Note 15 - Assets and Liabilities Measured and Reported at Fair Value

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]

Fair Value, Measurement Inputs, Disclosure [Text Block]

(15) Assets and Liabilities Measured and Reported at Fair Value

Bancorp follows the provisions of authoritative guidance for fair value measurements. This guidance is definitional and disclosure oriented and addresses how companies should approach measuring fair value when required by US GAAP. The guidance also prescribes various disclosures about financial statement categories and amounts which are measured at fair value, if such disclosures are not already specified elsewhere in US GAAP.

Authoritative guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between participants at the measurement date. The guidance also establishes a hierarchy to group assets and liabilities carried at fair value in three levels based upon the markets in which the assets and liabilities trade and the reliability of assumptions used to determine fair value. These levels are:

● Level 1: Valuation is based upon quoted prices for identical instruments traded in active markets.

● Level 2: Valuation is based upon quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market.

● Level 3: Valuation is generated from model-based techniques that use significant assumptions not observable in the market. These unobservable assumptions would reflect internal estimates of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Valuation techniques could include pricing models, discounted cash flows and other similar techniques.

Authoritative guidance requires maximization of use of observable inputs and minimization of use of unobservable inputs in fair value measurements. Where there exists limited or no observable market data, Bancorp derives its own estimates by generally considering characteristics of the asset/liability, the current economic and competitive environment and other factors. For this reason, results cannot be determined with precision and may not be realized on an actual sale or immediate settlement of the asset or liability.

Bancorp’s investment securities available-for-sale and interest rate swaps are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Other accounts including mortgage servicing rights, impaired loans and other real estate owned may be recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis, generally in the application of lower of cost or market adjustments or write-downs of specific assets.

The portfolio of investment securities available-for-sale is comprised of U.S. Treasury and other U.S. government obligations, debt securities of U.S. government-sponsored corporations (including mortgage-backed securities), obligations of state and political subdivisions and corporate equity securities. U.S. Treasury and corporate equity securities are priced using quoted prices of identical securities in an active market. These measurements are classified as Level 1 in the hierarchy above. All other securities are priced using standard industry models or matrices with various assumptions such as yield curves, volatility, prepayment speeds, default rates, time value, credit rating and market prices for similar instruments. These assumptions are generally observable in the market place and can be derived from or supported by observable data. These measurements are classified as Level 2 in the hierarchy above.

Interest rate swaps are valued using primarily Level 2 inputs. Fair value measurements generally based on benchmark forward yield curves and other relevant observable market data. For purposes of potential valuation adjustments to derivative positions, Bancorp evaluates the credit risk of its counterparties as well as its own credit risk. To date, Bancorp has not realized any losses due to a counterparty’s inability to perform and the change in value of derivative assets and liabilities attributable to credit risk was not significant during 2015.

Below are the carrying values of assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

(in thousands)	Fair value at September 30, 2015
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets
Investment securities available for sale
U.S. Treasury and other U.S. government obligations	$	100,000	$	100,000	$	-	$	-
Government sponsored enterprise obligations		186,810		-		186,810		-
Mortgage-backed securities - government agencies		154,347		-		154,347		-
Obligations of states and political subdivisions		62,508		-		62,508		-
Corporate equity securities		701		701		-		-
Total investment securities available for sale		504,366		100,701		403,665		-
Interest rate swaps		487		-		487		-
Total assets	$	504,853	$	100,701	$	404,152	$	-
Liabilities
Interest rate swaps	$	848	$	-	$	848	$	-

(in thousands)	Fair value at December 31, 2014
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets
Investment securities available for sale
U.S. Treasury and other U.S. government obligations	$	70,000	$	70,000	$	-	$	-
Government sponsored enterprise obligations		204,986		-		204,986		-
Mortgage-backed securities - government agencies		174,270		-		174,270		-
Obligations of states and political subdivisions		62,834		-		62,834		-
Corporate equity securities		966		966		-		-
Total investment securities available for sale		513,056		70,966		442,090		-
Interest rate swaps		425		-		425		-
Total assets	$	513,481	$	70,966	$	442,515	$	-
Liabilities
Interest rate swaps	$	401	$	-	$	401	$	-

Bancorp did not have any financial instruments classified within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at September 30, 2015 or December 31, 2014.

MSRs are recorded at fair value upon capitalization, are amortized to correspond with estimated servicing income, and are periodically assessed for impairment based on fair value at the reporting date. Fair value is based on a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated net servicing income. The model incorporates assumptions that market participants would use in estimating future net servicing income. These measurements are classified as Level 3. At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 there was no valuation allowance for the mortgage servicing rights, as the fair value exceeded the cost. Accordingly, the MSRs are not included in either table below for September 30, 2015 or December 31, 2014. See Note 7 for more information regarding MSRs.

For impaired loans in the table below, fair value is calculated as the carrying value of only loans with a specific valuation allowance, less the specific allowance. Fair value of impaired loans was primarily measured based on the value of the collateral securing these loans. Impaired loans are classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Collateral may be real estate and/or business assets including equipment, inventory, and/or accounts receivable. Bancorp determines the value of collateral based on independent appraisals performed by qualified licensed appraisers. These appraisals may utilize a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including comparable sales and the income approach. Appraised values are discounted for costs to sell and may be discounted further based on management’s historical knowledge, changes in market conditions from the date of the most recent appraisal, and/or management’s expertise and knowledge of the customer and the customer’s business. Such discounts by management are subjective and are typically significant unobservable inputs for determining fair value. As of September 30, 2015, total impaired loans with a valuation allowance were $6.7 million, and the specific allowance totaled $1.6 million, resulting in a fair value of $5.1 million, compared to total impaired loans with a valuation allowance of $7.8 million, and the specific allowance allocation totaling $1.4 million, resulting in a fair value of $6.4 million at December 31, 2014. Losses represent the change in the specific allowances for the period indicated.

Other real estate owned (“OREO”), which is carried at the lower of cost or fair value, is periodically assessed for impairment based on fair value at the reporting date. Fair value is based on appraisals performed by external parties which use judgments and assumptions that are property-specific and sensitive to changes in the overall economic environment. Appraisals may be further discounted based on management’s historical knowledge and/or changes in market conditions from the date of the most recent appraisal. Many of these inputs are not observable and, accordingly, these measurements are classified as Level 3. For OREO in the table below, the fair value is the carrying value of only parcels of OREO which have a carrying value equal to appraised value. Losses represent write-downs which occurred during the period indicated. At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the carrying value of all other real estate owned was $4.6 million and $6.0 million, respectively.

Below are the carrying values of assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis.

(in thousands)	Fair value at September 30, 2015								Losses for 9 month
									period ended
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		September 30, 2015
Impaired loans	$	5,132	$	-	$	-	$	5,132	$	(1,147	)
Other real estate owned		3,569		-		-		3,569		-
Total	$	8,701	$	-	$	-	$	8,701	$	(1,147	)

(in thousands)	Fair value at December 31, 2014								Losses for 9 month
									period ended
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		September 30, 2014
Impaired loans	$	6,449	$	-	$	-	$	6,449	$	(1,148	)
Other real estate owned		5,032		-		-		5,032		(25	)
Total	$	11,481	$	-	$	-	$	11,481	$	(1,173	)

For the securities portfolio, Bancorp monitors the valuation technique utilized by pricing agencies to ascertain when transfers between levels have occurred. The nature of other assets and liabilities measured at fair value is such that transfers in and out of any level are expected to be rare. For the three months ended September 30, 2015, there were no transfers between Levels 1, 2, or 3. For Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of September 30, 2015, the significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements are presented below.

				Significant	Weighted
	Fair		Valuation	unobservable	average of
(Dollars in thousands)	Value		technique	input	input
Impaired loans - collateral dependent	$	5,132	Appraisal	Appraisal discounts (%)		6.4	%
Other real estate owned		3,569	Appraisal	Appraisal discounts		14.6