The supervision and regulation of financial and bank holding companies and their subsidiaries is intended primarily for the protection of depositors, the deposit insurance fund regulated by the FDIC and the banking system as a whole, and not for the protection of shareholders or creditors of bank holding companies. The various bank regulatory agencies have broad enforcement power over financial holding companies and banks, including the power to impose substantial fines, operational restrictions and other penalties for violations of laws and regulations and for safety and soundness considerations.

Banks and bank holding companies are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by state and federal banking agencies. Capital adequacy guidelines and, additionally for banks, prompt corrective action regulations, involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance-sheet items calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators about components, risk weighting and other factors.

The Basel III Capital Rules, a comprehensive capital framework for U.S. banking organizations, became effective for the Company and the Bank on January 1, 2015 (subject to a phase-in period for certain provisions). Quantitative measures established by the Basel III Capital Rules to ensure capital adequacy require the maintenance of minimum amounts and ratios (set forth in the table that follows) of Common Equity Tier 1 capital (“CET1”), Tier 1 capital and Total capital to risk-weighted assets, and of Tier 1 capital to adjusted quarterly average assets (each as defined in the regulations).

The Economic Growth Act provided for a potential exception from the Basel III Rules for community banks that maintain a Community Bank Leverage Ratio (“CBLR”) of at least 8.0% to 10.0%. The CBLR is calculated by dividing Tier 1 capital by the bank’s average total consolidated assets. In the final rules approved by the FDIC in September 2019, qualifying community banking organizations that opt in to using the CBLR are considered to be in compliance with the Basel III Rules as long as the bank maintains a CBLR of greater than 9.0%. If a bank is not a qualifying community banking organization, does not opt in to using the CBLR, or cannot maintain a CBLR of greater than 9.0%, the bank would have to comply with the Basel III Rules. The Company determined to comply with the Basel III Rules instead of using the CBLR framework.

The Company’s and the Bank’s Common Equity Tier 1 capital includes common stock and related paid-in capital, net of treasury stock, and retained earnings. In connection with the adoption of the Basel III Capital Rules, The Company elected to opt-out of the requirement to include most components of accumulated other comprehensive income in Common Equity Tier 1. Common Equity Tier 1 for both the Company and the Bank is reduced by goodwill and other intangible assets, net of associated deferred tax liabilities.

Tier 1 capital includes Common Equity Tier 1 capital and additional Tier 1 capital. For the Company, additional Tier 1 capital at December 31, 2024 includes, subject to limitation, $17.3 million of preferred stock.

Total capital includes Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital for both the Company and the Bank includes a permissible portion of the allowance for credit losses. Tier 2 capital for the Company also includes qualified subordinated debt. At December 31, 2024, the Company’s Tier 2 capital included $74.8 million of subordinated notes.

The Common Equity Tier 1, Tier 1 and Total capital ratios are calculated by dividing the respective capital amounts by risk-weighted assets. Risk-weighted assets are calculated based on regulatory requirements and include total assets, with certain exclusions, allocated by risk weight category, and certain off-balance-sheet items, among other things. The leverage ratio is calculated by dividing Tier 1 capital by adjusted quarterly average total assets, which exclude goodwill and other intangible assets, among other things.

The Basel III Capital Rules require the Company and the Bank to maintain (i) a minimum ratio of Common Equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 4.5%, plus a 2.5% “capital conservation buffer” (which is added to the 4.5% Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio, effectively resulting in a minimum ratio of Common Equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 7.0%), (ii) a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 6.0%, plus the capital conservation buffer (which is added to the 6.0% Tier 1 capital ratio, effectively resulting in a minimum Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.5%), (iii) a minimum ratio of Total capital (that is, Tier 1 plus Tier 2) to risk-weighted assets of at least 8.0%, plus the capital conservation buffer (which is added to the 8.0% total capital ratio, effectively resulting in a minimum total capital ratio of 10.5%) and (iv) a minimum leverage ratio of 4.0%, calculated as the ratio of Tier 1 capital to average quarterly assets.

The Basel III Capital Rules also provide for a “countercyclical capital buffer” that is applicable to only certain covered institutions and does not have any current applicability to the Company or the Bank. The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress and effectively increases the minimum required risk-weighted capital ratios. Banking institutions with a ratio of Common Equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets below the effective minimum will face constraints on dividends, equity repurchases, and compensation based on the amount of the shortfall.

The following table presents actual and required capital ratios as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 for the Company and the Bank under the Basel III Capital Rules. 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 (dollars in thousands):


	Actual					Minimum Capital Required – Basel III					Required to be Considered Well Capitalized
	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio
2024
Tier 1 leverage:
Company	$	565,595		9.15	%	$	247,211		4.00	%	$	309,014		5.00	%
Bank		603,964		9.79			246,712		4.00			308,391		5.00
CET1 capital:
Company		548,310		10.54			364,239		7.00			338,222		6.50
Bank		603,964		11.65			362,882		7.00			336,962		6.50
Tier 1 capital:
Company		565,595		10.87			442,291		8.50			416,273		8.00
Bank		603,964		11.65			440,643		8.50			414,723		8.00
Total capital:
Company		689,703		13.25			546,359		10.50			520,342		10.00
Bank		653,230		12.60			544,324		10.50			518,403		10.00

2023
Tier 1 leverage:
Company	$	509,412		8.18	%	$	248,974		4.00	%	$	311,217		5.00	%
Bank		562,775		9.06			248,385		4.00			310,481		5.00
CET1 capital:
Company		492,120		9.43			365,311		7.00			339,217		6.50
Bank		562,775		10.82			364,191		7.00			338,177		6.50
Tier 1 capital:
Company		509,412		9.76			443,592		8.50			417,498		8.00
Bank		562,775		10.82			442,232		8.50			416,218		8.00
Total capital:
Company		632,860		12.13			547,966		10.50			521,872		10.00
Bank		611,691		11.76			546,286		10.50			520,272		10.00

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company and Bank were considered “well capitalized” under all regulatory capital guidelines. Such determination has been made based on the Tier 1 leverage, CET1 capital, Tier 1 capital and total capital ratios.

The Bank is typically required to maintain cash on hand or on deposit at the FRB of New York according to the reserve requirements set by the FRB. In March 2020, the FRB reduced the required reserve to 0%. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Bank was not required to maintain a reserve balance at the FRB of New York.

In the ordinary course of business, the Company is dependent upon dividends from the Bank to provide funds for the payment of dividends to shareholders and to provide for other cash requirements. Banking regulations may limit the amount of dividends that may be paid. Approval by regulatory authorities is required if the effect of dividends declared would cause the regulatory capital of the Bank to fall below specified minimum levels. Approval is also required if dividends declared exceed the net profits for that year combined with the retained net profits for the preceding two years.