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Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Summary of significant accounting policies  
Nature of operations

Nature of operations:

Peoples Financial Services Corp., a bank holding company incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania, provides a full range of financial services through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Peoples Security Bank and Trust Company. Unless the context indicates otherwise, all references in this quarterly report to “Peoples”, “Company”, “Bank”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Peoples Financial Services Corp., its subsidiaries and its and their respective predecessors. The Company services its retail and commercial customers through twenty-six full-service community banking offices located within the Bucks, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties of Pennsylvania and Broome County of New York.

In June, we notified our customers and primary state and federal regulators of our intent to permanently close the Duryea, Gouldsboro, and South Scranton branch offices during the third quarter of 2020.
Basis of presentation

Basis of presentation:

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The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10-01 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and results of operations for the periods presented have been included. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Prior-period amounts are reclassified when necessary to conform to the current year’s presentation. These reclassifications did not have any effect on the consolidated operating results or financial position of the Company. The consolidated operating results and financial position of the Company for the six months ended and as of June 30, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the results of consolidated operations and financial position that may be expected in the future.

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The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates that are particularly susceptible to material change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses, fair value of financial instruments, the valuation of real estate acquired in connection with foreclosures or in satisfaction of loans, the valuation of deferred tax assets, determination of other-than-temporary impairment losses on securities, and impairment of goodwill. Actual results could differ from those estimates. For additional information and disclosures required under GAAP, reference is made to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2019.

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Significant events: COVID-19

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In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported to have surfaced in China, and has since spread to the United States and throughout the world. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, a global pandemic. In the United States, the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus invoked various federal, state and local authorities to make emergency declarations and issue executive orders to limit the spread of the disease. Measures included restrictions on travel, limitations on public gatherings, implementation of social distancing protocols, school closings, orders to shelter in place and mandates to close all non-essential businesses to the public. Concerns about the spread of the disease and its anticipated negative impact on economic activity severely disrupted domestic financial markets prompting the Federal Reserve System’s Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) to aggressively cut the target federal funds rate to a range of 0% to 0.25%, including a 50 basis point reduction in the target federal funds rate on March 3, 2020 and an additional 100 basis point reduction on March 15, 2020. In addition, the Federal Reserve rolled out various market support programs to ease the stress on financial markets.

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As the COVID-19 events unfolded throughout the first six months of 2020, the Company implemented its pandemic plan and executed various strategies and protocols intended to protect its employees, maintain services for customers, assure

the functional continuity of the Company’s operating systems, controls and processes, and mitigate financial risks posed by changing market conditions. The Company imposed business travel restrictions, implemented quarantine and work from home protocols and physically separated, to the extent possible, the critical operations site workforce that are unable to work remotely. To limit the risk of virus spread, the Company implemented drive-thru only and by appointment operating protocols for its bank branch network. We follow the recommendations of our state and local governments as to conducting business and have opened the lobbies of the majority of our branches while maintaining safety protocols. The Company also maintained active communications with its primary regulatory agencies and critical vendors in an effort to keep all mission-critical activities and functions performing in line with regulatory expectations and the Company’s service standards.

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is fluid and continues to evolve, adversely affecting many of the Bank’s clients. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated impacts on trade (including supply chains), travel, employee productivity, unemployment, consumer spending, and other economic activities have resulted in less economic activity and significant volatility and disruption in financial markets, and has had an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The ultimate extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial condition and results of operations is currently uncertain and will depend on various developments and other factors, including, among others, the duration and scope of the pandemic, as well as governmental, regulatory and private sector responses to the pandemic, and the associated impacts on the economy, financial markets and our customers, employees and vendors. Our business, financial condition and results of operations generally rely upon the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans, the value of collateral underlying our secured loans, and demand for loans and other products and services we offer, which are highly dependent on the business environment in our primary markets where we operate and in the United States as a whole.

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The full impact of COVID-19 is unknown and continues to evolve. It has caused substantial disruption in U.S. economies, markets, and employment. The outbreak may have a significant adverse impact on certain industries the Company serves, including retail, hospitality and restaurants and food and service. During March, the Company reviewed its commercial loan and commercial real estate portfolios and determined approximately $1.2 billion or 73% is categorized as non-life sustaining and were subject to shutdown at the onset of the pandemic. Based on management’s application of its allowance for loan losses methodology and primarily changes to the economic qualitative factors relating to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 crisis on economic conditions and the increased inherent risk in the loan portfolio, our provision for loan and lease losses for the first six months on 2020 was $5.3 million. Because of the significant uncertainties related to the ultimate duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential effects on clients and prospects, and on the national and local economy as a whole, there can be no assurances as to how the crisis may ultimately affect the Company’s loan portfolio.

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With respect to the Company’s lending activities, the Company implemented a customer payment deferral program to assist both consumer and business borrowers that may be experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 related challenges. On March 22, 2020, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued an “Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for Financial Institutions Working with Customers Affected by the Coronavirus.” This guidance encourages financial institutions to work prudently with borrowers that may be unable to meet their contractual obligations because of the effects of COVID-19. The guidance goes on to explain that, in consultation with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) staff, the federal bank regulatory agencies concluded that short-term modifications (e.g. six months) made on a good faith basis to borrowers who were current as of the implementation date of a relief program are not troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”). Section 4013 of the CARES Act also addresses COVID-19 related modifications and specifies that COVID-19 related modifications on loans that were current as of December 31, 2019 are not TDRs. As of July 30, 2020, the Company granted payment deferral requests for up to six months to a total of 481 commercial loans with outstanding loan balances of $306.9 million and to 505 consumer loans with outstanding balances of $23.3 million. Loans in deferment status will continue to accrue interest during the deferment period unless otherwise classified as nonperforming.

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The Company has also participated as a lender in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), Paycheck Protection Program, a $349 billion specialized low-interest loan program funded by the U.S. Treasury Department and administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). The Paycheck Protection Program

(“PPP”) provides borrower guarantees for lenders, as well as loan forgiveness incentives for borrowers that utilize the loan proceeds to cover employee compensation-related business operating costs. The Company began accepting and processing applications for loans under the PPP on April 3, 2020.  Through July 30, 2020, the Company processed 1,417 applications from existing and new customers providing over $216.2 million in loans with an average loan amount of $153 thousand furthering Peoples’ commitment to support small businesses.  Funding these loans will generate approximately $6.9 million of SBA processing fees.   The processing fee income is deferred and amortized over the contractual life of the loan, or accelerated at forgiveness, as an adjustment of yield using the interest method. During the three months ended June 30, 2020, $0.7 million was recognized in interest and fees on loans in the unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company utilized the Federal Reserve’s Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (“PPPLF”) and an increase of in-market deposits to replace liquidity used to fund PPP loans.

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The Company also has goodwill with a net carrying value of $63.4 million at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The Company completes a goodwill impairment analysis at least annually, or more often if events and circumstances indicate that there may be impairment. In connection with the emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic and the decline in our stock price during 2020, management retained a financial advisory firm to assist in the preparation of a quantitative assessment for potential goodwill impairment. To arrive at the fair value of the Company, management utilized an income and market approach and applied weighting factors to each result and concluded the fair value of the Company was in excess of its carrying value, including goodwill and, as such, no impairment exists at June 30, 2020. In the event of a sustained decline in share price or further deterioration in the macroeconomic outlook, continued assessments of the Company's goodwill balance will likely be required in future periods with no assurance that the future impairment assessments or tests will not result in a charge to earnings.
Recent accounting standards

Recent accounting standards:

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In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” This ASU will have a significant impact on the Company’s calculation and accounting for its allowance for loan losses as well as credit losses related to investment securities available-for-sale. A summary of significant provisions of this ASU is as follows:

 

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The ASU requires that a financial asset (or a group of financial assets) measured at amortized cost basis be presented, net of a valuation allowance for credit losses, at an amount expected to be collected on the financial asset(s), and that the income statement include the measurement of credit losses for newly recognized financial assets as well as changes in expected losses on previously recognized financial assets. The provisions of this ASU require measurement of expected credit losses based on relevant information including past events, historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportive forecasts that affect the collectability of the asset. The provisions of this ASU differ from current GAAP in that current GAAP generally delays recognition of the full amount of credit losses until the loss is probable of occurring.

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The amendments in the ASU retain many of the disclosure requirements related to credit quality in current  GAAP, updated to reflect the change from an incurred loss methodology to an expected credit loss methodology. In addition, the ASU requires that disclosure of credit quality indicators in relation to the amortized cost of financing receivables, a current requirement, be further disaggregated by year of origination.

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This ASU requires that credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities be presented as an allowance rather than as a write-down, and limits the amount of the allowance for credit losses to the amount by which the fair value is below amortized cost. For purchased investment securities available-for-sale with a more-than-insignificant

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amount of credit deterioration since origination, the ASU requires an allowance be determined in a manner similar to other investment securities available-for-sale; however, the initial allowance would be added to the purchase price, with only subsequent changes in the allowance recorded in credit loss expense, and interest income recognized at the effective rate excluding the discount embedded in the purchase price related to estimated credit losses at acquisition.

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In November 2019, the FASB voted to defer the adoption date for smaller reporting companies from 2020 to 2023. The Company qualifies as a smaller reporting company and therefore guidance is effective for the Company in 2023. The Company will record the effect of implementing this ASU through a cumulative-effect adjustment through retained earnings as of the beginning of the reporting period in which Topic 326 is effective.

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We are evaluating the impact of the ASU on our consolidated financial statements. In addition to our allowance for loan losses, we will also record an allowance for credit losses on debt securities instead of applying the impairment model currently utilized. The amount of the adjustments will be impacted by each portfolio’s composition and credit quality at the adoption date as well as economic conditions and forecasts at that time.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, “Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20)”, which provides changes to the disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans. The amended guidance modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. The amendments are a result of the disclosure framework project that focuses on improvements to the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to financial statements. The amendments remove and add certain disclosure requirements. The disclosure requirements being removed relating to public companies are (1) the amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year, (2) the amount and timing of plan assets expected to be returned to the employer, (3) the 2001 disclosure requirement relating to Japanese Welfare Pension Insurance Law, (4) related party disclosures about the amount of future annual benefits covered by insurance, and (5) the effects of a one-percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trends on the benefit cost and obligation. The disclosure requirements being added relating to public companies are (1) the weighted-average interest crediting rates for cash balance plans, and (2) an explanation of the reasons for significant gains and losses related to changes in the benefit obligation for the period. ASU 2018-14 is effective for the Company on January 1, 2021. The amendments should be applied retrospectively however, the Company does not expect the guidance to have a material impact on its disclosures to the consolidated financial statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes”, which aims to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles and also simplification of areas such as franchise taxes, step-up in tax basis goodwill, separate entity financial statements and interim recognition of enactment of tax laws or rate changes. The ASU will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2021. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of ASU 2019-12 on the consolidated financial statements.

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In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting”, which provides optional expedients and exceptions for a limited time period to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform on financial reporting. The amendments in ASU 2020-04 are elective for entities with contracts, including derivative contracts, that reference LIBOR or some other reference rate that are expected to be discontinued. For the Company's cash flow hedges, ASU 2020-04 allows: (i) an entity to change the reference rate without having to designate the hedging relationship; (ii) for cash flow hedges in which the designated hedged risk is LIBOR, allows an entity to assert that it remains probable that the hedged forecasted transaction will occur; and (iii) allows an entity to change the designated method used to assess hedge effectiveness and simplifies or temporarily suspends the assessment of hedge effectiveness for hedging relationships. ASU 2020-04 must be applied prospectively and was effective immediately upon issuance and remains effective through December 31, 2022.

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The Company adopted the amendments in ASU 2020-04 as of the March 12, 2020 issuance date, on a prospective basis. The adoption did not have an immediate direct impact to our financial statements. As contracts are modified through December 2022, we will assess the impact based on this guidance. We do not expect there will be a material impact to our financial statements.