Item 1. Business

 

City Holding Company (the "Company" or "City Holding" or the "Parent Company") is a financial holding company headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia. The Company conducts its principal activities through its wholly-owned subsidiary, City National Bank of West Virginia (“City National”). City National provides banking, trust and investment management and other financial solutions through its network of 100 bank branches and 891 full-time equivalent associates located in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and southeastern Ohio. The Company’s business activities are currently limited to one reportable business segment, which is community banking.

In July 2018, the Company announced that it had concurrently executed two separate definitive agreements to acquire Poage Bankshares, Inc., of Ashland, Kentucky and its principal banking subsidiary, Town Square Bank (collectively, "Poage") and Farmers Deposit Bancorp, Inc., of Cynthiana, Kentucky and its principal banking subsidiary, Farmers Deposit Bank (collectively, "Farmers Deposit"). The acquisitions were finalized in December 2018. Poage operated nine branches across northeastern Kentucky, along with a loan production office in Cincinnati, Ohio. Farmers Deposit operated three branches around the Lexington, Kentucky region. As a result of overlapping service areas, the Company plans to merge three of the Poage branches into existing City branches and two existing City branches into former Poage branches.

In September 2018, the Company opened a new branch office in Morgantown, West Virginia. In December 2018, the Company opened a new branch office in the Columbus suburb of Worthington, Ohio.

Rendition of the Company's Worthington branch.

    

In January 2019, the Company announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell its Virginia Beach, Virginia, branch to Select Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for Select Bank & Trust Company. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2019.

After the Poage-City branch mergers and the Virginia Beach branch divestiture, the Company expects to have 94 bank branches in its network.

During 2018, the Company received the highest ranking in customer satisfaction in the north central region in J.D. Power's 2018 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study.

The principal products produced and services rendered by City National include:

City National’s customer base is diverse and no single depositor could have a material adverse effect on liquidity, capital, or other elements of financial performance. Although no portion of City National’s loan portfolio is concentrated within a single industry or group of related industries in excess of City National's internally designated limit, residential mortgage loans have historically comprised a significant portion of its loan portfolio. At December 31, 2018 , approximately 50% of the Company’s loan portfolio was categorized as residential mortgage and home equity loans. However, due to the fractured nature of residential mortgage lending, there is no concentration of credits that would be considered materially detrimental to the Company’s financial position or operating results.

 

The Company’s business is not seasonal and has no significant foreign sources or applications of funds.  There are no anticipated material capital expenditures, or any expected material effects on earnings or the Company’s competitive position as a result of compliance with federal, state and local provisions enacted or adopted relating to environmental protection.

 

City National’s loan portfolio is comprised of commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, residential real estate, home equity, consumer loans and demand deposit account ("DDA") overdrafts.

 

City National's commercial and industrial loan portfolio consists of loans to corporate and other legal entity borrowers, primarily small to mid-size industrial and commercial companies. Commercial and industrial loans typically involve a higher level of risk than other loan types, including industry specific risks such as the pertinent economy, new technology, labor rates and cyclicality, as well as customer specific factors, such as cash flow, financial structure, operating controls and asset quality.  Collateral securing these loans includes equipment, machinery, inventory, receivables and vehicles. As of December 31, 2018 , City National reported $286 million of loans classified as “Commercial and Industrial.”

 

Commercial real estate loans consist of commercial mortgages, which generally are secured by nonresidential and multi-family residential properties, including hotel/motel and apartment lending. Commercial real estate loans are provided to many of the same customers and carry similar industry and customer specific risks as the commercial and industrial loans, but have different collateral risks.    As of December 31, 2018 , City National reported $1.43 billion of loans classified as “Commercial Real Estate.”

City National diversifies risk within the commercial and industrial and commercial real estate portfolios by closely monitoring industry concentrations (against internally established risk-based capital thresholds) and portfolios to ensure that it does not exceed established lending guidelines. Diversification is intended to limit the risk of loss from any single unexpected economic event or trend. Underwriting standards require a comprehensive credit analysis and independent evaluation of all larger balance commercial loans by the loan committee prior to approval.

City National categorizes commercial loans by industry according to the North American Industry Classification System ("NAICS") to monitor its portfolio for possible concentrations in one or more industries. Management monitors industry concentrations against internally established risk-based capital thresholds. As of December 31, 2018 , City National was within its internally designated concentration limits. Further, with the exception of loans to borrowers within the "Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings", no other NAICS industry classification exceeded 10% of total loans at December 31, 2018 . Loans to "Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings" were 12% of total loans at December 31, 2018. Management also monitors non-owner occupied commercial real estate as a percent of risk-based capital (based upon regulatory guidance). At December 31, 2018, the Company had $1.3 billion of commercial loans classified as non-owner occupied, which was within its designated concentration threshold.

     Residential real estate loans represent loans to consumers that are secured by a first priority lien on residential real property. Residential real estate loans include loans for the purchase or refinance of consumers' residences and first-priority home equity loans allow consumers to borrow against the equity in their home. These loans primarily consist of single family three- and five-year adjustable rate mortgages with terms that amortize up to 30 years. City National also offers fixed-rate residential real estate loans that are sold in the secondary market; once sold these loans are not included on the Company's balance sheet and City National does not retain the servicing rights to these loans.  Residential purchase real estate loans are generally underwritten to comply with Fannie Mae guidelines, while first priority lien home equity loans are underwritten with typically less documentation, lower loan-to-value ratios and shorter maturities. As of December 31, 2018 , City National reported $1.66 billion of loans classified as “Residential Real Estate.”

City National's home equity loans represent loans to consumers that are secured by a second (or junior) priority lien on residential real property. Home equity loans allow consumers to borrow against the equity in their home without paying off an existing first priority lien. These loans include home equity lines of credit ("HELOC") and amortized home equity loans that require monthly installment payments. Second priority lien home equity loans are underwritten with less documentation than first priority lien residential real estate loans but typically have similar loan-to-value ratios and other terms as first priority lien residential real estate loans. The amount of credit extended under these loans is directly related to the value of the real estate securing the loan at the time the loan is made. As of December 31, 2018 , City National reported $153 million of loans classified as “Home Equity.”

All mortgage loans, whether fixed rate or adjustable rate, are originated in accordance with acceptable industry standards and comply with regulatory requirements. Fixed rate mortgage loans are processed and underwritten in accordance with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, while adjustable rate mortgage loans are underwritten in accordance with City National's internal loan policy.

 

Consumer loans may be secured by automobiles, boats, recreational vehicles, certificates of deposit and other personal property or they may be unsecured. The Company manages the risk associated with consumer loans by monitoring factors such as portfolio size and growth, internal lending policies, and pertinent economic conditions. City National's underwriting standards for consumer loans are continually evaluated and modified based upon these factors. As of December 31, 2018 , City National reported $51 million of loans classified as “Consumer.”

 

DDA overdraft balances reflect demand deposit accounts that have been overdrawn by deposit customers and have been reclassified as loans.  As of December 31, 2018 , City National reported $6 million of loans classified as “DDA Overdrafts.”

 

City National’s loan underwriting guidelines and standards are updated periodically with suggested revisions presented to City Holding Company's Board of Directors for approval. The purpose of the underwriting guidelines and standards is to grant loans on a sound and collectible basis; to invest available funds in a safe and profitable manner; to serve the legitimate credit needs of the communities in City National's primary market area; and to ensure that all loan applicants receive fair and equal treatment throughout the lending process. The underwriting guidelines and standards are intended to: (i) minimize loan losses by carefully investigating the credit history and creditworthiness of each applicant; (ii) verify the source of repayment and the ability of the applicant to repay; (iii) adequately collateralize those loans in which collateral is deemed to be required; (iv) exercise appropriate care in the documentation of the application, review, approval, and origination processes; and (v) administer a comprehensive loan collection program. The underwriting guidelines are adhered to by the loan officer assigned to the loan application and subject to his or her experience, background and personal judgment.

 

Market Area

 

City National operates a network of 100 bank branches primarily along the I-64 corridor from Lexington, Kentucky through Lexington, Virginia and along the I-81 corridor through the Shenandoah Valley from Lexington, Virginia to Martinsburg, West Virginia. City National's branch network includes 58 branches in West Virginia, 24 branches in Kentucky, 14 branches in Virginia and 4 branches in Ohio. City National provides credit, deposit and investment advisory products and services to a broad geographical area that includes many rural and small community markets in addition to larger cities including Charleston (WV), Huntington (WV), Martinsburg (WV), Ashland (KY), Lexington (KY), Winchester (VA) and Staunton (VA). In addition to its branch network, City National's delivery channels include automated-teller-machines ("ATMs"), interactive-teller machines ("ITMs"), mobile banking, debit cards, interactive voice response systems, and Internet technology.

City National also provides commercial products and services to customers that are outside of its branches' geographical footprint, such as the Charlotte, North Carolina and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania markets. These loans are diversified across a broad base of industry types, including multi-family housing properties, properties leased to government agencies, nursing homes, grocery and retail stores, and other commercial and industrial loans. At December 31, 2018 , the outstanding balance of commercial loans to markets outside of the geographical footprint of the bank's branches was approximately $286 million, or 17% of City National's outstanding commercial loan balances.

City National has approximately 12% of the deposit market share in the counties of West Virginia where its bank branches are located. In Kentucky, City National has approximately 3% of the deposit market share in the counties where its bank branches are located. In Virginia, City National has approximately 9% of the deposit market share in the counties along the I-81 corridor where its bank branches are located. In Ohio, City National has approximately 18% of the deposit market share in Lawrence County where its bank branches are located (excluding the recently opened branch in Worthington, Ohio).

According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates (2017), in the West Virginia counties where City National's bank branches are located, the population was approximately 1.0 million and has decreased 0.2% since 2010.  The population in the counties that City National serves in Kentucky increased 4.3% since 2010. The population in the counties City National serves in Virginia along the I-81 corridor have increased 5.4% since 2010, which is more comparable to the national average increase of approximately 5.5%, and in Lawrence County, Ohio, where City National has three bank branches located in Ohio, the population has decreased 3.5% since 2010.

 

Competition

 

As noted previously, the Company’s principal markets are located in West Virginia and contiguous markets in the surrounding states of Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio. The majority of the Company’s bank branches are located in the areas of Charleston (WV), Huntington (WV), Beckley (WV), Lewisburg (WV), Martinsburg (WV), Lexington (KY), and along the I-81 corridor in Virginia where there is a significant presence of other financial service providers. Within its markets, the Company competes with national, regional, and local community banks for deposits, credit and trust and investment management customers. In addition to traditional banking organizations, the Company competes with credit unions, finance companies, financial technology companies, mutual funds, insurance companies, and other financial service providers, many of which are able to provide specialty financial products and services to targeted customer groups. As further discussed below, changes in laws and regulations enacted in recent years have increased the competitive environment the Company and its subsidiaries face to retain and attract customers.

Regulation and Supervision

 

Overview : The Company, as a registered financial holding company, and City National, as an insured depository institution, operate in a highly regulated environment and are regularly examined by federal regulators. The following description briefly discusses certain provisions of federal and state laws and regulations to which the Company and City National are subject and the potential impact of such provisions.  These federal and state laws and regulations are designed to reduce potential loss exposure to the depositors of depository institutions and to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s insurance fund; they are not intended to protect the Company’s shareholders. Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the banking industry are frequently raised in Congress, in state legislatures, and before the various bank regulatory agencies.  The likelihood and timing of any changes and the impact such changes might have on the Company are impossible to determine with any certainty.  A change in applicable laws or regulations, or a change in the way such laws or regulations are interpreted by regulatory agencies or courts, may have a material impact on the business, operations and earnings of the Company.  To the extent that the following information describes statutory or regulatory provisions, it is qualified entirely by reference to the particular statute and/or regulation.

 

As a financial holding company, the Company is regulated under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”), and is subject to inspection, examination and supervision by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board. The BHCA provides generally for “umbrella” regulation of bank holding companies such as the Company by the Federal Reserve Board, and for functional regulation of banking activities by bank regulators, securities activities by securities regulators, and insurance activities by insurance regulators. The Company is also under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and is subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as administered by the SEC. The Company is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market ("NASDAQ") under the trading symbol “CHCO” and is subject to the rules of the NASDAQ for listed companies.

 

City National is organized as a national banking association under the National Bank Act of 1863, as amended (the "National Bank Act"). It is subject to regulation and examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). The OCC's supervision and regulation of banks is primarily intended to protect the interests of depositors of the banks. The National Bank Act generally requires each national bank to maintain reserves against deposits, restricts the nature and amount of loans that the bank may make and the interest the bank may charge on such loans, and restricts investments and other activities of the bank.

 

Bank Holding Company Activities: In general, the BHCA limits the business of bank holding companies to banking, managing or controlling banks and certain other activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. Under the BHCA, bank holding companies that qualify and elect to be financial holding companies may engage in any activity, or acquire and retain the equity of a company engaged in any activity, that is either (i) financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity (as determined by the Federal Reserve Board in consultation with the OCC) or (ii) complementary to a financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally (as determined solely by the Federal Reserve Board). Activities that are financial in nature include, among other things, securities underwriting and dealing, insurance underwriting and making merchant banking investments.

 

The Company has elected and qualifies as a financial holding company. In order for the Company to maintain its financial holding company status, both the Company and City National must be categorized as "well-capitalized" and "well-managed" under applicable regulatory guidelines. If the Company or City National fails to meet these requirements, the Federal Reserve Board may impose corrective capital requirements or place limitations on the Company's ability to conduct the broader activities permissible for financial holding companies. The Federal Reserve Board also has the power to order any bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any activity or to terminate its ownership or control of any subsidiary when the Federal

Reserve Board has reasonable grounds to believe that continuation of such activity or such ownership or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness, safety or stability of any bank subsidiary of the bank holding company.

The BHCA, the Bank Merger Act, and other federal and state laws and regulations regulate mergers and acquisitions of commercial banks and bank holding companies. The prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board is typically required for City Holding Company to acquire more than 5% of the voting shares of a commercial bank or bank holding company. Mergers and acquisitions by the Company of national banks, state-chartered banks, federal and state savings associations, and certain other types of entities require prior approval from various regulators. In reviewing applications seeking approval of merger and acquisition transactions, the bank regulatory authorities will consider, among other things, the competitive effect and public benefits of the transaction, the capital position of the combined institution, and the applicant's previous adherence to various banking regulations, including the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 and anti-money laundering requirements.

Federal Reserve Board policy and federal law require that bank holding companies must serve as a source of financial strength to their subsidiary banks. The Company is expected to commit resources to City National, even at times when the Company may not be inclined to do so. For example, if bank regulatory agencies determine that City National's capital levels are impaired, the Company may be required to restore City National's capital levels with a special assessment.

 

Banking Operations: The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 ("BSA") and the International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001 (“Patriot Act”) require financial institutions to develop programs to help prevent them from being used for money laundering, terrorist or other illegal activities. The rules under the BSA and the Patriot Act include the following:  (a) require financial institutions to keep records and report on transactions or accounts at issue; (b) require financial institutions to obtain and retain information related to the beneficial ownership of any account opened or maintained by foreign persons; (c) require financial institutions to identify each customer who is permitted to use a payable-through or correspondent account and obtain certain information from each customer permitted to use the account; and (d) prohibit or impose conditions on the opening or maintaining of correspondent or payable-through accounts.  Failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with all of the relevant laws or regulations, could have serious legal and reputational consequences for the institution.

 

The Company and its subsidiary bank and other subsidiaries are "affiliates" within the meaning of the Federal Reserve Act.  The Federal Reserve Act imposes limitations on a bank with respect to extensions of credit to, investments in, and certain other transactions with, its parent bank holding company and the holding company’s other subsidiaries.  Loans and extensions of credit from the bank to its affiliates are also subject to various collateral requirements. Further, City National's authority to extend credit to the Company's directors, executive officers and principal shareholders, including their immediate family members, corporations and other entities that they control, is subject to the restrictions and additional requirements of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation O promulgated thereafter. These statutes and regulations impose specific limits on the amount of loans City National may make to directors and other insiders, and specify approval procedures that must be followed in making loans that exceed certain amounts.

 

The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (“CRA”) requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under the CRA, each depository institution is required to help meet the credit needs of its market areas by, among other things, providing credit to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities. Depository institutions are periodically examined for compliance with the CRA and are assigned ratings. In order for a financial holding company to commence any new activity permitted by the BHCA, or to acquire any company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHCA, each insured depository institution subsidiary of the financial holding company must have received a rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination under the CRA. Banking regulators also take into account CRA ratings when considering approval of a proposed merger or acquisition transaction.  Depository institutions are typically examined for CRA compliance every three years, although the frequency is at the OCC's discretion. City National received a "satisfactory" rating on its most recent CRA examination in 2018 .

 

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) was enacted in July 2010 and implemented far-reaching changes across the financial regulatory landscape, including provisions that impact the Company's operations and regulation of the Company in the following ways, among others:

 

The Volcker Rule was adopted under the Dodd-Frank Act and prohibit certain entities, including the Company and its affiliates, from owning, sponsoring, or having certain relationships with hedge funds and private equity funds and engaging in short-term proprietary trading of securities, derivatives, commodity futures and options on these instruments.

Since the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the "CFPB") has issued several regulations governing mainly consumer mortgage lending. These regulations include the ability to repay and qualified mortgage rule, which imposes additional requirements on banks designed to ensure borrowers' ability to repay their mortgage loans, a rule on escrow accounts for higher priced mortgage loans, a rule expanding the scope of the high-cost mortgage provision in the Truth in Lending Act, rules related to mortgage servicing, and an interagency rule on appraisals for higher-priced mortgage loans. The CFPB has also promulgated rules under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Truth in Lending Act, and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, all of which impact the Company's loan origination and servicing operations. The CFPB also has broad authority to supervise unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices related to banking.

The Company is also subject to the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act of 1999, which governs the distribution and protection of information about its customers, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which ensures fair and nondiscriminatory lending practicies, the Truth in Lending Act and Truth in Savings Act, which makes it easier for customers to compare products and services offered by financial institutions, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, which imposes additional disclosure requirements on the Company related to information about its mortgage lending, and other federal and state laws and regulations.

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (the "Regulatory Relief Act") was signed into law on May 24, 2018. The Regulatory Relief Act scales back certain aspects of the Dodd-Frank Act and provides other regulatory relief for financial institutions. Certain provisions affecting the Company include:

The Company is still assessing the impact that the Regulatory Relief Act will have on its financial condition and results of operations. In addition, regulatory agencies still need to issue several final rules and regulations required under the Regulatory Relief Act. The Company cannot be certain of the substance of the final rules and regulations or how they will impact the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

Capital Adequacy : Federal banking regulations set forth capital adequacy guidelines, which are used by regulatory authorities to assess the adequacy of capital in examining and supervising a bank holding company and its insured depository institutions.

In July 2013, the Federal Reserve published the final rules that established a new comprehensive capital framework for banking organizations, commonly referred to as Basel III. These final rules substantially revised the risk-based capital requirements applicable to bank holding companies and depository institutions. The final rule became effective January 1, 2015 for smaller, non-complex banking organizations with full implementation by January 1, 2019.

On January 1, 2019, the Basel III Capital Rules will require City Holding and City National to maintain minimum CET 1, Tier 1 and Total Capital ratios, along with a capital conservation buffer that will become fully phased in on that date, effectively resulting in new minimum capital ratios (which are shown in the table below). The implementation of the capital conservation buffer began on January 1, 2016 at the 0.625% level and was phased in over a four-year period (increasing by that amount on each subsequent January 1, until it reached 2.5% on January 1, 2019). The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking institutions with a ratio of CET 1 capital to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but below the conservation buffer (or below the combined capital conservation buffer and countercyclical capital buffer, when the latter is applied) will face constraints on dividends, equity repurchases and compensation based on the amount of the shortfall. The Basel III Capital Rules also provide for a “countercyclical capital buffer” that is applicable to only certain covered institutions and does not have any current applicability to City Holding Company or City National Bank.

    

The Company’s regulatory capital ratios for both City Holding and City National are illustrated in the following tables (dollars in thousands):

Management believes that, as of December 31, 2018 , City Holding and City National would meet all capital adequacy requirements under Basel III on a fully phased-in basis as if such requirements had been in effect. As discussed above, the Regulatory Relief Act will likely result in changes to the minimum required capital ratios applicable to the Company once final rules are implemented.

Additionally, federal banking laws require regulatory authorities to take “prompt corrective action” with respect to depository institutions that do not satisfy minimum capital requirements. The extent of these powers depends upon whether the institutions in question are “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized,” or “critically undercapitalized,” as such terms are defined under federal banking agency regulations. Depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements will face constraints on payment of dividends, equity repurchases and compensation based on the amount of shortfall. A depository institution that is not well capitalized is generally prohibited from accepting brokered deposits and offering interest rates on deposits higher than the prevailing rate in its market, may be subject to asset growth limitations, and may be required to submit capital restoration plans.

Incentive Compensation: The Company is subject to regulatory rules and guidance regarding employee incentive compensation policies intended to ensure that incentive-based compensation does not undermine the safety and soundness of the institution by encouraging excess risk-taking. The Company's incentive compensation arrangements must provide employees with incentives that appropriately balance risk and reward and do not encourage imprudent risk, be compatible with effective controls and risk managements, and be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the Company's board of directors.

Dividends and Other Payments : The Company is a legal entity separate and distinct from City National. Dividends from City National are essentially the sole source of cash for the Company. The right of the Company, and the shareholders of the Company, to participate in any distribution of the assets or earnings of City National, through the payment of dividends or otherwise, is subject to the prior claims of creditors of City National, except to the extent that claims of the Company in its capacity as a creditor may be recognized.  Moreover, there are various legal limitations applicable to the payment of dividends by City National to the Company as well as the payment of dividends by the Company to its shareholders.

 

City National is subject to various statutory restrictions on its ability to pay dividends to the Company.  Specifically, the approval of the OCC is required prior to the payment of dividends by City National in excess of its earnings retained in the current year plus retained net profits for the preceding two years.  At December 31, 2018 , City National could pay dividends up to $88.8 million without prior regulatory permission. No dividends were paid in 2018 that required regulatory approval. The payment of dividends by the Company and City National may also be limited by other factors, such as requirements to maintain adequate capital above regulatory guidelines.  The OCC also has the authority to prohibit any bank under its jurisdiction from engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice in conducting its business. Depending upon the financial condition of City National,

the payment of dividends could be deemed to constitute such an unsafe or unsound practice.  The Federal Reserve Board and the OCC have indicated their view that it generally would be an unsafe and unsound practice to pay dividends except out of current operating earnings.  The Federal Reserve Board has stated that, as a matter of prudent banking, a bank or bank holding company should not maintain its existing rate of cash dividends on common stock unless (1) the organization’s net income available to common shareholders over the past year has been sufficient to fully fund the dividends and (2) the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. Moreover, the Federal Reserve Board has indicated that bank holding companies should serve as a source of managerial and financial strength to their subsidiary banks. Accordingly, the Federal Reserve Board has stated that a bank holding company should not maintain a level of cash dividends to its shareholders that places undue pressure on the capital of its bank subsidiaries, or that can be funded only through additional borrowings or other arrangements that may undermine the bank holding company’s ability to serve as a source of financial strength.

 

Under federal law, City National may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, make loans or extensions of credit to, or invest in the securities of, or take securities of the Company as collateral for loans to any borrower. City National is also subject to collateral security requirements for any loans or extensions of credit permitted by such exceptions.

Governmental Policies

 

The Federal Reserve Board regulates money and credit and interest rates in the United States in order to influence general economic conditions. These policies have a significant influence on overall economic growth, demand and distribution of bank loans, investments and deposits, interest rates charged on loans or paid for time and savings deposits. Federal Reserve Board monetary policies have had a significant effect on the operating results of banks and bank holding companies in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future.

In view of changing conditions in the national economy and in money markets, as well as the effect of credit policies by monetary and fiscal authorities, including the Federal Reserve Board, it is difficult to predict the impact of possible future changes in interest rates, deposit levels, and loan demand, or their effect on the Company's business and earnings or on the financial condition of the Company's various customers.

Deposit Insurance

 

Substantially all of the deposits of City National are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) of the FDIC and are subject to deposit insurance assessments to maintain the DIF. Deposit insurance assessments are based on average total assets minus average tangible equity. In October 2010, the FDIC adopted a new DIF restoration plan to ensure that the fund reserve ratio reaches 1.35% by September 30, 2020, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act. In March 2016, the FDIC adopted a final rule permanently increasing the reserve ratio for the DIF to 1.35% of total insured deposits.

The Company's FDIC insurance expense for the past three years is shown in the table below (in thousands). The FDIC insurance expense includes deposit assessments and Financing Corporation ("FICO") assessments related to outstanding FICO bonds.

On January 24, 2019, the Company was notified by the FDIC that it was eligible for small bank assessment credits. On September 30, 2018, the DIF reserve ratio reached 1.36%. Because the reserve ratio exceeded 1.35%, two deposit assessment changes occurred under the FDIC regulations: (i) surcharges on large banks (total consolidated assets of $10 billion or more) ended and (ii) small banks (total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion) were awarded assessment credits for the portion of their assessments that contributed to the growth in the reserve ratio from 1.15% to 1.35%, to be applied when the reserve ratio is at least 1.38%. The credit will be applied automatically each quarter that the reserve ratio is at least 1.38%, up to the full amount of the bank's credit or assessment, whichever is less.

 

Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended (“FDIA") the FDIC may terminate deposit insurance upon finding that an institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC.

Cybersecurity

Federal regulators issued two statements regarding cybersecurity: (i) a statement indicating that financial institutions should design multiple layers of security controls to establish lines of defense and to ensure that their risk management processes also address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials, including security measures to reliably authenticate customers accessing internet-based services of the financial institutions and (ii) a statement indicating the expectation of a financial institution's management to maintain a sufficient business continuity planning process to ensure rapid recovery, resumption and maintenance of the financial institution's operations after a cyber-attack involving destructive malware. A financial institution is also expected to develop appropriate processes to: (a) enable recovery of data and business operations, (b) address rebuilding network capabilities, and (c) restore data if the financial institution or any of its critical service providers fall victim to this type of cyber-attack. If the Company does not comply with this regulatory guidance, it could be subject to various regulatory sanctions, as well as financial penalties.

In October 2016, the federal banking agencies issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on enhanced cybersecurity risk management and resilience standards that would apply to large and interconnected banking organizations and to services provided by third parties to these firms. These enhanced standards would apply only to banks and bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of $50 billion or more; however, it is unclear as to whether any such standards would be applied, and in what form, in the future to smaller banks and bank holding companies.

 

Future Legislation

 

Various other legislative and regulatory initiatives, including proposals to overhaul the banking regulatory system and to limit the investments that a depository institution may make with insured funds, are from time to time introduced in Congress and state legislatures, as well as regulatory agencies. Such legislation may change banking statutes and the operating environment of the Company and its subsidiaries in substantial and unpredictable ways, and could increase or decrease the cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities, or affect the competitive balance in the financial services industry generally.  The Company cannot determine the ultimate effect that such potential legislation, if enacted, would have upon its financial condition or operations.

 

Employees

 

The Company had 891 full-time equivalent employees at December 31, 2018 .

 

Available Information

 

The Company files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy any document the Company files at the SEC Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N. E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. The Company's SEC filings are also available to the public at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.    

The Company’s Internet website address is www.bankatcity.com.  The Company makes available free of charge through its website its annual report, quarterly reports, current reports and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after such documents are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. The information on the Company’s website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this report or incorporated into any other filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of the Company’s annual report will be made available, free of charge, upon written request.