NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

 

 

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) or (“NWBI”), a Maryland corporation headquartered in Warren, Pennsylvania, is a savings and loan holding company regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The primary activity of the Company is the ownership of all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Northwest Bank, a Pennsylvania-chartered savings bank (“Northwest”).  Northwest is regulated by the FDIC and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking. Northwest operates 182 community-banking offices throughout Pennsylvania, western New York, and eastern Ohio.

 

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiary, Northwest, and Northwest’s subsidiaries Northwest Capital Group, Inc., Allegheny Services, Inc., Great Northwest Corporation, and The Bert Company (doing business as Northwest Insurance Services). The unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information or footnotes required for complete annual financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and results of operations have been included.  The consolidated statements have been prepared using the accounting policies described in the financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 updated, as required, for any new pronouncements or changes.

 

Certain items previously reported have been reclassified to conform to the current year's reporting format.

The results of operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019 , or any other period.

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

Stock-based compensation expense of $1.2 million and $978,000 for the quarters ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 , respectively, was recognized in compensation expense relating to our stock benefit plans. At March 31, 2019 , there was compensation expense of $3.8 million to be recognized for awarded but unvested stock options and $16.6 million for unvested common shares.

  Income Taxes-Uncertain Tax Positions

 

Accounting standards prescribe a comprehensive model for how a company should recognize, measure, present and disclose in its financial statements uncertain tax positions that the company has taken or expects to take on a tax return.  A tax benefit from an uncertain position may be recognized only if it is “more likely than not” that the position is sustainable, based on its technical merits.  The tax benefit of a qualifying position is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information.  At March 31, 2019 we had no liability for unrecognized tax benefits.

 

We recognize interest accrued related to: (1) unrecognized tax benefits in other expenses and (2) refund claims in other operating income.  We recognize penalties (if any) in other expenses. We are subject to audit by the Internal Revenue Service and any state in which we conduct business for the tax periods ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 , 2016 and 2015 . 

    

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

(a)    Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize leases on-balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 842 establishes a right of use ("ROU") model that requires a lessee to recognize a ROU asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with a term longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the income statement. The Company has elected not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases of all classes of underlying assets that have a lease term of 12 months or less and we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02 using a modified retrospective transition approach as of the effective date, January 1, 2019. As a result, the Company was not required to adjust its comparative period financial information for effects of the standard or make the new required lease disclosures for periods before the date of adoption (i.e. January 1, 2017). The Company has elected to adopt the package of transition practical expedients and, therefore, has not reassessed (1) whether existing or expired contracts contain a lease, (2) lease classification for existing or expired leases or (3) the accounting for initial direct costs that were previously capitalized. The Company also elected the practical expedient to use hindsight for leases existing at the adoption date.

As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-02, we recognized an operating lease ROU asset of $40.2 million , an operating lease liability of approximately $42.2 million and a cumulative-effect adjustment on retained earnings of $1.6 million on the consolidated statements of financial condition as of January 1, 2019, with no impact on our consolidated statement of income or consolidated statement of cash flows compared to the prior lease accounting model.

(b)    Recently Issued Accounting Standards

    

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, " Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) - Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" , which eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold for credit losses and instead requires that all financial assets (or group of financial assets) measured at amortized cost be presented at the net amount expected to be collected inclusive of the entity’s current estimate of all lifetime expected credit losses. This guidance also applies to certain off-balance-sheet credit exposures such as unfunded commitments and non-derivative financial guarantees. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial assets in order to present the net carrying value at the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. The measurement of expected credit losses is based on relevant information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. The income statement under this guidance will reflect the initial recognition of current expected credit losses for newly recognized assets, as well as any increases or decreases of expected credit losses that have occurred during the period. This guidance retains many currently-existing disclosures related to the credit quality of an entity’s assets and the related allowance for credit losses amended to reflect the change to an expected credit loss methodology, as well as enhanced disclosures to provide information to users at a more disaggregated level. Upon adoption, ASU 2016-13 provides for a modified retrospective transition by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity as of the beginning of the period in which the guidance is effective, except for debt securities for which other-than-temporary impairment has previously been recognized. For these debt securities, a prospective transition is provided in order to maintain the same amortized cost prior to and subsequent to the effective date of the ASU. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those annual periods with early adoption permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods. Management has created a formal working group to govern the implementation of these amendments, consisting of key stakeholders from finance, risk, credit and accounting. We are currently in the process of designing current expected credit loss estimation methodologies and systems, and collecting data to be able to comply with the standard. We have engaged with a third party to assist in the development of certain portfolio-level estimation methodologies and have chosen a third-party software platform provider. We are also evaluating the effect this guidance will have on our results of operations, financial position and related disclosures. The impact of the ASU will depend upon the state of the economy and the nature of our portfolios, among other items, at the date of adoption.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.” This guidance removes, modifies and adds disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted for any removed or modified disclosure requirements. Transition is on a prospective basis for the new and modified disclosures, and on a retrospective basis for disclosures that have been eliminated. We do not expect this guidance to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, “ Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20) - Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans.” This guidance removes and adds disclosure requirements for defined benefit pension or other post-retirement plans. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted, and requires retrospective adoption for all periods presented. We do not expect this guidance to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, “ Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) - Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract.” This guidance aligns the requirements for capitalization of implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the existing guidance for internal-use software. This guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted. Transition can either be on

a retrospective basis or a prospective basis on all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. We are evaluating the impact this new accounting guidance will have on our financial statements.

(2)    Acquisition

     

On March 8, 2019, the Company completed the merger with Donegal Financial Services Corporation ("DFSC"), the holding company for Union Community Bank ("UCB"), for total consideration of $85.8 million . The transaction has expanded Northwest’s franchise by 12 offices in Lancaster County in eastern Pennsylvania. The result of UCB's operations are included in the Consolidated Statements of Income from the date of acquisition.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, the two shareholders of DFSC, Donegal Mutual Insurance Company and Donegal Group Inc., received payment in the form of 50% cash and 50% stock, or a total of $42.5 million and 2,462,373 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $43.3 million , based on the $17.58 closing price of the Company's stock on March 8, 2019.

 

The following table shows the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed that were recorded at fair value on the date of acquisition (in thousands): 

(1) Amounts are estimates and subject to adjustment. Actual amounts are not expected to differ materially from the amounts shown.

    

We estimated the fair value of loans acquired from UCB by utilizing a methodology wherein similar loans were aggregated into pools. Cash flows for each pool were determined by estimating future credit losses and the rate of prepayments. Projected monthly cash flows were then discounted to present value based on a market rate for similar loans. There was no carryover of UCB’s allowance for loan losses associated with the loans we acquired as the loans were initially recorded at fair value. Loans acquired with evidence of credit quality deterioration were evaluated and not considered to be significant.

The core deposit intangible asset recognized as part of the UCB merger is being amortized over its estimated useful life of approximately seven years utilizing an accelerated method. The goodwill, which is not amortized for book purposes, was assigned to our Community Banking segment and is not deductible for tax purposes. The fair values of savings and transaction deposit accounts acquired from UCB were assumed to approximate the carrying value as these accounts have no stated maturity and are payable on demand. Certificates of deposit were valued by projecting out the expected cash flows based on the contractual terms of the certificates of deposit. These cash flows were discounted based on a market rate for a certificate of deposit with a corresponding maturity.

Direct costs related to the UCB merger were expensed as incurred and were $1.9 million during the three months ended March 31, 2019, which includes technology and communications costs, professional services, marketing and advertising, and other noninterest expenses.

(3)    Leases

At inception, the Company determines if an arrangement contains a lease and whether that lease meets the classification of a finance or operating lease. Operating lease ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset during the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement based on the present value of the remaining lease payments. ROU assets are further adjusted for lease incentives and initial direct costs.

The Company has operating leases for certain branch and office facilities or land with lease terms up to 35 years . These leases generally contain renewal options for periods ranging from one to ten years . These options are included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that the options will be exercised.

Some of the Company’s lease arrangements contain lease components (e.g., minimum rent payments) and non-lease components (e.g., common area maintenance, taxes, etc.). The Company elected the option of not separating lease and non-lease

components and instead we account for them as a single lease component.

 

Certain lease agreements include rental payments that are adjusted periodically for an index or rate. The leases are initially measured using the projected adjustment for the index or rate in effect at the commencement date. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

Generally, the Company cannot practically determine the interest rate implicit in the lease. Therefore, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate for the lease. The Company’s incremental borrowing rate for a lease is the rate of interest it would have to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments under similar terms.

Lease expense for these leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, with variable lease payments recognized in the period those payments are incurred. The components of lease cost recognized within our consolidated statements of income were as follows (in thousands):

Amounts reported in the consolidated statements of financial condition were as follows:

Other information related to leases as of March 31, 2019 was as follows:

Amounts disclosed for ROU assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations include amounts added to the carrying amount of ROU assets resulting from lease modifications and reassessments.

Maturities of lease liabilities by fiscal year for our operating leases are as follows (in thousands):