(1)	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and do not include all information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (US GAAP) for complete financial statements. The consolidated unaudited financial statements of Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. (“Bancorp”) and its subsidiary reflect all adjustments (consisting only of adjustments of a normal recurring nature) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of financial condition and results of operations for the interim periods.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company (“Bank”). Significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. In preparing the unaudited consolidated financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of certain assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of related revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, valuation of available-for sale securities, other real estate owned and income tax assets, and estimated liabilities and expense.

A description of other significant accounting policies is presented in the notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2015 included in Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain reclassifications have been made in the prior year financial statements to conform to current year classifications.

Interim results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire year.

Critical Accounting Policies

Management has identified the accounting policy related to the allowance and provision for loan losses as critical to the understanding of Bancorp’s results of operations and discussed this conclusion with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Since the application of this policy requires significant management assumptions and estimates, it could result in materially different amounts to be reported if conditions or underlying circumstances were to change. The provision reflects an allowance methodology that is driven by risk ratings, historical losses, and qualitative factors. Assumptions include many factors such as changes in borrowers’ financial condition which can occur quickly or historical loss ratios related to certain loan portfolios which may or may not be indicative of future losses. In the second quarter of 2015, Bancorp extended the historical period used to capture Bancorp’s historical loss ratios from 12 quarters to 24 quarters. Management believes the extension of the look-back period is appropriate to capture the impact of a full economic cycle and more accurately represents the current level of risk inherent in the loan portfolio. To the extent that management’s assumptions prove incorrect, the results from operations could be materially affected by a higher or lower provision for loan losses. The accounting policy related to the allowance for loan losses is applicable to the commercial banking segment of Bancorp.

The allowance for loan losses is management’s estimate of probable losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectability of a loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance.

Bancorp’s allowance calculation includes allocations to loan portfolio segments at September 30, 2016 for qualitative factors including, among other factors, economic and business conditions in each of our primary markets, the quality and experience of lending staff and management, exceptions to lending policies, levels of and trends in past due loans and loan classifications, concentrations of credit such as collateral type, trends in portfolio growth, dependency upon the value of underlying collateral for collateral-dependent loans, effect of other external factors such as the national economic and business trends, quality and depth of the loan review function and management’s judgement of current trends and potential risks. Bancorp uses the sum of all allowance amounts derived as described above as the appropriate level of allowance for loan and lease losses. Changes in the criteria used in this evaluation or the availability of new information could cause the allowance to be increased or decreased in future periods. In addition, bank regulatory agencies, as part of their examination process, may require adjustments to the allowance for loan and lease losses based on their judgments and estimates.