UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
x | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008
OR
¨ | TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to .
Commission File Number: 000-15637
SVB FINANCIAL GROUP
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 91-1962278 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
3003 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara, California 95054-1191 | http://www.svb.com | |
(Address of principal executive offices including zip code) |
(Registrants URL) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (408) 654-7400
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class: |
Name of each exchange on which registered | |
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
NASDAQ Global Select Market | |
Junior subordinated debentures issued by SVB Capital II and the |
NASDAQ Global Select Market |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes ¨ No x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer x Accelerated filer ¨ Non-accelerated filer ¨ Smaller reporting company ¨
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes ¨ No x
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity securities held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2008, the last business day of the registrants most recently completed second fiscal quarter, based upon the closing price of its common stock on such date, on the NASDAQ Global Select Market was $1,551,661,376.
At January 31, 2009, 32,933,162 shares of the registrants common stock ($0.001 par value) were outstanding.
Documents Incorporated by Reference |
Parts of Form 10-K Into Which Incorporated | |
Definitive proxy statement for the Companys 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 |
Part III |
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Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in particular Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under Part II, Item 7 in this report, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Management has in the past and might in the future make forward-looking statements orally to analysts, investors, the media and others. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Broadly speaking, forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the following:
| Projections of our net interest income, noninterest income, earnings per share, noninterest expenses, including professional service, compliance, compensation and other costs, cash flows, balance sheet positions, capital expenditures, and capitalization or other financial items |
| Descriptions of strategic initiatives, plans or objectives of our management for future operations, including pending acquisitions |
| Forecasts of venture capital/private equity funding levels |
| Forecasts of future interest rates, economic performance, and income on investments |
| Forecasts of expected levels of provisions for loan losses, loan growth and client funds |
| Descriptions of assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing |
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we make forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those discussing our managements expectations about:
| Economic conditions and associated impact on us |
| Extent to which our products and services will meet changing client needs |
| Our ability to compete in various markets |
| The suitability of our properties for the conduct of our business |
| The payment of cash dividends on, or our repurchase of, our common stock |
| The adequacy of reserves and appropriateness of methodology |
| Sensitivity of our interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities to interest rates, and the impact to earnings from a change in interest rates |
| Realization, timing, valuation and performance of equity or other investments |
| Our liquidity position |
| Level of client investment fees |
| Growth in loan and deposit balances |
| Credit quality of our loan portfolio |
| Levels and trends of nonperforming loans |
| Capital and liquidity provided through retained earnings |
| Activities for which capital will be used or required, and use of excess capital |
| Financial impact of continued growth of our funds management business |
| Expansion and growth of our noninterest income sources |
| Profitability of our products and services |
| Venture capital and private equity funding and investment levels |
| Strategic initiatives |
| Effect of application of certain accounting pronouncements |
| Effect of lawsuits and claims |
| Changes in, or adequacy of, our unrecognized tax benefit and any associated impact |
| Adequacy of valuation allowance on deferred tax assets |
| Incurrence of losses relating to credit card guarantees and any associated impact |
| Cash requirements of unfunded commitments to certain investments |
| Manner of satisfaction of stock option exercises |
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You can identify these and other forward-looking statements by the use of words such as becoming, may, will, should, predicts, potential, continue, anticipates, believes, estimates, seeks, expects, plans, intends, the negative of such words, or comparable terminology. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we have based these expectations on our beliefs as well as our assumptions, and such expectations may prove to be incorrect. Our actual results of operations and financial performance could differ significantly from those expressed in or implied by our managements forward-looking statements.
For information with respect to factors that could cause actual results to differ from the expectations stated in the forward-looking statements, see Risk Factors under Part I, Item 1A in this report. We urge investors to consider all of these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report of Form 10-K. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements included in this filing are made only as of the date of this filing. We assume no obligation and do not intend to revise or update any forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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ITEM 1. | BUSINESS |
General
SVB Financial Group is a diversified financial services company, as well as a bank holding company and financial holding company. The Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware in March 1999. Through our various subsidiaries and divisions, we offer a variety of banking and financial products and services. For over 25 years, we have been dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed, especially in the technology, life science, venture capital/private equity and premium wine industries. We provide our clients with a diversity of products and services to support them throughout their life cycles of all sizes and stages.
We offer commercial banking products and services through our principal subsidiary, Silicon Valley Bank (the Bank), which is a California state-chartered bank founded in 1983 and a member of the Federal Reserve System. Through its subsidiaries, the Bank also offers brokerage, investment advisory and asset management services. We also offer non-banking products and services, such as funds management, private equity investment and equity valuation services, through our subsidiaries and divisions.
As of December 31, 2008, we had total assets of $10.02 billion, total loans, net of unearned income of $5.51 billion, total deposits of $7.47 billion and total stockholders equity of $988.8 million.
We operate through 27 offices in the United States and five internationally in China, India, Israel and the United Kingdom. Our corporate headquarters is located at 3003 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara, California 95054, and our telephone number is 408.654.7400.
When we refer to SVB Financial Group, the Company, we, our, us or use similar words, we mean SVB Financial Group and all of its subsidiaries collectively, including the Bank. When we refer to SVB Financial or the Parent we are referring only to the parent company, SVB Financial Group.
Business Overview
For reporting purposes, SVB Financial Group has three operating segments for which we report our financial information in this report: Commercial Banking, SVB Capital and Other Business Services. A discussion about our segment reporting, including financial information and results of operation for our operating segments, is set forth in Note 21Segment Reporting of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report, and in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsOperating Segment Results under Part II, Item 7 in this report.
In July 2007, we reached a decision to cease operations at SVB Alliant, our investment banking subsidiary, which provided advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, strategic alliances and private placements. After completion of the remaining client transactions, operations at SVB Alliant were ceased as of March 31, 2008. Accordingly, SVB Alliant was no longer reported as an operating segment as of the second quarter of 2008. We have not presented the results of operations of SVB Alliant in discontinued operations for any period presented based on our assessment of the materiality of SVB Alliants results to our consolidated results of operations.
Commercial Banking
Our commercial banking products and services are provided by the Bank and its subsidiaries. The Bank provides solutions to the financial needs of commercial clients through lending, deposit products, cash management services, and global banking and trade products and services.
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Through lending products and services, the Bank extends loans and other credit facilities to commercial clients. These loans are often secured by clients assets. Lending products and services include traditional term loans, equipment loans, revolving lines of credit, accounts-receivable-based lines of credit and asset-based loans.
The Banks deposit and cash management products and services provide commercial clients with short- and long-term cash management solutions. Deposit products include traditional deposit and checking accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts and sweep accounts. In connection with deposit services, the Bank provides lockbox and merchant services that facilitate timely depositing of checks and other payments to clients accounts. Cash management products and services include wire transfer and automated clearing house (ACH) payment services to enable clients to transfer funds quickly from their deposit accounts. Additionally, the cash management services unit provides collection services, disbursement services, electronic funds transfers, and online banking through SVBeConnect.
The Banks global banking and trade products and services facilitate clients global finance and business needs. These products and services include foreign exchange services that allow commercial clients to manage their foreign currency needs and risks through the purchase and sale of currencies, swaps and hedges on the global inter-bank market. To facilitate clients international trade, the Bank offers a variety of loans and credit facilities guaranteed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States. It also offers letters of credit, including export, import, and standby letters of credit, to enable clients to ship and receive goods globally.
The Bank and its subsidiaries offer a variety of investment services and solutions to its clients that enable companies to effectively manage their assets. Through its broker-dealer subsidiary, SVB Securities, the Bank offers money market mutual funds and fixed-income securities. SVB Securities is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Additionally, through its registered investment advisory subsidiary, SVB Asset Management, the Bank offers investment advisory services, including outsourced treasury services, with customized cash portfolio management and reporting.
SVB Capital
SVB Capital is the private equity arm of SVB Financial Group, which focuses primarily on funds management. SVB Capital manages and sponsors venture capital and private equity funds on behalf of SVB Financial Group and other third party limited partners. The SVB Capital family of funds is comprised of funds it manages, including funds of funds, such as our SVB Strategic Investors funds, and co-investment funds, such as our SVB Capital Partners funds and SVB India Capital Partners fund. It also includes sponsored debt funds, such as Gold Hill Venture Lending funds, which provide secured debt, typically to emerging-technology clients in their earliest stages, and Partners for Growth funds, which provide secured debt primarily to higher-risk, middle-market clients in their later stages. We manage funds which generate income for the Company primarily through management fees, carried interest arrangements and returns through our own investments in the funds. We sponsor debt funds in connection with our strategic or other partnering opportunities primarily for our core banking business. Most of the funds actively managed or sponsored by SVB Capital are consolidated into our financial statements. See Note 2Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report.
Other Business Services
The Other Business Services segment is primarily comprised of SVB Private Client Services, SVB Global, SVB Analytics and SVB Wine Division. These business units do not individually meet the separate reporting thresholds as defined by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information (SFAS No. 131) and, as a result, we have aggregated them together as Other Business Services for segment reporting purposes.
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SVB Private Client Services
SVB Private Client Services is the private banking division of the Bank, which provides a range of credit services to targeted high-net-worth individuals using both long-term secured and short-term unsecured lines of credit. These products and services include mortgages, home equity lines of credit, restricted stock purchase loans, airplane loans, capital call lines of credit, and other secured and unsecured lines of credit. We also help our private clients meet their cash management needs by providing deposit account products and services, including checking accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, and other personalized banking services.
SVB Global
SVB Global serves the needs of our non-U.S. clients with global banking products, including loans, deposits and global finance, in key foreign entrepreneurial markets, such as the United Kingdom, India, China and Israel. SVB Global includes our subsidiaries focused on our foreign activities, which support our clients and facilitate their activities in those markets.
SVB Analytics
SVB Analytics is our subsidiary that provides equity valuation and equity management services to private companies and venture capital firms. We offer equity management services, including capitalization data management, through eProsper, Inc., a company in which SVB Analytics holds a controlling ownership interest.
SVB Wine Division
SVB Wine Division is a division of the Bank that provides banking products and services to our premium wine industry clients, including vineyard development loans. We offer a variety of financial solutions focused specifically on the needs of our clients premium wineries and vineyards.
Income Sources
Our total revenue is comprised of our net interest income and noninterest income. Net interest income on a fully taxable equivalent basis and noninterest income for the year ended December 31, 2008 were $374.3 million and $156.1 million, respectively.
Net interest income is primarily income generated from interest rate differentials. The difference between the interest rates received on interest-earning assets, such as loans extended to clients and securities held in our investment portfolio, and the interest rates paid by us on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings, accounts for the major portion of our earnings. Our deposits are largely obtained from commercial clients within our technology, life sciences and venture capital/private equity industry sectors. Deposits are also obtained from the premium wine industry commercial clients and individual clients served by our SVB Private Client Services group. We do not obtain deposits from conventional retail sources.
Noninterest income is primarily income generated from our fee-based services and returns on our investments. We market our full range of fee-based financial services to our commercial and venture capital/private equity firm clients, including commercial banking, private client, investment advisory, asset management, global banking and equity valuation services. Our ability to integrate and cross-sell our diverse financial services to our clients is a strength of our business model.
We also seek to obtain returns by making investments. We manage and invest in venture capital/private equity funds that generally invest directly in privately held companies, as well as funds that invest in other private equity funds. We also invest directly in privately held companies. As part of negotiated credit facilities and certain other services, we frequently obtain rights to acquire stock in the form of equity warrants in certain client companies.
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Industry Niches
In each of the industry niches we serve, we provide services to meet the needs of our clients throughout their life cycles, beginning with early stage.
Technology and Life Sciences
We serve a variety of clients in the technology and life science industries. Our technology clients generally tend to be in the industries of hardware (semiconductors, communications and electronics), software and related services, and cleantech. Our life science clients generally tend to be in the industries of biotechnology and medical devices. A key component of our technology and life science business strategy is to develop relationships with clients at an early stage and offer them banking services that will continue to meet their needs as they mature and expand. Very generally, we define our technology and life science clients as follows:
| Our emerging technology clients are companies in the start-up or very early stage of their life cycles. These companies typically are privately-held and funded by friends and family, or seed or angel investors. They are primarily in the research and development stage and generally have nominal or no revenue. For example, an emerging technology hardware company may be comprised of its founders engaged in the initial development of its product, funded by modest capital raised from friends and family investors. |
| Our early-stage clients are companies in the early stage of their life cycles. These companies are privately-held and are generally dependent on initial rounds of venture capital financing for funding. They typically are primarily engaged in research and development, have brought relatively few products or services to market, and have little or no revenue. For example, an early-stage software company may be comprised of its founders and a limited number of employees engaged in the development and initial marketing of its product, funded by one or two rounds of venture capital financings. |
| Our mid-stage clients are companies in the intermediate stage of their life cycles. These companies tend to be privately-held, and many are dependent on venture capital for funding. They typically have brought some products or services to market, with modest or meaningful revenue. For example, a mid-stage software company may have had some success with licensing its initial products to its customers and is engaged in developing additional products to bring to market. |
| Our late-stage clients are companies in the more advanced stages of their life cycles, but generally have not yet fully matured. These companies may be privately or publicly held. They generally are in the advanced stage of their research and development, and may have brought solid product or service offering to market, with more meaningful or considerable revenue. For example, a late-stage semiconductor company may have a suite of semiconductor chip products on the market and be financially dependent on the sale of the products. |
| Our corporate technology clients are mature companies that tend to be more established. These companies tend to be publicly held or poised to become publicly held. They generally may have a more sophisticated product or service offering in the market, with significant revenue. For example, a corporate technology semiconductor company may be a publicly-traded company with a broad product offering and an established record of profitability. |
Venture Capital/Private Equity
We provide financial services to clients in the venture capital/private equity community. Since our founding, we have cultivated strong relationships with the venture capital/private equity community, particularly with venture capital firms worldwide, many of which are also clients. We serve more than 550 venture capital firms worldwide, as well as other private equity firms, facilitating deal flow to and from these private equity firms and participating in direct investments in their portfolio companies. Unless the context requires otherwise, when we refer to our private equity clients, we mean our clients in the venture capital and private equity community.
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Premium Wine
We are one of the leading providers of financial services to premium wine producers in the Western United States, with over 300 winery and vineyard clients. We focus on vineyards and wineries that produce grapes and wines of high quality.
Competition
The banking and financial services industry is highly competitive, and evolves as a result of changes in regulation, technology, product delivery systems, and the general market and economic climate. Our current competitors include other banks, debt funds and specialty and diversified financial services companies that offer lending, leasing, other financial products, and advisory services to our target client base. The principal competitive factors in our markets include product offerings, service, and pricing. Given our established market position with the client segments that we serve, and our ability to integrate and cross-sell our diverse financial services to extend the length of our relationships with our clients, we believe we compete favorably in all our markets in these areas.
Employees
As of December 31, 2008, we employed 1,244 full-time equivalent employees.
Supervision and Regulation
Recent Developments
In response to the current economic downturn and financial industry instability, legislative and other governmental initiatives have been, and will likely continue to be, introduced and implemented, which could substantially intensify the regulation of the financial services industry (including a possible comprehensive overhaul of the financial institutions regulatory system). SVB Financial cannot predict whether or when potential legislation will be enacted, and if enacted, the effect that it, or any implemented regulations and supervisory policies, would have on our financial condition or results of operations. Moreover, especially in the current economic environment, bank regulatory agencies have been very aggressive in responding to concerns and trends identified in examinations, and this has resulted in the increased issuance of enforcement orders to other financial institutions requiring action to address credit quality, liquidity and risk management and capital adequacy, as well as other safety and soundness concerns. See Risks Relating to Current Market Environment in the Risk Factors section under Item 1A of Part I of this report.
Through its authority under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the EESA), the U.S. Treasury (Treasury) announced in October 2008 the TARP Capital Purchase Program (the CPP), a program designed to bolster eligible healthy institutions, like SVB Financial, by injecting capital into these institutions. We participated in the CPP in December 2008 so that we could continue to lend and support our current and prospective clients, especially during this unstable economic environment. Under the terms of our participation, we received $235 million in exchange for the issuance of preferred stock and a warrant to purchase common stock, and became subject to various requirements, including certain restrictions on paying dividends on our common stock and repurchasing our equity securities, unless the U.S. Treasury has consented. Additionally, in order to participate in the CPP, we were required to adopt certain standards for executive compensation and corporate governance. These standards generally apply to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the three next most highly compensated senior executive officers, and include: (1) ensuring that incentive compensation for senior executives does not encourage unnecessary and excessive risks that threaten the value of the financial institution; (2) required clawback of any bonus or incentive compensation paid to a senior executive based on statements of earnings, gains or other criteria that are later proven to be materially inaccurate;
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(3) limiting golden parachute payments to certain senior executives; and (4) agreement not to deduct for tax purposes executive compensation in excess of $500,000 for each senior executive. To date, SVB Financial has complied with these requirements, but the Secretary of the Treasury is empowered under EESA to adopt other standards, with which SVB Financial would be required to comply. Additionally, the bank regulatory agencies, Treasury and the Office of Special Inspector General, also created by the EESA, have issued guidance and requests to the financial institutions that participated in the CPP to document their plans and use of CPP funds and their plans for addressing the executive compensation requirements associated with the CPP. SVB Financial will respond to such requests accordingly.
In February 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the ARRA) was enacted. Among other provisions, the ARRA amended the EESA and contains requirements imposed on financial institutions like us which have already participated in the CPP. These requirements expand the initial executive compensation restrictions under the CPP to include, among other things, application of the required clawback provision to our top 25 most highly compensated employees, prohibition of certain bonuses to our top five most highly compensated employees, expanded limitations on golden parachute payments to top ten most highly compensated employees, implementation of a company-wide policy regarding excessive and luxury expenditures, and requirement of a shareholder advisory vote on our executive compensation. Under the new ARRA requirements, we may early redeem the shares issued to the Treasury under the CPP without any early penalty or requirement to raise new capital, as previously required under the original terms of the CPP. However, until the shares are redeemed and for so long as we continue to participate in the CPP, we will remain subject to these expanded requirements, and any other requirements applicable to CPP participants that may be subsequently adopted.
The EESA also increased Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) deposit insurance on most accounts from $100,000 to $250,000. This increase is currently in place until the end of 2009 and is not covered by deposit insurance premiums paid by the banking industry. The FDIC has recently proposed that Congress extend the $250,000 limit to 2016. In addition, the FDIC has implemented two temporary programs under the Temporary Liquidity Guaranty Program (TLGP) to provide deposit insurance for the full amount of most non-interest bearing transaction accounts through the end of 2009 and to guarantee certain unsecured debt of financial institutions and their holding companies through June 2012. The Bank is participating in the deposit insurance program and has the ability to issue guaranteed debt under the program. The FDIC charges systemic risk special assessments to depository institutions that participate in the TLGP. The FDIC has recently proposed that Congress give the FDIC expanded authority to charge fees to the holding companies which benefit directly and indirectly from the FDIC guarantees. See FDIC Deposit Insurance below.
General
Our bank and holding company operations are subject to extensive regulation by federal and state regulatory agencies. This regulation is intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the deposit insurance fund, and secondarily for the stability of the U.S. banking system. It is not intended for the benefit of stockholders of financial institutions. As a bank holding company that elected to become a financial holding company in November 2000, SVB Financial is subject to inspection, supervision, regulation, and examination by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve Board) under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the BHC Act). The Bank, as a California state-chartered bank and a member of the Federal Reserve System, is subject to primary supervision and examination by the Federal Reserve Board, as well as the California Department of Financial Institutions (the DFI). In addition, the Banks deposits are insured by the FDIC. SVB Financials other nonbank subsidiaries are subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board and other applicable federal and state agencies, such as the SEC and FINRA, and, for our foreign-based subsidiaries, applicable regulatory bodies, such as the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom. SVB Financial, the Bank and their subsidiaries are required to file periodic reports with these regulators and provide any additional information that they may require.
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The following summary describes some of the more significant laws, regulations, and policies that affect our operations; it is not intended to be a complete listing of all laws that apply to us and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable laws and regulations. From time to time, federal, state and foreign legislation is enacted and regulations are adopted which may have the effect of materially increasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities, or affecting the competitive balance between banks and other financial services providers. We cannot predict whether or when potential legislation will be enacted, and if enacted, the effect that it, or any implementing regulations, would have on our financial condition or results of operations.
Regulation of Holding Company
Under the BHC Act, SVB Financial is subject to the Federal Reserves regulations and its authority to:
| Require periodic reports and such additional information as the Federal Reserve may require; |
| Require SVB Financial to maintain certain levels of capital (See Regulatory Capital below); |
| Require that bank holding companies serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to subsidiary banks and commit resources as necessary to support each subsidiary bank. A bank holding companys failure to meet its obligations to serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks will generally be considered by the Federal Reserve to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice or a violation of Federal Reserve regulations or both; |
| Terminate an activity or terminate control of or liquidate or divest certain subsidiaries, affiliates or investments if the Federal Reserve believes the activity or the control of the subsidiary or affiliate constitutes a significant risk to the financial safety, soundness or stability of any bank subsidiary; |
| Regulate provisions of certain bank holding company debt, including the authority to impose interest ceilings and reserve requirements on such debt and require prior approval to purchase or redeem our securities in certain situations; |
| Approve acquisitions and mergers with banks and consider certain competitive, management, financial and other factors in granting these approvals. Similar California and other state banking agency approvals may also be required. |
Bank holding companies are generally prohibited, except in certain statutorily prescribed instances including exceptions for financial holding companies, from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the outstanding voting shares of any company that is not a bank or bank holding company and from engaging directly or indirectly in activities other than those of banking, managing or controlling banks, or furnishing services to its subsidiaries. However, subject to prior notice or Federal Reserve Board approval, bank holding companies may engage in, or acquire shares of companies engaged in, activities determined by the Federal Reserve Board to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. SVB Financial may engage in these nonbanking activities and broader securities, insurance, merchant banking and other activities that are determined to be financial in nature or are incidental or complementary to activities that are financial in nature without prior Federal Reserve approval pursuant to our election to become a financial holding company in November, 2000. Pursuant to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (GLBA), in order to elect and retain financial holding company status, all depository institution subsidiaries of a bank holding company must be well capitalized, well managed, and, except in limited circumstances, be in satisfactory compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Failure to sustain compliance with these requirements or correct any non-compliance within a fixed time period could lead to divestiture of subsidiary banks or require all activities to conform to those permissible for a bank holding company.
SVB Financial is also treated as a bank holding company under the California Financial Code. As such, SVB Financial and its subsidiaries are subject to periodic examination by, and may be required to file reports with, the DFI.
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Securities Registration and Listing
SVB Financials securities are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. As such, SVB Financial is subject to the information, proxy solicitation, insider trading, corporate governance, and other requirements and restrictions of the Exchange Act, as well as the Marketplace Rules and other requirements promulgated by the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
SVB Financial is subject to the accounting oversight and corporate governance requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including, among other things, required executive certification of financial presentations, increased requirements for board audit committees and their members, and enhanced disclosure of controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting.
Regulation of Silicon Valley Bank
The Bank is a California state-chartered bank and a member and stockholder of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (Federal Reserve). The Bank is subject to primary supervision, periodic examination and regulation by the DFI and the Federal Reserve, as the Banks primary federal regulator. In general, under the California Financial Code, California banks have all the powers of a California corporation, subject to the general limitation of state bank powers under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) to those permissible for national banks. Specific federal and state laws and regulations which are applicable to banks regulate, among other things, the scope of their business, their investments, their reserves against deposits, the timing of the availability of deposited funds and the nature and amount of and collateral for certain loans. The regulatory structure also gives the bank regulatory agencies extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies with respect to the classification of assets and the establishment of adequate loan loss reserves for regulatory purposes. If, as a result of an examination, the DFI or the Federal Reserve should determine that the financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity, or other aspects of the Banks operations are unsatisfactory or that the Bank or its management is violating or has violated any law or regulation, the DFI and the Federal Reserve, and separately the FDIC as insurer of the Banks deposits, have residual authority to:
| Require affirmative action to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice; |
| Direct an increase in capital and the maintenance of specific minimum capital ratios; |
| Restrict the Banks growth geographically, by products and services, or by mergers and acquisitions; |
| Enter into informal or formal enforcement orders, including memoranda of understanding, written agreements and consent or cease and desist orders to take corrective action and enjoin unsafe and unsound practices; |
| Remove officers and directors and assess civil monetary penalties; and |
| Take possession of and close and liquidate the Bank. |
California law permits state chartered commercial banks to engage in any activity permissible for national banks. Therefore, the Bank may form subsidiaries to engage in the many so-called closely related to banking or nonbanking activities commonly conducted by national banks in operating subsidiaries, and further, pursuant to GLBA, the Bank may conduct certain financial activities in a subsidiary to the same extent as may a national bank, provided the Bank is and remains well-capitalized, well-managed and in satisfactory compliance with the CRA. SVB Asset Management and SVB Securities are financial subsidiaries of the Bank.
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Federal Home Loan Bank System
The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco. Among other benefits, each FHLB serves as a reserve or central bank for its members within its assigned region and makes available loans or advances to its members. Each FHLB is financed primarily from the sale of consolidated obligations of the FHLB system. As an FHLB member, the Bank is required to own a certain amount of capital stock in the FHLB. At December 31, 2008, the Bank was in compliance with the FHLBs stock ownership requirement and our investment in FHLB capital stock totaled $25.8 million.
Regulatory Capital
The federal banking agencies have adopted risk-based capital guidelines for bank holding companies and banks that are expected to provide a measure of capital that reflects the degree of risk associated with a banking organizations operations for both transactions reported on the balance sheet as assets, such as loans, and those recorded as off-balance sheet items, such as commitments, letters of credit and recourse arrangements. Under these capital guidelines, banking organizations are required to maintain certain minimum capital ratios, which are obtained by dividing its qualifying capital by its total risk-adjusted assets and off-balance sheet items. In general, the dollar amounts of assets and certain off-balance sheet items are risk-adjusted and assigned to various risk categories. Qualifying capital is classified depending on the type of capital:
| Tier 1 capital consists of common equity, retained earnings, qualifying non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, a limited amount of qualifying cumulative perpetual preferred stock and minority interests in the equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries (including trust-preferred securities), less goodwill and certain other intangible assets. Qualifying Tier 1 capital may consist of trust-preferred securities, subject to certain criteria and quantitative limits for inclusion of restricted core capital elements in Tier 1 capital. The capital received from the U.S. Treasury under the CPP qualifies as Tier 1 capital. |
| Tier 2 capital includes, among other things, hybrid capital instruments, perpetual debt, mandatory convertible debt securities, qualifying term subordinated debt, preferred stock that does not qualify as Tier 1 capital, a limited amount of allowance for loan and lease losses. |
| Tier 3 capital consists of qualifying unsecured subordinated debt. |
Under the capital guidelines, there are three fundamental capital ratios: a total risk-based capital ratio, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio and a Tier 1 leverage ratio. The minimum required ratios for bank holding companies and banks are eight percent, four percent and four percent, respectively. Additionally, for SVB Financial to remain a financial holding company, the Bank must at all times be well-capitalized, which requires the Bank to have a total risk-based capital ratio, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least ten percent, six percent and five percent, respectively. Moreover, although not a requirement to maintain financial holding company status, maintaining the financial holding company at well-capitalized status provides certain benefits to the company, such as the ability to repurchase stock without prior regulatory approval. To be well-capitalized, the holding company must at all times have a total risk-based and Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least ten percent and six percent, respectively. There is no Tier 1 leverage requirement for a holding company to be deemed well-capitalized. At December 31, 2008, the respective capital ratios of SVB Financial and the Bank exceeded these minimum percentage requirements for well-capitalized institutions. See Note 20Regulatory Matters of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report.
SVB Financial is also subject to rules that govern the regulatory capital treatment of equity investments in non-financial companies made on or after March 13, 2000 and held under certain specified legal authorities by a bank or bank holding company. Under the rules, these equity investments will be subject to a separate capital charge that will reduce a bank holding companys Tier 1 capital and, as a result, will remove these assets from being taken into consideration in establishing a bank holding companys required capital ratios discussed above. The rules provide for the following incremental Tier 1 capital charges: 8% of the adjusted carrying value of the
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portion of aggregate investments that are up to 15% of Tier 1 capital; 12% of the adjusted carrying value of the portion of aggregate investments that are between 15% and 25% of Tier 1 capital; and 25% of the adjusted carrying value of the portion of aggregate investments that exceed 25% of Tier 1 capital.
Further, the federal banking agencies have also adopted a joint agency policy statement, which states that the adequacy and effectiveness of a banks interest rate risk management process and the level of its interest rate exposures are critical factors in the evaluation of the banks capital adequacy. A bank with material weaknesses in its interest rate risk management process or high levels of interest rate exposure relative to its capital will be directed by the federal banking agencies to take corrective actions.
Basel and Basel II Accords
The current risk-based capital guidelines which apply to SVB Financial and the Bank are based upon the 1988 capital accord of the International Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, a committee of central banks and bank supervisors and regulators from the major industrialized countries that develops broad policy guidelines for use by each countrys supervisors in determining the supervisory policies they apply. A new international accord, referred to as Basel II, became mandatory for large or core international banks outside the U.S. in 2008 (total assets of $250 billion or more or consolidated foreign exposures of $10 billion or more). Basel II emphasizes internal assessment of credit, market and operational risk, as well as supervisory assessment and market discipline in determining minimum capital requirements. It is optional for other banks, and if adopted, must first be complied with in a parallel run for two years along with the existing Basel I standards. In January 2009, the Basel Committee proposed to reconsider regulatory-capital standards, supervisory and risk-management requirements and additional disclosures to further strengthen the Basel II framework in response to recent worldwide developments.
In July 2008, the U.S. federal banking agencies issued a proposed rule for banking organizations that do not use the advanced approaches under Basel II. While this proposed rule generally parallels the relevant approaches under Basel II, it diverges where U.S. markets have unique characteristics and risk profiles, most notably with respect to risk weighting residential mortgage exposures. A definitive final rule has not yet been issued. The U.S. banking agencies have indicated, however, that they will retain the minimum leverage requirement for all U.S. banks.
Prompt Correction Action and Other General Enforcement Authority
Federal banking agencies possess broad powers to take corrective and other supervisory action against an insured bank and its holding company. Federal laws require each federal banking agency to take prompt corrective action to resolve the problems of insured banks.
Each federal banking agency has issued regulations defining five categories in which an insured depository institution will be placed, based on the level of its capital ratios: well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, and critically undercapitalized. Based upon its capital levels, a bank that is classified as well-capitalized, adequately capitalized, or undercapitalized may be treated as though it were in the next lower capital category if the appropriate federal banking agency, after notice and opportunity for hearing, determines that an unsafe or unsound condition, or an unsafe or unsound practice, warrants such treatment. At each successive lower-capital category, an insured bank is subject to more restrictions, including restrictions on the banks activities, operational practices or the ability to pay dividends.
In addition to measures taken under the prompt corrective action provisions, bank holding companies and insured banks may be subject to potential enforcement actions by the federal regulators for unsafe or unsound practices in conducting their business, or for violation of any law, rule, regulation, condition imposed in writing by the agency or term of a written agreement with the agency. In more serious cases, enforcement actions may include the appointment of a conservator or receiver for the bank; the issuance of a cease and desist order that can be judicially enforced; the termination of the banks deposit insurance; the imposition of civil monetary
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penalties; the issuance of directives to increase capital; the issuance of formal and informal agreements; the issuance of removal and prohibition orders against officers, directors, and other institution-affiliated parties; and the enforcement of such actions through injunctions or restraining orders based upon a judicial determination that the agency would be harmed if such equitable relief was not granted.
Safety and Soundness Guidelines
Banking regulatory agencies have adopted guidelines to assist in identifying and addressing potential safety and soundness concerns before capital becomes impaired. The guidelines establish operational and managerial standards generally relating to: (1) internal controls, information systems, and internal audit systems; (2) loan documentation; (3) credit underwriting; (4) interest-rate exposure; (5) asset growth and asset quality; and (6) compensation, fees, and benefits. In addition, the banking regulatory agencies have adopted safety and soundness guidelines for asset quality and for evaluating and monitoring earnings to ensure that earnings are sufficient for the maintenance of adequate capital and reserves.
Restrictions on Dividends
Dividends from the Bank constitute a primary source of cash for SVB Financial. The Bank is subject to various federal and state statutory and regulatory restrictions on its ability to pay dividends. In addition, the banking agencies have the authority to prohibit the Bank from paying dividends, depending upon the Banks financial condition, if such payment is deemed to constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. Furthermore, under the federal prompt corrective action regulations, the Federal Reserve Board may prohibit a bank holding company from paying any dividends if the holding companys bank subsidiary is classified as undercapitalized.
It is the Federal Reserves policy that bank holding companies should generally pay dividends on common stock only out of income available over the past year, and only if prospective earnings retention is consistent with the organizations expected future needs and financial condition. It is also the Federal Reserves policy that bank holding companies should not maintain dividend levels that undermine their ability to be a source of strength to its banking subsidiaries. Additionally, in consideration of the current financial and economic environment, the Federal Reserve has indicated that bank holding companies should carefully review their dividend policy and has discouraged payment ratios that are at maximum allowable levels unless both asset quality and capital are very strong.
Under the terms of the CPP, for so long as any preferred stock issued under the CPP remains outstanding, SVB Financial is restricted from paying cash dividends on our common stock, and from making certain repurchases of equity securities, including common stock, without the U.S. Treasurys consent until the third anniversary of the U.S. Treasurys investment in our preferred stock or until the U.S. Treasury has transferred all of the preferred stock it purchased under the CPP to third parties.
Transactions with Affiliates
Transactions between the Bank and its operating subsidiaries (such as SVB Securities or SVB Asset Management) on the one hand, and the Banks affiliates (such as SVB Financial, SVB Analytics, or an SVB Global entity) are subject to restrictions imposed by federal and state law, designed to protect the Bank and its subsidiaries from engaging in unfavorable behavior with their affiliates. More specifically, these restrictions, contained in Federal Reserve Board Regulation W, prevent SVB Financial and other affiliates from borrowing from, or entering into other credit transactions with, the Bank or its operating subsidiaries unless the loans or other credit transactions are secured by specified amounts of collateral. All loans and credit transactions and other covered transactions by the Bank and its operating subsidiaries with any one affiliate are limited, in the aggregate, to 10% of the Banks capital and surplus; and all loans and credit transactions and other covered transactions by the Bank and its operating subsidiaries with all affiliates are limited, in the aggregate, to 20% of
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the Banks capital and surplus. For this purpose, a covered transaction generally includes, among other things, a loan or extension of credit to an affiliate; a purchase of or investment in securities issued by an affiliate; a purchase of assets from an affiliate; the acceptance of a security issued by an affiliate as collateral for an extension of credit to any borrower; and the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance, or letter of credit on behalf of an affiliate. In addition, the Bank and its operating subsidiaries generally may not purchase a low-quality asset from an affiliate. Moreover, covered transactions and other specified transactions by the Bank and its operating subsidiaries with an affiliate must be on terms and conditions, including credit standards, that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the Bank or its subsidiaries, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with nonaffiliated companies. An entity that is a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Bank would not be considered to be an affiliate of the Bank or its operating subsidiaries for these purposes unless it fell into one of certain categories, such as a financial subsidiary authorized under the GLBA.
Loans to Insiders
Extensions of credit by the Bank to insiders of both the Bank and SVB Financial are subject to prohibitions and other restrictions imposed by federal regulations. For purposes of these limits, insiders include directors, executive officers and principal shareholders of the Bank or SVB Financial and their related interests. The term related interest means a company controlled by a director, executive officer or principal shareholder of the Bank or SVB Financial. The Bank may not extend credit to an insider of the Bank or SVB Financial unless the loan is made on substantially the same terms as, and subject to credit underwriting procedures that are no less stringent than, those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with non-insiders. Under federal banking regulations, the Bank may not extend a loan to insiders in an amount greater than $500,000 without prior board approval (with any interested person abstaining from participating directly or indirectly in the voting). The federal regulations place additional restrictions on loans to executive officers, and generally prohibit loans to executive officers other than for certain specified purposes. The Bank is required to maintain records regarding insiders and extensions of credit to them.
Premiums for Deposit Insurance
The FDIC insures our customer deposits through the Deposit Insurance Fund (the DIF) up to prescribed limits for each depositor. Pursuant to the EESA, the maximum deposit insurance amount has been increased from $100,000 to $250,000 through the end of 2009. The amount of FDIC assessments paid by each DIF member institution is based on its relative risk of default as measured by regulatory capital ratios and other supervisory factors. Pursuant to the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005, the FDIC is authorized to set the reserve ratio for the DIF annually at between 1.15% and 1.5% of estimated insured deposits. The FDIC may increase or decrease the assessment rate schedule on a semi-annual basis. In an effort to restore capitalization levels and to ensure the DIF will adequately cover projected losses from future bank failures, the FDIC, in October 2008, proposed a rule to alter the way in which it differentiates for risk in the risk-based assessment system and to revise deposit insurance assessment rates, including base assessment rates. First quarter 2009 assessment rates were increased to between 12 and 50 cents for every $100 of domestic deposits, with most banks between 12 and 14 cents. The FDIC finalized its proposed rule on risk-based assessments in February 2009 and increased second quarter 2009 assessment rates, with most banks between 12 and 16 cents. It also instituted a special assessment of 20 cents for every $100 of domestic deposits to restore the DIF reserves, and reserved the right to charge an additional special assessment of up to 10 cents for every $100 of domestic deposits, should DIF reserves continue to decline. As of December 31, 2008, the Banks assessment rate was between 5 and 7 cents per $100 in assessable deposits.
Beginning on November 13, 2008, banks participating in the TLGP become temporarily subject to systemic risk special assessments of 10 basis points for transaction account balances in excess of $250,000 and assessments up to 100 basis points of the amount of TLGP debt issued. Further, all FDIC-insured institutions are required to pay assessments to the FDIC to fund interest payments on bonds issued by the Financing Corporation (FICO), an agency of the Federal government established to recapitalize the predecessor to the DIF. The FICO
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assessment rates, which are determined quarterly, averaged 0.0113% of insured deposits in fiscal 2008. These assessments will continue until the FICO bonds mature in 2017.
The FDIC may terminate a depository institutions deposit insurance upon a finding that the institutions financial condition is unsafe or unsound or that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices that pose a risk to the DIF or that may prejudice the interest of the banks depositors. The termination of deposit insurance for a bank would also result in the revocation of the banks charter by the DFI.
USA PATRIOT Act of 2001
The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and its implementing regulations significantly expanded the anti-money laundering and financial transparency laws, including the Bank Secrecy Act. The Bank has adopted comprehensive policies and procedures to address the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act. Material deficiencies in anti-money laundering compliance can result in public enforcement actions by the banking agencies, including the imposition of civil money penalties and supervisory restrictions on growth and expansion. Such enforcement actions could also have serious reputation consequences for SVB Financial and the Bank.
Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations
The Bank is subject to many federal consumer protection statutes and regulations, such as the Community Reinvestment Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the National Flood Insurance Act and various federal and state privacy protection laws. Penalties for violating these laws could subject the Bank to lawsuits and could also result in administrative penalties, including, fines and reimbursements. The Bank and SVB Financial are also subject to federal and state laws prohibiting unfair or fraudulent business practices, untrue or misleading advertising and unfair competition.
In recent years, examination and enforcement by the state and federal banking agencies for non-compliance with consumer protection laws and their implementing regulations have become more intense. Due to these heightened regulatory concerns, the Bank may incur additional compliance costs or be required to expend additional funds for investments in its local community.
Securities Activities
Federal Reserves Regulation R implements exceptions provided in GLBA for securities activities which banks may conduct without registering with the SEC as securities broker or moving such activities to a broker-dealer affiliate. Regulation R provides exceptions for networking arrangements with third-party broker-dealers and authorizes compensation for bank employees who refer and assist retail and high net worth bank customers with their securities, including sweep accounts to money market funds, and with related trust, fiduciary, custodial and safekeeping needs. The current securities activities which the Bank and its subsidiaries provide customers are conducted in conformance with these rules and regulations.
Regulation of Certain Subsidiaries
SVB Asset Management is registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and is subject to its rules and regulations. SVB Securities is registered as a broker-dealer and is subject to regulation by the SEC and FINRA. As a broker-dealer, it is subject to Rule 15c3-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which is designed to measure the general financial condition and liquidity of a broker-dealer. Under this rule, SVB Securities is required to maintain the minimum net capital deemed necessary to meet its continuing commitments to customers and others. Under certain circumstances, this rule could limit the ability of the Bank to withdraw capital from SVB Securities.
Additionally, our foreign-based subsidiaries are also subject to foreign laws and regulations, such as those promulgated by the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom and the Reserve Bank of India.
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Available Information
We make available free of charge through our Internet website, http://www.svb.com, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The contents of our website are not incorporated herein by reference and the website address provided is intended to be an inactive textual reference only.
ITEM 1A. | RISK FACTORS |
Our business faces significant risks, including current market environment, credit, market/liquidity, operational, legal/regulatory and strategic/reputation risks. The factors described below may not be the only risks we face and are not intended to serve as a comprehensive listing or be applicable only to the category of risk under which they are disclosed. The risks described below are generally applicable to more than one of the following categories of risks. Additional risks that we do not yet know of or that we currently think are immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of the events or circumstances described in the following factors actually occurs, our business, financial condition and/or results of operations could suffer.
Risks Relating to Current Market Environment
The continuation or worsening of current market and economic conditions may adversely affect our industry, business, results of operations and ability to access capital.
The United States is currently in a serious economic downturn, as are economies around the world. Financial markets are volatile, business and consumer spending has declined, and overall business activities have slowed, including a slowdown over the past several quarters in mergers, acquisitions and initial public offerings of companiesevents upon which the venture capital and private equity community relies to exit their investments. If current market and economic conditions persist, our clients will continue to be adversely impacted, as well as our investment returns, valuations of companies and overall levels of venture capital and private equity investments, which may have a material and adverse affect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. A worsening of these conditions could likely exacerbate the adverse affect on us.
As a result of current economic conditions, the capital and credit markets have been experiencing extreme volatility and disruption. SVB Financial depends on access to equity and debt markets as one of its primary sources to raise capital. If current levels of market disruption and volatility continue or worsen, there can be no assurance that we will not experience an adverse effect, which may be material, on our ability to access capital and on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Recent and future legislation and regulatory initiatives to address current market and economic conditions may not achieve their intended objectives, including stabilizing the U.S. banking system or reviving the overall economy.
Recent and future legislative and regulatory initiatives to address current market and economic conditions, such as the EESA or the ARRA, may not achieve their intended objectives, including stabilizing the U.S. banking system or reviving the overall economy. EESA was enacted in October 2008 to restore confidence and stabilize the volatility in the U.S. banking system and to encourage financial institutions to increase their lending to customers and to each other. Treasury and banking regulators have implemented, and likely will continue to implement, various programs under this legislation to address capital and liquidity issues in the banking system, including TARP, the CPP, President Obamas Financial Stability Plan announced in February 2009, and the ARRA. There can be no assurance as to the actual impact that any of the recent, or future, legislative and regulatory initiatives will have on the financial markets and the overall economy. Any failure of these initiatives to help stabilize or improve the financial markets and the economy, and a continuation or worsening of current financial market and economic conditions could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, access to credit or the trading price of our common stock.
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Additional requirements under our regulatory framework, especially those imposed under ARRA, EESA or other legislation intended to strengthen the U.S. financial system, could adversely affect us.
Recent government efforts to strengthen the U.S. financial system, including the implementation of ARRA, EESA, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporations (FDIC) Temporary Liquidity Guaranty Program (TLGP), subject participants to additional regulatory fees and requirements, including corporate governance requirements, executive compensation restrictions, restrictions on declaring or paying dividends, restrictions on share repurchases, limits on executive compensation tax deductions and prohibitions against golden parachute payments. These requirements, and any other requirements that may be subsequently imposed, may have a material and adverse affect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Credit Risks
If our clients fail to perform under their loans, our business, profitability and financial condition could be adversely affected.
As a lender, we face the risk that our client borrowers will fail to pay their loans when due. If borrower defaults cause large aggregate losses, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, profitability and financial condition. We reserve for such losses by establishing an allowance for loan losses, the increase of which results in a charge to our earnings as a provision for loan losses. We have established an evaluation process designed to determine the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses. While this evaluation process uses historical and other objective information, the classification of loans and the forecasts and establishment of loan losses are dependent to a great extent on our subjective assessment based upon our experience and judgment. Actual losses are difficult to forecast, especially if such losses stem from factors beyond our historical experience or are otherwise inconsistent or out of pattern with regards to our credit quality assessments. There can be no assurance that our allowance for loan losses will be sufficient to absorb future loan losses or prevent a material adverse effect on our business, profitability and financial condition.
Because of the credit profile of our loan portfolio, our levels of nonperforming assets and charge-offs can be volatile. We may need to make material provisions for loan losses in any period, which could reduce net income or increase net losses in that period.
Our loan portfolio has a credit profile different from that of most other banking companies. In addition, the credit profile of our clients varies across our loan portfolio, based on the nature of the lending we do for different market segments. In our portfolios for emerging-technology, early-stage and mid-stage companies, many of our loans are made to companies with modest or negative cash flows and no established record of profitable operations. Repayment of these loans is dependent upon receipt by borrowers of additional equity financing from venture capitalists or others, or in some cases, a successful sale to a third party or a public offering. In recent periods, due to the overall weakening of the economic environment, venture capital financing activity has slowed, and initial public offerings (IPOs) and merger/acquisition (M&A) activities have slowed significantly. If economic conditions worsen or do not improve, such activities may slow down even further. Venture capital firms may provide financing at lower levels, more selectively or on less favorable terms, which may have an adverse affect on our borrowers that are otherwise dependent on such financing to repay their loans to us. Moreover, collateral for many of our loans often includes intellectual property, which is difficult to value and may not be readily salable in the case of default. Because of the intense competition and rapid technological change that characterizes the companies in our technology and life science industry sectors, a borrowers financial position can deteriorate rapidly.
Additionally, we may enter into accounts receivable financing arrangements with our company clients. The repayment of these arrangements is dependent on the financial condition, and payment ability, of third parties with whom our clients do business. Such third parties may be unable to meet their financial obligations to our clients, especially in a weakened economic environment.
In our portfolio of venture capital and private equity firm clients, many of our clients have capital call lines of credit, the repayment of which is dependent on the payment of capital calls by the underlying limited partner
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investors in the funds managed by these firms. These limited partner investors may face liquidity issues or have difficulties meeting their financial commitments, especially during unstable economic times, which may lead to our clients inability to meet their repayment obligations to us.
Additionally, we have been increasing our efforts to lend to corporate technology clients, including some companies with greater levels of debt relative to their equity, and have increased the average size of our loans over time. At December 31, 2008, our gross loan portfolio included a total of $1.15 billion, or 20.7 percent, of individual loans greater than $20 million. Increasing our larger loan commitments could increase the impact on us of any single borrower default.
For all of these reasons, our level of nonperforming loans, loan charge-offs and additional allowance for loan losses can be volatile and can vary materially from period to period. Increases in our level of nonperforming loans or loan charge-offs may require us to increase our provision for loan losses in any period, which could reduce our net income or cause net losses in that period. Additionally, such increases in our level of nonperforming loans or loan charge-offs may also have an adverse effect on our credit ratings and market perceptions of us.
The borrowing needs of our clients may be volatile, especially during a challenging economic environment. We may not be able to meet our unfunded credit commitments, or adequately reserve for losses associated with our unfunded credit commitments, which could have a material effect on our business, profitability, results of operations and reputation.
A commitment to extend credit is a formal agreement to lend funds to a client as long as there is no violation of any condition established under the agreement. The actual borrowing needs of our clients under these credit commitments have historically been lower than the contractual amount of the commitments. A significant portion of these commitments expire without being drawn upon. Because of the credit profile of our clients, we typically have a substantial amount of total unfunded credit commitments, which is reflected off our balance sheet. At December 31, 2008, we had $5.6 billion in total unfunded credit commitments. Actual borrowing needs of our clients may exceed our expected funding requirements, especially during a challenging economic environment when our client companies may be more dependent on our credit commitments due to the lack of available credit elsewhere, the increasing costs of credit, or the limited availability of financings from more discerning and selective venture capital/private equity firms. Or, limited partner investors of our venture capital/private equity fund clients facing liquidity or other financing issues may fail to meet their underlying investment commitments, which may impact our clients borrowing needs. Any failure to meet our unfunded credit commitments in accordance with the actual borrowing needs of our clients, may have a material adverse effect on our business, profitability, results of operations and reputation.
Additionally, we establish a reserve for unfunded credit commitments to reserve for losses associated with our unfunded credit commitments. The level of the reserve for unfunded credit commitments is determined by following a methodology similar to that used to establish our allowance for loan losses in our funded loan portfolio. The reserve is based on credit commitments outstanding, credit quality of the loan commitments, and managements estimates and judgment, and is susceptible to significant changes. There can be no assurance that our reserve for unfunded credit commitments will be adequate to provide for actual losses associated with our unfunded credit commitments. An increase in the reserve in any period may result in a charge to our earnings as a provision for unfunded credit commitments, which could reduce our net income or increase net losses in that period.
Market/Liquidity Risks
Our current level of interest rate spread may decline in the future. Any material reduction in our interest rate spread, or a sustained period of low market interest rates, could have a material adverse effect on our business, profitability or financial condition.
A major portion of our net income comes from our interest rate spread, which is the difference between the interest rates paid by us on amounts used to fund assets and the interest rates and fees we receive on our interest-
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earning assets. We fund assets using deposits and other borrowings. While we are increasingly offering more interest-bearing deposit products, a majority of our deposit balances are from our non-interest bearing products. Our interest-earning assets include outstanding loans extended to our clients and securities held in our investment portfolio. Overall, the interest rates we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities and receive on our interest-earning assets could be affected by a variety of factors, including changes in market interest rates, competition, a change over time in the mix of loans comprising our loan portfolio or deposits compromising our deposit portfolio and the mix of loans, investment securities, deposits and other liabilities on our balance sheet.
Changes in market interest rates, such as the Federal Funds rate, generally impact our interest rate spread. While changes in interest rates do not produce equivalent changes in the revenues earned from our interest-earning assets and the expenses associated with our interest-bearing liabilities because of the composition of our balance sheet, increases in market interest rates will likely cause our interest rate spread to increase. Conversely, if interest rates decline, our interest rate spread will likely decline. Recent decreases in market interest rates have caused our interest rate spread to decline significantly, which reduces our net income. Sustained low levels of market interest rates will likely continue to put pressure on our profitability. Unexpected interest rate declines may also adversely affect our business forecasts and expectations. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors beyond our control, such as inflation, recession, global economic disruptions, unemployment and the fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government and its agencies.
Any material reduction in our interest rate spread could have a material adverse effect on our business, profitability and financial condition.
Liquidity risk could impair our ability to fund operations and jeopardize our financial condition.
Liquidity is essential to our business. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, equity/debt offerings and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities, or on terms attractive to us, could be impaired by factors that affect us specifically or the financial services industry in general. Factors that could detrimentally impact our access to liquidity sources include a reduction in our credit ratings, an increase in costs of capital in financial capital markets, a decrease in the level of our business activity due to a market downturn or adverse regulatory action against us, or a decrease in depositor or investor confidence in us. Our ability to borrow could also be impaired by factors that are not specific to us, such as a severe disruption of the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry as a whole as the recent turmoil faced by banking organizations in the domestic and worldwide credit markets deteriorates.
Additionally, our credit ratings are important to our liquidity and our business. A reduction in our credit ratings could adversely affect our liquidity and competitive position, increase our borrowing costs, and limit our access to the capital markets. Moreover, a reduction could increase the interest rates we pay on deposits, or adversely affect perceptions about our creditworthiness or our overall reputation.
Equity warrant asset, venture capital and private equity funds and direct equity investment portfolio gains or losses depend upon the performance of the portfolio investments and the general condition of the public equity markets, which are uncertain and may vary materially by period.
We obtain rights to acquire stock in the form of equity warrant assets in certain clients as part of negotiated credit facilities and for other services. We also make investments in venture capital and private equity funds and direct investments in companies. The fair value of these warrants and investments are reflected in our financial statements and adjusted on a quarterly basis. Fair value changes are generally recorded as unrealized gains or losses through consolidated net income. The timing and amount of changes in fair value, if any, of these financial instruments depend upon factors beyond our control, including the performance of the underlying companies, fluctuations in the market prices of the preferred or common stock of the underlying companies, general volatility and interest rate market factors, and legal and contractual restrictions. The timing and amount of our realization of actual net proceeds, if any, from the disposition of these financial instruments depend upon factors beyond our
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control, including investor demand for initial public offerings, levels of merger and acquisition activity, legal and contractual restrictions on our ability to sell, and the perceived and actual performance and future value of portfolio companies. Because of the inherent variability of these financial instruments and the markets in which they are made, the fair market value of these financial instruments might increase or decrease materially, and the net proceeds realized upon disposition might be less than the then-current recorded fair market value.
We cannot predict future realized or unrealized gains or losses, and any such gains or losses are likely to vary materially from period to period. Additionally, the value of our equity warrant asset portfolio depends on the number of warrants we obtain, and in future periods, we may not be able to continue to obtain such equity warrant assets to the same extent we historically have achieved.
Public equity offerings and mergers and acquisitions involving our clients or a slowdown in venture capital investment levels may reduce the borrowing needs of our clients, which could adversely affect our business, profitability and financial condition.
While an active market for public equity offerings and mergers and acquisitions generally has positive implications for our business, one negative consequence is that our clients may pay off or reduce their loans with us if they complete a public equity offering, are acquired by or merge with another entity or otherwise receive a significant equity investment. The current economic conditions reflect a slowdown in such transactions, however if the levels of such transactions were to increase, our total outstanding loans may decline. Moreover, our capital call lines of credit are typically utilized by our venture capital fund clients to make investments prior to receipt of capital called from their respective limited partners. A slowdown in overall venture capital investment levels may reduce the need for our clients to borrow from our capital call lines of credit. Any significant reduction in the outstanding amounts of our loans or lines of credit could have a material adverse effect on our business, profitability and financial condition.
Failure to raise additional funds from third-party investors for our funds managed by SVB Capital may require us to use capital to fund commitments to other funds, which may have a material adverse affect on our business, financial condition and reputation.
From time to time, we form new investment funds through our funds management division, SVB Capital. These funds include funds that invest in other venture capital and private equity funds (which we refer to as funds of funds) and portfolio companies (which we refer to as direct equity funds). Our managed funds are typically structured as limited partnerships, heavily funded by third party limited partners and ultimately managed by us through our SVB Capital division. We typically will also make a commitment of significant capital to each of these funds as a limited partner.
Prior to forming a new fund of funds, SVB Financial has made and may make investment commitments intended for the new fund, in order to show potential investors the types of funds in which the new fund will invest. Until these investments are transferred to the new fund, which typically will occur upon the acceptance of binding commitments from third-party limited partners (the closing), these investments are obligations of SVB Financial. If we fail to attract sufficient capital from third-party investors to conduct the closing of a fund of funds, we may be required to permanently allocate capital to these investments when we otherwise had intended them to be temporary obligations. If, under such circumstances, we decide to sell these investments or fail to meet our obligations, we may lose some or all of the capital that has already been deployed and may be subject to legal claims. Any unexpected permanent allocation of capital toward these investments, loss of capital contributed to these investments or legal claims against us could have a material adverse affect on our business and financial condition, as well as our reputation.
The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect us.
Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships. We routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including
22
brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, and other institutional clients. Many of these transactions expose us to credit and market risk that may cause our counterparty or client to default. In addition, we are exposed to market risk when the collateral we hold cannot be realized or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the secured obligation. There is no assurance that any such losses would not materially and adversely affect our results of operations or earnings.
Operational Risks
If we fail to retain our key employees or recruit new employees, our growth and profitability could be adversely affected.
We rely on key personnel, including a substantial number of employees who have technical expertise in their subject matter area and/or a strong network of relationships with individuals and institutions in the markets we serve. If we were to have less success in recruiting and retaining these employees than our competitors, for reasons including regulatory restrictions on compensation practices (such as those under EESA as amended by the ARRA) or the availability of more attractive opportunities elsewhere, our growth and profitability could be adversely affected.
The manner in which we structure our employee compensation could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows, as well as our ability to attract, recruit and retain key employees.
In May 2006, in an effort to align our equity grant rate to that of other financial institutions similar to us, we committed to restrict the total number of shares of our common stock issued under stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, stock bonus awards and any other equity awards granted during a fiscal year as a percentage of the total number of shares outstanding on a prospective basis. In light of this restriction, we may in the future consider taking other actions to modify employee compensation structures, such as granting cash compensation or other cash-settled forms of equity compensation, which may result in an additional charge to our earnings.
How we structure our equity compensation may also have an adverse affect on our ability to attract, recruit and retain key employees. Our decision in May 2006 to reduce equity awards to be granted on a prospective basis, and any other similar changes limiting our equity awards that we may adopt in the future, could negatively impact our hiring and retention strategies. Moreover, current economic conditions have reduced our share price, causing existing employee options and equity awards to have exercise prices higherin some cases, meaningfully higherthan our current share price. These factors could adversely affect our ability to attract, recruit and retain certain key employees.
The occurrence of breaches of our information security could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Information pertaining to us and our clients are maintained, and transactions are executed, on our internal networks and internet-based systems, such as our online banking system. The secure maintenance and transmission of confidential information, as well as execution of transactions over these systems, are essential to protect us and our clients against fraud and to maintain our clients confidence. Increases in criminal activity levels, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries or other developments could result in a compromise or breach of the technology, processes and controls that we use to prevent fraudulent transactions and to protect data about us, our clients and underlying transactions, as well as the technology used by our clients to access our systems. Although we have developed systems and processes that are designed to detect and prevent security breaches and periodically test our security, failure to mitigate breaches of security could result in losses to us or our clients, result in a loss of business and/or clients, cause us to incur additional expenses, affect our ability to grow our online services or other businesses, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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More generally, publicized information security problems could inhibit the growth of the Internet as a means of conducting commercial transactions. Our ability to provide financial services over the Internet would be severely impeded if clients became unwilling to transmit confidential information online. As a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We face risks associated with the ability of our information technology systems and our people and processes to support our operations and future growth effectively.
In order to serve our target clients effectively, we have developed a comprehensive array of banking and other products and services. In order to support these products and services, we have developed and purchased or licensed information technology and other systems and processes. As our business continues to grow, we will continue to invest in and enhance these systems, and our people and processes. These investments and enhancements may affect our future profitability and overall effectiveness. From time to time, we may change, consolidate, replace, add or upgrade existing systems or processes, which if not implemented properly to allow for an effective transition, may have an adverse affect on our operations. Or, we may outsource certain operational functions to consultants or other third parties to enhance our overall efficiencies, which if not performed properly, could also have an adverse affect on us. There can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively maintain or improve our systems and processes, or utilize outsourced talent, to meet our business needs efficiently. Any failure of such could adversely affect our operations, financial condition, results of operations, future growth and reputation.
Business disruptions and interruptions due to natural disasters and other external events beyond our control can adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our operations can be subject to natural disasters and other external events beyond our control, such as earthquakes, fires, severe weather, public health issues, power failures, telecommunication loss, major accidents, terrorist attacks, acts of war, and other natural and man-made events. Our corporate headquarters and a portion of our critical business offices are located in California near major earthquake faults. Such events of disaster, whether natural or attributable to human beings, could cause severe destruction, disruption or interruption to our operations or property. Financial institutions, such as us, generally must resume operations promptly following any interruption. If we were to suffer a disruption or interruption and were not able to resume normal operations within a period consistent with industry standards, our business could suffer serious harm. In addition, depending on the nature and duration of the disruption or interruption, we might be vulnerable to fraud, additional expense or other losses, or to a loss of business and/or clients. We are in the process of implementing our business continuity and disaster recovery program, which is a multi-year effort. We began implementing the program during 2005, but it has not yet been completed. There is no assurance that our business continuity and disaster recovery program can adequately mitigate the risks of such business disruptions and interruptions.
Additionally, natural disasters and external events could affect the business and operations of our clients, which could impair their ability to pay their loans or fees when due, impair the value of collateral securing their loans, cause our clients to reduce their deposits with us, or otherwise adversely affect their business dealings with us, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We face reputation and business risks due to our interactions with business partners, service providers and other third parties.
We rely on third parties, both in the United States and internationally in countries such as India, in a variety of ways, including to provide key components of our business infrastructure or to further our business objectives. These third parties may provide services to us and our clients or serve as partners in business activities. We rely on these third parties to fulfill their obligations to us, to accurately inform us of relevant information and to conduct their activities professionally and in a manner that reflects positively on us. Any failure of our business partners, service providers or other third parties to meet their commitments to us or to perform in accordance
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with our expectations could harm our business and operations, financial performance, strategic growth or reputation.
We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information about customers and counterparties.
In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with customers and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished to us by or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information. We also may rely on representations of customers and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors. For example, under our accounts receivable financing arrangements, we rely on information, such as invoices, contracts and other supporting documentation, provided by our clients and their account debtors to determine the amount of credit to extend. Similarly, in deciding whether to extend credit, we may rely upon our customers representations that their financial statements conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the customer. We also may rely on customer representations and certifications, or other audit or accountants reports, with respect to the business and financial condition of our clients. Our financial condition, results of operations, financial reporting and reputation could be negatively affected if we rely on materially misleading, false, inaccurate or fraudulent information.
Our accounting policies and methods are key to how we report our financial condition and results of operations. They may require management to make estimates about matters that are uncertain.
Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. Our management must exercise judgment in selecting and applying many of these accounting policies and methods so they comply with GAAP and reflect managements judgment of the most appropriate manner to report our financial condition and results. In some cases, management must select the accounting policy or method to apply from two or more alternatives, any of which might be reasonable under the circumstances yet might result in our reporting materially different amounts than would have been reported under a different alternative.
Changes in accounting standards could materially impact our financial statements.
From time to time, FASB or the SEC may change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. In addition, the bodies that interpret the accounting standards (such as banking regulators or outside auditors) may change their interpretations or positions on how these standards should be applied. These changes may be beyond our control, can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, or apply an existing standard differently, also retroactively, in each case resulting in our restating prior period financial statements.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our stock.
If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting or are otherwise required to restate our financial statements, we could be required to implement expensive and time-consuming remedial measures and could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports. We may also face regulatory enforcement or other actions, including the potential delisting of our securities from NASDAQ. This could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our stock price, and could potentially subject us to litigation.
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Legal/Regulatory Risks
We are subject to extensive regulation that could limit or restrict our activities and impose financial requirements or limitations on the conduct of our business.
SVB Financial Group, including the Bank, is extensively regulated under federal and state laws and regulations governing financial institutions, including those imposed by the Federal Reserve or the DFI. Federal and state laws and regulations govern, limit or otherwise affect the activities in which we may engage and may affect our ability to expand our business over time. In addition, a change in the applicable statutes, regulations or regulatory policy could have a material effect on our business, including limiting the types of financial services and products we may offer or increasing the ability of nonbanks to offer competing financial services and products. These laws and regulations also require financial institutions, including SVB Financial and the Bank, to maintain certain minimum levels of capital, which may affect our ability to use our capital for other business purposes. In addition, increased regulatory requirements, whether due to the adoption of new laws and regulations, changes in existing laws and regulations, or more expansive or aggressive interpretations of existing laws and regulations, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and profitability.
If we were to violate international, federal or state laws or regulations governing financial institutions, we could be subject to disciplinary action that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, profitability and reputation.
International, federal and state banking regulators possess broad powers to take supervisory or enforcement action with respect to financial institutions. Other regulatory bodies, including the SEC, NASDAQ, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and state securities regulators, regulate broker-dealers, including our subsidiary, SVB Securities. If SVB Financial Group were to violate, even if unintentionally or inadvertently, the laws governing public companies, financial institutions and broker-dealers, the regulatory authorities could take various actions against us, depending on the severity of the violation, such as revoking necessary licenses or authorizations, imposing censures, civil money penalties or fines, issuing cease and desist or other supervisory orders, and suspending or expelling from the securities business a firm, its officers or employees. Supervisory actions could result in higher capital requirements, higher insurance premiums and limitations on the activities of SVB Financial Group. These remedies and supervisory actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, profitability and reputation.
SVB Financial relies on dividends from its subsidiaries for most of its cash revenues.
SVB Financial is a separate and distinct legal entity from its subsidiaries. It receives substantially all of its cash revenues from dividends from its subsidiaries, primarily the Bank. These dividends are the principal source of funds to pay operating costs, borrowings, if any, and dividends, should SVB Financial elect to pay any. Various federal and state laws and regulations limit the amount of dividends that our bank and certain of our nonbank subsidiaries may pay to SVB Financial. Also, SVB Financials right to participate in a distribution of assets upon a subsidiarys liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of the subsidiarys creditors.
Strategic/Reputation Risks
Adverse changes in domestic or global economic conditions, especially in our industry niches, could have a material adverse effect on our business, growth and profitability.
Overall deterioration in domestic or global economic conditions, especially in the technology, life science, venture capital/private equity and premium wine industry niches or overall financial capital markets, may materially adversely affect our business, growth and profitability. A global, U.S. or significant regional economic slowdown or recession, such as the current economic downturn, could harm us by adversely affecting our clients and prospective clients access to capital to fund their businesses, their ability to sustain and grow their
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businesses, the level of funds they have available to maintain deposits, their demand for loans, their ability to repay loans and otherwise.
Concentration of risk increases the potential for significant losses.
Concentration of risk increases the potential for significant losses in our business. Our clients are concentrated by industry niches: technology, life science, venture capital/private equity and premium wine. Many of our client companies are concentrated by certain stages within their life cycles, such as early-stage or mid-stage, and many of these companies are venture capital-backed. Our loan concentrations are derived from our borrowers engaging in similar activities or types of loans extended to a diverse group of borrowers that could cause those borrowers to be similarly impacted by economic or other conditions. Any adverse effect on any of our areas of concentration could have a material impact on our business or results of operations. Due to our concentrations, we may suffer losses even when economic and market conditions are generally favorable for our competitors.
Decreases in the amount of equity capital available to our portfolio companies could adversely affect our business, growth and profitability.
Our core strategy is focused on providing banking products and services to companies, including in particular to emerging technology stage to mid-stage companies, that receive financial support from sophisticated investors, including venture capital or private equity firms, angels, and corporate investors. We derive a meaningful share of our deposits from these companies and provide them with loans as well as other banking products and services. In some cases, our lending credit decision is based on our analysis of the likelihood that our venture capital or angel-backed client will receive additional rounds of equity capital from investors. If the amount of capital available to such companies decreases, it is likely that the number of new clients and investor financial support to our existing borrowers could decrease, which could have an adverse effect on our business, profitability and growth prospects.
Among the factors that have affected and could in the future affect the amount of capital available to our portfolio companies are the receptivity of the capital markets, IPOs or mergers and acquisitions of companies within our technology and life science industry sectors, the availability and return on alternative investments and general economic conditions in the technology, life science and venture capital/private equity industries. Reduced capital markets valuations could reduce the amount of capital available to our client companies, including companies within our technology and life science industry sectors.
Because our business and strategy are largely based on this venture capital/private equity financing framework focused on our particular client niches, any material changes in the framework, including adverse trends in investment or fundraising levels, may have a materially adverse affect on our business, strategy and overall profitability.
We face competitive pressures that could adversely affect our business, profitability, financial condition and future growth.
Other banks and specialty and diversified financial services companies and debt funds, many of which are larger than we are, offer lending, leasing, other financial products and advisory services to our client base. In addition, we compete with hedge funds and private equity funds. In some cases, our competitors focus their marketing on our industry sectors and seek to increase their lending and other financial relationships with technology companies or special industries such as wineries. In other cases, our competitors may offer a broader range of financial products to our clients. When new competitors seek to enter one of our markets, or when existing market participants seek to increase their market share, they sometimes undercut the pricing and credit terms prevalent in that market, which could adversely affect our market share or ability to exploit new market opportunities. Our pricing and credit terms could deteriorate if we act to meet these competitive challenges,
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which could adversely affect our business, profitability, financial condition and future growth. Similarly, competitive pressures could adversely affect the business, profitability, financial condition and future growth of our non-banking services, including our access to capital and attractive investment opportunities for our funds business and our ability to secure attractive engagements in our investment banking business.
Our ability to maintain or increase our market share depends on our ability to meet the needs of existing and future clients.
Our success depends, in part, upon our ability to adapt our products and services to evolving industry standards and to meet the needs of existing and potential future clients. A failure to achieve market acceptance of any new products we introduce, a failure to introduce products that the market may demand, or the costs associated with developing, introducing and providing new products and services could have an adverse effect on our business, profitability and growth prospects.
We face risks in connection with our strategic undertakings.
If appropriate opportunities present themselves, we may engage in strategic activities, which could include acquisitions, joint ventures, partnerships, investments or other business growth initiatives or undertakings. There can be no assurance that we will successfully identify appropriate opportunities, that we will be able to negotiate or finance such activities or that such activities, if undertaken, will be successful.
In order to finance future strategic undertakings, we might obtain additional equity or debt financing. Such financing might not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If obtained, equity financing could be dilutive and the incurrence of debt and contingent liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our ability to execute strategic activities successfully will depend on a variety of factors. These factors likely will vary based on the nature of the activity but may include our success in integrating the operations, services, products, personnel and systems of an acquired company into our business, operating effectively with any partner with whom we elect to do business, retaining key employees, achieving anticipated synergies, meeting managements expectations and otherwise realizing the undertakings anticipated benefits. Our ability to address these matters successfully cannot be assured. In addition, our strategic efforts may divert resources or managements attention from ongoing business operations and may subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny. If we do not successfully execute a strategic undertaking, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and growth prospects. In addition, if we were to conclude that the value of an acquired business had decreased and that the related goodwill had been impaired, that conclusion would result in an impairment of goodwill charge to us, which would adversely affect our results of operations.
We face risks associated with international operations.
One component of our strategy is to expand internationally. To date, we have opened offices in China, India, Israel and the United Kingdom. We plan to expand our operations in those locations and may expand beyond these countries. Our efforts to expand our business internationally carry with them certain risks, including risks arising from the uncertainty regarding our ability to generate revenues from foreign operations. In addition, there are certain risks inherent in doing business on an international basis, including, among others, legal, regulatory and tax requirements and restrictions, uncertainties regarding liability, tariffs and other trade barriers, difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations, differing technology standards or customer requirements, political and economic risks and financial risks, including currency and payment risks. These risks could adversely affect the success of our international operations and could have a material adverse effect on our overall business, results of operation and financial condition. In addition, we face risks that our employees may fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations governing our international operations, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and foreign laws and regulations, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
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Our business reputation is important and any damage to it could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our reputation is very important to sustain our business, as we rely on our relationships with our current, former and potential clients and stockholders, the venture capital and private equity communities and the industries that we serve. Any damage to our reputation, whether arising from regulatory, supervisory or enforcement actions, matters affecting our financial reporting or compliance with SEC and exchange listing requirements, negative publicity, or our conduct of our business or otherwise could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments |
None.
Item 2. | Properties |
Our corporate headquarters facility consists of three buildings and is located at 3003 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara, California. The total square footage of the premises leased under the current lease arrangement is approximately 213,625 square feet. The lease will expire on September 30, 2014, unless terminated earlier.
We currently operate 27 regional offices, including an administrative office, in the United States and five offices outside the United States. We operate throughout the Silicon Valley with offices in Santa Clara, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto. Other regional offices in California include Irvine, Woodland Hills, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Helena, Santa Rosa, and Pleasanton. Office locations outside of California within the United States include: Tempe, Arizona; Broomfield, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Newton, Massachusetts; Minnetonka, Minnesota; New York, New York; Morrisville, North Carolina; Beaverton, Oregon; Randor, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Vienna, Virginia; and Seattle, Washington. Our five foreign offices are located in: Shanghai, China; Bangalore and Mumbai, India; Hertzelia Pituach, Israel; and London, England. All of our properties are occupied under leases, which expire at various dates through 2014, and in most instances include options to renew or extend at market rates and terms. We also own leasehold improvements, equipment, furniture, and fixtures at our offices, all of which are used in our business activities.
Our Commercial Banking operations are principally conducted out of our corporate headquarters in Santa Clara, and the lending teams operate out of the various regional offices. SVB Capital principally operates out of our office in Palo Alto. Our other businesses operate out of various offices, including SVB Private Client Services in our Santa Clara office, SVB Global in Palo Alto and our international local offices, and SVB Analytics in San Francisco. Prior to our announcement of the cessation of operations at SVB Alliant in July 2007, SVB Alliant operated out of an office in Palo Alto.
We believe that our properties are in good condition and suitable for the conduct of our business.
Item 3. | Legal Proceedings |
Certain lawsuits and claims arising in the ordinary course of business have been filed or are pending against us or our affiliates. Based upon information available to us, our review of such claims to date and consultation with our outside legal counsel, management believes the liability relating to these actions, if any, will not have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, consolidated financial position, and/or results of operations. Where appropriate, as we determine, we establish reserves in accordance with SFAS No. 5, Accounting for Contingencies (SFAS No. 5). The outcome of litigation and other legal and regulatory matters is inherently uncertain, however, and it is possible that one or more of the legal or regulatory matters currently pending or threatened could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, consolidated financial position, and/or results of operations.
Item 4. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders |
None.
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Item 5. | Market for the Registrants Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities |
Market Information
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol SIVB. The per share range of high and low sale prices for our common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, for each full quarterly period over the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, was as follows:
2008 | 2007 | |||||||||||
Three Months Ended: |
Low | High | Low | High | ||||||||
March 31 |
$ | 41.96 | $ | 50.82 | $ | 46.21 | $ | 50.25 | ||||
June 30 |
39.68 | 52.20 | 47.63 | 54.13 | ||||||||
September 30 |
42.88 | 69.90 | 46.37 | 54.65 | ||||||||
December 31 |
23.49 | 63.26 | 46.61 | 52.74 |
Holders
There were 1,026 registered holders of our stock as of January 31, 2009. Additionally, we believe there were approximately 9,733 beneficial holders of common stock whose shares were held in the name of brokerage firms or other financial institutions. We are not provided with the number or identities of all of these stockholders, but we have estimated the number of such stockholders from the number of stockholder documents requested by these brokerage firms for distribution to their customers.
Dividends
We have not paid cash dividends on our common stock since 1992. Under the terms of our participation in the CPP, we may not, without the prior consent of the Treasury, pay any dividend on our common stock prior to the earlier of December 12, 2011 and the date on which the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock issued to the Treasury have been redeemed in whole or transferred to a third party. Currently, we have no plans to pay, or seek consent from the Treasury to pay, cash dividends on our common stock. Our Board of Directors may periodically evaluate whether to pay cash dividends, subject to the Treasurys consent and taking into consideration such factors as it considers relevant, including our current and projected financial performance, our projected sources and uses of capital, general economic conditions, considerations relating to our current and potential stockholder base, and relevant tax laws. See Business-Supervision and RegulationU.S. Treasury Capital Purchase Program under Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Our ability to pay cash dividends is also limited by generally applicable corporate and banking laws and regulations. See Business-Supervision and RegulationRestrictions on Dividends under Part I, Item 1 of this report and Note 20- Regulatory Matters of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report for additional discussion on restrictions and limitations on the payment of dividends imposed on us by government regulations.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The information required by this Item regarding equity compensation plans is incorporated by reference to the information set forth in Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Stock Repurchases
The following table presents stock repurchases by month during the fourth quarter of 2008:
Period |
Total Number of Shares Purchased |
Average Price Paid per Share |
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (1) |
Maximum Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (1) | ||||||
October 1, 2008 October 31, 2008 |
| $ | | | $ | 150,000,000 | ||||
November 1, 2008 November 30, 2008 |
| | | 150,000,000 | ||||||
December 1, 2008 December 31, 2008 |
| | | 150,000,000 | ||||||
Total |
| $ | | | ||||||
(1) | On July 24, 2008, our Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing us to purchase up to $150.0 million of our common stock, which expires on December 31, 2009. At December 31, 2008, $150.0 million of repurchases remain authorized for repurchase under our stock repurchase program, but subject to restrictions in connection with our participation in the CPP, as described below. |
Under the terms of our participation in the CPP, subject to certain exceptions, we may not, without the prior consent of the Treasury, repurchase our common stock or other equity securities, prior to the earlier of December 12, 2011 and the date on which the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock issued to the Treasury have been redeemed in whole or transferred to a third party.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
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Performance Graph
The following information is not deemed to be soliciting material or filed with the SEC or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, and the report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any prior or subsequent filing by the Company under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
The following graph compares, for the period from December 31, 2003 through December 31, 2008, the cumulative total stockholder return on the common stock of the Company with (i) the cumulative total return of the Standard and Poors 500 (S&P 500) Index, (ii) the cumulative total return of the Nasdaq Composite index, and (iii) the cumulative total return of the Nasdaq Bank Index. The graph assumes an initial investment of $100 and reinvestment of dividends. The graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.
Comparison of 5 Year Cumulative Total Return*
Among SVB Financial Group, the S&P 500 Index, the NASDAQ Stock Market-US Index, and the NASDAQ Bank Index
* | $100 invested on 12/31/03 in stock & index-including reinvestment of dividends. |
Fiscal year ending December 31.
Copyright ©2009 S&P, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
SVB Financial Group |
$ | 100.00 | $ | 124.26 | $ | 129.86 | $ | 129.25 | $ | 139.73 | $ | 72.72 | ||||||
S&P 500 |
100.00 | 110.88 | 116.33 | 134.70 | 142.10 | 89.53 | ||||||||||||
NASDAQ Composite |
100.00 | 110.08 | 112.88 | 126.51 | 138.13 | 80.47 | ||||||||||||
NASDAQ Bank |
100.00 | 111.11 | 108.64 | 123.74 | 97.71 | 74.73 |
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Item 6. | Selected Consolidated Financial Data |
The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and supplementary data as presented in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Information as of and for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 is derived from audited financial statements presented separately herein, while information as of and for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004 is derived from audited financial statements not presented separately within.
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts and ratios) |
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |||||||||||||||
Income Statement Summary: |
||||||||||||||||||||
Net interest income |
$ | 372,009 | $ | 380,933 | $ | 352,457 | $ | 299,293 | $ | 229,477 | ||||||||||
(Provision for) recovery of loan losses |
(100,713 | ) | (16,836 | ) | (9,877 | ) | (237 | ) | 10,289 | |||||||||||
Noninterest income |
156,148 | 221,384 | 141,206 | 117,495 | 107,774 | |||||||||||||||
Noninterest expense excluding impairment of goodwill |
(312,887 | ) | (329,265 | ) | (304,069 | ) | (259,860 | ) | (239,920 | ) | ||||||||||
Impairment of goodwill |
| (17,204 | ) | (18,434 | ) | | (1,910 | ) | ||||||||||||
Minority interest in net losses (income) of consolidated affiliates |
19,139 | (28,596 | ) | (6,308 | ) | (3,396 | ) | (3,090 | ) | |||||||||||
Income before income tax expense |
133,696 | 210,416 | 154,975 | 153,295 | 102,620 | |||||||||||||||
Income tax expense |
(55,068 | ) | (86,778 | ) | (65,782 | ) | (60,758 | ) | (38,754 | ) | ||||||||||
Net income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle |
78,628 | 123,638 | 89,193 | 92,537 | 63,866 | |||||||||||||||
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax |
| | 192 | | | |||||||||||||||
Net income |
$ | 78,628 | $ | 123,638 | $ | 89,385 | $ | 92,537 | $ | 63,866 | ||||||||||
Preferred stock dividend and discount accretion |
(707 | ) | | | | | ||||||||||||||
Net income available to common stockholders |
$ | 77,921 | $ | 123,638 | $ | 89,385 | $ | 92,537 | $ | 63,866 | ||||||||||
Common Share Summary: |
||||||||||||||||||||
Earnings per common sharebasic, before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle |
$ | 2.40 | $ | 3.64 | $ | 2.57 | $ | 2.64 | $ | 1.81 | ||||||||||
Earnings per common sharediluted, before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle |
2.29 | 3.37 | 2.37 | 2.40 | 1.70 | |||||||||||||||
Earnings per common sharebasic |
2.40 | 3.64 | 2.58 | 2.64 | 1.81 | |||||||||||||||
Earnings per common sharediluted |
2.29 | 3.37 | 2.38 | 2.40 | 1.70 | |||||||||||||||
Book value per common share |
$ | 22.92 | $ | 20.71 | $ | 18.27 | $ | 16.19 | $ | 15.07 | ||||||||||
Weighted average shares outstandingbasic |
32,425 | 33,950 | 34,681 | 35,115 | 35,215 | |||||||||||||||
Weighted average shares outstandingdiluted |
34,015 | 36,738 | 37,615 | 38,489 | 37,512 | |||||||||||||||
Year-End Balance Sheet Summary: |
||||||||||||||||||||
Investment securities |
$ | 1,786,100 | $ | 1,602,574 | $ | 1,692,343 | $ | 2,037,270 | $ | 2,054,202 | ||||||||||
Loans, net of unearned income |
5,506,253 | 4,151,730 | 3,482,402 | 2,843,353 | 2,308,588 | |||||||||||||||
Goodwill |
4,092 | 4,092 | 21,296 | 35,638 | 35,638 | |||||||||||||||
Total assets |
10,020,892 | 6,692,456 | 6,081,452 | 5,541,715 | 5,145,679 | |||||||||||||||
Deposits |
7,473,472 | 4,611,203 | 4,057,625 | 4,252,730 | 4,219,514 | |||||||||||||||
Short-term borrowings |
62,120 | 90,000 | 683,537 | 279,475 | 9,820 | |||||||||||||||
Long-term debt (1) |
1,000,640 | 875,254 | 352,465 | 195,832 | 196,210 | |||||||||||||||
Stockholders equity |
988,751 | 676,654 | 628,514 | 569,301 | 541,948 | |||||||||||||||
Average Balance Sheet Summary: |
||||||||||||||||||||
Investment securities |
$ | 1,338,516 | $ | 1,364,461 | $ | 1,684,178 | $ | 1,984,178 | $ | 1,753,920 | ||||||||||
Loans, net of unearned income |
4,633,048 | 3,522,326 | 2,882,088 | 2,368,362 | 1,951,655 | |||||||||||||||
Goodwill |
4,092 | 12,576 | 27,653 | 35,638 | 37,066 | |||||||||||||||
Total assets |
7,419,752 | 6,020,117 | 5,387,435 | 5,189,777 | 4,772,909 | |||||||||||||||
Deposits |
4,896,324 | 3,962,260 | 3,921,857 | 4,166,476 | 3,905,408 | |||||||||||||||
Short-term borrowings |
304,896 | 320,129 | 400,913 | 69,499 | | |||||||||||||||
Long-term debt (1) |
984,309 | 665,588 | 215,966 | 204,525 | 212,226 | |||||||||||||||
Stockholders equity |
719,188 | 669,333 | 589,206 | 541,426 | 495,203 | |||||||||||||||
Capital Ratios: |
||||||||||||||||||||
Total risk-based capital ratio |
17.58 | % | 16.02 | % | 13.95 | % | 14.75 | % | 16.09 | % | ||||||||||
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio |
12.51 | 11.07 | 12.34 | 12.39 | 12.75 | |||||||||||||||
Tier 1 leverage ratio |
13.00 | 11.91 | 12.46 | 11.64 | 11.17 | |||||||||||||||
Average stockholders equity to average assets |
9.69 | 11.12 | 10.94 | 10.43 | 10.38 | |||||||||||||||
Selected Financial Results: |
||||||||||||||||||||
Return on average assets |
1.06 | % | 2.05 | % | 1.66 | % | 1.78 | % | 1.34 | % | ||||||||||
Return on average stockholders equity |
11.03 | 18.47 | 15.17 | 17.09 | 12.90 | |||||||||||||||
Net interest margin |
5.78 | 7.29 | 7.38 | 6.46 | 5.39 | |||||||||||||||
Net charge-offs to average total gross loans |
0.87 | 0.35 | 0.14 | 0.04 | 0.10 | |||||||||||||||
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets |
0.88 | 0.14 | 0.27 | 0.25 | 0.29 | |||||||||||||||
Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total gross loans |
1.93 | 1.13 | 1.22 | 1.28 | 1.62 |
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Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
(Dollars in millions) |
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | ||||||||||
Other Data: |
|||||||||||||||
Client investment funds: |
|||||||||||||||
Client directed investment assets |
$ | 11,886 | $ | 13,049 | $ | 11,221 | $ | 8,863 | $ | 7,208 | |||||
Client investment assets under management |
5,881 | 6,422 | 5,166 | 3,857 | 2,678 | ||||||||||
Sweep money market funds |
813 | 2,721 | 2,573 | 2,247 | 1,351 | ||||||||||
Total client investment funds |
$ | 18,580 | $ | 22,192 | $ | 18,960 | $ | 14,967 | $ | 11,237 | |||||
(1) | Included in our senior and subordinated notes balance are shortcut method adjustments for the corresponding interest rate swap hedges recorded as a component of other assets on the balance sheet. |
Item 7. | Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations below contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. See our cautionary language at the beginning of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Actual results could differ materially because of various factors, including but not limited to those discussed in Item 1A. Risk Factors.
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and supplementary data as presented in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain reclassifications have been made to our prior years results to conform to 2008 presentations. Such reclassifications had no effect on our results of operations or stockholders equity.
Overview of Company Operations
SVB Financial Group is a diversified financial services company, as well as a bank holding company and financial holding company. The company was incorporated in the state of Delaware in March 1999. Through our various subsidiaries and divisions, we offer a variety of banking and financial products and services. For over 25 years, we have been dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed, especially in the technology, life science, venture capital/private equity and premium wine industries. We provide our clients of all sizes and stages with a diversity of products and services to support them throughout their life cycles.
We offer commercial banking products and services through our principal subsidiary, the Bank, which is a California-state chartered bank founded in 1983 and a member of the Federal Reserve System. Through its subsidiaries, the Bank also offers brokerage, investment advisory and asset management services. We also offer non-banking products and services, such as funds management, private equity investment and equity valuation services, through our subsidiaries and divisions.
Managements Overview of 2008 Financial Performance
Our primary or core business consists of providing banking products and services to our clients in the technology, life science, venture capital/private equity and premium wine industries. The financial services industry faced unprecedented global economic challenges during 2008. Although our business was impacted by the effects of such economic conditions, particularly in late 2008, we believe we achieved strong financial results in 2008, as evidenced by our strong loan and deposit growth.
Our net income in 2008 was $78.6 million, or $2.29 per diluted common share, and our return on average common stockholders equity was 11.03 percent. During 2008, market and economic conditions deteriorated, with more rapid deterioration occurring in the fourth quarter of 2008. Dramatic declines in credit conditions in the financial markets have caused widespread illiquidity and elevated levels of volatility, impacting the credit
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quality of our loan portfolio. The overall weakening of the economic environment caused significant declines in venture capital financial activity, merger and acquisition (M&A) activities and initial public offerings (IPOs), which resulted in lower valuations and distributions from our investment fund portfolio and lower gains from valuations of our equity warrant assets. Additionally, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates significantly by 400 basis points during 2008, resulting in decreases in our net interest margin and placed significant downward pressure on our client investment fees.
Overall economic conditions, together with recent deterioration in the overall economy, have adversely impacted our results in 2008, and we expect to continue to see the effects in 2009. Despite these conditions, we continued to see exceptional loan and deposit growth in 2008, along with controlled expenses. Highlights of our 2008 financial results included the following:
| Growth of 31.5 percent in average loans to $4.63 billion from all client industry segments. Period-end loans were $5.51 billion. |
| Growth of 23.6 percent in average deposit balances to $4.90 billion, primarily due to our focus on growing on-balance sheet deposits and our efforts to migrate client sweep balances from our off-balance sheet product to our on-balance sheet products. Period-end deposits were $7.47 billion. |
| Increase of $83.9 million in our provision for loan losses to $100.7 million. Given the economic environment, we maintained relatively good credit quality with net charge-offs as a percentage of average total gross loans of 87 basis points. |
| Decrease of 151 basis points in our net interest margin to 5.78 percent. |
| Decrease of $65.2 million in noninterest income to $156.1 million, primarily due to net losses on investment securities and lower gains on equity warrant assets. Noninterest income from our core fee-based products increased by $15.5 million to $119.7 million. |
| Decrease of $33.6 million in noninterest expense to $312.9 million, primarily due to lower incentive compensation and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) expenses as a result of actual 2008 annual financial results being below our expectations. |
| Decrease of 260 basis points in our ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets to 7.52 percent, due largely to the significant increase in total tangible assets as a result of our strong deposit growth. |
During 2008, we participated in the U.S. Treasurys (the Treasury) Capital Purchase Program (CPP) in the fourth quarter of 2008 whereby we issued $235.0 million in preferred stock and a common stock warrant. This new capital strengthened our already strong capital position, increasing our Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio to 12.51 percent at December 31, 2008, compared to 11.07 percent at December 31, 2007. The issuance of preferred stock requires us to make certain quarterly cash dividend payments, and increases the number of our outstanding preferred shares. The discussions below under our results of operations provide more information on 2008 performance.
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The key highlights of our financial performance in 2008 and 2007 were as follows:
December 31, | |||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data and ratios) |
2008 | 2007 | Change | ||||||||||
Average loans, net of unearned income |
$ | 4,633,048 | $ | 3,522,326 | 31.5 | % | |||||||
Average noninterest-bearing deposits |
2,946,907 | 2,864,153 | 2.9 | ||||||||||
Average interest-bearing deposits |
1,949,417 | 1,098,107 | 77.5 | ||||||||||
Average total deposits |
4,896,324 | 3,962,260 | 23.6 | ||||||||||
Diluted earnings per common share |
$ | 2.29 | $ | 3.37 | (32.0 | ) | |||||||
Net income |
78,628 | 123,638 | (36.4 | ) | |||||||||
Net income available to common stockholders |
77,921 | 123,638 | (37.0 | ) | |||||||||
Net interest income |
372,009 | 380,933 | (2.3 | ) | % | ||||||||
Net interest margin |
5.78 | % | 7.29 | % | (151 | ) | bps | ||||||
Average SVB prime lending rate |
5.13 | 8.05 | (292 | ) | bps | ||||||||
Provision for loan losses |
$ | 100,713 | $ | 16,836 | 498.2 | % | |||||||
Gross charge-offs as a percentage of average total gross loans |
1.02 | % | 0.55 | % | 47 | bps | |||||||
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average total gross loans |
0.87 | 0.35 | 52 | bps | |||||||||
Noninterest income (1) |
$ | 156,148 | $ | 221,384 | (29.5 | ) | % | ||||||
Noninterest expense (2) |
312,887 | 346,469 | (9.7 | ) | |||||||||
Return on average common stockholders equity |
11.03 | % | 18.47 | % | (40.3 | ) | |||||||
Return on average assets |
1.06 | 2.05 | (48.3 | ) | |||||||||
Tangible common equity to tangible assets (3) |
7.52 | 10.12 | (25.7 | ) | |||||||||
Operating efficiency ratio (4) |
58.99 | % | 57.40 | % | 2.8 | ||||||||
Period end full-time equivalent employees |
1,244 | 1,141 | 9.0 | % | |||||||||
Non-GAAP measures: |
|||||||||||||
Non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio (5) |
55.33 | % | 56.46 | % | (2.0 | ) | % | ||||||
Non-GAAP noninterest income, net of minority interest |
$ | 164,642 | $ | 183,403 | (10.2 | ) | |||||||
Non-GAAP noninterest expense, net of minority interest |
301,772 | 335,788 | (10.1 | ) |
(1) | Noninterest income included net losses of $(6.6) million and net gains of $35.5 million attributable to minority interests for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. See Results of OperationsNoninterest Income for a description of noninterest income attributable to minority interests. |
(2) | Noninterest expense included $11.1 million and $10.7 million attributable to minority interests for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. |
(3) | Tangible common equity consists of total common stockholders equity (excluding unrealized gains and losses from our fixed income investments) less acquired intangibles and goodwill. Tangible assets represent total assets (excluding unrealized gains and losses from our fixed income investments) less acquired intangibles and goodwill. |
(4) | The operating efficiency ratio is calculated by dividing noninterest expense by total taxable equivalent revenue. Noninterest expense included a non-tax deductible loss of $3.9 million related to our cash settlement of the conversion of certain zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes in 2008, as well as a $17.2 million pre-tax goodwill impairment charge in 2007. Noninterest expense also included $11.1 million and $10.7 million attributable to minority interests in 2008 and 2007, respectively. |
(5) | The non-GAAP operating efficiency ratio is calculated by dividing noninterest expense (excluding (i) the non-tax deductible $3.9 million loss recorded in 2008 related to our cash settlement of the conversion of certain zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes prior to the notes maturity, (ii) goodwill impairment charge of $17.2 million recorded in 2007 and (iii) the portion of noninterest expense attributable to minority interests of $11.1 million and $10.7 million in 2008 and 2007, respectively) by total taxable equivalent income (excluding taxable equivalent (loss) income attributable to minority interests of $(8.0) million and $39.3 million in 2008 and 2007, respectively). |
36
Reconciliation of Certain Financial Results Previously Announced on January 22, 2009
Since the date of our press release of January 22, 2009, announcing our financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2008 (Press Release), we have decreased net income for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2008 by $1.2 million. This decrease in net income was due to an increase in our allowance for loan losses as of December 31, 2008, which has impacted our provision for loan losses, incentive compensation expense, income tax expense, overall net income and earnings per share, as well as certain ratios including earnings and asset quality ratios. The following table highlights certain revised items related to this change in our overall consolidated statements of income and balance sheets for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2008:
Three months ended December 31, 2008 |
Year ended December 31, 2008 | |||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands, except EPS) |
As reported in Press Release |
As reported in 10-K report |
As reported in Press Release |
As reported in 10-K report | ||||||||
INCOME STATEMENT |
||||||||||||
Provision for loan losses |
$ | 67,257 | $ | 70,957 | $ | 97,013 | $ | 100,713 | ||||
Compensation and benefits expense |
24,977 | 23,877 | 178,415 | 177,315 | ||||||||
Net income |
3,638 | 2,422 | 79,844 | 78,628 | ||||||||
Net income available to common stockholders |
2,931 | 1,715 | 79,137 | 77,921 | ||||||||
Earnings per common sharediluted |
0.09 | 0.05 | 2.33 | 2.29 | ||||||||
BALANCE SHEET |
||||||||||||
Allowance for loan losses |
$ | 103,696 | $ | 107,396 | $ | 103,696 | $ | 107,396 | ||||
Total assets |
10,023,208 | 10,020,892 | 10,023,208 | 10,020,892 |
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our accounting policies are fundamental to understanding our financial condition and results of operations. We have identified seven policies as being critical because they require our management to make particularly difficult, subjective and/or complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain and because it is likely that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis and we base these estimates on historical experiences and various other factors and assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Our senior management has discussed the development, selection, application and disclosure of these critical accounting policies with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.
Fair Value Measurements
We use fair value measurements to record fair value adjustments to certain financial instruments and to determine fair value disclosures. Our marketable investment securities, non-marketable investment securities and derivatives are financial instruments recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. We disclose our method and approach for fair value measurements of assets and liabilities in Note 19Fair Value Instruments of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report.
SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (SFAS No. 157) defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (the exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. SFAS No. 157 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of assets and liabilities recorded at fair value. The classification of assets and liabilities within the hierarchy is based on whether the inputs to the valuation methodology used for measurement are observable or unobservable.
37
Observable inputs reflect market-derived or market-based information obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect our estimates about market data. The three levels for measuring fair value are based on the reliability of inputs and are as follows:
Level 1 |
Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that we have the ability to access. Valuation adjustments and block discounts are not applied to instruments utilizing Level 1 inputs. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these products does not entail a significant degree of judgment.
Assets utilizing Level 1 inputs include exchange-traded equity securities. | |
Level 2 |
Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, directly or indirectly.
Assets and liabilities utilizing Level 2 inputs include: U.S. Treasury and agency securities, investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds, mortgage products, state and municipal obligations, and Over-the-Counter (OTC) derivative instruments and equity warrant assets for shares of public company capital stock. | |
Level 3 |
Valuation is generated from model-based techniques that use significant assumptions not observable in the market. These unobservable assumptions reflect our own estimates of assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Valuation techniques include use of option pricing models, discounted cash flow models and similar techniques.
Assets utilizing Level 3 inputs include: limited partnership interests in private equity funds, direct equity investments in private companies, and equity warrant assets for shares of private company capital stock. |
In accordance with SFAS No. 157, it is our policy to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when developing fair value measurements. When available, we use quoted market prices to measure fair value. If market prices are not available, fair value measurement is based upon models that use primarily market-based or independently-sourced market parameters, including interest rate yield curves, prepayment speeds, option volatilities and currency rates. Substantially all of our financial instruments use either of the foregoing methodologies, collectively Level 1 and Level 2 measurements, to determine fair value adjustments recorded to our financial statements. However, in certain cases, when market observable inputs for model based valuation techniques may not be readily available, we are required to make judgments about assumptions market participants would use in estimating the fair value of the financial instrument.
The degree of management judgment involved in determining the fair value of a financial instrument is dependent upon the availability of quoted market prices or observable market parameters. For financial instruments that trade actively and have quoted market prices or observable market parameters, there is minimal subjectivity involved in measuring fair value. When observable market prices and parameters are not fully available, management judgment is necessary to estimate fair value. In addition, changes in the market conditions may reduce the availability of quoted prices or observable data. For example, reduced liquidity in the capital markets or changes in secondary market activities could result in observable market inputs becoming unavailable. Therefore, when market data is not available, we use valuation techniques requiring more management judgment to estimate the appropriate fair value measurement. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by management in determining fair value is greater for financial assets and liabilities categorized as Level 3.
At December 31, 2008, approximately 18.2 percent of our total assets, or $1.82 billion, consisted of financial assets recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Of these assets, 79.8 percent used valuation methodologies involving market-based or market-derived information, collectively Level 1 and 2 measurements,
38
to measure fair value, and 20.2 percent of these financial assets were measured using model-based techniques, or Level 3 measurements. Almost all of our financial assets valued using Level 3 measurements at December 31, 2008 represented non-marketable securities. At December 31, 2008, 0.4 percent of total liabilities, or $32.6 million, consisted of financial liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, which were valued using market-observable inputs. There were no material transfers in or out of Level 3 during 2008. Our valuation processes include a number of key controls that are designed to ensure that fair value is calculated appropriately. Such controls include a model validation policy requiring that models that provide values used in financial statements be validated by qualified personnel and escalation procedures to ensure that valuations using unverifiable inputs are identified and monitored on a regular basis by senior management.
As of December 31, 2008, our available-for-sale investment portfolio, consisting primarily of U.S. agency debentures, investment grade mortgage securities and municipal bonds and notes, represented $1.32 billion, or 72.3 percent of our portfolio of assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. These instruments were classified as Level 2 because their valuations were based on indicator prices corroborated by observable market quotes or pricing models with all significant inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data. Since our available-for-sale fixed-income investment securities portfolio consisted primarily of fixed rate securities, the fair value of the portfolio is sensitive to changes in levels of market interest rates and market perceptions of credit quality of the underlying securities. Market valuations and impairment analyses on assets in the fixed-income investment portfolio are reviewed and monitored on an ongoing basis.
To the extent available-for-sale investment securities are used to secure borrowings, changes in the fair value of those securities could have an impact on the total amount of secured financing available. We pledge securities to the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and the discount window at the Federal Reserve Bank. The market value of collateral pledged to the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco at December 31, 2008 totaled $693.1 million, of which $593.1 million was unused. The market value of collateral pledged at the discount window of the Federal Reserve Bank in accordance with our risk management practices at December 31, 2008 totaled $83.5 million, all of which was unused. We have repurchase agreements in place with multiple securities dealers, which allow us to access short-term borrowings by using fixed income securities as collateral. At December 31, 2008, we had not borrowed against our repurchase lines.
Financial assets valued using Level 3 measurements consist primarily of our investments in venture capital and private equity funds, direct equity investments in privately held companies and certain investments made by our consolidated sponsored debt fund. These funds are investment companies under the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide for Investment Companies and accordingly, these funds report their investments at estimated fair value, with unrealized gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value reflected as investment gains or losses in our consolidated statements of income. Assets valued using Level 3 measurements also include equity warrant assets in shares of private company capital stock.
During 2008, the Level 3 assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis experienced net unrealized fair value decreases totaling $6.3 million primarily due to lower valuations in underlying fund investments in our private equity funds. Realized gains related to the Level 3 assets in 2008 of $15.8 million related primarily to gains from distributions from private equity funds as well as gains on sale and exercises of equity warrant assets.
The valuation of nonmarketable securities and equity warrant assets in shares of private company capital stock is subject to management judgment. The inherent uncertainty in the process of valuing securities for which a ready market does not exist may cause our estimated values of these securities to differ significantly from the values that would have been derived had a ready market for the securities existed, and those differences could be material. The timing and amount of changes in fair value, if any, of these financial instruments depend upon factors beyond our control, including the performance of the underlying companies, fluctuations in the market prices of the preferred or common stock of the underlying companies, general volatility and interest rate market
39
factors, and legal and contractual restrictions. The timing and amount of actual net proceeds, if any, from the disposition of these financial instruments depend upon factors beyond our control, including investor demand for initial public offerings, levels of merger and acquisition activity, legal and contractual restrictions on our ability to sell, and the perceived and actual performance of portfolio companies. All of these factors are difficult to predict.
Non-Marketable Securities
Non-marketable securities include investments in funds of funds, co-investment funds, sponsored debt funds, direct equity investments in companies and low income housing tax credit funds. Our accounting for investments in non-marketable securities depends on several factors, including our level of ownership/control and the legal structure of our subsidiary making the investment. Based on these factors, we account for our non-marketable securities using one of three different methods: (i) investment company fair value accounting; (ii) equity method accounting; or (iii) cost method accounting. Our non-marketable securities carried under investment company fair value accounting include amounts that are attributable to minority interests. We are required under GAAP to consolidate 100% of these investments that we are deemed to control, even though we may own less than 100% of such entities.
Our non-marketable securities carried under investment company fair value accounting are carried at estimated fair value at each balance sheet date based primarily on financial information obtained as the general partner of the fund or obtained from the funds respective general partner. We utilize the most recent available financial information available from the investee general partner, for example September 30th, for our December 31st consolidated financial statements, adjusted for any contributions paid or distributions received from the investment during the fourth quarter. Fair value is the amount that would be received to sell the non-marketable securities in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. We have retained the specialized accounting of our consolidated funds pursuant to EITF Issue No. 85-12, Retention of Specialized Accounting for Investments in Consolidation.
For direct private company investments, valuations are based upon consideration of a range of factors including, but not limited to, the price at which the investment was acquired, the term and nature of the investment, local market conditions, values for comparable securities, current and projected operating performance, exit strategies and financing transactions subsequent to the acquisition of the investment. These valuation methodologies involve a significant degree of management judgment. We consider our accounting policy for our non-marketable securities carried under investment company fair value to be critical as estimating the fair value of these investments requires management to make assumptions regarding future performance, financial condition, and relevant market conditions, along with other pertinent information.
The valuation of our private equity funds is primarily based upon our pro-rata share of the fair market value of the net assets of a private fund as determined by such private fund on the valuation date. There is a time lag of one quarter in our receipt of financial information from the investees general partner, which we use as the primary basis for valuation of these investments.
Under our equity method accounting, we recognize our proportionate share of the results of operations of each equity method investee in our results of operations.
Under our cost method accounting, we record investments at cost and recognize as income distributions or returns received from net accumulated earnings of the investee since the date of acquisition.
We review our equity and cost method securities at least quarterly for indications of impairment, which requires significant judgment. Indications of impairment include an analysis of facts and circumstances of each investment, the expectations of the investments future cash flows and capital needs, variability of its business and the companys exit strategy. Investments identified as having an indication of impairment are reviewed
40
further to determine if the investment is other than temporarily impaired. We reduce the investment value when we consider declines in value to be other than temporary and we recognize the estimated loss as a loss on investment securities, which is a component of noninterest income.
We consider our accounting policy for our non-marketable securities to be critical because the valuation of our non-marketable securities is subject to management judgment and information reasonably available to us. The inherent uncertainty in the process of valuing securities for which a ready market is unavailable may cause our estimated values of these securities to differ significantly from the values that would have been derived had a ready market for the securities existed, and those differences could be material. Our valuation process incorporates financial information of certain investments, such as our venture capital and private equity fund investments, that are typically reported to us on a quarterly lag basis, which could result in materially significant differences in the investment values that could have been derived had current financial information been available on a timelier basis. Future adverse changes in market conditions or poor operating results of underlying investments could result in losses or an inability to recover the carrying value of the investments that may not be reflected in their carrying value, thereby possibly requiring an impairment charge in the future. There can be no assurances that we will realize the full value of our non-marketable securities, which could result in significant losses.
Derivative AssetsEquity Warrant Assets for Shares of Privately- and Publicly-held Companies
As part of negotiated credit facilities and certain other services, we frequently obtain rights to acquire stock in the form of equity warrant assets in certain client companies. Equity warrant assets for shares of private and public companies are recorded at fair value on the grant date and adjusted to fair value on a quarterly basis through consolidated net income. At December 31, 2008, our equity warrant assets totaled $43.7 million, compared to $31.3 million at December 31, 2007.
We account for equity warrant assets with net settlement terms in certain private and public client companies as derivatives. In general, equity warrant assets entitle us to buy a specific number of shares of stock at a specific price within a specific time period. Certain equity warrant assets contain contingent provisions, which adjust the underlying number of shares or purchase price upon the occurrence of certain future events. Our warrant agreements contain net share settlement provisions, which permit us to receive at exercise a share count equal to the intrinsic value of the warrant divided by the share price (otherwise known as a cashless exercise). Because we can net settle our warrant agreements, our equity warrant assets qualify as derivative instruments in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, as amended (SFAS No. 133).
The fair value of the equity warrant assets portfolio is reviewed quarterly. We value our equity warrant assets using a modified Black-Scholes option pricing model, which incorporates the following material assumptions:
| Underlying asset value was estimated based on information available, including any information regarding subsequent rounds of funding. |
| Volatility, or the amount of uncertainty or risk about the size of the changes in the warrant price, was based on guidelines for publicly traded companies within indices similar in nature to the underlying client companies issuing the warrant. A total of six such indices were used. The volatility assumption was based on the median volatility for an individual public company within an index for the past 16 quarters from which an average volatility was derived. The weighted average quarterly median volatility assumption used for the warrant valuation at December 31, 2008 was 45.5%, compared to 39.7% at December 31, 2007. |
| Actual data on cancellations and exercises of our equity warrant assets was utilized as the basis for determining the expected remaining life of the equity warrant assets in each financial reporting period. Equity warrant assets may be exercised in the event of acquisitions, mergers or IPOs, and cancelled due |
41
to events such as bankruptcies, restructuring activities or additional financings. These events cause the expected remaining life assumption to be shorter than the contractual term of the warrants. This assumption reduced the reported value of the warrant portfolio by $17.5 million at December 31, 2008, compared to a reduction of $11.8 million at December 31, 2007. |
| The risk-free interest rate was derived from the U.S. Treasury yield curve. The risk-free interest rate was calculated based on a weighted average of the risk-free interest rates that correspond closest to the expected remaining life of the warrant. The risk-free interest rate used for the warrant valuation at December 31, 2008 was 0.9%, compared to 3.2% at December 31, 2007. |
| Other adjustments, including a marketability discount, were estimated based on managements judgment about the general industry environment. |
The fair value of our equity warrant assets recorded on our balance sheets represents our best estimate of the fair value of these instruments. Changes in the above material assumptions may result in significantly different valuations. For example, the following table demonstrates the effect of changes in the risk-free interest rate and volatility assumptions on the valuation of equity warrant assets held by SVB Financial Group active at December 31, 2008 (1):
Volatility Factor | |||||||||
(Dollars in millions) |
10% Lower (41.0%) |
Current (45.5%) |
10% Higher (50.1%) | ||||||
Risk Free Interest Rate: |
|||||||||
Less 50 basis points |
$ | 39.5 | $ | 42.7 | $ | 45.9 | |||
Current rate (0.9%) |
40.2 | 43.3 | 46.5 | ||||||
Plus 50 basis points |
40.8 | 44.0 | 47.1 |
(1) | The above table does not include equity warrant assets at December 31, 2008 held by Partners for Growth, LP, which were valued at $0.3 million, based on 47.4% volatility and a 0.8% risk-free interest rate. |
The timing and value realized from the disposition of equity warrant assets depend upon factors beyond our control, including the performance of the underlying portfolio companies, investor demand for IPOs, fluctuations in the market prices of the underlying common stock of these companies, levels of mergers and acquisitions activity, and legal and contractual restrictions on our ability to sell the underlying securities. All of these factors are difficult to predict. Many equity warrant assets may be terminated or may expire without compensation and may incur valuation losses from lower-priced funding rounds. We are unable to predict future gains or losses with accuracy, and gains or losses could vary materially from period to period.
We consider accounting policies related to equity warrant assets to be critical as the valuation of these assets is complex and subject to a certain degree of management judgment. Management has the ability to select from several valuation methodologies and has alternative approaches in the calculation of material assumptions. The selection of an alternative valuation methodology or alternative approaches used to calculate material assumptions in the current methodology may cause our estimated values of these assets to differ significantly from the values recorded. Additionally, the inherent uncertainty in the process of valuing these assets for which a ready market is unavailable may cause our estimated values of these assets to differ significantly from the values that would have been derived had a ready market for the assets existed, and those differences could be material. Further, the fair value of equity warrant assets may never be realized, which could result in significant losses.
Allowance for Loan Losses
At December 31, 2008, our allowance for loan losses totaled $107.4 million, compared to $47.3 million at December 31, 2007. The allowance for loan losses is managements estimate of credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio at a balance sheet date.
We consider our accounting policy for the allowance for loan losses to be critical as estimation of the allowance involves material estimates by our management and is particularly susceptible to significant changes in the near term. Determining the allowance for loan losses requires us to make forecasts that are highly
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uncertain and require a high degree of judgment. Our loan loss reserve methodology is applied to our allowance for loan losses and we maintain the balances at levels that we believe are adequate to absorb estimated probable losses inherent in our loan portfolios.
Our allowance for loan losses is established for loan losses that are probable but not yet realized. The process of anticipating loan losses is imprecise. Our management applies a systematic process for the evaluation of individual loans and pools of loans for inherent risk of loan losses. On a quarterly basis, each loan in our portfolio is assigned a credit risk rating through an evaluation process, which includes consideration of such factors as payment status, the financial condition of the borrower, borrower compliance with loan covenants, underlying collateral values, potential loan concentrations, and general economic conditions. The allowance for loan losses is based on a formula allocation for similarly risk-rated loans by client industry sector and individually for impaired loans as determined by SFAS No. 114, Accounting by Creditors for Impairment of a Loan (SFAS No. 114), and SFAS No. 5.
Our evaluation process is designed to determine the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses. We assess the risk of losses inherent in the loan portfolio on a quarterly basis by utilizing a historical loan loss migration model, which is a statistical model used to estimate an appropriate allowance for outstanding loan balances by calculating the likelihood of a loan becoming charged-off based on its credit risk rating using historical loan performance data from our portfolio. Loan loss factors for each risk-rating category and client industry sector are ultimately applied to the respective period-end client loan balances for each corresponding risk-rating category by client industry sector to provide an estimation of the allowance for loan losses.
We apply macro allocations to the results we obtained through our historical loan loss migration model to ascertain the total allowance for loan losses. These macro allocations are based upon managements assessment of the risks that may lead to a loan loss experience different from our historical loan loss experience. These risks are aggregated to become our macro allocation. Based on managements prediction or estimate of changing risks in the lending environment, the macro allocation may vary significantly from period to period and includes, but is not limited to, consideration of the following factors:
| Changes in lending policies and procedures, including underwriting standards and collections, and charge-off and recovery practices; |
| Changes in national and local economic business conditions, including the market and economic condition of our clients industry sectors; |
| Changes in the nature of our loan portfolio; |
| Changes in experience, ability, and depth of lending management and staff; |
| Changes in the trend of the volume and severity of past due and classified loans; |
| Changes in the trend of the volume of nonaccrual loans, troubled debt restructurings, and other loan modifications; and |
| Other factors as determined by management from time to time. |
Finally, we compute several modified versions of the model, which provide additional assurance that the statistical results of the historical loan loss migration model are reasonable. A committee comprised of senior management evaluates the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses based on the results of our analysis.
Reserve for Unfunded Credit Commitments
The level of the reserve for unfunded credit commitments is determined following a methodology that parallels that used for the allowance for loan losses. We consider our accounting policy for the reserve for unfunded credit commitments to be critical as estimation of the reserve involves material estimates by our management and is particularly susceptible to significant changes in the near term. We record a liability for probable and estimable losses associated with our unfunded credit commitments. Each quarter, every unfunded client credit commitment is allocated to a credit risk-rating category in accordance with each clients credit risk
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rating. We use the historical loan loss factors described under our allowance for loan losses to calculate the possible loan loss experience if unfunded credit commitments are funded. Separately, we use historical trends to calculate the probability of an unfunded credit commitment being funded. We apply the loan funding probability factor to risk-factor adjusted unfunded credit commitments by credit risk-rating to derive the reserve for unfunded credit commitments. The reserve for unfunded credit commitments may also include certain macro allocations as deemed appropriate by management. Our reserve for unfunded credit commitments totaled $14.7 million and $13.4 million at December 31, 2008 and 2007 respectively, and is reflected in other liabilities on our balance sheet.
Share-Based Compensation
Our share-based compensation expense totaled $13.6 million, $14.9 million and $21.3 million in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. In accordance with SFAS No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment (SFAS No. 123(R)), we measure compensation expense for all employee share-based payment awards using a fair value based method, reduced by estimated award forfeitures, and record such expense in our consolidated statements of income.
We consider our accounting policy for share-based compensation to be critical as determining the fair value of awards involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options and employee stock purchase plan shares. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires the use of input assumptions, including the expected life, expected price volatility of the underlying stock, expected dividend yield and risk-free interest rate. The Black-Scholes option pricing model was developed for use in estimating the fair value of traded options, which have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable. Because our stock options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options, changes to the input assumptions can materially affect the fair value of our employee stock options. SFAS No. 123(R) also requires us to develop an estimate of the number of share-based payment awards which we expect to vest. We consider many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including the type of award, the employee class and historical experience.
The most significant assumptions impacted by managements judgment are the expected volatility and the expected life of the options. The expected dividend yield, and expected risk-free interest rate are not as significant to the calculation of fair value. In addition, adjustments to our estimates of the number of share-based payment awards that we expect to vest did not have a significant impact on the recorded share-based compensation expense.
Expected volatility: The value of a stock option is derived from its potential for appreciation. The more volatile the stock, the more valuable the option becomes because of the greater possibility of significant changes in stock price. Our computation of expected volatility is based on a blend of historical volatility of our common stock and implied volatility of traded options to purchase shares of our common stock. Our decision to incorporate implied volatility was based on our assessment that implied volatility of publicly traded options in our common stock is expected to be more reflective of market conditions and, therefore, can reasonably be expected to be a better indicator of expected volatility than historical volatility of our common stock.
Expected life: The expected life also has a significant effect on the value of the option. The longer the term, the more time the option holder has to allow the stock price to increase without a cash investment and thus, the more valuable the option. Further, longer option terms provide more opportunity to exploit market highs. However, employees are not required to wait until the end of the contractual term of a nontransferable option to exercise. Accordingly, we are required to estimate the expected term of the option. When establishing an estimate of the expected life, we bifurcate our option grants into four employee groupings based on exercise behavior and determine the expected life for each group by considering several factors, including historical option exercise behavior, post vesting turnover rates and terms and vesting periods of the options granted.
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We review our valuation assumptions at each grant date and, as a result, we are likely to change our valuation assumptions used to value stock based awards granted in future periods. Changes to the input assumptions could materially affect the estimated fair value of our share-based payment awards.
We performed a sensitivity analysis of the impact of increasing and decreasing expected volatility by 10% as well as the impact of increasing and decreasing the weighted average expected life by one year. We performed this analysis on the stock options granted in 2008. The following table shows the impact of these changes on our stock option expense for the options granted in 2008:
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | |||
Actual stock option expense for 2008 grants |
$ | 5,453 | ||
Stock option expense increase (decrease) under the following assumption changes: |
||||
Volatility decreased by 10% (25.7% to 15.7%) |
(1,470 | ) | ||
Volatility increased by 10% (25.7% to 35.7%) |
1,499 | |||
Average life decreased by 1 year |
(746 | ) | ||
Average life increased by 1 year |
698 |
Income Taxes
We are subject to income tax laws of the United States, its states and municipalities and those of the foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. Our income tax expense totaled $55.1 million and $86.8 million in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax-basis carrying amount. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
We consider our accounting policy relating to income taxes to be critical as the determination of current and deferred income taxes is based on complex analyses of many factors including interpretation of federal, state and foreign income tax laws, the difference between tax and financial reporting bases of assets and liabilities (temporary differences), estimates of amounts due or owed, the timing of reversals of temporary differences and current financial accounting standards. Actual results could differ significantly from the estimates due to tax law interpretations used in determining the current and deferred income tax liabilities. Additionally, there can be no assurances that estimates and interpretations used in determining income tax liabilities may not be challenged by federal and state taxing authorities.
In establishing a provision for income tax expense, we must make judgments and interpretations about the application of these inherently complex tax laws. We must also make estimates about when in the future certain items will affect taxable income in the various tax jurisdictions, both domestic and foreign. We evaluate our uncertain tax positions in accordance with FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (FIN 48). We believe that our unrecognized tax benefits, including related interest and penalties, are adequate in relation to the potential for additional tax assessments.
We are also subject to routine corporate tax audits by the various tax jurisdictions. In the preparation of income tax returns, tax positions are taken based on interpretation of federal and state income tax laws as well as foreign tax laws. In accordance with FIN 48, we review our uncertain tax positions quarterly, and we may adjust these unrecognized tax benefits in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the closing of a tax audit or
45
the refinement of an estimate. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is different than the amounts recorded, such differences will impact income tax expense in the period in which such determination is made.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Please refer to the discussion of our recent accounting pronouncements in Note 2Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report.
Results of Operations
Net Interest Income and Margin (Fully Taxable Equivalent Basis)
Net interest income is defined as the difference between interest earned primarily on loans, investment securities, federal funds sold, securities purchased under agreements to resell and other short-term investment securities, and interest paid on funding sources. Net interest income is our principal source of revenue. Net interest margin is defined as the amount of annualized net interest income, on a fully taxable equivalent basis, expressed as a percentage of average interest-earning assets. Net interest income and net interest margin are presented on a fully taxable equivalent basis to consistently reflect income from taxable loans and securities and tax-exempt securities based on the federal statutory tax rate of 35.0 percent.
Net Interest Income (Fully Taxable Equivalent Basis)
Net interest income decreased by $7.9 million to $374.3 million in 2008, compared to $382.2 million in 2007. The decrease in net interest income was primarily the result of decreases in yields earned on interest-earning assets, partially offset by decreases in the cost of our total funding sources.
The main factors affecting interest income and interest expense between 2008 and 2007 are discussed below:
| Interest income for 2008 decreased by $2.9 million primarily due to: |
| A $5.2 million decrease in interest income on short-term investments, primarily driven by declining short-term market interest rates in late 2007 and throughout 2008. |
This decrease was partially offset by a $2.3 million increase in interest income from our loan portfolio driven principally by an increase in average loans of $1.11 billion. This growth was driven primarily by increased loan growth from all client industry segments, with particularly strong growth in loans to software clients, venture capital funds for capital calls, life science clients, and loans to individual clients of SVB Private Client Services. The impact of increased loan balances was partially offset by a 241 basis point decrease in loan yields due primarily to decreases totaling 325 basis points in our prime-lending rate during 2008 in response to certain Federal Fund rate decreases, as well as the full year effect of decreases totaling 100 basis points during the latter half of 2007. While the Federal Reserve cut rates by 400 basis points in 2008, our net interest margin decreased by only 151 basis points. Our average prime-lending rate was 5.13 percent in 2008, compared to 8.05 percent in 2007. Our prime-lending rate at December 31, 2008 was 4.00 percent, compared to 7.25 percent at December 31, 2007.
| Interest expense for 2008 increased by $5.0 million primarily due to: |
| An increase in interest expense of $10.6 million from all interest-bearing deposits, primarily due to an $851.3 million, or 77.5 percent, increase in average interest-bearing deposits as a result of |
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our focus on growing on-balance sheet deposits. This increase was driven by growth from all our interest-bearing deposit products, with particularly strong growth from our money market deposit product for early stage clients introduced in May 2007 and our sweep deposit product introduced in late October 2007, both of which we introduced to provide funding for our loan growth. In 2008, the average balance of our early stage money market deposit product was $486.4 million and interest expense was $7.6 million, compared to $118.7 million and $4.1 million, respectively, for 2007. The average balance of our sweep deposit product in 2008 was $375.6 million and interest expense was $5.9 million, compared to $8.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively, in 2007. |
| An increase of $4.6 million from long-term debt, primarily due to an increase in average long-term debt balances, partially offset by a decrease in average interest rates. Average long-term debt increased by $318.7 million to $984.3 million in 2008, compared to $665.6 million in 2007, due to the full year effect of our issuance of $500 million in senior and subordinated notes in May 2007 and due to our issuance of $250 million in 3.875% convertible senior notes (2008 Convertible Notes) in April 2008, which was used to redeem our $150 million zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes (2003 Convertible Notes), which matured in June 2008. Average interest rates on long-term debt decreased due to lower London Interbank Offered Rates (LIBOR) rates associated with interest rate swap agreements on the senior and subordinated notes as well as the junior subordinated debt. |
These increases were partially offset by a $10.2 million decrease in interest expense from short-term borrowings, primarily due to declining short-term market interest rates. Our average cost of short-term borrowings decreased to 2.21 percent in 2008, compared to 5.29 percent in 2007.
Net interest income increased by $28.1 million to $382.2 million in 2007, compared to $354.1 million in 2006. The increase in net interest income was the result of a $445.6 million, or 9.3 percent increase in average balances of our interest-earning assets, partially offset by a $331.0 million, or 18.9 percent increase in the average balances of our interest-bearing liabilities.
The main factors affecting interest income and interest expense between 2007 and 2006 are discussed below:
| Interest income for 2007 increased by $55.4 million due to: |
| A $62.9 million increase in interest income from our loan portfolio driven principally by an increase in average loans of $640.2 million. The impact of increased loan balances was partially offset by a 10 basis point decrease in loan yields due primarily to decreases totaling 100 basis points in our prime-lending rate during the latter half of 2007 in response to Federal Reserve rate cuts. |
| A $6.7 million increase in interest income on short-term investments primarily due to growth in average balances of these investments. |
These increases were partially offset by a $14.2 million decrease in interest income on investment securities due principally to a decrease in our portfolio balances from scheduled maturities.
| Interest expense for 2007 increased by $27.3 million due to: |
| A $27.1 million increase in interest expense from long-term debt, primarily due to an increase in average long-term debt balances. Average long-term debt increased by $449.6 million to $665.6 million in 2007, compared to $216.0 million in 2006, primarily due to the issuance of $500 million in senior and subordinated notes in May 2007 and the utilization of $150 million of long-term Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) advances beginning in the fourth quarter of 2006. |
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| A $4.4 million increase in interest expense from interest-bearing deposits, primarily due to an increase in yields of 43 basis points from 0.78 percent in 2006 to 1.21 percent in 2007. This increase was primarily due to the introduction of our money market deposit product for early stage clients and our sweep deposit product in 2007, both of which bear higher yields compared to our other deposit products. |
These increases were partially offset by a $4.2 million decrease in interest expense from short-term borrowings, primarily due to an $80.8 million decrease in average balances of short-term borrowings to $320.1 million in 2007, compared to $400.9 million in 2006.
Analysis of Interest Changes Due to Volume and Rate (Fully Taxable Equivalent Basis)
Net interest income is affected by changes in the amount and mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, referred to as volume change. Net interest income is also affected by changes in yields earned on interest-earning assets and rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities, referred to as rate change. Changes in our prime-lending rate also impact the yields on our loans, and, to a certain extent, our interest-bearing deposits. The following table sets forth changes in interest income for each major category of interest-earning assets and interest expense for each major category of interest-bearing liabilities. The table also reflects the amount of simultaneous changes attributable to both volume and rate changes for the years indicated. For this table, changes that are not solely due to either volume or rate are allocated in proportion to the percentage changes in average volume and average rate.
2008 Compared to 2007 | 2007 Compared to 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) Due to Change in |
Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) Due to Change in |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Volume | Rate | Total | Volume | Rate | Total | ||||||||||||||||||
Interest income: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Federal funds sold, securities purchased under agreements to resell and other short-term investment securities |
$ | 3,708 | $ | (8,952 | ) | $ | (5,244 | ) | $ | 6,208 | $ | 519 | $ | 6,727 | ||||||||||
Investment securities |
(211 | ) | 292 | 81 | (15,242 | ) | 1,003 | (14,239 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Loans |
74,263 | (71,974 | ) | 2,289 | 65,808 | (2,906 | ) | 62,902 | ||||||||||||||||
Increase (decrease) in interest income, net |
77,760 | (80,634 | ) | (2,874 | ) | 56,774 | (1,384 | ) | 55,390 | |||||||||||||||
Interest expense: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
NOW deposits |
51 | 44 | 95 | (6 | ) | (7 | ) | (13 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Regular money market deposits |
| 291 | 291 | (545 | ) | 666 | 121 | |||||||||||||||||
Bonus money market deposits |
4,400 | (706 | ) | 3,694 | 75 | 3,190 | 3,265 | |||||||||||||||||
Foreign money market deposits |
161 | | 161 | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
Time deposits |
677 | 97 | 774 | 42 | 681 | 723 | ||||||||||||||||||
Sweep deposits |
5,788 | (159 | ) | 5,629 | 284 | | 284 | |||||||||||||||||
Short-term borrowings |
(770 | ) | (9,406 | ) | (10,176 | ) | (4,270 | ) | 61 | (4,209 | ) | |||||||||||||
Zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes |
(497 | ) | 29 | (468 | ) | 5 | 7 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
3.875% convertible senior notes |
8,669 | | 8,669 | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
Junior subordinated debentures |
77 | (933 | ) | (856 | ) | 43 | 150 | 193 | ||||||||||||||||
Senior and subordinated notes |
7,819 | (7,033 | ) | 786 | 19,619 | | 19,619 | |||||||||||||||||
Other long-term debt |
(319 | ) | (3,251 | ) | (3,570 | ) | 7,323 | (47 | ) | 7,276 | ||||||||||||||
Increase (decrease) in interest expense, net |
26,056 | (21,027 | ) | 5,029 | 22,570 | 4,701 | 27,271 | |||||||||||||||||
Increase (decrease) in net interest income |
$ | 51,704 | $ | (59,607 | ) | $ | (7,903 | ) | $ | 34,204 | $ | (6,085 | ) | $ | 28,119 | |||||||||
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Net Interest Margin (Fully Taxable Equivalent Basis)
Our net interest margin was 5.78 percent in 2008, compared to 7.29 percent in 2007 and 7.38 percent in 2006. The decrease in net interest margin in 2008 was primarily due to decreases in yields on our loan portfolio resulting from reductions in our prime-lending rate, which we lowered in response to certain Federal Reserve rate cuts in late 2007 and throughout 2008. Although the Federal Reserve cut rates by 400 basis points in 2008, our net interest margin decreased by only 151 basis points. The decrease in net interest margin in 2008 was also attributable to increases in rates paid on deposits due primarily to our two interest-bearing deposit products introduced in 2007, partially offset by decreases in rates paid on our short-term borrowings and interest rate swap agreements on selective long-term debt.
The decrease in net interest margin in 2007 was primarily due to decreases in yields of our loan portfolio as well as increases in rates paid on our interest-bearing liabilities from the issuance of long-term debt in May 2007 and utilization of long-term FHLB advances, as well as the introduction of two interest-bearing deposit products, partially offset by decreases in short-term borrowings and increases in yields from our short-term investments portfolio.
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Average Balances, Yields and Rates Paid (Fully Taxable Equivalent Basis)
The average yield earned on interest-earning assets is the amount of annualized fully taxable equivalent interest income expressed as a percentage of average interest-earning assets. The average rate paid on funding sources is the amount of annualized interest expense expressed as a percentage of average funding sources. The following table sets forth average assets, liabilities, minority interest and stockholders equity, interest income, interest expense, annualized yields and rates, and the composition of our annualized net interest margin in 2008, 2007 and 2006.
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Average Balance |
Interest Income/ Expense |
Yield/ Rate |
Average Balance |
Interest Income/ Expense |
Yield/ Rate |
Average Balance |
Interest Income/ Expense |
Yield/ Rate |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest-earning assets: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Federal funds sold, securities purchased under agreements to resell and other short-term investment securities (1) |
$ | 507,365 | $ | 12,572 | 2.48 | % | $ | 357,673 | $ | 17,816 | 4.98 | % | $ | 232,634 | $ | 11,089 | 4.77 | % | |||||||||||||||
Investment securities: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Taxable |
1,235,179 | 58,466 | 4.73 | 1,310,595 | 61,303 | 4.68 | 1,615,807 | 74,523 | 4.61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Non-taxable (2) |
103,337 | 6,555 | 6.34 | 53,866 | 3,637 | 6.75 | 68,371 | 4,656 | 6.81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total loans, net of unearned income (3) |
4,633,048 | 364,192 | 7.86 | 3,522,326 | 361,903 | 10.27 | 2,882,088 | 299,001 | 10.37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total interest-earning assets |
6,478,929 | 441,785 | 6.82 | 5,244,460 | 444,659 | 8.48 | 4,798,900 | 389,269 | 8.11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cash and due from banks |
281,007 | 276,352 | 242,305 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Allowance for loan losses |
(54,982 | ) | (43,654 | ) | (38,808 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Goodwill |
4,092 | 12,576 | 27,653 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other assets (4) |
710,706 | 530,383 | 357,385 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total assets |
$ | 7,419,752 | $ | 6,020,117 | $ | 5,387,435 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Funding sources: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest-bearing liabilities: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NOW deposits |
$ | 46,339 | $ | 233 | 0.50 | % | $ | 35,020 | $ | 138 | 0.39 | % | $ | 36,999 | $ | 151 | 0.41 | % | |||||||||||||||
Regular money market deposits |
152,568 | 2,087 | 1.37 | 152,550 | 1,796 | 1.18 | 210,933 | 1,675 | 0.79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bonus money market deposits |
969,421 | 11,697 | 1.21 | 577,977 | 8,003 | 1.38 | 569,122 | 4,738 | 0.83 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Foreign money market deposits |
11,570 | 161 | 1.39 | | | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Time deposits |
393,963 | 3,838 | 0.97 | 324,250 | 3,064 | 0.94 | 318,855 | 2,341 | 0.73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sweep deposits |
375,556 | 5,913 | 1.57 | 8,310 | 284 | 3.42 | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total interest-bearing deposits |
1,949,417 | 23,929 | 1.23 | 1,098,107 | 13,285 | 1.21 | 1,135,909 | 8,905 | 0.78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Short-term borrowings |
304,896 | 6,746 | 2.21 | 320,129 | 16,922 | 5.29 | 400,913 | 21,131 | 5.27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes |
70,481 | 473 | 0.67 | 148,877 | 941 | 0.63 | 148,002 | 929 | 0.63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
3.875% convertible senior notes |
182,650 | 8,669 | 4.75 | | | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Junior subordinated debentures |
53,093 | 2,548 | 4.80 | 50,894 | 3,404 | 6.69 | 50,223 | 3,211 | 6.39 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior and subordinated notes |
531,523 | 20,405 | 3.84 | 313,148 | 19,619 | 6.27 | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other long-term debt |
146,562 | 4,712 | 3.22 | 152,669 | 8,282 | 5.42 | 17,741 | 1,006 | 5.67 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total interest-bearing liabilities |
3,238,622 | 67,482 | 2.08 | 2,083,824 | 62,453 | 3.00 | 1,752,788 | 35,182 | 2.01 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portion of noninterest-bearing funding sources |
3,240,307 | 3,160,636 | 3,046,112 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total funding sources |
6,478,929 | 67,482 | 1.04 | 5,244,460 | 62,453 | 1.19 | 4,798,900 | 35,182 | 0.73 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Noninterest-bearing funding sources: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Demand deposits |
2,946,907 | 2,864,153 | 2,785,948 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other liabilities |
221,348 | 191,466 | 115,516 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minority interest in capital of consolidated affiliates |
293,687 | 211,341 | 143,977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stockholders equity |
719,188 | 669,333 | 589,206 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portion used to fund interest-earning assets |
(3,240,307 | ) | (3,160,636 | ) | (3,046,112 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total liabilities, minority interest and stockholders equity |
$ | 7,419,752 | $ | 6,020,117 | $ | 5,387,435 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net interest income and margin |
$ | 374,303 | 5.78 | % | $ | 382,206 | 7.29 | % | $ | 354,087 | 7.38 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
Total deposits |
$ | 4,896,324 | $ | 3,962,260 | $ | 3,921,857 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reconciliation to reported net interest income: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adjustment for tax-equivalent basis |
(2,294 | ) | (1,273 | ) | (1,630 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net interest income, as reported |
$ | 372,009 | $ | 380,933 | $ | 352,457 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
50
(1) | Includes average interest-earning deposits in other financial institutions of $99.1 million, $52.9 million and $31.0 million in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. |
(2) | Interest income on non-taxable investment securities is presented on a fully taxable equivalent basis using the federal statutory tax rate of 35.0 percent for all years presented. |
(3) | Nonaccrual loans are reflected in the average balances of loans, and related income, if recognized, is included in interest income. |
(4) | Average investment securities of $380.8 million, $250.8 million and $151.2 million in 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively, were classified as other assets as they were noninterest-earning assets. These investments primarily consisted of non-marketable securities. |
Provision for Loan Losses
Our provision for loan losses is based on our evaluation of the adequacy of the existing allowance for loan losses in relation to total gross loans and on our periodic assessment of the inherent and identified risk dynamics of the loan portfolio resulting from reviews of selected individual loans. For a more detailed discussion of credit quality and the allowance for loan losses, see Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsCritical Accounting Policies and Estimates and Consolidated Financial ConditionCredit Quality and the Allowance for Loan Losses under Part II, Item 7 in this report. The following table summarizes our provision for loan losses for the year ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | |||||||||
Allowance for loan losses, beginning balance |
$ | 47,293 | $ | 42,747 | $ | 36,785 | ||||||
Provision for loan losses |
100,713 | 16,836 | 9,877 | |||||||||
Gross loan charge-offs |
(47,815 | ) | (19,378 | ) | (14,065 | ) | ||||||
Loan recoveries |
7,205 | 7,088 | 10,150 | |||||||||
Allowance for loan losses, ending balance |
$ | 107,396 | $ | 47,293 | $ | 42,747 | ||||||
Provision as a percentage of period-end total gross loans |
1.81 | % | 0.40 | % | 0.28 | % | ||||||
Gross charge-offs as a percentage of average total gross loans |
1.02 | 0.55 | 0.48 | |||||||||
Net charge-offs as a percentage of average total gross loans |
0.87 | 0.35 | 0.14 | |||||||||
Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of period-end total gross loans |
1.93 | 1.13 | 1.22 | |||||||||
Period-end total gross loans |
$ | 5,551,636 | $ | 4,178,098 | $ | 3,509,560 | ||||||
Average total gross loans |
4,666,025 | 3,547,333 | 2,904,129 |
Our provision for loan losses increased by $83.9 million to $100.7 million in 2008, compared to $16.8 million in 2007. Our provision for 2008 included $40.6 million for net charge-offs, $23 million in reserves for HRJ Capital, L.L.C. and its affiliates (HRJ) credit facilities, and $6 million in specific reserves related to other loans. The remaining reflects the need for increased reserves for the overall loan portfolio due to two factors: (i) the deterioration in the macroeconomic environment and its expected impact on our loan portfolio; and (ii) the increase in actual loans outstanding. As a result, our allowance for loan losses increased from 1.13 percent of total gross loans at December 31, 2007 to 1.93 percent at December 31, 2008. Our assessment for impairment and resulting specific reserves for the HRJ loan facilities considers all available relevant information known to the Company and incorporates a range of values for the assets of HRJ. We consider our allowance for loan losses of $107.4 million adequate to cover credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio at December 31, 2008.
Gross charge-offs of $47.8 million in 2008 came primarily from our early-stage client portfolio, as well as from a single software client and certain HRJ loan facilities.
The increase in provision of $7.0 million in 2007, compared to 2006 was primarily due to the growth in our loan portfolio, partially offset by a decrease in our allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total gross loans.
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Noninterest Income
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||
Client investment fees |
$ | 50,498 | $ | 51,794 | (2.5 | )% | $ | 44,345 | 16.8 | % | ||||||
Foreign exchange fees |
33,106 | 25,750 | 28.6 | 21,045 | 22.4 | |||||||||||
Deposit service charges |
24,110 | 15,554 | 55.0 | 10,159 | 53.1 | |||||||||||
Gains on derivative instruments, net |
18,505 | 23,935 | (22.7 | ) | 17,949 | 33.4 | ||||||||||
Letters of credit and standby letters of credit income |
12,006 | 11,115 | 8.0 | 9,943 | 11.8 | |||||||||||
Corporate finance fees |
3,640 | 14,199 | (74.4 | ) | 11,649 | 21.9 | ||||||||||
(Losses) gains on investment securities, net |
(14,777 | ) | 46,724 | (131.6 | ) | 2,551 | | |||||||||
Other |
29,060 | 32,313 | (10.1 | ) | 23,565 | 37.1 | ||||||||||
Total noninterest income |
$ | 156,148 | $ | 221,384 | (29.5 | )% | $ | 141,206 | 56.8 | % | ||||||
Included in net income is income and expense that are attributable to minority interests. We recognize, as part of our investment funds management business through SVB Capital, the entire income or loss from funds where we own significantly less than 100%. We also recognize, as part of equity valuation business through SVB Analytics, the results of eProsper, of which we own 65%. We are required under GAAP to consolidate 100% of the results of entities that we are deemed to control, even though we may own less than 100% of such entities. The relevant amounts attributable to investors other than us are reflected under Minority Interest in Net Loss (Income) of Consolidated Affiliates on our statements of income. Our net income includes only the portion of income or loss that is attributable to our ownership interest. The non-GAAP tables presented below, for noninterest income, net gains on derivative instruments, net (losses) gains on investment securities and noninterest expense, all exclude minority interest. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain items that represent income attributable to investors other than us and our subsidiaries. Our management uses, and believes that investors benefit from referring to, these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our operating results and when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods. However, these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
The following table provides a summary of non-GAAP noninterest income, net of minority interest:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
Non-GAAP noninterest income, net of minority interest (Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||
GAAP noninterest income |
$ | 156,148 | $ | 221,384 | (29.5 | )% | $ | 141,206 | 56.8 | % | ||||||
Less: (losses) income attributable to minority interests, including carried interest |
(8,494 | ) | 37,981 | (122.4 | ) | 9,903 | 283.5 | |||||||||
Non-GAAP noninterest income, net of minority interest |
$ | 164,642 | $ | 183,403 | (10.2 | )% | $ | 131,303 | 39.7 | % | ||||||
Client Investment Fees
We offer a variety of investment products on which we earn fees. These products include sweep money market funds, money market mutual funds, overnight repurchase agreements and fixed income securities available through client-directed accounts and fixed income management services offered through SVB Asset Management, our investment advisory subsidiary.
52
Client investment fees were $50.5 million in 2008, compared to $51.8 million in 2007 and $44.3 million in 2006. The decrease of $1.3 million in 2008 was primarily attributable to lower margins earned on certain products owing to historically low rates in the short-term fixed income markets. During the fourth quarter of 2008, we made a decision to discontinue offering a third party off-balance sheet sweep product, primarily due to our decision to utilize our own on-balance sheet sweep product introduced in 2007. In addition, we continue to face challenges in growing off-balance sheet funds due to the success of our new on-balance sheet deposit products, as well as the significant decline of initial public offerings (IPO), resulting in less client funds available for investment. This decrease was partially offset by growth in average client investment funds from our later-stage technology clients, as well as an increase in deposits from venture capital and other private equity clients in the first half of 2008. Based on the expectation of continued lower margins on certain client investment products, as well as our decision to discontinue offering a third party off-balance sheet sweep product, we expect to continue to see declining client investment fees in 2009.
The increase of $7.5 million in 2007 from 2006 was attributable to the growth in average client investment funds, with particularly strong growth in our overnight repurchase agreements as a result of increased deposits from our venture capital/private equity clients, as well as an increase in the number of managed portfolios within our client investment assets under management, as a result of increased deposits from our later-stage technology clients. The following table summarizes average client investment funds for 2008, 2007 and 2006:
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
(Dollars in millions) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
||||||||||
Client directed investment assets (1) |
$ | 12,800 | $ | 12,356 | 3.6 | % | $ | 10,605 | 16.5 | % | |||||
Client investment assets under management |
6,217 | 5,651 | 10.0 | 4,364 | 29.5 | ||||||||||
Sweep money market funds |
2,573 | 2,427 | 6.0 | 2,260 | 7.4 | ||||||||||
Total average client investment funds (2) |
$ | 21,590 | $ | 20,434 | 5.7 | % | $ | 17,229 | 18.6 | % | |||||
(1) | Mutual funds and Repurchase Agreement Program assets. |
(2) | Client investment funds are maintained at third party financial institutions. |
Period-end total client investment funds were $18.6 billion at December 31, 2008, compared to $22.2 billion at December 31, 2007, and $19.0 billion at December 31, 2006.
Foreign Exchange Fees
Foreign exchange fees represent the income differential between purchases and sales of foreign currency exchange on behalf of our clients. Foreign exchange fees were $33.1 million in 2008, compared to $25.8 million in 2007 and $21.0 million in 2006. The increase in foreign exchange fees in 2008 was primarily due to increased client trading activity. While commissioned notional volumes remained stable at $6.15 billion in 2008, compared to $6.13 billion in 2007, a substantially higher proportion of that volume came from trades with notional amounts less than $1 million in 2008, which carry comparatively higher commission rates.
The increase in foreign exchange fees in 2007 reflected higher notional volumes of $6.13 billion in 2007, compared to $4.14 billion in 2006.
Deposit Service Charges
Deposit service charges were $24.1 million in 2008, compared to $15.6 million in 2007 and $10.2 million in 2006. The increase in 2008 was primarily attributable to a decrease in the earnings credit rate related to decreases in short-term market interest rates.
The increase in 2007, compared to 2006, was primarily attributable to a decrease in the earnings credit rate, as well as an increase in fee rates and in the volume of transactions.
53
Gains on Derivative Instruments, Net
A summary of gains on derivative instruments, net, for 2008, 2007, and 2006 is as follows:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||||
Gains (losses) on foreign exchange forward contracts, net (1) |
$ | 9,418 | $ | 958 | 883.1 | % | $ | (219 | ) | (537.4 | )% | |||||||
Change in fair value of interest rate swap (2) |
(1,856 | ) | (499 | ) | 271.9 | (3,630 | ) | (86.3 | ) | |||||||||
Gains on covered call options, net (3) |
402 | | | | | |||||||||||||
Equity warrant assets: |
||||||||||||||||||
Gains on exercise, net |
7,188 | 18,690 | (61.5 | ) | 11,495 | 62.6 | ||||||||||||
Change in fair value (4): |
||||||||||||||||||
Cancellations and expirations |
(2,574 | ) | (2,643 | ) | (2.6 | ) | (3,963 | ) | (33.3 | ) | ||||||||
Other changes in fair value |
5,927 | 7,429 | (20.2 | ) | 14,266 | (47.9 | ) | |||||||||||
Total net gains on equity warrant assets (5) |
10,541 | 23,476 | (55.1 | ) | 21,798 | 7.7 | ||||||||||||
Total gains on derivative instruments, net |
$ | 18,505 | $ | 23,935 | (22.7 | )% | $ | 17,949 | 33.4 | % | ||||||||
(1) | Represents the net gains for foreign exchange forward contracts executed on behalf of clients and the change in the fair value of foreign exchange forward contracts to economically reduce our foreign exchange exposure risk related to certain foreign currency denominated loans. Revaluations of foreign currency denominated loans are recorded on the line item Other as part of noninterest income, a component of consolidated net income. |
(2) | Represents the change in the fair value hedge of the hedging relationship from the interest rate swap agreement related to our junior subordinated debentures. In December 2008, our counterparty called this swap for settlement in January 2009. As a result we de-designated the swap as a hedging instrument in December 2008. Please refer to the discussion of our interest rate swap agreement related to our junior subordinated debentures in Note 13Derivative Financial Instruments of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 in this report. |
(3) | Represents net gains on covered call options held by one of our sponsored debt funds. |
(4) | At December 31, 2008, we held warrants in 1,307 companies, compared to 1,179 companies at December 31, 2007 and 1,287 companies at December 31, 2006. |
(5) | Includes net gains on equity warrant assets held by consolidated investment affiliates. Relevant amounts attributable to minority interests are reflected in the consolidated statements of income under the caption Minority Interest in Net Loss (Income) of Consolidated Affiliates. |
Gains on derivative instruments, net, were $18.5 million in 2008, compared to $23.9 million in 2007 and $17.9 million in 2006. The decrease of $5.4 million in 2008 was primarily due to lower gains on exercises of equity warrant assets, lower gains from valuations of our equity warrant assets and higher losses associated with the fair value hedge agreement for our junior subordinated debentures. These decreases were partially offset by higher net gains from changes in the fair value of foreign exchange forward contracts. Net gains from foreign exchange forward contracts in 2008 included $5.2 million in net gains from changes in the fair value of foreign exchange forward contracts, used to offset net losses of $7.6 million from revaluation of our foreign currency denominated loans, which are included in other noninterest income.
The lower gains on exercise of equity warrant assets in 2008, compared to 2007, reflect the impact of the slowdown of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and IPO activity as we typically exercise equity warrants upon such exit events of the issuing client companies. The changes in the fair value of equity warrant assets for 2008 were primarily attributable to positive changes in the value of the issuing client companies stock, as well as from gains due to changes in the volatility of market-comparable public companies, partially offset by losses due to
54
changes in the risk-free interest rate of the equity warrant assets. Our methodology used to calculate the fair value of equity warrant assets has been applied consistently. Despite the economic conditions during 2008, we continued to take a considerable number of warrants from new clients. In 2008, we took warrants from 343 new clients, compared to 186 new clients in 2007.
The increase of $6.0 million in 2007, compared to 2006, was primarily due to gains on exercises of equity warrant assets arising from M&A activities by certain issuing client companies and lower losses associated with the fair value hedge agreement for our junior subordinated debentures. These increases were partially offset by lower gains recognized from valuation adjustments of our equity warrant assets.
The following table provides a summary of non-GAAP net gains on derivative instruments, net of minority interest:
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
Non-GAAP net gains on derivative instruments, net of minority interest |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
||||||||||
GAAP net gains on derivative instruments |
$ | 18,505 | $ | 23,935 | (22.7 | )% | $ | 17,949 | 33.4 | % | |||||
Less: income attributable to minority interests (1) |
231 | 1,070 | (78.4 | ) | 4,297 | (75.1 | ) | ||||||||
Non-GAAP net gains on derivative instruments, net of minority interest |
$ | 18,274 | $ | 22,865 | (20.1 | )% | $ | 13,652 | 67.5 | % | |||||
(1) | Represents gains recognized from the exercise of warrants held by one of our sponsored debt funds. |
Corporate Finance Fees
Corporate finance fees were $3.6 million in 2008, compared to $14.2 million in 2007 and $11.6 million in 2006. The decrease in 2008 was a result of the decision to cease operations in July 2007. The $3.6 million in fees represents the completion of all remaining client transactions at SVB Alliant as of March 31, 2008.
The increase in 2007, compared to 2006, was primarily a result of higher income from success fees recognized at SVB Alliant driven by the completion of larger-sized deals.
55
(Losses) Gains on Investment Securities, Net
We experience variability in the performance of our consolidated investment funds from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, including changes in the values of our funds investments, changes in the amount of distributions and general economic and market conditions. Such variability may lead to volatility in the gains (losses) from investment securities and cause our results for a particular period not to be indicative of our performance in a future period. The valuation of our consolidated investment funds continued to be affected by a more discerning venture capital environment, declining M&A activity among our portfolio companies and a significant decline in IPOs in 2008. The net losses in 2008 were primarily due to the effects of the continued downturn in the economy and pressures on valuations for venture capital investments and portfolio companies. As a result, we saw more unrealized losses due to lower valuations and lower realized gains in 2008, compared to 2007. Realized gains from our investment securities are due primarily to net gains from distributions and liquidity events. In 2008, we experienced realized losses in our other investments due to sales of our marketable equity securities, which are publicly traded shares acquired upon exercise of equity warrant assets. In 2006, realized losses in our other investments were from the sale of certain available-for-sale securities. The following tables provide a summary of net (losses) gains on investment securities for 2008, 2007 and 2006:
Year ended December 31, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Managed Co-Investment Funds |
Managed Funds Of Funds |
Sponsored Debt Funds |
Other | Total | |||||||||||||||
Unrealized (losses) gains |
$ | 1,527 | $ | (13,080 | ) | $ | (8,968 | ) | $ | (93 | ) | $ | (20,614 | ) | ||||||
Realized gains (losses) |
1,136 | 7,342 | 1,158 | (3,799 | ) | 5,837 | ||||||||||||||
Total (losses) gains on investment securities, net |
$ | 2,663 | $ | (5,738 | ) | $ | (7,810 | ) | $ | (3,892 | ) | $ | (14,777 | ) | ||||||
Less: (losses) income attributable to minority interests, including carried interest |
2,183 | (6,227 | ) | (4,885 | ) | | (8,929 | ) | ||||||||||||
Non-GAAP net (losses) gains on investment securities, net of minority interest |
$ | 480 | $ | 489 | $ | (2,925 | ) | $ | (3,892 | ) | $ | (5,848 | ) | |||||||
Year ended December 31, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Managed Co-Investment Funds |
Managed Funds Of Funds |
Sponsored Debt Funds |
Other | Total | |||||||||||||||
Unrealized gains (losses) |
$ | 1,861 | $ | 10,412 | $ | 10,800 | $ | | $ | 23,073 | ||||||||||
Realized gains (losses) |
(2,025 | ) | 19,730 | 4,324 | 1,622 | 23,651 | ||||||||||||||
Total gains (losses) on investment securities, net |
$ | (164 | ) | $ | 30,142 | $ | 15,124 | $ | 1,622 | $ | 46,724 | |||||||||
Less: income (losses) attributable to minority interests, including carried interest |
(129 | ) | 26,807 | 8,771 | | 35,449 | ||||||||||||||
Non-GAAP net gains (losses) on investment securities, net of minority interest |
$ | (35 | ) | $ | 3,335 | $ | 6,353 | $ | 1,622 | $ | 11,275 | |||||||||
Year ended December 31, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Managed Co-Investment Funds |
Managed Funds Of Funds |
Sponsored Debt Funds |
Other | Total | |||||||||||||||
Unrealized gains (losses) |
$ | (261 | ) | $ | (353 | ) | $ | 113 | $ | | $ | (501 | ) | |||||||
Realized gains (losses) |
(36 | ) | 6,091 | 764 | (3,767 | ) | 3,052 | |||||||||||||
Total gains (losses) on investment securities, net |
$ | (297 | ) | $ | 5,738 | $ | 877 | $ | (3,767 | ) | $ | 2,551 | ||||||||
Less: income (losses) attributable to minority interests |
(265 | ) | 5,059 | 238 | | 5,032 | ||||||||||||||
Non-GAAP net (losses) gains on investment securities, net of minority interest |
$ | (32 | ) | $ | 679 | $ | 639 | $ | (3,767 | ) | $ | (2,481 | ) | |||||||
56
Other Noninterest Income
A summary of other noninterest income for 2008, 2007 and 2006 is as follows:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||
Service-based fee income (1) |
$ | 8,686 | $ | 5,356 | 62.2 | % | $ | 970 | 452.2 | % | ||||||
Fund management fees |
8,547 | 8,583 | (0.4 | ) | 4,664 | 84.0 | ||||||||||
Credit card fees |
6,225 | 5,802 | 7.3 | 4,564 | 27.1 | |||||||||||
(Losses) gains on foreign exchange loans revaluation, net |
(7,567 | ) | 1,905 | (497.2 | ) | 2,680 | (28.9 | ) | ||||||||
Other |
13,169 | 10,667 | 23.5 | 10,687 | (0.2 | ) | ||||||||||
Total other noninterest income |
$ | 29,060 | $ | 32,313 | (10.1 | )% | $ | 23,565 | 37.1 | % | ||||||
(1) | Includes income from SVB Analytics and its subsidiary, eProsper. |
Other noninterest income was $29.1 million in 2008, compared to $32.3 million in 2007 and $23.6 million in 2006. The decrease of $3.2 million in 2008 was primarily due to a decrease of $9.5 million from revaluations of foreign currency denominated loans, due primarily to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar in 2008 against the Euro and Pounds Sterling. Net losses from revaluation of foreign currency denominated loans of $7.6 million in 2008 were partially offset by net gains from foreign exchange forward contracts of $5.2 million, which are included in net gains on derivative instruments. This decrease was partially offset by a $3.8 million increase from revaluations of other foreign currency instruments and a $3.3 million increase in service-based fee income, primarily due to increased activities from SVB Analytics. SVB Analytics revenues increased by $3.3 million to $6.4 million in 2008, compared to $3.1 million in 2007, primarily as a result of an increase in the number of clients, from 408 in 2007 to 834 in 2008.
The increase of $8.7 million in 2007 from 2006 was primarily due to a $4.4 million increase in service-based fee income and a $3.9 million increase in fund management fees. The increase in service-based fee income was a result of increased activities from our subsidiary, SVB Analytics, which commenced operations in the second quarter of 2006, and from eProsper, which we acquired a majority ownership in during the third quarter of 2006. SVB Analytics revenues increased by $2.7 million to $3.1 million in 2007, compared to $0.4 million in 2006, primarily as a result of an increase in the number of clients to 408 in 2007, compared to 36 in 2006. eProspers revenues increased by $1.7 million to $2.3 million in 2007, compared to $0.6 million in 2006, primarily as a result of consolidating a full year of revenue in 2007. The increase in fund management fees was related to the full-year effect of management fees recognized from two of our consolidated funds established in the third quarter of 2006, as well as from an additional consolidated fund established in the second quarter of 2007.
57
Noninterest Expense
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
||||||||||||
Compensation and benefits |
$ | 177,315 | $ | 213,892 | (17.1 | )% | $ | 188,588 | 13.4 | % | |||||||
Professional services |
39,480 | 32,905 | 20.0 | 40,791 | (19.3 | ) | |||||||||||
Premises and equipment |
22,183 | 19,756 | 12.3 | 15,311 | 29.0 | ||||||||||||
Net occupancy |
17,307 | 20,829 | (16.9 | ) | 17,369 | 19.9 | |||||||||||
Business development and travel |
15,406 | 12,263 | 25.6 | 12,760 | (3.9 | ) | |||||||||||
Correspondent bank fees |
6,628 | 5,713 | 16.0 | 5,647 | 1.2 | ||||||||||||
Telephone |
5,276 | 5,404 | (2.4 | ) | 4,081 | 32.4 | |||||||||||
Data processing services |
4,235 | 3,841 | 10.3 | 4,239 | (9.4 | ) | |||||||||||
Loss from cash settlement of conversion premium of zero-coupon convertible subordinated notes |
3,858 | | | | | ||||||||||||
Provision for (reduction of) unfunded credit commitments |
1,252 | (1,207 | ) | (203.7 | ) | (2,461 | ) | (51.0 | ) | ||||||||
Impairment of goodwill |
| 17,204 | (100.0 | ) | 18,434 | (6.7 | ) | ||||||||||
Other |
19,947 | 15,869 | 25.7 | 17,744 | (10.6 | ) | |||||||||||
Total noninterest expense |
$ | 312,887 | $ | 346,469 | (9.7 | )% | $ | 322,503 | 7.4 | % | |||||||
The table below provides a summary of non-GAAP noninterest expense, net of minority interest:
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
Non-GAAP noninterest expense, net of minority interest |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
||||||||||
GAAP noninterest expense |
$ | 312,887 | $ | 346,469 | (9.7 | )% | $ | 322,503 | 7.4 | % | |||||
Less: amounts attributable to minority interests |
11,115 | 10,681 | 4.1 | 5,887 | 81.4 | ||||||||||
Non-GAAP noninterest expense, net of minority interest |
$ | 301,772 | $ | 335,788 | (10.1 | )% | $ | 316,616 | 6.1 | % | |||||
Compensation and Benefits
Compensation and benefits expense was $177.3 million in 2008, compared to $213.9 million in 2007 and $188.6 million in 2006. The decrease in compensation and benefits expense of $36.6 million in 2008 was largely due to a decrease of $35.7 million in expenses related to our Incentive Compensation Plan and ESOP, as a result of actual 2008 annual financial results being below our expectations. These decreases were partially offset by a $4.4 million increase in salaries and wages expense, primarily related to an increase in the average number of full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel. The average number of FTE personnel increased to 1,210 in 2008, compared to 1,145 in 2007 and 1,087 in 2006. The increase in average FTE was attributable to increases in sales and advisory positions to support our commercial banking operations, as well as from increases at SVB Capital and SVB Analytics to support our growth in these businesses.
The increase in compensation and benefits expense of $25.3 million in 2007 from 2006 was largely due to higher incentive compensation costs related to our strong financial performance in 2007, as well as increases in the number of average FTE employees and higher rates of employee salaries and wages, partially offset by a decrease in share-based payment expense due to a decrease in stock option grants.
Our variable compensation plans primarily consist of the Incentive Compensation Plans, Direct Drive Incentive Compensation Plan (Direct Drive), SVB Financial Group 401(k), ESOP, Retention Program and Warrant Incentive Plan. Total costs incurred under the above plans were $31.5 million in 2008, compared to
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$67.4 million in 2007 and $41.1 million in 2006. The decrease of $35.9 million in 2008 was primarily related to a $28.5 million decrease in our incentive compensation expense and a $7.3 million decrease in our ESOP expense. The increase of $26.3 million in 2007 was primarily related to a $20.1 million increase in our incentive compensation expense, a $2.9 million increase in our 401(k) and ESOP expense, a $1.9 million increase in Direct Drive compensation expense and a $1.1 million increase in Retention Program compensation expense.
Professional Services
Professional services expense was $39.5 million in 2008, compared to $32.9 million in 2007 and $40.8 million in 2006. The increase of $6.6 million in 2008 was primarily due to consulting fees related to certain infrastructure projects.
The decrease of $7.9 million in 2007 from 2006 was primarily related to consulting costs incurred in 2006 as part of ongoing efforts to enhance and maintain legal and regulatory compliance with various regulations as well as expenses associated with certain information technology (IT) projects.
Net Occupancy
Net occupancy expense was $17.3 million in 2008, compared to $20.8 million in 2007 and $17.4 million in 2006. The decrease of $3.5 million in 2008 was primarily due $1.7 million of lease exit costs recognized in 2007, as we exited three domestic offices in a move to improve synergy and efficiency across business units, as well as increased amortization of leasehold improvements in 2007 due to a change in the remaining lease term of certain domestic leases. The increase of $3.4 million in 2007 from 2006 was primarily due to the $1.7 million of lease exit costs, as well entry into new domestic office lease agreements.
Business Development and Travel Expense
Business development and travel expense was $15.4 million in 2008, compared to $12.3 million in 2007 and $12.8 million in 2006. The increase of $3.1 million in 2008 was primarily attributable to our increased focus on global initiatives.
Loss from Cash Settlement of Conversion Premium of Zero-Coupon Convertible Subordinated Notes
During the three months ended June 30, 2008, but prior to the maturity date of our 2003 Convertible Notes, we received a conversion notice to convert notes in the total principal amount of $7.8 million. Consistent with prior early conversions, we elected to settle the conversion fully in cash and paid a total of $11.6 million in cash, which included $3.9 million representing the conversion premium value of the converted notes. Accordingly, we recorded a non-tax deductible loss of $3.9 million as noninterest expense. In connection with this early conversion settlement payment, we exercised call options pursuant to our call-spread arrangement and received a corresponding cash payment of $3.9 million from the counterparty which was recorded as an increase in stockholders equity of $3.9 million. As a result, the $3.9 million in noninterest expense we recorded due to this early conversion settlement had no net impact on our total stockholders equity.
Provision for (Reduction of) Unfunded Credit Commitments
We calculate the provision for (reduction of) unfunded credit commitments based on the credit commitments outstanding, as well as the credit quality of our loan commitments. We recorded a provision of $1.3 million in 2008, compared to a (reduction of) provision of $(1.2) million and $(2.5) million to the reserve for unfunded credit commitments in 2007 and 2006, respectively. The provision in 2008 was primarily reflective of the expected impact from the continuing deterioration in overall economic conditions.
The (reduction of) provision in 2007 was primarily a result of the positive impact of the decrease in our allowance for loan losses as a percentage of gross loans, which decreased by nine basis points from 1.22 percent of total gross loans at December 31, 2006 to 1.13 percent at December 31, 2007. This positive impact was
59
partially offset by an increase in our total unfunded credit commitments, which increased by $880.2 million to $4.94 billion at December 31, 2007, compared to $4.06 billion at December 31, 2006. The (reduction of) provision in 2006 reflected our historical credit quality experience.
Impairment of Goodwill
In connection with our annual assessments of goodwill of SVB Alliant in the second quarters of 2007 and 2006, we recognized impairment charges of $17.2 million and $18.4 million, respectively. The impairments resulted from changes in our outlook for SVB Alliants future financial performance. After completion of remaining client transactions, all operations at SVB Alliant were ceased as of March 31, 2008.
Other Noninterest Expense
Other noninterest expense largely consisted of tax credit fund amortization, postage and supplies, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) assessments, dues and publications expense and insurance expense. Other noninterest expense was $19.9 million in 2008, compared to $15.9 million in 2007 and $17.7 million in 2006. The increase of $4.0 million in 2008 was primarily related to increased FDIC assessments of $2.7 million primarily due to a one-time credit received in 2007, as well as from an increase in FDIC fee assessments due to $934.1 million in average deposit growth in 2008.
The decrease of $1.8 million in 2007 was primarily related to a $1.8 million charge recorded during the second quarter of 2006 in connection with the settlement of a litigation matter and a $1.0 million decrease in advertising and promotion expenses, partially offset by a $1.4 million loss recorded in the second quarter of 2007 related to the sale of foreclosed property classified as Other Real Estate Owned (OREO).
Minority Interest in Net Income of Consolidated Affiliates
Minority interest in net loss (income) of consolidated affiliates is primarily related to the minority interest holders portion of investment gains or losses and management fees in our managed funds. Net interest income attributable to minority interests represent interest earned on loans held by one of our sponsored debt funds. Noninterest income consists of investment gains and losses from our consolidated funds and gains or losses recognized from the exercise of warrants held by one of our sponsored debt funds. Noninterest expense primarily related to management fees paid by our managed funds to the general partner entities at SVB Capital for funds management. A summary of minority interest in net loss (income) of consolidated affiliates in 2008, 2007 and 2006 is as follows:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||||
Net interest income (1) |
$ | (470 | ) | $ | (1,296 | ) | (63.7 | )% | $ | (2,292 | ) | (43.5 | )% | |||||
Noninterest income (1) |
6,631 | (35,504 | ) | (118.7 | ) | (9,903 | ) | 258.5 | ||||||||||
Noninterest expense (1) |
11,115 | 10,681 | 4.1 | 5,887 | 81.4 | |||||||||||||
Carried interest (2) |
1,863 | (2,477 | ) | (175.2 | ) | | | |||||||||||
Minority interest in net loss (income) of consolidated affiliates |
$ | 19,139 | $ | (28,596 | ) | (166.9 | )% | $ | (6,308 | ) | 353.3 | % | ||||||
(1) | Represents minority interest share in net interest income, noninterest income, and noninterest expense of consolidated affiliates. |
(2) | Represents the preferred allocation of income earned by the general partners managing one of our sponsored debt funds and two of our managed funds of funds. |
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Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate for 2008 was 41.19 percent, compared to 41.24 percent in 2007 and 42.45 percent in 2006. The decrease in the tax rate in 2008 was primarily attributable to the higher impact of tax-advantaged investments on our overall pre-tax income, partially offset by the $3.9 million non-tax deductible loss related to our cash settlement of certain 2003 Convertible Notes. The decrease in the tax rate in 2007 was primarily attributable to the tax impact of lower amounts of non-deductible share based payment expense on overall pre-tax income.
On January 1, 2007, we adopted the provisions of FIN 48, which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the entitys financial statements in accordance with SFAS No. 109. Our adoption of FIN 48 did not result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings.
Operating Segment Results
We have three operating segments in which we report our financial information: Commercial Banking, SVB Capital and Other Business Services.
In July 2007, we reached a decision to cease operations at SVB Alliant, our investment banking subsidiary, which provided advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, strategic alliances and private placements. We elected to have SVB Alliant complete a limited number of client transactions before finalizing its shut-down. As of March 31, 2008, all such client transactions had been completed, and all operations at SVB Alliant were ceased. Accordingly, SVB Alliant was no longer reported as an operating segment as of the second quarter of 2008. The results of operations for SVB Alliant have been included as part of the Reconciling Items column for the current as well as all prior periods presented.
In accordance with SFAS No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information, we report segment information based on the management approach. The management approach designates the internal reporting used by management for making decisions and assessing performance as the source of our reportable segments. Please refer to the discussion of our segment organization in Note 21Segment Reporting of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report.
Our primary source of revenue is from net interest income, which is the difference between interest earned on loans, net of funds transfer pricing (FTP), and interest paid on deposits, net of funds transfer pricing. Accordingly, our segments are reported using net interest income, net of FTP. FTP is an internal measurement framework designed to assess the financial impact of a financial institutions sources and uses of funds. It is the mechanism by which an earnings credit is given for deposits raised, and an earnings charge is made for funded loans. FTP is calculated by applying a transfer rate to pooled, or aggregated, loan and deposit volumes, effective January 1, 2008. Prior to January 1, 2008, FTP was calculated at an instrument level based on account characteristics. We have reclassified all prior period amounts to conform to the current periods presentation.
We also evaluate performance based on noninterest income and noninterest expense, which are presented as components of segment operating profit or loss.
Effective January 1, 2008, we include all warrant income (cash exercise and valuation) recognized in the Reconciling Items column. Prior to January 1, 2008, cash exercises were recognized in noninterest income under the appropriate segment where the client resided, which was primarily within the Commercial Bank. We have reclassified all prior period amounts to conform to the current periods presentation.
In calculating each operating segments noninterest expense, we consider the direct costs incurred by the operating segment as well as certain allocated direct costs. As part of this review, effective January 1, 2008, we began allocating certain corporate overhead costs to a corporate account. Prior to January 1, 2008, all overhead
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and support costs were allocated to the operating segments. We have reclassified all prior period amounts to conform to the current periods presentation.
Additionally, effective January 1, 2008 we include our actual accrued incentive compensation expense at the segment level. Prior to January 1, 2008 we recorded the budgeted incentive compensation expense for each segment as its actual and any differences between segment budget and actual for incentive compensation was recorded in the Reconciling Items column. See additional discussion and reconciliation in Note 21- Segment Reporting of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Part II, Item 8 in this report.
We do not allocate income taxes to our segments. Additionally, our management reporting model is predicated on average asset balances; therefore, period-end asset balances are not presented for segment reporting purposes. Total average assets equals total average assets from the general ledger effective January 1, 2008. Prior to January 1, 2008, total average assets were calculated as the greater of total average assets or total average deposits and total average stockholders equity combined. We have reclassified all prior period amounts to conform to the current periods presentation.
The following is our segment information for 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively.
Commercial Banking
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||||
Net interest income |
$ | 319,974 | $ | 338,724 | (5.5 | )% | $ | 295,125 | 14.8 | % | ||||||||
Noninterest income |
130,088 | 114,752 | 13.4 | 93,886 | 22.2 | |||||||||||||
Noninterest expense |
(94,035 | ) | (94,440 | ) | (0.4 | ) | (85,883 | ) | 10.0 | |||||||||
Income before income tax expense |
$ | 356,027 | $ | 359,036 | (0.8 | ) | $ | 303,128 | 18.4 | |||||||||
Total average loans |
$ | 3,603,563 | $ | 2,674,644 | 34.7 | $ | 2,135,444 | 25.3 | ||||||||||
Total average assets |
3,640,562 | 2,696,304 | 35.0 | 2,142,659 | 25.8 | |||||||||||||
Total average deposits |
4,451,405 | 3,700,711 | 20.3 | 3,686,322 | 0.4 |
2008 compared to 2007
Net interest income from the Commercial Bank (CB) decreased by $18.8 million in 2008, primarily due to a decrease in interest income from earnings credit received on deposit products, partially offset by an increase in interest income from the CBs loan portfolio. The decrease in interest income from earnings credit received on deposits was primarily related to decreases in short-term market interest rates, partially offset by increased volumes of deposits from our money market deposit product for early stage clients introduced in May 2007 and our sweep deposit product introduced in late October 2007. The increase in interest income from the CBs loan portfolio was primarily due to decreases in the earnings charge incurred by the CB for funded loans and growth in the CBs loan portfolio, particularly from growth in loans to software clients, venture capital funds for capital calls and life science clients. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in our average prime-lending rate to 5.13 percent in 2008, compared to 8.05 percent in 2007.
Noninterest income increased by $15.3 million in 2008, primarily due to fee income growth, largely driven by an $8.4 million increase in deposit service charges and a $7.3 million increase in foreign exchange fees. The increase in deposit service charges was primarily attributable to a decrease in the earnings credit rate obtained by clients to offset deposit service charges, which was related to decreases in short-term market interest rates. The increase in foreign exchange fees was primarily due to increased client trading activity.
Noninterest expense decreased by $0.4 million in 2008, primarily due to a decrease in net occupancy expense of $1.9 million, partially offset by an increase in professional services fees of $1.5 million. The decrease
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in net occupancy costs was primarily due to lease exit costs recognized in the second quarter of 2007. The increase in professional services fees was primarily due to consulting fees related to certain infrastructure projects.
Salaries and wages expense increased by $6.0 million in 2008, primarily due to an increase in the average number of FTE employees at CB, which increased to 494 in 2008, compared to 469 in 2007. The increase in average FTE was attributable to increases in sales and advisory positions to support our commercial banking operations. This increase was partially offset by decreases in our incentive compensation plans and ESOP expense, as a result of actual 2008 annual financial results being below our expectations.
2007 compared to 2006
The CBs net interest income increased by $43.6 million in 2007, primarily due to an increase in income from CBs loan portfolio and an increase in income from earnings credit received on deposit products. The increase in interest income from the CBs loan portfolio was primarily due to growth in the CBs loan portfolio. The increase in interest income from earnings credit received on deposits was primarily related to the full-year effect of short-term market rate increases in 2006, partially offset by rate decreases in late 2007.
Noninterest income increased by $20.9 million in 2007, primarily due to solid fee income growth, largely driven by a $7.6 million increase in client investment fees, a $5.5 million increase in foreign exchange fees and a $5.2 million increase in deposit service charges. The increase in client investment fees was primarily attributable to the growth in average client investment funds, with particularly strong growth in our overnight repurchase agreements as a result of increased deposits from our venture capital/private equity clients, as well as an increase in the number of managed portfolios within our client investment assets under management, as a result of increased deposits from our later-stage technology clients. The increase in foreign exchange fees reflected higher notional volumes converted. The increase in deposit service charges was primarily attributable to a decrease in our earnings credit rate obtained by clients to offset deposit service charges, as well as an increase in fee rates and volumes of transactions.
Noninterest expense increased by $8.6 million in 2007, primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits expense, both through direct employees of CBs operations, as well as through allocated expenses from support groups. The increase in compensation and benefits expense was primarily a result of increased incentive and direct drive compensation expense due to better than expected overall financial performance for SVB Financial Group and from increases in the average number of FTE employees at CB, which increased to 469 in 2007, compared to 431 in 2006.
SVB Capital
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||||
Net interest income |
$ | 171 | $ | 646 | (73.5 | )% | $ | 772 | (16.3 | )% | ||||||||
Noninterest income |
5,583 | 20,461 | (72.7 | ) | 10,524 | 94.4 | ||||||||||||
Noninterest expense |
(17,380 | ) | (14,557 | ) | 19.4 | (9,140 | ) | 59.3 | ||||||||||
(Loss) income before income tax expense |
$ | (11,626 | ) | $ | 6,550 | (277.5 | ) | $ | 2,156 | 203.8 | ||||||||
Total average assets |
$ | 407,728 | $ | 292,854 | 39.2 | $ | 212,454 | 37.8 |
SVB Capitals components of noninterest income primarily include net gains (losses) on investment securities, net gains (losses) on derivative instruments, and fund management fees, all net of minority interests and carried interest. When we refer to net gains (losses) on investment securities in the discussion below, we are referring to net gains (losses) from investment securities, net of minority interest and carried interest. When we
63
refer to net gains (losses) on derivative instruments in the discussion below, we are referring to net gains (losses) from derivative instruments, net of minority interest.
We experience variability in the performance of SVB Capital from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, including changes in the values of our funds investments, changes in the amount of distributions and general economic and market conditions. Such variability may lead to volatility in the gains (losses) from investment securities and gains (losses) from derivative instruments and cause our results for a particular period not to be indicative of future performance. The valuation of our consolidated investment funds continued to be affected by a more discerning venture capital environment, declining M&A activity among our portfolio companies in the later half of 2008, and a significant decline in IPOs in 2008.
2008 compared to 2007
Noninterest income decreased by $14.9 million in 2008, primarily due to net losses on investment securities in 2008, compared to net gains on investment securities in 2007. SVB Capitals components of noninterest income primarily include the following:
| Net losses on investment securities of $3.1 million in 2008, compared to net gains of $13.2 million in 2007. The net losses on investment securities of $3.1 million in 2008 were primarily due to net losses of $3.3 million from lower valuations at one of our sponsored debt funds mainly attributable to decreases in the share price of certain investments and net losses of $1.1 million from our SVB Financial private equity fund investments from impairments. These net losses were partially offset by net gains of $1.0 million from our managed funds, primarily due to realized gains from distributions and carried interest, partially offset by net decreases in the fair value of fund investments. |
| Fund management fees of $8.5 million in 2008, compared to $8.6 million in 2007. |
Noninterest expense increased by $2.8 million in 2008, primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits expense. The increase in compensation and benefits expense was primarily a result of growth in the number of average FTE employees to support growth in fund activities at SVB Capital, which increased to 40 in 2008, compared to 23 in 2007.
2007 compared to 2006
Noninterest income increased by $9.9 million in 2007, primarily due to increases in net gains on investment securities and fund management fees, partially offset by lower net gains on derivative instruments. SVB Capitals components of noninterest income primarily include the following:
| Net gains on investment securities of $13.2 million in 2007, compared to net gains of $0.6 million in 2006. The net gains of $13.2 million in 2007 were primarily related to $6.0 million of net gains from our sponsored debt funds and $3.1 million of net gains from two of our managed funds of funds, primarily related to net increases in the fair value of fund investments and realized gains from distributions. |
| Fund management fees of $8.6 million in 2007, compared to $4.7 million in 2006. The increase was primarily related to the full-year effect of management fees recognized from SVB Strategic Investors Fund III, LP and SVB Capital Partners II, LP, which were established in the third quarter of 2006, as well as from SVB India Capital Partners I, LP, which was established in the second quarter of 2007. |
| Net gains on derivative instruments of $1.1 million in 2007, compared to $4.3 million in 2006. The decrease in net gains on derivative instruments of $3.2 million in 2007 was primarily due to lower net gains recognized from the exercise of warrants from one of our sponsored debt funds. |
Noninterest expense increased by $5.4 million in 2007, primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits expense. The increase in compensation and benefits expense was primarily a result of increased
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incentive compensation expense due to better than expected financial performance overall in 2007 by SVB Financial Group.
Other Business Services
Our Other Business Services group includes SVB Private Client Services, SVB Global, SVB Analytics, and SVB Wine Division.
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||||
Net interest income |
$ | 42,004 | $ | 34,165 | 22.9 | % | $ | 33,018 | 3.5 | % | ||||||||
Noninterest income |
11,193 | 7,650 | 46.3 | 3,974 | 92.5 | |||||||||||||
Noninterest expense |
(40,849 | ) | (31,335 | ) | 30.4 | (22,095 | ) | 41.8 | ||||||||||
Income before income tax expense |
$ | 12,348 | $ | 10,480 | 17.8 | $ | 14,897 | (29.7 | ) | |||||||||
Total average loans |
$ | 965,515 | $ | 808,316 | 19.4 | $ | 716,214 | 12.9 | ||||||||||
Total average assets |
999,520 | 829,825 | 20.4 | 731,808 | 13.4 | |||||||||||||
Total average deposits |
427,134 | 257,506 | 65.9 | 224,742 | 14.6 | |||||||||||||
Goodwill at period end |
4,092 | 4,092 | | 4,092 | |
Net Interest IncomeOther Business Services
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
|||||||||||||
SVB Private Client Services |
$ | 14,990 | $ | 14,472 | 3.6 | % | $ | 13,835 | 4.6 | % | ||||||||
SVB Global |
12,374 | 7,799 | 58.7 | 5,759 | 35.4 | |||||||||||||
SVB Analytics (1) |
(136 | ) | (143 | ) | (4.9 | ) | (48 | ) | 197.9 | |||||||||
SVB Wine Division |
14,776 | 12,037 | 22.8 | 13,472 | (10.7 | ) | ||||||||||||
Total Other Business Services |
$ | 42,004 | $ | 34,165 | 22.9 | % | $ | 33,018 | 3.5 | % | ||||||||
(1) | Includes net interest income from SVB Analytics and its subsidiary, eProsper. |
The increase in net interest income of $7.8 million in 2008, compared to 2007 was primarily due to increases from SVB Global and SVB Wine Division. The increase for SVB Global was primarily due to our increased focus on serving our international venture fund clients, which resulted in an increase in average deposit balances. The increase in net interest income for SVB Wine Division was primarily due to decreases in the earnings charge incurred by SVB Wine Division for funded loans related to decreases in short-term market interest rates, as a significant portion of loans in our SVB Wine Division are fixed-rate loans.
The increase in net interest income of $1.1 million in 2007, compared to 2006 was primarily due to increases for SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services. The increase for SVB Global was primarily due our increased focus on serving our international venture fund clients, which resulted in an increase in average deposit balances. The increase for SVB Private Client Services was primarily due to increased average loan balances due to an increased focus on providing loan solutions to partners of private equity firms.
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Noninterest IncomeOther Business Services
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
||||||||||
SVB Private Client Services |
$ | 825 | $ | 806 | 2.4 | % | $ | 1,402 | (42.5 | )% | |||||
SVB Global |
1,711 | 1,453 | 17.8 | 1,147 | 26.7 | ||||||||||
SVB Analytics (1) |
7,809 | 4,555 | 71.4 | 764 | 496.2 | ||||||||||
SVB Wine Division |
848 | 836 | 1.4 | 661 | 26.5 | ||||||||||
Total Other Business Services |
$ | 11,193 | $ | 7,650 | 46.3 | % | $ | 3,974 | 92.5 | % | |||||
(1) | Includes noninterest income from SVB Analytics and its subsidiary, eProsper. |
The increase in noninterest income of $3.5 million in 2008, compared to 2007 was primarily due to an increase from SVB Analytics. SVB Analytics revenues increased by $3.3 million to $6.4 million in 2008, compared to $3.1 million in 2007, primarily as a result of an increase in the number of clients to 834 clients in 2008, compared to 408 in 2007.
The increase in noninterest income of $3.7 million in 2007, compared to 2006 was primarily due to increases for SVB Analytics, which commenced operations in the second quarter of 2006, and from its subsidiary, eProsper, which we acquired a majority ownership of in the third quarter of 2006. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in noninterest income for SVB Private Client Services. SVB Analytics revenues increased by $2.7 million to $3.1 million in 2007, compared to $0.4 million in 2006, primarily as a result of an increase in the number of clients to 408 clients in 2007, compared to 36 in 2006. eProspers revenues, net of minority interest, increased by $1.1 million to $1.5 million in 2007, compared to $0.4 million in 2006, primarily as a result of consolidating a full year of revenue in 2007. The decrease in noninterest income for SVB Private Client Services in 2007 was primarily due to the sale of its subsidiary, Woodside Asset Management, Inc. in early 2006.
Noninterest ExpenseOther Business Services
Year ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | % Change 2008/2007 |
2006 | % Change 2007/2006 |
||||||||||
SVB Private Client Services |
$ | 9,904 | $ | 7,425 | 33.4 | % | $ | 7,949 | (6.6 | )% | |||||
SVB Global |
16,780 | 10,330 | 62.4 | 6,138 | 68.3 | ||||||||||
SVB Analytics (1) |
9,626 | 8,563 | 12.4 | 2,899 | 195.4 | ||||||||||
SVB Wine Division |
4,539 | 5,017 | (9.5 | ) | 5,109 | (1.8 | ) | ||||||||
Total Other Business Services |
$ | 40,849 | $ | 31,335 | 30.4 | % | $ | 22,095 | 41.8 | % | |||||
(1) | Includes noninterest expense from SVB Analytics and its subsidiary, eProsper. |
The increase in noninterest expense of $9.5 million in 2008, compared to 2007 was primarily due to increases for SVB Global, SVB Private Client Services, and SVB Analytics. The increase in SVB Globals expense was primarily related to an increase in allocated compensation and benefits expense as a result of our focus on global initiatives. The increase in SVB Private Client Services expense was primarily related to activities of the SVB Private Equity Relationship group. The increase in SVB Analytics expense was a result of continued growth in both SVB Analytics and eProspers businesses.
The increase in noninterest expense of $9.2 million in 2007, compared to 2006 was primarily due to increases for SVB Analytics and SVB Global. Expenses for SVB Analytics, which included eProspers expenses, increased primarily as a result of the development of this division as operations commenced in the second and third quarters of 2006, respectively. The increase in SVB Globals expense was primarily related to an increase in
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allocated compensation and benefits expense as a result of our focus on global initiatives, as well as an increase in salaries and wages expense due to increases in the average number of FTE employees at SVB Global, which increased to 24 in 2007, compared to 19 in 2006.
Consolidated Financial Condition
Our total assets were $10.02 billion at December 31, 2008, an increase of $3.33 billion, or 49.7 percent, compared to $6.69 billion at December 31, 2007, which increased $611.0 million, or 10.0 percent compared to $6.08 billion at December 31, 2006. The increase in 2008 was primarily a result of our strong deposit growth due to our focus on growing on-balance sheet deposits. The increase in 2007, compared to 2006, was primarily due to increased levels of loans.
Federal Funds Sold, Securities Purchased under Agreements to Resell, and Other Short-Term Investments
Average balances of federal funds sold, securities purchased under agreements to resell and other short-term investments were $507.4 million in 2008, an increase of $149.7 million, or 41.9 percent, compared to $357.7 million in 2007, which increased $125.1 million, or 53.8 percent, compared to $232.6 million in 2006. The increase in 2008 was primarily due to an increase in interest-earning deposits of $95.2 million and other short-term investment securities of $70.9 million. The increase in 2007, compared to 2006, was primarily due to higher levels of other short-term investments, federal funds sold overnight and interest-earning deposits.
Federal funds sold, securities purchased under agreements to resell and other short-term investments were $647.4 million at December 31, 2008, compared to $358.7 million at December 31, 2007 and $239.3 million at December 31, 2006.
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Investment Securities
Investment securities totaled $1.79 billion at December 31, 2008, an increase of $183.5 million, or 11.5 percent, compared to $1.60 billion at December 31, 2007, which decreased $89.8 million, or 5.3 percent, compared to $1.69 billion at December 31, 2006. The increase in 2008 was primarily related to increases in our non-marketable securities, mainly due to increases in investments managed by our funds of funds, our co-investment funds, and direct investments managed by SVB Capital, as well as increases in the balances of our marketable securities, particularly our mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. The decrease in 2007, compared to 2006, was primarily related to decreases in our available-for-sale securities portfolio, primarily due to scheduled maturities and regular prepayments. The following table presents a profile of our investment securities portfolio at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006:
December 31, | |||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | ||||||
Marketable securities: |
|||||||||
Available-for-sale securities, at fair value: |
|||||||||
U.S. Treasury securities |
$ | | $ | 20,128 | $ | 29,712 | |||
U.S. agencies and corporations: |
|||||||||
Collateralized mortgage obligations |
579,749 | 536,383 | 629,677 | ||||||
Mortgage-backed securities |
467,450 | 390,978 | 429,156 | ||||||
U.S. agency debentures |
113,603 | 161,080 | 230,823 | ||||||
Commercial mortgage-backed securities |
47,481 | 61,290 | 69,375 | ||||||
Municipal bonds and notes |
108,755 | 81,855 | 56,453 | ||||||
Marketable equity securities |
152 | 7,391 | 257 | ||||||
Venture capital fund investments |
1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
Total available-for-sale securities |
1,317,191 | 1,259,106 | 1,445,455 | ||||||
Marketable securities (investment company fair value accounting) (1) |
1,703 | 3,591 | 88 | ||||||
Non-marketable securities (investment company fair value accounting): |
|||||||||
Private equity fund investments (2) |
242,645 | 194,862 | 126,475 | ||||||
Other private equity investments (3) |
82,444 | 44,872 | 32,913 | ||||||
Other investments (4) |
1,547 | 12,080 | 15,306 | ||||||
Non-marketable securities (equity method accounting): |
|||||||||
Other investments (5) |
27,000 | 21,299 | 15,710 | ||||||
Low income housing tax credit funds |
31,510 | 24,491 | 22,664 | ||||||
Non-marketable securities (cost method accounting): |
|||||||||
Private equity fund investments (6) |
69,971 | 35,006 | 27,771 | ||||||
Other private equity investments |
12,089 | 7,267 | 5,961 | ||||||
Total investment securities |
$ | 1,786,100 | $ | 1,602,574 | $ | 1,692,343 | |||
(1) | Marketable securities (investment company fair value accounting) represent investments managed by us or our consolidated subsidiaries that were originally made within our non-marketable securities portfolio that have been converted into publicly-traded shares. The following table shows the amounts of investments by the following funds and our ownership of each fund at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006: |
December 31, 2008 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | ||||||||||||
Partners for Growth, LP |
$ | 1,233 | 50.0 | % | $ | 2,556 | 50.0 | % | $ | 88 | 50.0 | % | ||||||
SVB India Capital Partners I, LP |
470 | 14.4 | 1,035 | 13.9 | | | ||||||||||||
Total marketable securities |
$ | 1,703 | $ | 3,591 | $ | 88 | ||||||||||||
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(2) | The following table shows the amounts of investments by the following consolidated fund of funds and our ownership of each fund at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006: |
December 31, 2008 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | ||||||||||||
SVB Strategic Investors Fund, LP |
$ | 65,985 | 12.6 | % | $ | 68,744 | 12.6 | % | $ | 65,977 | 12.6 | % | ||||||
SVB Strategic Investors Fund II, LP |
94,161 | 8.6 | 81,382 | 8.6 | 47,668 | 8.6 | ||||||||||||
SVB Strategic Investors Fund III, LP |
80,780 | 5.9 | 44,736 | 5.9 | 12,830 | 6.5 | ||||||||||||
SVB Strategic Investors Fund IV, LP |
1,719 | 5.0 | | | | | ||||||||||||
Total private equity fund investments |
$ | 242,645 | $ | 194,862 | $ | 126,475 | ||||||||||||
(3) | The following table shows the amounts of investments by the following consolidated co-investment funds and our ownership of each fund at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006: |
December 31, 2008 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | ||||||||||||
Silicon Valley BancVentures, LP |
$ | 24,188 | 10.7 | % | $ | 28,068 | 10.7 | % | $ | 29,388 | 10.7 | % | ||||||
SVB Capital Partners II, LP (i) |
38,234 | 5.1 | 14,458 | 5.1 | 3,525 | 8.5 | ||||||||||||
SVB India Capital Partners I, LP |
20,022 | 14.4 | 2,346 | 13.9 | | | ||||||||||||
Total other private equity investments |
$ | 82,444 | $ | 44,872 | $ | 32,913 | ||||||||||||
(i) | At December 31, 2008, we had a direct ownership interest of 1.3% and an indirect ownership interest of 3.8% in the fund through our ownership of SVB Strategic Investors Fund II, LP. |
(4) | Other investments within non-marketable securities (investment company fair value accounting) include our ownership in Partners for Growth, LP, a consolidated sponsored debt fund. At December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 we had a majority ownership interest of approximately 50.0% in the fund. Partners for Growth, LP is managed by a third party and we do not have an ownership interest in the general partner of this fund. |
(5) | The following table shows the amounts of investments by the following sponsored debt funds and our ownership of each fund at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006: |
December 31, 2008 | December 31, 2007 | December 31, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
(Dollars in thousands) |
Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | Amount | Ownership % | ||||||||||||
Gold Hill Venture Lending 03, LP (i) |
$ | 18,234 | 9.3 | % | $ | 15,915 | 9.3 | % | $ | 13,506 | 9.3 | % | ||||||
Partners for Growth II, LP |
8,559 | 24.2 | 5,384 | 24.2 | 2,204 | 24.2 | ||||||||||||
Other fund investment |
207 | | | | | | ||||||||||||
Total other investments |
$ | 27,000 | $ | 21,299 | $ | 15,710 | ||||||||||||
(i) | At December 31, 2008, we had a direct ownership interest of 4.8% in the fund. In addition, we had a 90.7% direct ownership interest in the funds general partner, Gold Hill Venture Lending Partners 03, LLC (GHLLC). GHLLC has a direct ownership interest of 5.0% in Gold Hill Venture Lending 03, LP and its parallel funds. Our indirect interest in the fund through our investment in GHLLC is 4.5%. Our direct and indirect ownership in the fund is 9.3%. |
(6) | Represents investments in 360, 324 and 302 private equity funds at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively, where our ownership interest is less than 5% of the voting stock of each such fund. |
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Marketable Securities
Marketable securities consist of our available-for-sale fixed income investment portfolio and marketable securities accounted for under investment company fair value accounting.
Our fixed income investment portfolio is managed to maximize portfolio yield over the long-term in a manner consistent with our liquidity, credit diversification and asset/liability strategies. All securities in our fixed income investment portfolio are currently held as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale securities totaled $1.32 billion at December 31, 2008, an increase of $58.1 million, or 4.6 percent, from $1.26 billion at December 31, 2007, which decreased $186.3 million, or 12.9 percent, from $1.45 billion at December 31, 2006. The increase in 2008 was primarily due to a $76.5 million increase in our agency mortgage-backed securities, a $43.4 million increase in our agency collateralized mortgage obligations and a $26.9 million increase in municipal bonds and notes (our non-taxable investment securities), partially offset by a $47.5 million decrease in our U.S. agency securities and a $20.1 million decrease in our U.S. treasury securities due to scheduled maturities.
The duration of our fixed income investment portfolio was 2.8 years at December 31, 2008, compared to 2.3 years at December 31, 2007 and 2.5 years at December 31, 2006. Changes in portfolio duration are impacted by the effect of changing interest rates on mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations as well as changes in the mix of longer versus shorter term to maturity securities.
Marketable securities accounted for under investment company accounting represents investments managed by SVB Capital or by one of our consolidated sponsored debt funds that were originally made within our non-marketable securities portfolio and have been converted into publicly-traded shares. Marketable securities were $1.7 million, $3.6 million and $0.1 million at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. The decrease of $1.9 million in marketable securities balances in 2008 was primarily due to sales of investments and lower valuations of underlying investments.
Non-Marketable Securities
Non-marketable securities primarily represent investments managed by SVB Capital as part of our investment funds management business and include funds of funds, co-investment funds and sponsored debt funds, as well as direct equity and fund investments. Included in our non-marketable securities carried under investment company fair value accounting are amounts that are attributable to minority interests. We are required under GAAP to consolidate 100% of these investments that we are deemed to control, even though we may own less than 100% of such entities. Non-marketable securities of $467.2 million ($169.1 million net of minority interests) at December 31, 2008 increased by $127.3 million or 37.5 percent, from $339.9 million ($114.8 million net of minority interests) at December 31, 2007 which increased by $93.1 million or 37.7 percent, from $246.8 million ($97.1 million net of minority interests) at December 31, 2006.
The increase in non-marketable securities of $127.3 million in 2008 was primarily related to the following:
| An increase of $47.8 million in private equity fund investments accounted for using investment company fair value accounting due to additional investments made by each of our managed funds of funds, with particular growth in SVB Strategic Investors Fund III, LP. |
| An increase of $37.6 million in other private equity investments accounted for using investment company fair value accounting related primarily to additional investments from SVB Capital Partners II, LP and SVB India Capital Partners I, LP. |
| An increase of $35.0 million in private equity fund investments accounted for using cost method accounting primarily related to investment commitments made by SVB Financial on behalf of certain new managed funds of funds that we plan to form (New Fund Commitments). The New Fund Commitments are intended to be transferred to, and become the financial obligations of, these new funds when they are formed with the binding commitments of outside investors. |
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These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $10.5 million in other investments accounted for using investment company fair value