Capital and Regulatory Matters

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Banking Regulation, Common Equity Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital [Abstract]

Capital and Regulatory Matters

Capital and Regulatory Matters

Banks and bank holding companies are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by state and federal banking agencies. Capital adequacy guidelines and, additionally for banks, prompt corrective action regulations, involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance-sheet items calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators about components, risk weighting and other factors.

Cullen/Frost’s and Frost Bank’s Common Equity Tier 1 capital (“CET1”) includes common stock and related paid-in capital, net of treasury stock, and retained earnings. In connection with the adoption of the Basel III Capital Rules, we elected to opt-out of the requirement to include most components of accumulated other comprehensive income in CET1. We also elected to exclude the effects of credit loss accounting under CECL from CET1 for a five-year transitional period, as further discussed in our 2022 Form 10-K. This CECL transitional adjustment totaled $30.8 million and $46.2 million at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. CET1 is reduced by goodwill and other intangible assets, net of associated deferred tax liabilities. Frost Bank's CET1 is also reduced by its equity investment in its financial subsidiary, Frost Insurance Agency (“FIA”).

Tier 1 capital includes CET1 and additional Tier 1 capital. For Cullen/Frost, additional Tier 1 capital included $145.5 million of 4.450% non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the details of which are further discussed below. Frost Bank did not have any additional Tier 1 capital beyond Common Equity Tier 1 at September 30, 2023 or December 31, 2022. Total capital includes Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital for both Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank includes a permissible portion of the allowances for credit losses on securities, loans, and off-balance-sheet credit exposures. Tier 2 capital for Cullen/Frost also includes the permissible portion of qualified subordinated debt (which decreases 20.0% per year during the final five years of the term of the notes) totaling $60.0 million at September 30, 2023 and $80.0 million at December 31, 2022 and trust preferred securities totaling $120.0 million at both September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

The following table presents actual and required capital ratios as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 for Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank under the Basel III Capital Rules. Capital levels required to be considered well-capitalized are based upon prompt corrective action regulations, as amended to reflect the changes under the Basel III Capital Rules. See the 2022 Form 10-K for a more detailed discussion of the Basel III Capital Rules.

	Actual				Minimum Capital Required Plus Capital Conservation Buffer				Required to be Considered Well- Capitalized (1)
	Capital Amount		Ratio		Capital Amount		Ratio		Capital Amount		Ratio
September 30, 2023
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets
Cullen/Frost	$	3,977,860	13.32	%	$	2,090,045	7.00	%	N/A		N/A
Frost Bank	4,013,794		13.46		2,087,478		7.00		$	1,938,372	6.50	%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets
Cullen/Frost	4,123,312		13.81		2,537,911		8.50		1,791,467		6.00
Frost Bank	4,013,794		13.46		2,534,795		8.50		2,385,689		8.00
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets
Cullen/Frost	4,561,577		15.28		3,135,067		10.50		2,985,778		10.00
Frost Bank	4,272,059		14.33		3,131,217		10.50		2,982,112		10.00
Leverage Ratio
Cullen/Frost	4,123,312		8.17		2,018,632		4.00		N/A		N/A
Frost Bank	4,013,794		7.96		2,018,241		4.00		2,522,801		5.00
December 31, 2022
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets
Cullen/Frost	$	3,751,200	12.85	%	$	2,042,876	7.00	%	N/A		N/A
Frost Bank	3,789,056		13.00		2,040,388		7.00		$	1,894,646	6.50	%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets
Cullen/Frost	3,896,652		13.35		2,480,635		8.50		1,751,036		6.00
Frost Bank	3,789,056		13.00		2,477,614		8.50		2,331,872		8.00
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets
Cullen/Frost	4,330,982		14.84		3,064,313		10.50		2,918,394		10.00
Frost Bank	4,023,386		13.80		3,060,583		10.50		2,914,841		10.00
Leverage Ratio
Cullen/Frost	3,896,652		7.29		2,136,680		4.00		N/A		N/A
Frost Bank	3,789,056		7.09		2,136,316		4.00		2,670,395		5.00

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(1)“Well-capitalized” minimum Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets and Leverage Ratio are not formally defined under applicable banking regulations for bank holding companies.

As of September 30, 2023, capital levels at Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank exceed all capital adequacy requirements under the Basel III Capital Rules. Based on the ratios presented above, capital levels as of September 30, 2023 at Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank exceed the minimum levels necessary to be considered “well-capitalized.”

Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank are subject to the regulatory capital requirements administered by the Federal Reserve Board and, for Frost Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Regulatory authorities can initiate certain mandatory actions if Cullen/Frost or Frost Bank fail to meet the minimum capital requirements, which could have a direct material effect on our financial statements. Management believes, as of September 30, 2023, that Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank meet all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject.

Preferred Stock. Outstanding preferred stock includes 150,000 shares, or $150.0 million in aggregate liquidation preference, of our 4.450% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B, par value $0.01 and liquidation preference $1,000 per share (“Series B Preferred Stock”). Each share of Series B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding is represented by 40 depositary shares, each representing a 1/40th ownership interest in a share of the Series B Preferred Stock (equivalent to a liquidation preference of $25 per share). The Series B Preferred Stock qualifies as Tier 1 capital for the purposes of the regulatory capital calculations. The net proceeds from the issuance and sale of the Series B Preferred Stock, after deducting $4.5 million of issuance costs including the underwriting discount and professional service fees, among other things, were approximately $145.5 million. Refer to our 2022 Form 10-K for additional details related to our Series B Preferred Stock.

Stock Repurchase Plans. From time to time, our board of directors has authorized stock repurchase plans. In general, stock repurchase plans allow us to proactively manage our capital position and return excess capital to shareholders. Shares purchased under such plans also provide us with shares of common stock necessary to satisfy obligations related to stock compensation awards. On January 25, 2023, our board of directors authorized a $100.0 million stock repurchase program, allowing us to repurchase shares of our common stock over a one-year period from time to time at various prices in the open market or through private transactions. Under this plan, we repurchased 400,868 shares at a total cost of $39.0 million (which includes applicable excise taxes) during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. No shares were repurchased under prior plans during the reported periods. Under the Basel III Capital Rules, Cullen/Frost may not repurchase or redeem any of its preferred stock or subordinated notes and, in some cases, its common stock without the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board.

Dividend Restrictions. In the ordinary course of business, Cullen/Frost is dependent upon dividends from Frost Bank to provide funds for the payment of dividends to shareholders and to provide for other cash requirements, including to repurchase its common stock. Banking regulations may limit the amount of dividends that may be paid. Approval by regulatory authorities is required if the effect of dividends declared would cause the regulatory capital of Frost Bank to fall below specified minimum levels. Approval is also required if dividends declared exceed the net profits for that year combined with the retained net profits for the preceding two years. Under the foregoing dividend restrictions and while maintaining its “well-capitalized” status, at September 30, 2023, Frost Bank could pay aggregate dividends of up to $1.1 billion to Cullen/Frost without prior regulatory approval.

Under the terms of the junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures that Cullen/Frost has issued to Cullen/Frost Capital Trust II, Cullen/Frost has the right at any time during the term of the debentures to defer the payment of interest at any time or from time to time for an extension period not exceeding 20 consecutive quarterly periods with respect to each extension period. In the event that we have elected to defer interest on the debentures, we may not, with certain exceptions, declare or pay any dividends or distributions on our capital stock or purchase or acquire any of our capital stock.

Under the terms of the Series B Preferred Stock, in the event that we do not declare and pay dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock for the most recent dividend period, we may not, with certain exceptions, declare or pay dividends on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, shares of our common stock or any of our securities that rank junior to the Series B Preferred Stock.