MCBI Mountain Comm Bancorp Inc (QX)

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1.     BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) and wholly-owned subsidiaries, MetroBank, National Association (“MetroBank”) and Metro United Bank (“Metro United”), in Texas and California, respectively (collectively, the “Banks”).  MetroBank is engaged in commercial banking activities through its thirteen branches in the greater Houston and Dallas, Texas metropolitan areas, and Metro United is engaged in commercial banking activities through its six branches in the San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, California metropolitan areas. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain principles which significantly affect the determination of financial position, results of operations and cash flows are summarized below.

A legal entity is referred to as a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”) if any of the following conditions exist: (1) the total equity at risk is insufficient to permit the legal entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties, or (2) the entity has equity investors that cannot make significant decisions about the entity’s operations or that do not absorb their proportionate share of the expected losses or receive the expected returns of the entity.  In addition, as specified in VIE accounting guidance, a VIE must be consolidated by the Company if it is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The primary beneficiary is the party that has both (1) the power to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and (2) through its interests in the VIE, the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.  All facts and circumstances are taken into consideration when determining whether the Company has variable interest that would deem it the primary beneficiary and, therefore, require consolidation of the related VIE or otherwise rise to the level where disclosure would provide useful information to the users of the Company’s financial statements.  In the case of the Company’s sole VIE, MCBI Statutory Trust I,  it is qualitatively clear based on the extent of the Company’s involvement that the Company is not the primary beneficiary of the VIE.  Accordingly, the accounts of this entity are not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q. In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial position at September 30, 2013, results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. Interim period results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year period. The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Certain items in prior financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2013 presentation, with no impact on the balance sheet, net income, shareholders’ equity or cash flows.

These unaudited financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The following table displays the fair value and gross unrealized losses on securities available-for-sale as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 for which other-than-temporary impairments (“OTTI”) has not been recognized, that were in a continuous unrealized loss position for the periods indicated.  There were no securities held-to-maturity in a continuous unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2012.

As of September 30, 2013, management did not have the intent to sell any of the securities classified as available-for-sale in unrealized loss positions and believes it is not more likely than not that the Company will have to sell any such securities before a recovery of the cost. However, if strategic opportunities arise, the Company may consider selling selected securities.  Any unrealized losses on such selected securities would be charged to earnings.

The unrealized losses are largely due to increases in the market interest rates over the yields available at the time the underlying securities were purchased. The fair value is expected to recover as the securities approach their maturity date or repricing date or if market yields for such securities decline. Management does not believe any of the unrealized losses above are due to credit quality. Accordingly, management believes the $6.9 million of unrealized losses of available-for-sale securities and the $52,000 of unrealized losses of held-to-maturity securities as of September 30, 2013 is temporary and the remaining $451,000 of OTTI as of September 30, 2013 represents unrealized losses for which an impairment has been recognized in other comprehensive loss.

Other-Than-Temporary Impairments (OTTI)

The following table presents a rollforward for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, of the credit loss component of OTTI losses that have been recognized in earnings related to debt securities that the Company does not intend to sell.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2013, credit-related losses of $30,000 on five non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities and $11,000 on one asset-backed security were recognized. There were no credit-related impairments included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2013.

To measure credit losses, external credit ratings and other relevant collateral details and performance statistics on a security-by-security basis were considered. Securities exhibiting significant deterioration are subjected to further analysis. Assumptions were developed for prepayment speed, default rate, and loss severity for each security using third party sources and based on the collateral history. The resulting projections of future cash flows of the underlying collateral were then discounted by the underlying yield before any write-downs were considered to determine the net present value of the cash flows (“NPV”).  The difference between the cost basis and the NPV was taken as a credit loss in the current period to the extent that these losses have not been previously recognized. The difference between the NPV and the quoted market price is considered a noncredit related loss and was included in other comprehensive income (loss).

Other Securities Information

There were no sales of available-for-sale securities or sales or transfers of held-to-maturity securities for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 or 2012.

At September 30, 2013, future contractual maturities of debt securities were as follows (in thousands):

The Company holds mortgage-backed securities which may mature at an earlier date than the contractual maturity due to prepayments. The Company also holds certain securities which may be called by the issuer at an earlier date than the contractual maturity date.

The recorded investment in loans is the face amount increased or decreased by applicable accrued interest and unamortized premium, discount, or finance charges, and may also reflect a previous direct write-down of the loan.

The recorded investment in loans at the dates indicated is determined as follows (in thousands):

Loan Origination/Risk Management

The Company selectively extends credit for the purpose of establishing long-term relationships with its customers. The Company mitigates the risks inherent in lending by focusing on businesses and individuals with demonstrated payment history, historically favorable profitability trends and stable cash flows. In addition to these primary sources of repayment, the Company looks to tangible collateral and personal guarantees as secondary sources of repayment. Lending officers are provided with detailed underwriting policies covering all lending activities in which the Company is engaged and that require all lenders to obtain appropriate approvals for the extension of credit. The Company also maintains documentation requirements and extensive credit quality assurance practices in order to identify credit portfolio weaknesses as early as possible so any exposures that are discovered may be reduced.

The Company has certain lending procedures in place that are designed to maximize loan income within an acceptable level of risk. These procedures include the approval of lending policies and underwriting guidelines by the Board of Directors of each Bank, and separate policy, administrative and approval oversight by the Directors’ Loan Committee of MetroBank, and by the Directors’ Credit Committee of Metro United.  Additionally, MetroBank’s loan portfolio is reviewed by its internal loan review department, and Metro United's loan portfolio is reviewed by an external third-party company. These procedures also serve to timely identify changes in asset quality and to ensure proper recording and reporting of nonperforming assets.

Inherent in all lending is the risk of nonpayment. The types of collateral required, the terms of the loans and the underwriting practices discussed under each loan category below are all designed to minimize the risk of nonpayment. In addition, as further risk protection, the Banks rarely make loans at their respective legal lending limit. MetroBank generally does not make loans larger than $13 million to one borrower and Metro United generally does not make loans larger than $8 million to one borrower. Loans greater than the Banks’ lending limits are subject to participation with other financial institutions, including with each other. Loans originated by MetroBank are approved by the Chief Lending Officer, Chief Credit Officer, the Loan Committee or the Director’s Loan Committee based on the size of the loan relationship and its risk rating. Loans originated by Metro United are approved by the Management Credit Committee or Director’s Credit Committee except for certain consumer loans, which are approved under individual authority. Control systems and procedures are in place to ensure all loans are approved in accordance with credit policies.

Commercial and Industrial Loans. Generally, the Company’s commercial loans are underwritten on the basis of the borrower’s ability to service such debt as reflected by cash flow projections. Commercial loans are generally collateralized by business assets, which may include real estate, accounts receivable and inventory, certificates of deposit, securities, guarantees or other collateral. The Company also generally obtains personal guarantees from the principals of the business. Working capital loans are primarily collateralized by short-term assets, whereas term loans are primarily collateralized by long-term assets. As a result, commercial loans involve additional complexities, variables and risks and require more thorough underwriting and servicing than other types of loans. Indigenous to individuals in the Asian business community is the desire to own the building and land which house their businesses. Accordingly, while a loan may be principally driven and classified by the type of business operated, real estate is frequently the primary source of collateral.

Real Estate Mortgage - Commercial and Residential Mortgage Loans. The Company makes commercial mortgage loans to finance the purchase of real property, which generally consists of developed real estate. The Company’s commercial mortgage loans are collateralized by first liens on real estate. For MetroBank, these loans typically have variable rates and amortize over a 15 to 20 year period, with balloon payments due at the end of five to seven years. For Metro United, these loans have both variable and fixed rates and amortize over a 25 to 30 year period, with balloon payments due at the end of five to ten years. Payments on loans collateralized by such properties are dependent on the successful operation or management of the properties. Accordingly, repayment of these loans may be subject to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy to a greater extent than other types of loans. In underwriting commercial mortgage loans, consideration is given to the property’s historical cash flow, current and projected occupancy, location and physical condition. The underwriting analysis also includes credit checks, appraisals, environmental impact reports and a review of the financial condition of the borrower. The Company also originates two to seven year balloon residential mortgage loans with a 15 to 30-year amortization primarily collateralized by owner occupied residential properties, which are retained in the Company’s residential mortgage portfolio.

Real Estate Construction Loans. The Company makes loans to finance the construction of residential and non-residential properties. The majority of the Company’s residential construction loans in Texas are for single-family dwellings that are pre-sold or are under earnest money contracts. The Company also originates loans to finance the construction of commercial properties such as multi-family, office, industrial, warehouse and retail centers. Construction loans involve additional risks attributable to the fact that loan funds are advanced upon the security of a project under construction, and the project is of uncertain value prior to its completion. Because of uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs, the market value of the completed project and the effects of governmental regulation on real property, it can be difficult to accurately evaluate the total funds required to complete a project and the related loan to value ratio. As a result of these uncertainties, construction lending often involves the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment dependent, in part, on the success of the ultimate project rather than the ability of a borrower or guarantor to repay the loan. If the Company is forced to foreclose on a project prior to completion, there is no assurance that the Company will be able to recover the entire unpaid portion of the loan. In addition, the Company may be required to fund additional amounts to complete a project and may have to hold the property for an indeterminable period of time. While the Company has underwriting procedures designed to identify what it believes to be acceptable levels of risks in construction lending, no assurance can be given that these procedures will prevent losses from the risks described above.  

Consumer Loans. The Company, through its subsidiary Metro United, offers a variety of loan products to retail customers through its branch network. Loans to retail customers include automobile loans, lines of credit and other personal loans. The terms of these loans typically range from 12 to 60 months depending on the nature of the collateral and the size of the loan.

  Loan review process. In addition to the Banks’ loan portfolio reviews by by external third-party companies, other ongoing reviews are performed by loan officers and involve the grading of each loan by its respective loan officer. Depending on the grade, a loan will be aggregated with other loans of similar grade and a loss factor is applied to the total loans in each group to establish the required level of allowance for loan losses. For both Banks, grades of 1-10 are applied to each loan, with loans graded 7-10 requiring the most allowance for loan losses. Factors utilized in the grading process include but are not limited to historical performance, payment status, collateral value and financial strength of the borrower. Oversight of the loan review process is the responsibility of the Chief Risk Officer. Differences of opinion are resolved among the Loan Officer, Chief Risk Officer and the Chief Credit Officer. See “Allowance for Loan Losses and Reserve for Unfunded Lending Commitments” for additional discussion on loan grades.

MetroBank’s credit department reports credit risk grade changes on a monthly basis to its management and the Board of Directors. MetroBank performs monthly and quarterly, and Metro United performs monthly concentration analyses based on industries, collateral types and business lines. Findings are reported monthly to the Directors’ Loan Committee of MetroBank and the Directors’ Credit Committee of Metro United and quarterly to the Board of Directors of each respective Bank.

In addition, the Company reviews the real estate values, and when necessary, orders new appraisals on loans collateralized by real estate when loans are renewed, prior to foreclosure and at other times as necessary, particularly in problem loan situations. In instances where updated appraisals reflect reduced collateral values, an evaluation of the borrower’s overall financial condition is made to determine the need, if any, for possible charge-offs or appropriate additions to the allowance for loan losses. The Company records other real estate at fair value at the time of acquisition less estimated costs to sell.

The following table presents the recorded investment in loans by credit risk profile, and which were updated as of the date indicated (in thousands):