Derivative Instruments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

The Company utilizes derivative instruments to manage exposure to various types of interest rate risk for itself and its customers within policy guidelines. Transactions should only be entered into with an associated underlying exposure. All derivative instruments are carried at fair value.

Derivative contracts involve the risk of dealing with institutional derivative counterparties and their ability to meet contractual terms. Institutional counterparties must have an investment grade credit rating and be approved by the Company’s asset/liability management committee. In arranging these products for its customers, the Company assumes additional credit risk from the customer and from the dealer counterparty with whom the transaction is undertaken. Credit risk exists due to the default credit risk created in the exchange of the payments over a period of time. Credit exposure on interest rate swaps is limited to the net favorable value and interest payments of all swaps with each counterparty. Access to collateral in the event of default is reasonably assured. Therefore, credit exposure may be reduced by the amount of collateral pledged by the counterparty.

Hedge Structures

The Company will seek to enter derivative structures that most effectively address the risk exposure and structural terms of the underlying position being hedged. The term and notional principal amount of a hedge transaction will not exceed the term or principal amount of the underlying exposure. In addition, the Company will use hedge indices which are the same as, or highly correlated to, the index or rate on the underlying exposure. Derivative credit exposure is monitored on an ongoing basis for each customer transaction and aggregate exposure to each counterparty is tracked.

Fair Value Hedges

For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative instrument as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged asset or liability attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in current earnings. The gain or loss on the derivative instrument is presented on the same income statement line item as the earnings effect of the hedged item. During the third quarter of 2021, the Company began utilizing interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges to mitigate the effect of changing interest rates on the fair values of fixed rate callable AFS securities. The hedging strategy converts the fixed interest rates to variable interest rates based on federal funds rates. The two year forward start date for these swaps occurred during late third quarter of 2023 and involves the payment of fixed interest rates with a weighted average of 1.21% in exchange for variable interest rates based on federal funds rates.

The following table summarizes the fair value hedges recorded in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

				September 30, 2023				December 31, 2022
(In thousands)	Balance Sheet Location	Weighted Average Pay Rate	Receive Rate	Notional		Fair Value		Notional		Fair Value
Derivative assets	Other assets	1.21%	Federal Funds	$	1,001,715	$	144,281	$	1,001,715	$	104,833

The following amounts were recorded on the balance sheet related to carrying amounts and cumulative basis adjustments for fair value hedges.

	Carrying Amount of Hedged Assets				Cumulative Amount of Fair Value Hedging Adjustment Included in the Carrying Amount of Hedged Assets
Line Item on the Balance Sheet (In thousands)	September 30, 2023		December 31, 2022		September 30, 2023		December 31, 2022
Investment securities - Available-for-sale	$	901,066	$	944,115	$	144,979	$	106,321

Customer Risk Management Interest Rate Swaps

The Company’s qualified loan customers have the opportunity to participate in its interest rate swap program for the purpose of managing interest rate risk on their variable rate loans with the Company. The Company enters into such agreements with customers, then offsetting agreements are executed between the Company and an approved dealer counterparty to minimize market risk from changes in interest rates. The counterparty contracts are identical to customer contracts in terms of notional amounts, interest rates, and maturity dates, except for a fixed pricing spread or fee paid to the Company by the dealer counterparty. These interest rate swaps carry varying degrees of credit, interest rate and market or liquidity risks. The fair value of these derivative instruments is recognized as either derivative assets or liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company has a limited number of swaps that are standalone without a similar agreement with the loan customer.

The following table summarizes the fair values of loan derivative contracts recorded in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

	September 30, 2023				December 31, 2022
(In thousands)	Notional		Fair Value		Notional		Fair Value
Derivative assets	$	506,483	$	33,902	$	413,968	$	34,490
Derivative liabilities	507,450		33,801		414,955		34,440

Risk Participation Agreements

The Company has a limited number of Risk Participation Agreement swaps, that are associated with loan participations, where the Company is not the counterparty to the interest rate swaps that are associated with the risk participation sold. The interest rate swap mark to market only impacts the Company if the swap is in a liability position to the counterparty and the customer defaults on payments to the counterparty. The notional amount of these contingent agreements is $19.9 million as of September 30, 2023.

Energy Hedging

The Company, from time-to-time, has provided energy derivative services to qualifying, high quality oil and gas borrowers for hedging purposes. The Company has served as an intermediary on energy derivative products between the Company’s borrowers and dealers. The Company will only enter into back-to-back trades, thus maintaining a balanced book between the dealer and the borrower.

The energy hedging risk exposure to the Company’s customer would increase as energy prices for crude oil and natural gas rise. As prices decrease, exposure to the exchange would increase. These risks are mitigated by customer credit underwriting policies and establishing a predetermined hedge line for each borrower and by monitoring the exchange margin.

During the second quarter of 2023, the Company’s remaining energy hedge swap contracts expired and there were no outstanding notional values related to these contracts as of September 30, 2023. Currently, the Company generally does not intend to offer hedging services to any remaining energy related customers.