Note 10 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

(10) Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

As of June 30, 2016, Bancorp had various commitments outstanding that arose in the normal course of business, including standby letters of credit and commitments to extend credit, which are properly not reflected in the consolidated financial statements. In management’s opinion, commitments to extend credit of $628.6 million including standby letters of credit of $11.6 million represent normal banking transactions. Commitments to extend credit were $636.9 million, including letters of credit of $12.8 million, as of December 31, 2015. Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as collateral is available and there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses. Commitments to extend credit are mainly comprised of commercial lines of credit, construction and home equity credit lines and credit cards issued to commercial customers. Since some of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. Bancorp uses the same credit and collateral policies in making commitments and conditional guarantees as for on-balance sheet instruments. Bancorp evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case by case basis. The amount of collateral obtained is based on management’s credit evaluation of the customer. Collateral held varies but may include accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, and real estate. However, should the commitments be drawn upon and should our customers default on their resulting obligation to us, our maximum exposure to credit loss, without consideration of collateral, is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. At June 30, 2016, Bancorp has accrued $387 thousand in other liabilities for inherent risks related to unfunded credit commitments.

STOCK YARDS BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY

Standby letters of credit and financial guarantees written are conditional commitments issued by Bancorp to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. Those guarantees are primarily issued to support private commercial transactions. Standby letters of credit generally have maturities of one to two years.

Also, as of June 30, 2016, in the normal course of business, there were pending legal actions and proceedings in which claims for damages are asserted. Management, after discussion with legal counsel, believes the ultimate result of these legal actions and proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or results of operations of Bancorp.