form 8-K/A No. 5 filed June 29, 2007).
 
   
(4.2)
  Form of Rights Certificate (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit B to the Second Amendment). Pursuant to the Rights Agreement, the Amendment and the Second Amendment, Rights will not be distributed until after the Distribution Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement, as amended).
 
   
(31.1)
  Chief Executive Officer certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
(31.2)
  Chief Financial Officer certification pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
(32.1)
  Chief Executive Officer certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
(32.2)
  Chief Financial Officer certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

59

EX-31.1 2 w37883exv31w1.htm CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CERTIFICATION exv31w1
 

Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULE 13a-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
     I, Joseph P. Campanelli, Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc., certify that:
     1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc.;
     2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
     3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
     4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
          (a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
          (b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
          (c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
          (d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
     5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
          (a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
          (b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
         
     
/s/ Joseph P. Campanelli      
Joseph P. Campanelli     
Chief Executive Officer
August 8, 2007
   

 

EX-31.2 3 w37883exv31w2.htm CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CERTIFICATION exv31w2
 

Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULE 13a-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
     I, Mark R. McCollom, Chief Financial Officer of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc., certify that:
     1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc.;
     2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
     3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
     4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
          (a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
          (b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
          (c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
          (d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
     5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
          (a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
          (b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
         
     
/s/ Mark R. McCollom      
Mark R. McCollom     
Chief Financial Officer 
August 8, 2007
   

 

EX-32.1 4 w37883exv32w1.htm CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 exv32w1
 

Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ending June 30, 2007, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Joseph P. Campanelli, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
     (1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
     (2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all in material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
         
     
/s/ Joseph P. Campanelli      
Joseph P. Campanelli     
Chief Executive Officer 
August 8, 2007
   

 

EX-32.2 5 w37883exv32w2.htm CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CERTIFICATION PERTAINING TO SECTION 906 exv32w2
 

Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ending June 30, 2007, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Mark R. McCollom, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
     (1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
     (2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
         
     
/s/ Mark R. McCollom      
Mark R. McCollom     
Chief Financial Officer 
August 8, 2007
   
 

 

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