(4) AVAILABLE-FOR-SALE SECURITIES

A comparison of amortized cost and estimated fair values of available-for-sale securities as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 follows:


	2015
		Gross	Gross	Estimated
	Amortized	Unrealized	Unrealized	Fair
	Cost	Gains	Losses	Value
	(In thousands)
U.S. Government agencies	$ 1,246,261	$ 826	$ 2,447	$ 1,244,640
Government agency issued residential
mortgage-backed securities	138,759	1,957	176	140,540
Government agency issued commercial
mortgage-backed securities	261,544	2,414	3,265	260,693
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	394,769	22,813	83	417,499
Other	18,112	845	-	18,957
Total	$ 2,059,445	$ 28,855	$ 5,971	$ 2,082,329

	2014
		Gross	Gross	Estimated
	Amortized	Unrealized	Unrealized	Fair
	Cost	Gains	Losses	Value
	(In thousands)
U.S. Government agencies	$ 1,213,310	$ 4,093	$ 2,349	$ 1,215,054
Government agency issued residential
mortgage-backed securities	204,918	4,751	439	209,230
Government agency issued commercial
mortgage-backed securities	241,449	2,319	3,200	240,568
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	458,026	25,986	148	483,864
Other	6,864	1,347	-	8,211
Total	$ 2,124,567	$ 38,496	$ 6,136	$ 2,156,927

At December 31, 2015, the Company’s available-for-sale securities included FHLB stock with a carrying value of $18.0 million compared to a required investment of $9.1 million. FHLB stock is carried at amortized cost in the financial statements.

Gross gains of approximately $136,000 and no gross losses were recognized in 2015, gross gains of approximately $49,000 and gross losses of approximately $12,000 were recognized in 2014 and gross gains of approximately $72,000 and gross losses of approximately $26,000 were recognized in 2013 on available-for-sale securities. No other-than-temporary impairment was recorded in 2015, 2014 or 2013.

Available-for-sale securities with a carrying value of $1.6 billion at December 31, 2015 were pledged to secure public and trust funds on deposit and for other purposes. Included in available-for-sale securities at December 31, 2015, were securities with a carrying value of $206.1 million issued by a political subdivision within the State of Mississippi and securities with a carrying value of $80.1 million issued by a political subdivision within the State of Arkansas.

The amortized cost and estimated fair value of available-for-sale securities at December 31, 2015 by contractual maturity are shown below. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. Equity securities are considered as maturing after ten years.


		Estimated	Weighted
	Amortized	Fair	Average
	Cost	Value	Yield
	(Dollars in thousands)
Maturing in one year or less	$ 312,736	$ 313,092	1.34	%
Maturing after one year through five years	1,036,108	1,035,443	1.30
Maturing after five years through ten years	49,860	52,335	5.40
Maturing after ten years	260,438	280,226	5.81
Mortgage-backed securities	400,303	401,233	2.11
Total	$ 2,059,445	$ 2,082,329

A summary of temporarily impaired available-for-sale investments with continuous unrealized loss positions at December 31, 2015 and 2014 follows:


	2015
	Less Than 12 Months		12 Months or Longer		Total
	Fair	Unrealized	Fair	Unrealized	Fair	Unrealized
	Value	Losses	Value	Losses	Value	Losses
	(In thousands)
U.S. Government agencies	$ 762,568	$ 2,447	$ -	$ -	$ 762,568	$ 2,447
Government agency issued residential
mortgage-backed securities	34,238	176	-	-	34,238	176
Government agency issued commercial
mortgage-backed securities	193,621	2,710	31,166	555	224,787	3,265
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	13,576	70	2,856	13	16,432	83
Total	$ 1,004,003	$ 5,403	$ 34,022	$ 568	$ 1,038,025	$ 5,971

	2014
	Less Than 12 Months		12 Months or Longer		Total
	Fair	Unrealized	Fair	Unrealized	Fair	Unrealized
	Value	Losses	Value	Losses	Value	Losses
	(In thousands)
U.S. Government agencies	$ 237,891	$ 471	$ 283,643	$ 1,878	$ 521,534	$ 2,349
Government agency issued residential
mortgage-backed securities	-	-	24,565	439	24,565	439
Government agency issued commercial
mortgage-backed securities	3,822	24	203,520	3,176	207,342	3,200
Obligations of states and political subdivisions	17,317	62	10,616	86	27,933	148
Total	$ 259,030	$ 557	$ 522,344	$ 5,579	$ 781,374	$ 6,136

Based upon a review of the credit quality of these securities, and considering that the issuers were in compliance with the terms of the securities, management had no intent to sell these securities, and it was more likely than not that the Company would not be required to sell the securities prior to recovery of costs. Therefore, the impairments related to these securities were determined to be temporary. No other-than-temporary impairment was recorded in 2015.