Live Oak Bank - 10-Q quarterly report FY2018 Q2

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company” or “LOB”) is a bank holding company headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina incorporated under the laws of North Carolina in December 2008. The Company conducts business operations primarily through its commercial bank subsidiary, Live Oak Banking Company (the “Bank”). The Bank was organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of North Carolina on February 25, 2008 and commenced operations on May 12, 2008. The Bank specializes in providing lending services to small businesses nationwide. The Bank identifies and grows lending to credit-worthy borrowers both within specific industries, also called verticals, through expertise within those industries, and more broadly to select borrowers outside of those industries. A significant portion of the loans originated by the Bank are guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) under the 7(a) Loan Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture ("USDA") Rural Energy for America Program ("REAP") and Business & Industry ("B&I") loan programs. On July 28, 2015 the Company completed its initial public offering with a secondary offering completed in August of 2017.

In 2010, the Bank formed Live Oak Number One, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, to hold properties foreclosed on by the Bank.

In addition to the Bank, the Company owns Live Oak Grove, LLC, opened in September 2015 for the purpose of providing Company employees and business visitors an on-site restaurant location; Government Loan Solutions, Inc. (“GLS”), a management and technology consulting firm that specializes in the settlement, accounting, and securitization processes for government guaranteed loans, including loans originated under the SBA 7(a) loan program and USDA-guaranteed loans; and 504 Fund Advisors, LLC (“504FA”), formed to serve as the investment adviser to the 504 Fund, a closed-end mutual fund organized to invest in SBA section 504 loans.

In August 2016, the Company formed Canapi, Inc. for the purpose of investing in businesses that align with the Company's strategic initiative to be a leader in financial technology. Canapi was formerly known as Live Oak Ventures, Inc.

In November 2016, the Company formed Live Oak Clean Energy Financing LLC for the purpose of providing financing to entities for renewable energy applications.

The Company earns revenue primarily from the sale of SBA and USDA-guaranteed loans and net interest income. Income from the sale of loans is comprised of net gains on the sale of loans, revenues on the servicing of sold loans and valuation of loan servicing rights. Offsetting these revenues are the cost of funding sources, provision for loan and lease losses, any costs related to foreclosed assets and other operating costs such as salaries and employee benefits, travel, professional services, occupancy, advertising and marketing and tax expense.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Amounts in all tables in the Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements have been presented in thousands, except percentage, time period, stock option, share and per share data or where otherwise indicated.

During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company began using exchange-traded interest rate futures contracts to manage interest rate risk that may impact expected gains arising from future secondary market loan sales. Upon entering into a futures contract, the Company is required to pledge to the counterparty an amount of cash equal to a certain percentage of the contract amount, also known as an initial margin deposit. Subsequent payments, known as variation margin, are made or received by the Company each day to settle the daily fluctuations in the fair value of the underlying contract. Investments in these derivative contracts are subject to risks that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. Credit risk is considered low because the counterparties are futures exchanges. The Company has not designated any derivative as a hedging instrument under applicable accounting guidance. Changes in fair value of the derivative contracts is recorded as a component of "net gains on sales of loans" on the consolidated statement of income. The fair value of the derivative contracts on the balance sheet date is zero due to the daily cash settlement of contracts.

Any changes in fair value from the grant date fair value of equity warrant assets classified as derivatives will be recognized as increases or decreases to other assets on the consolidated balance sheet and as net gains or losses on derivative instruments, in other noninterest income, a component of consolidated net income. When a portfolio company is acquired, the Company may exercise these equity warrant assets for shares or cash.

The fair value of equity warrant assets classified as derivatives is reviewed quarterly using a Black-Scholes option pricing model.

For those equity warrant assets that do not contain net share settlement provisions, the Company considers these to be equity investments without readily determinable market values and records the asset at cost.

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (Topic 606) and all subsequent ASUs that modified Topic 606. The implementation of the new standard did not have a material impact on the measurement or recognition of revenue and a cumulative effect adjustment to opening retained earnings was not necessary. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018 are presented under Topic 606, while prior period amounts were not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with the Company's historic accounting under Topic 605.

Topic 606 does not apply to revenue associated with financial instruments, including revenue from loans and lease financings or investment securities. In addition, certain noninterest income streams such as fees associated with servicing rights, financial guarantees, derivatives, title insurance, and equity and cost method investments are also not in scope of the new guidance. Therefore, the recognition of these revenue streams did not change upon adoption of Topic 606. Substantially all of the Company’s revenue is generated from contracts with customers. Noninterest revenue streams in-scope of Topic 606 are discussed below.

Other noninterest income consists of other recurring revenue streams from administration of trust assets held by the Company's trust department and from services provided by GLS to its clients for settlement, accounting, and valuation for government guaranteed loan sales and holdings. Trust account administration performance obligations are generally satisfied over time and fees are recognized monthly, based on the month-end market value of assets in fiduciary accounts and the applicable fee rate. Payment is generally received after month end through a direct charge to customers' accounts. The Company does not earn performance-based incentives from trust account administration services. GLS provides services when requested by clients. Each requested service represents a specific performance obligation with a transaction price outlined by GLS' fee schedule. Revenue is recognized as the requested services are completed and payment is generally received the following month.

In connection with the adoption of Topic 606, an entity is required to capitalize, and subsequently amortize into expense, certain incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if these costs are expected to be recovered. The incremental costs of obtaining a contract are those costs that an entity incurs to obtain a contract with a customer that it would not have incurred if the contract had not been obtained (for example, sales commission). The Company utilizes the practical expedient which allows entities to immediately expense contract acquisition costs when the asset that would have resulted from capitalizing these costs would have been amortized in one year or less. Upon adoption of Topic 606, the Company did not capitalize any contract acquisition cost.

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period’s consolidated financial statements to place them on a comparable basis with the current year. Net income and shareholders’ equity previously reported were not affected by these reclassifications.

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” (“ASU 2014-09”). This standard is intended to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP. The Company's revenue is comprised of loan servicing revenue, net gains on sales of loans and net interest income on financial assets and financial liabilities, all of which are explicitly excluded from the scope of ASU 2014-09, and non-interest income. The Company's revenue streams included in non-interest income that are within the scope of the guidance are primarily related to sales of foreclosed assets, construction supervision fees, title insurance income and trust fiduciary fees. The Company adopted the standard in the first quarter of 2018 with no material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Refer to Note 1. Basis of Presentation for additional information.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). The FASB issued this ASU to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under current GAAP and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. The impact of this standard will depend on the Company's lease portfolio at the time of the adoption and the Company is currently assessing the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on the consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”). This new guidance replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current standards with an expected credit loss methodology and requires consideration of a broader range of information to determine credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts and requires enhanced disclosures related to the significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an organization’s portfolio. In addition, ASU 2016-13 amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. ASU 2016-13 will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of ASU 2016-13 on the consolidated financial statements. In that regard, a cross-functional working group has been formed, under the direction of the Company's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Credit Officer. The working group is comprised of individuals from various functional areas including credit, risk management, finance and information technology, among others. The Company is currently developing an implementation plan to include assessment of processes, portfolio segmentation, model development, system requirements and the identification of data and resource needs, among other things. The Company has also selected a third-party vendor solution to assist in the application of the ASU 2016-13. While the Company is currently unable to reasonably estimate the impact of adopting ASU 2016-13, the impact of adoption is expected to be significantly influenced by the composition, characteristics and quality of loan and securities portfolios as well as the prevailing economic conditions and forecasts as of the adoption date.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, “Business Combinations (Topic 805) - Clarifying the Definition of a Business” (“ASU 2017-01”).  ASU 2017-01 clarifies the definition and provides a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities constitutes a business. ASU 2017-01 is intended to provide guidance when evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The Company adopted the standard in the first quarter of 2018 with no effect on the consolidated financial statements.

In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-05, “Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20) - Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets” (“ASU 2017-05”). ASU 2017-05 clarifies the scope of Subtopic 610-20 and adds guidance on nonfinancial asset derecognition as well as the accounting for partial sales of nonfinancial assets. The amendments conform the derecognition guidance on nonfinancial assets with the model for transactions in the new revenue standard. The Company adopted the standard in the first quarter of 2018 with no effect on the consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Scope of Modification Accounting” (“ASU 2017-09”). ASU 2017-09 clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award should be accounted for as a modification. This guidance indicates modification accounting is required when the fair value, vesting conditions, or classification of the award changes. The Company adopted the standard in the first quarter of 2018 with no effect on the consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-03, “Technical Corrections and Improvements to Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“ASU 2018-03”). ASU 2018-03 amendments clarify certain aspects of the guidance issued in ASU 2016-01. The amendments are effective for the Company for fiscal year 2018 with adoption as of July 1, 2018. The Company does not expect these amendments to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-05, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) No. 118” (“ASU 2018-05”). ASU 2018-05 amends Accounting Standard Codification 740 to include recent SEC guidance pursuant to the issuance of SAB 118. These amendments address situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The amendments were effective upon issuance and do not have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07 “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07 amends Accounting Standard Codification 718 to largely align accounting for share-based payment awards issued to employees and nonemployees. Under the new guidance existing employee guidance will generally apply to nonemployee share-based transactions, except for specific guidance on inputs into option pricing models and the attribution of cost. The amendments are effective for the Company on January 1, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect these amendments to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Basic and diluted earnings per share are computed based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur, upon the exercise of stock options or upon the vesting of restricted stock grants, any of which would result in the issuance of common stock that would then be shared in the net income of the Company.

The carrying amount of investment securities and their approximate fair values are reflected in the following table:

The following tables show gross unrealized losses and fair value, aggregated by investment category and length of time that the individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.

The following is a summary of investment securities by maturity:

The table above reflects contractual maturities. Actual results will differ as the loans underlying the residential mortgage-backed securities may repay sooner than scheduled. This table excludes the 504 Fund mutual fund investment.

The following describes the risk characteristics relevant to each of the portfolio segments. Each loan and lease category is assigned a risk grade during the origination and closing process based on criteria described later in this section.

Commercial and industrial loans (C&I) receive similar underwriting treatment as commercial real estate loans in that the repayment source is analyzed to determine its ability to meet cash flow coverage requirements as set forth by Bank policies. Repayment of the Bank’s C&I loans generally comes from the generation of cash flow as the result of the borrower’s business operations. This business cycle itself brings a certain level of risk to the portfolio. In some instances, these loans may carry a higher degree of risk due to a variety of reasons – illiquid collateral, specialized equipment, highly depreciable assets, uncollectable accounts receivable, revolving balances, or simply being unsecured. As a result of these characteristics, the SBA guarantee on these loans is an important factor in mitigating risk.

Construction and development loans are for the purpose of acquisition and development of land to be improved through the construction of commercial buildings. Such loans are usually paid off through the conversion to permanent financing for the long-term benefit of the borrower’s ongoing operations. At the completion of the project, if the loan is converted to permanent financing or if scheduled loan amortization begins, it is then reclassified to the “Commercial Real Estate” segment. Underwriting of construction and development loans typically includes analysis of not only the borrower’s financial condition and ability to meet the required debt obligations, but also the general market conditions associated with the area and type of project being funded.

Commercial real estate loans are extensions of credit secured by owner occupied and non-owner occupied collateral. Underwriting generally involves intensive analysis of the financial strength of the borrower and guarantor, liquidation value of the subject collateral, the associated unguaranteed exposure, and any available secondary sources of repayment, with the greatest emphasis given to a borrower’s capacity to meet cash flow coverage requirements as set forth by Bank policies. Such repayment of commercial real estate loans is commonly derived from the successful ongoing operations of the business occupying the property. These typically include small businesses and professional practices.

Commercial land loans are extensions of credit secured by farmland. Such loans are often for land improvements related to agricultural endeavors that may include construction of new specialized facilities. These loans are usually repaid through the conversion to permanent financing, or if scheduled loans amortization begins, for the long-term benefit of the borrower’s ongoing operations. Underwriting generally involves intensive analysis of the financial strength of the borrower and guarantor, liquidation value of the subject collateral, the associated unguaranteed exposure, and any available secondary sources of repayment, with the greatest emphasis given to a borrower’s capacity to meet cash flow coverage requirements as set forth by Bank policies.

Each of the loan types referenced in the sections above is further segmented into verticals in which the Bank chooses to operate. The Bank chooses to finance businesses operating in specific industries because of certain similarities. The similarities range from historical default and loss characteristics to business operations. However, there are differences that create the necessity to underwrite these loans according to varying criteria and guidelines. When underwriting a loan, the Bank considers numerous factors such as cash flow coverage, the credit scores of the guarantors, revenue growth, practice ownership experience and debt service capacity. Minimum guidelines have been set with regard to these various factors and deviations from those guidelines require compensating strengths when considering a proposed loan.

Loans and leases consist of the following:

The Bank uses internal loan and lease reviews to assess the performance of individual loans and leases by industry segment. An independent review of the loan and lease portfolio is performed annually by an external firm. The goal of the Bank’s annual review of select borrowers' financial performance is to validate the adequacy of the risk grade assigned.

The Bank uses a grading system to rank the quality of each loan and lease. The grade is periodically evaluated and adjusted as performance dictates. Loan and lease grades 1 through 4 are passing grades and grade 5 is special mention. Collectively, grades 6 through 8 represent classified loans and leases in the Bank’s portfolio. The following guidelines govern the assignment of these risk grades:

Special mention (5 rated): These loans and leases are considered as emerging problems, with potentially unsatisfactory characteristics. These loans and leases require greater management attention. A loan or lease may be put into this category if the Bank is unable to obtain financial reporting from a company to fully evaluate its position.

Substandard (6 rated): Loans and leases graded Substandard are inadequately protected by current sound net worth, paying capacity of the borrower, or pledged collateral. They typically have unsatisfactory characteristics causing more than acceptable levels of risk, and have one or more well-defined weaknesses that could jeopardize the repayment of the debt.

Doubtful (7 rated): Loans and leases graded Doubtful have inherent weaknesses that make collection or liquidation in full questionable. Loans and leases graded Doubtful must be placed on non-accrual status.

Loss (8 rated): Loss rated loans and leases are considered uncollectible and of such little value that their continuance as an active Bank asset is not warranted. The asset should be charged off, even though partial recovery may be possible in the future.

The following tables summarize the risk grades of each category: