Regulatory Matters

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Capital Ratios

Regulatory Matters

Note 26—Regulatory Matters

The Company is subject to regulations with respect to certain risk-based capital ratios. These risk-based capital ratios measure the relationship of capital to a combination of balance sheet and off-balance sheet risks. The values of both balance sheet and off-balance sheet items are adjusted based on the rules to reflect categorical credit risk. In addition to the risk-based capital ratios, the regulatory agencies have also established a leverage ratio for assessing capital adequacy. The leverage ratio is equal to Tier 1 capital divided by total consolidated on-balance sheet assets (minus amounts deducted from Tier 1 capital).  The leverage ratio does not involve assigning risk weights to assets.

In July 2013, the Federal Reserve announced its approval of a final rule to implement the regulatory capital reforms developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (“Basel III”), among other changes required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.  The new rules became effective January 1, 2015, subject to a phase-in period for certain aspects of the new rules.

As applied to the Company and the Bank, the new rules include a new minimum ratio of common equity Tier 1 capital ("CET1") to risk-weighted assets of 4.5%. The new rules also raise the minimum required ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets from 4% to 6%.  The minimum required leverage ratio under the new rules is 4%.   The minimum required total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio remains at 8% under the new rules.

In order to avoid restrictions on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments to executives, under the new rules a covered banking organization will also be required to maintain a “capital conservation buffer” in addition to its minimum risk-based capital requirements. This buffer will be required to consist solely of common equity Tier 1, and the buffer will apply to all three risk-based measurements (CET1, Tier 1 capital and total capital). The capital conservation buffer will be phased in incrementally over time, beginning January 1, 2016 and becoming fully effective on January 1, 2019, and will ultimately consist of an additional amount of Tier 1 common equity equal to 2.5% of risk-weighted assets.

The Bank is also subject to the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, which identifies five capital categories for insured depository institutions (well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, and critically undercapitalized) and is based on specified thresholds for each of the three risk-based regulatory capital ratios (CET1, Tier 1 capital and total capital) and for the leverage ratio.

The following table presents actual and required capital ratios as of December 31, 2015 for the Company and the Bank under the Basel III capital rules.  The minimum required capital amounts presented include the minimum required capital levels as of December 31, 2015 based on the phase-in provisions of the Basel III Capital Rules and the minimum required capital levels as of January 1, 2019 when the Basel III Capital Rules have been fully phased-in.  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.

					Minimum Capital				Minimum Capital				Required to be
					Required - Basel IIII				Required - Basel IIII				Considered Well
	Actual				Phase-In Schedule				Fully Phased In				Capitalized
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio		Capital Amount		Ratio		Capital Amount		Ratio		Capital Amount		Ratio
December 31, 2015:
Common equity Tier 1 to risk-weighted assets:
Consolidated	$	711,577	11.84	%	$	270,432	4.50	%	$	420,762	7.00	%	$	390,624	6.50	%
South State Bank (the Bank)		740,532	12.33	%		270,354	4.50	%		420,550	7.00	%		390,511	6.50	%
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets:
Consolidated		763,590	12.71	%		360,576	6.00	%		510,817	8.50	%		480,768	8.00	%
South State Bank (the Bank)		740,532	12.33	%		360,471	6.00	%		510,668	8.50	%		480,629	8.00	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets:
Consolidated		801,745	13.34	%		480,768	8.00	%		631,009	10.50	%		600,961	10.00	%
South State Bank (the Bank)		778,538	12.96	%		480,629	8.00	%		630,825	10.50	%		600,786	10.00	%
Tier 1 capital to average assets (leverage ratio):
Consolidated		763,590	9.31	%		328,085	4.00	%		328,085	4.00	%		410,107	5.00	%
South State Bank (the Bank)		740,532	9.03	%		327,854	4.00	%		327,854	4.00	%		409,818	5.00	%

The following table presents actual and required capital ratios as of December 31, 2014 under the regulatory capital rules then in effect.

									Required to be
					Minimum Capital				Consolidated Well
	Actual				Requirement				Capitalized
(Dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio		Amount		Ratio		Amount		Ratio
December 31, 2014:
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets:
Consolidated	$	713,371	13.62	%	$	209,491	4.00	%		n/a	n/a
South State Bank (the Bank)		700,280	13.37	%		209,438	4.00	%		314,158	6.00	%
Total capital to risk-weighted assets:
Consolidated		755,484	14.43	%		418,982	8.00	%		n/a	n/a
South State Bank (the Bank)		742,393	14.18	%		418,877	8.00	%		523,596	10.00	%
Tier 1 capital to average assets (leverage ratio):
Consolidated		713,371	9.47	%		301,363	4.00	%		n/a	n/a
South State Bank (the Bank)		700,280	9.30	%		301,162	4.00	%		376,452	5.00	%

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the capital ratios of the Company and the Bank were well in excess of the minimum regulatory requirements and exceeded the thresholds for the “well capitalized” regulatory classification.