Quarterly Report (10-q)

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(table amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 1 – Basis of Presentation

Park Sterling Corporation (the “Company”) was formed on October 6, 2010 to serve as the holding company for Park Sterling Bank (the “Bank”) and is a bank holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”). At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company’s primary operations and business were that of owning the Bank.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information or footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. Because the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP, they should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes (the “2016 Audited Financial Statements”) included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 10, 2017 (the “2016 Form 10-K”).

In management’s opinion, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, which consist of normal, recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the results of its operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year or for other interim periods.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are susceptible to significant change in the near term are the valuation of purchased credit-impaired (“PCI”) loans, the valuation of the allowance for loan losses and the fair value of financial instruments and other accounts.

Tabular information, other than share and per share data, is presented in thousands of dollars. Certain amounts reported in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Note 2 - Recent Accounting Pronouncements

During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company early adopted, with an effective date of January 1, 2016, Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, “Compensation- Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”), which is intended to improve accounting for share-based payment award transactions. ASU 2016-09 simplifies share-based transactions including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. During the fourth quarter, the Company recognized an income tax benefit of $798 thousand, representing excess tax benefits that previously would have been recognized, under the former standard, in additional paid in capital.

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Topic 606 (“ASU 2014-09”). The new standard's core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under existing guidance. These may include identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. In August of 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Topic 606: Deferral of the Effective Date, deferring the effective date of ASU 2014-09 until annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The standard can be applied retrospectively to each prior reporting period or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying this new guidance recognized at the date of initial application. Our revenue is comprised of net interest income on financial assets and financial liabilities, which is explicitly excluded from the scope of ASU 2014-09, and non-interest income. We are currently analyzing our noninterest income to determine the impact of this new standard; but we do not expect the changes will have a significant impact on our financial statements.

PARK STERLING CORPORATION

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(table amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

On January 5, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments–Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“ASU 2016-01”). Changes to the current GAAP model primarily affects the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. In addition, the FASB clarified guidance related to the valuation allowance assessment when recognizing deferred tax assets resulting from unrealized losses on available-for-sale debt securities. The guidance will be effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is evaluating the impact of this update on its financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases” (“ASU 2016-02”), which is intended to improve financial reporting about leasing transactions. ASU 2016-02 will require organizations (“lessees”) that lease assets with lease terms of more than twelve months to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. Financial reporting for organizations that own the assets leased by lessees (“lessors”) will remain largely unchanged from current GAAP. In addition, the ASU will require disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The effective date of this ASU is for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2018 and interim periods within that year. The Company has reviewed its outstanding lease agreements and has centrally documented the terms of its leases. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of ASU 2016-02 in relation to its outstanding leases to determine the potential impact on its financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”) as part of its project on financial instruments. ASU 2016-13 introduces an approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments. It also modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale (AFS) debt securities and provides for a simplified accounting model for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. The effective date of this ASU is for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The implementation of ASU 2016-13 will have a significant impact on both the method of estimating credit losses as well as the amount of credit losses reflected in the Company’s financial statements. The Company is currently in a planning phase for implementation of the new standard and is evaluating expected impact on its financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments: (“ASU 2016-15”). ASU 2016-15 addresses eight classification issues related to the statement of cash flows. The updated guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Entities will apply the standard's provisions using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The Company does not believe this guidance will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-03, “Accounting Changes and Error Corrections (Topic 250) and Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323)”. ASU 2017-03 amends the Codification for SEC staff announcements made at two Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) meetings. At the September 2016 meeting, the SEC staff expressed its expectations about the extent of disclosures registrants should make about the effects of the new FASB guidance (including any amendments issued prior to adoption) on revenue (ASU 2014-09), leases (ASU 2016-02) and credit losses on financial instruments (ASU 2016-13) in accordance with SAB Topic 11.M. That Topic requires registrants to disclose the effect that recently issued accounting standards will have on their financial statements when adopted in a future period. ASU 2017-03 incorporates these SEC staff views into ASC 250 and adds references to that guidance in the transition paragraphs of each of the three new standards. The Company has adopted this new standard and it did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) - Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment.” ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test which required entities to compute the implied fair value of goodwill. Under the new standard, an entity should perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 is effective for any interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The new standard is not expected to have a significant impact on our financial statements.

PARK STERLING CORPORATION

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(table amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08 “Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20) - Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities.” ASU 2017-08 shortens the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium to require such premiums to be amortized to the earliest call date unless applicable guidance related to certain pools of securities is applied to consider estimated prepayments. Under prior guidance, entities were generally required to amortize premiums on individual, non-pooled callable debt securities as a yield adjustment over the contractual life of the security. ASU 2017-08 does not change the accounting for callable debt securities held at a discount. ASU 2017-08 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual periods. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of ASU 2017-08 on our financial statements.

Note 3– Business Combinations and Goodwill

Generally, acquisitions are accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 805, Business Combinations . Both the purchased assets and liabilities assumed are recorded at their respective acquisition date fair values. Determining the fair value of assets and liabilities, especially the loan portfolio, is a complicated process involving significant judgment regarding methods and assumptions used to calculate estimated fair values. Fair values are preliminary and subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of the acquisition as additional information regarding the closing date fair values becomes available. There were no acquisitions or mergers conducted during the first quarter of 2017.

On January 1, 2016, the Company acquired First Capital Bancorp, Inc. (“First Capital”), based in Glen Allen, Virginia and the parent company of First Capital Bank. As a result of the merger of First Capital into the Company, First Capital Bank, which operated eight branches in the Richmond, Virginia area, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and thereafter was merged into the Bank. The aggregate merger consideration consisted of approximately 8.4 million shares of Common Stock and approximately $25.7 million in cash. Based on the $7.32 per share closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2015, the transaction value was approximately $87.1 million. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed from First Capital were recorded at their fair value as of the closing date of the merger. Goodwill of $34.1 million resulted from the First Capital transaction.

PARK STERLING CORPORATION

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(table amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Note 4 – Investment Securities

The amortized cost, unrealized gains and losses, and estimated fair value of securities available-for-sale at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are as follows:

PARK STERLING CORPORATION

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(table amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

In 2014, commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) with a fair market value of $58.5 million were transferred from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity. These securities had an aggregate unrealized loss of $2.2 million ($1.5 million, net of tax) on the date of transfer. The net unamortized, unrealized loss on the transferred securities included in accumulated other comprehensive pre-tax income in the accompanying balance sheet at both December 31, 2016 and March 31, 2017 totaled $1.7 million. This amount is amortized out of accumulated other comprehensive income over the remaining life of the underlying securities as an adjustment of the yield on those securities. As a result, the amortized cost of these investments of $47.8 million is higher than the $46.6 million carrying value of the securities as of March 31, 2017. There were no transfers of securities from available-for-sale to held-to-maturity during the quarter ended March 31, 2017.

At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, investment securities with a fair market value of $136.3 million and $152.2 million, respectively, were pledged to secure public and trust deposits, to secure interest rate swaps, and for other purposes as required and permitted by law.

At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, commercial MBS include $56.4 million and $56.7 million, respectively, of delegated underwriting and servicing (“DUS”) bonds collateralized by multi-family properties and backed by an agency of the U.S. government, and $6.0 million of private-label securities collateralized by commercial properties. 

Included within the asset-backed securities balance are collateralized loan obligations totaling $28.9 million at March 31, 2017 and $33.9 million at December 31, 2016. Included in these amounts are $3.8 million and $4.1 million of a security equally collateralized by the Federal Family Education loan Program and Private Student Loan Programs as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

The amortized cost and fair value of investment securities available-for-sale and held-to-maturity at March 31, 2017 by contractual maturity are shown below. Expected maturities will differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. All of the Company’s residential agency pass-through securities and residential collateralized mortgage obligations are backed by an agency of the United States government. None of our residential agency pass-through securities or residential collateralized mortgage obligations are private-label securities.

PARK STERLING CORPORATION

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(table amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)

Securities available-for-sale of $51.6 million and $100.1 million were sold in the three months ended March 31, 2017 March 31, 2016, respectively. Gross realized gains on the sale of securities were $58 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and $94 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2016. There were no gross realized losses on the sale of securities for the three months ended March 31, 2017. Gross realized losses for the three months ended March 31, 2016 were $100 thousand.

Management evaluates its investments quarterly for other than temporary impairment, relying primarily on industry analyst reports, observation of market conditions and interest rate fluctuations. The following table shows gross unrealized losses and fair value, aggregated by investment category and length of time that the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for securities with unrealized losses at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. None of the securities are deemed to be other than temporarily impaired since none of the unrealized losses relate to the marketability of the securities or the issuer’s ability to honor redemption obligations, as all but one of the bonds are issued by United States government agencies with the remaining bond being partially guaranteed by a government agency, and it is more likely than not that the Company will not have to sell the investments before recovery of their amortized cost basis. At both March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, there were six securities in a loss position for twelve months or more.

PARK STERLING CORPORATION

The Company has nonmarketable equity securities consisting of investments in several unaffiliated financial institutions, as well as investments in five statutory trusts related to trust preferred securities issued by predecessor companies. These investments totaled $20.0 million at March 31, 2017 and $17.5 million at December 31, 2016. Included in these amounts at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was $17.4 million and $14.9 million, respectively, of Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) stock. All nonmarketable equity securities were evaluated for impairment as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016. At March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company estimated that the fair values of nonmarketable equity securities equaled or exceeded the cost of each of these investments, and, therefore, the investments were not impaired.

PARK STERLING CORPORATION

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(table amounts in thousands, except share data and per share amounts)