SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

NOTE 13 – SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Capital Requirements

Salisbury and the Bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possibly additional and discretionary actions by the regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on Salisbury’s and the Bank's financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, Salisbury and the Bank must meet specific guidelines that involve quantitative measures of their assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Salisbury and the Bank's capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings, and other factors.

The regulatory capital rules include a common equity Tier 1 capital risk-weighted assets minimum ratio of 4.5%, minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 6.0%, require a minimum ratio of Total capital to risk-weighted assets of 8.0%, and require a minimum Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4.0%. A capital conservation buffer, comprised of common equity Tier 1 capital, is also established above the regulatory minimum capital requirements. The implementation of the capital conservation buffer began phasing in January 1, 2016 at 0.625% of risk-weighted assets and increases each subsequent January 1, by an additional 0.625% until reaching its final level of 2.5% on January 1, 2019. As of December 31, 2018, the Bank exceeded the fully phased in regulatory requirement for the capital conservation buffer. Strict eligibility criteria for regulatory capital instruments were also implemented under the final rules.

As of December 31, 2018, the Company and the Bank met each of their capital requirements and the most recent notification from the FDIC categorized the Bank as “well-capitalized.” There are no conditions or events since that notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category.

						To be Well Capitalized
	Actual					For Capital Adequacy Purposes					Under Prompt Corrective Action Provisions
(dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio
December 31, 2018
Total Capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Salisbury	$	107,659		12.51	%	$	68,848		8.0	%		n/a		n/a
Bank		104,013		12.09			68,848		8.0		$	86,059		10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Salisbury		89,738		10.43			51,636		6.0			n/a		n/a
Bank		96,092		11.17			51,636		6.0			68,848		8.0
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Salisbury		89,738		10.43			38,727		4.5			n/a		n/a
Bank		96,092		11.17			38,727		4.5			55,939		6.5
Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)
Salisbury		89,738		8.25			43,527		4.0			n/a		n/a
Bank		96,092		8.83			43,527		4.0			54,409		5.0
December 31, 2017
Total Capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Salisbury	$	98,920		12.94	%	$	61,154		8.0	%		n/a		n/a
Bank		95,810		12.54			61,130		8.0		$	76,413		10.0	%
Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Salisbury		82,034		10.73			45,865		6.0			n/a		n/a
Bank		88,924		11.64			45,848		6.0			61,130		8.0
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Salisbury		82,034		10.73			34,399		4.5			n/a		n/a
Bank		88,924		11.64			34,386		4.5			49,668		6.5
Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)
Salisbury		82,034		8.53			38,461		4.0			n/a		n/a
Bank		88,924		9.25			38,461		4.0			48,076		5.0

Restrictions on Cash Dividends to Common Shareholders

Salisbury's ability to pay cash dividends is substantially dependent on the Bank's ability to pay cash dividends to Salisbury. There are certain restrictions on the payment of cash dividends and other payments by the Bank to Salisbury. Under Connecticut law, the Bank cannot declare a cash dividend except from net profits, defined as the remainder of all earnings from current operations. The total of all cash dividends declared by the Bank in any calendar year shall not, unless specifically approved by the Banking Commissioner, exceed the total of its net profits of that year combined with its retained net profits of the preceding two years.

FRB Supervisory Letter SR 09-4, February 24, 2009, revised March 30, 2009, notes that, as a general matter, the Board of Directors of a Bank Holding Company (“BHC”) should inform the Federal Reserve and should eliminate, defer, or significantly reduce dividends if (1) net income available to shareholders for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid during that period, is not sufficient to fully fund the dividends; (2) the prospective rate of earnings retention is not consistent with capital needs and overall current and prospective financial condition; or (3) the BHC will not meet, or is in danger of not meeting, its minimum regulatory capital adequacy ratios. Moreover, a BHC should inform the Federal Reserve reasonably in advance of declaring or paying a dividend that exceeds earnings for the period (e.g., quarter) for which the dividend is being paid or that could result in a material adverse change to the BHC capital structure.