Busey utilizes interest rate swap agreements as part of its asset liability management strategy to help manage its interest rate risk position. Additionally, Busey enters into derivative financial instruments, including interest rate lock commitments issued to residential loan customers for loans that will be held for sale; forward sales commitments to sell residential mortgage loans to investors; and interest rate swaps, risk participation agreements, and foreign currency exchange contracts with customers and other third parties. See “Note 18. Fair Value Measurements” for further discussion of the fair value measurement of such derivatives.

Busey entered into derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges. For a derivative instrument that is designated and qualifies as a cash flow hedge, the change in fair value of the derivative instrument is reported as a component of OCI and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Changes in fair value of components excluded from the assessment of effectiveness are recognized in current earnings.

Interest rate swaps with notional amounts totaling $350.0 million as of both December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, were designated as cash flow hedges. Busey entered into one $50.0 million interest rate swap to hedge the risks of variability in cash flows for future interest payments attributable to changes in the contractually specified 3-month LIBOR benchmark interest rate on Busey’s junior subordinated debt owed to unconsolidated trusts (“Debt Swap”). In addition, Busey entered into one $300.0 million receive fixed pay floating interest rate swap to reduce Busey's asset sensitivity (“Loan Swap”). Duration was added to our loan portfolio by fixing a portion of our floating prime-based loans. Interest rates had risen above their historical lows allowing Busey to lock in a portion of its loan portfolio to reduce asset sensitivity while creating a more stable margin in a volatile rate market. These hedges were determined to be highly effective during the period, and Busey expects its hedges to remain highly effective during the remaining terms of the swaps. Changes in fair value were recorded net of tax in OCI.


		As of December 31,
	Location	2023			2022
Debt Swap
Notional amount		$	50,000		$	50,000
Weighted average fixed pay rates		1.79		%	1.79		%
Weighted average variable 3-month LIBOR receive rates		5.61		%	4.77		%
Weighted average maturity		0.71 years			1.71 years

Loan Swap
Notional amount		$	300,000		$	300,000
Weighted average fixed receive rates		4.81		%	4.81		%
Weighted average variable Prime pay rates		8.50		%	7.32		%
Weighted average maturity		5.10 years			6.10 years

Gross aggregate fair value of the swaps
Gross aggregate fair value of swap assets	Other assets	$	1,293		$	2,535
Gross aggregate fair value of swap liabilities	Other liabilities	$	25,411		$	32,367

Balances carried in AOCI
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of tax	AOCI	$	(16,694)		$	(20,985)

Busey expects to reclassify unrealized gains and losses from OCI to interest income and interest expense as shown in the following table, during the next 12 months (dollars in thousands). Amounts actually recognized could differ from these expectations due to changes in interest rates, hedge de-designations, and the addition of other hedges subsequent to December 31, 2023.


	As of December 31, 2023
Unrealized gains (losses) in OCI expected to be recognized in income
Unrealized losses expected to be reclassified from OCI to interest income	$	(952)
Unrealized gains expected to be reclassified from OCI to interest expense	483
Net unrealized gains (losses) in OCI expected to be recognized in net interest income	$	(469)


	Years Ended December 31,
		2023		2022		2021
Interest on swap transactions
Increase (decrease) in interest income on swap transactions		$	(10,326)	$	(553)	$	—
(Increase) decrease in interest expense on swap transactions		1,757		(30)		(1,067)
Net increase (decrease) in net interest income on swap transactions		$	(8,569)	$	(583)	$	(1,067)


	Years Ended December 31,
		2023		2022		2021
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges
Net gain (loss) recognized in OCI, net of tax		$	(1,835)	$	(20,717)	$	736
(Gain) loss reclassified from OCI to interest income, net of tax		7,382		395		—
(Gain) loss reclassified from OCI to interest expense, net of tax		(1,256)		22		763
Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of tax		$	4,291	$	(20,300)	$	1,499

Busey may offer derivative contracts to its customers in connection with their risk management needs. Busey manages the risk associated with these contracts by entering into equal and offsetting derivative agreements with a third-party dealer. These contracts supported variable rate, commercial loan relationships totaling $663.1 million and $576.9 million as of December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively. These derivatives generally worked together as an economic interest rate hedge, but Busey did not designate them for hedge accounting treatment. Consequently, changes in fair value of the corresponding derivative financial asset or liability were recorded as either a charge or credit to current earnings during the period in which the changes occurred.

Amounts and fair values of derivative assets and liabilities related to customer interest rate swaps, included in other assets and other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, are summarized as follows (dollars in thousands):


	As of December 31, 2023
	Derivative Asset				Derivative Liability
	Notional Amount		Fair Value		Notional Amount		Fair Value
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate swaps – pay floating, receive fixed	$	177,883	$	2,375	$	485,253	$	26,289
Interest rate swaps – pay fixed, receive floating	485,253		26,289		177,883		2,375
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	$	663,136	$	28,664	$	663,136	$	28,664


	As of December 31, 2022
	Derivative Asset				Derivative Liability
	Notional Amount		Fair Value		Notional Amount		Fair Value
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate swaps – pay floating, receive fixed	$	48,728	$	370	$	528,183	$	39,685
Interest rate swaps – pay fixed, receive floating	528,183		39,685		48,728		370
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	$	576,911	$	40,055	$	576,911	$	40,055


		Years Ended December 31,
	Location		2023		2022		2021
Interest rate swaps
Pay floating, receive fixed	Noninterest expense		$	(11,525)	$	19,308	$	(12,587)
Pay fixed, receive floating	Noninterest expense		11,525		(19,308)		12,587
Net change in fair value of interest rate swaps			$	—	$	—	$	—

To manage the credit risk exposure related to customer-facing swaps, Busey entered into risk participation agreements in conjunction with loan participation arrangements with other financial institutions. Under these risk participation agreements, Busey purchased a portion of the credit exposure, paying an up-front fee, and will receive a payment from the counterparty if the loan customer defaults on its obligations.

Busey also entered into a risk participation agreement under which Busey sold a portion of its credit exposure, receiving an up-front fee, and will be required to make a payment to the counterparty if the loan customer defaults on its obligations.

The notional amount of the risk participation agreements reflect Busey's pro-rata share of the derivative instrument, consistent with its share of the related participated loan. The risk participation agreements mature between 2024 and 2029, and are summarized as follows (dollars in thousands):


	As of December 31,
	2023		2022
Risk participation agreements purchased
Number of risk participation agreements	3		2
Notional amount	$	34,251	$	18,899
Fair value	15		5

Risk participation agreements sold
Number of risk participation agreements	1		—
Notional amount	$	20,001	—
Fair value	—		—

In 2023, Busey entered into foreign currency exchange contracts to support the business requirements of its customers. Foreign currency contracts involve the exchange of one currency for another on a specified date and at a specified rate. These contracts were executed on behalf of Busey's customers and were used by customers to manage fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Busey minimized its exposure by entering into similar offsetting positions with other financial institutions. Busey was subject to the credit risk that another party would fail to perform. As of December 31, 2023, Busey had no derivative assets or derivative liabilities related to foreign currency contracts recorded in its Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Interest rate lock commitments that meet the definition of derivative financial instruments under ASC Topic 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” are carried at their fair values in other assets or other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, with changes in the fair values of the corresponding derivative financial assets or liabilities recorded as either a charge or credit to current earnings during the period in which the changes occurred.

Busey economically hedges mortgage loans held for sale and interest rate lock commitments issued to its residential loan customers related to loans that will be held for sale by obtaining corresponding forward sales commitments with an investor to sell the loans at an agreed-upon price at the time the interest rate locks are issued to the customers. Forward sales commitments that meet the definition of derivative financial instruments under ASC Topic 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” are carried at their fair values in other assets or other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. While such forward sales commitments generally served as an economic hedge to mortgage loans held for sale and interest rate lock commitments, Busey did not designate them for hedge accounting treatment. Changes in fair value of the corresponding derivative financial asset or liability were recorded as either a charge or credit to current earnings during the period in which the changes occurred.


		As of December 31, 2023				As of December 31, 2022
	Location	Notional Amount		Fair Value		Notional Amount		Fair Value
Mortgage banking derivative assets
Interest rate lock commitments	Other assets	$	3,477	$	25	$	1,517	$	16
Forward sales commitments	Other assets	1,761		11		83		1
Mortgage banking derivative assets		$	5,238	$	36	$	1,600	$	17

Mortgage banking derivative liabilities
Interest rate lock commitments	Other liabilities	$	1,615	$	10	$	83	$	1
Forward sales commitments	Other liabilities	5,216		47		2,757		39
Mortgage banking derivative liabilities		$	6,831	$	57	$	2,840	$	40


		Years Ended December 31,
	Location		2023		2022		2021
Net gains (losses)
Interest rate lock commitments	Mortgage revenue		$	—	$	15	$	1,702
Forward sales commitments	Mortgage revenue		2		(38)		(4,045)
Net gains (losses)			$	2	$	(23)	$	(2,343)

In 2021, the impact of the net gains or losses recognized in earnings on interest rate lock commitments and forward sales commitments was almost entirely offset by the recognition of a corresponding change in the fair value of loans held for sale. In 2022, Busey began carrying loans held for sale at LOCOM, so while Busey will continue to recognize gains or losses on these mortgage banking derivative instruments in earnings, any corresponding increase in the fair value of loans held for sale will not be recognized in earnings until the loans are sold, at which time the increase is factored into the calculated gain on sale. Decreases in the market value of loans held for sale will continue to be recognized in earnings at each measurement period.