UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM 10-K

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _________ to __________.

Commission File Number:  000-26099

FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANCORP
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
  
94-3327828
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
  
(I.R.S.  Employer Identification No.)
     
111 W. Pine Street, Lodi, California
  
95240
(Address of principal executive offices)
  
(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (209) 367-2300

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:  None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value Per Share

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes ☐  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 ☒

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 ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).   Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s 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 definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):
 
Large accelerated filer  ☐
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 Act)   Yes  ☐  No ☒

The aggregate market value of the Registrant's common stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2014 (based on the last reported trade on June 30, 2014) was $337,367,000.

The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of February 27, 2015: 785,782

Documents Incorporated by Reference:
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10 through 14.
 

FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANCORP
FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
   
Page
 
PART I
  
     
3
     
Item  1
3
     
Item 1A.
13
     
Item 1B.
21
     
Item  2.
21
     
Item  3.
21
     
Item 4.
21
     
 
PART II
  
     
Item  5.
21
     
Item  6.
24
     
Item  7.
25
     
Item 7A.
56
     
Item  8.
59
     
Item  9.
99
     
Item 9A.
99
     
Item 9B.
100
     
 
PART III
  
     
Item 10.
100
     
Item 11.
101
     
Item 12.
101
     
Item 13.
101
     
Item 14.
101
     
 
PART IV
  
     
Item 15.
102
     
104
     
104
 
Introduction – Forward Looking Statements

This Form 10-K contains various forward-looking statements, usually containing the words “estimate,” “project,” “expect,” “objective,” “goal,” or similar expressions and includes assumptions concerning Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company” or “we”) operations, future results, and prospects. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties. In connection with the “safe-harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company provides the following cautionary statement identifying important factors which could cause the actual results of events to differ materially from those set forth in or implied by the forward-looking statements and related assumptions.

Such factors include the following: (1) continuing economic sluggishness in the Central Valley of California; (2) significant changes in interest rates and prepayment speeds; (3) credit risks of lending and investment activities; (4) changes in federal and state banking laws or regulations; (5) competitive pressure in the banking industry; (6) changes in governmental fiscal or monetary policies; (7) uncertainty regarding the economic outlook resulting from the continuing war on terrorism, as well as actions taken or to be taken by the U.S. or other governments as a result of further acts or threats of terrorism; (8) ongoing drought conditions in California and the resulting impact on the Company’s agricultural customers; (9) expansion into new geographic markets and new lines of business; and (10) other factors discussed in Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they are made.

PART I

Item 1.
Business

General Development of the Business

August 1, 1916, marked the first day of business for Farmers & Merchants Bank. The Bank was incorporated under the laws of the State of California and licensed as a state-chartered bank. Farmers & Merchants’ first venture out of Lodi occurred when the Galt office opened in 1948. Since then the Bank has opened full-service branches in Linden, Modesto, Sacramento, Elk Grove, Turlock, Hilmar, Stockton, Merced, Walnut Creek and Irvine.

In addition to 24 full-service branches, the Bank serves the needs of its customers through a stand-alone ATM located on the grounds of the Lodi Grape Festival. In 2007, the Bank began offering certain products over the internet at www.fmbonline.com.

During 2014, the Bank began construction on a new facility to relocate our South Sacramento branch during the 1st quarter of 2015 and relocated our Crossroads branch to a new facility.  Additionally, as part of our expansion into the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Bank converted a loan production office in Walnut Creek into a full-service branch; and began construction on a new branch location in Concord that will open in the 1st half of 2015.

During 2014, the Bank also expanded its equipment leasing business, which was established in the 2nd quarter of 2013. The headquarters for this activity is located in our Irvine office, which was upgraded from a loan production office to a full-service branch office during 2014.  See Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Financial Condition – Loans & Leases.”

On March 10, 1999, the Company, pursuant to a reorganization, acquired all of the voting stock of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California (the “Bank”). The Company is a bank holding company incorporated in the State of Delaware and registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Company’s outstanding securities as of December 31, 2014, consisted of 784,082 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value and no shares of preferred stock issued. The Bank is the Company’s principal asset.
 
The Bank’s two wholly owned subsidiaries are Farmers & Merchants Investment Corporation and Farmers/Merchants Corp. Farmers & Merchants Investment Corporation is currently dormant and Farmers/Merchants Corp. acts as trustee on deeds of trust originated by the Bank.

F & M Bancorp, Inc. was created in March 2002 to protect the name “F & M Bank.” During 2002, the Company completed a fictitious name filing in California to begin using the streamlined name, “F & M Bank,” as part of a larger effort to enhance the Company’s image and build brand name recognition. Since 2002, the Company has converted all of its daily operating and image advertising to the “F & M Bank” name and the Company’s logo, slogan and signage were redesigned to incorporate the trade name, “F & M Bank.”

During 2003, the Company formed a wholly owned Connecticut statutory business trust, FMCB Statutory Trust I, for the sole purpose of issuing trust-preferred securities. See Note 13, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

The Company’s principal business is to serve as a holding company for the Bank and for other banking or banking related subsidiaries, which the Company may establish or acquire. As a legal entity separate and distinct from its subsidiary, the Company’s principal source of funds is, and will continue to be, dividends paid by and other funds from the Bank. Legal limitations are imposed on the amount of dividends that may be paid and loans that may be made by the Bank to the Company. See “Supervision and Regulation - Dividends and Other Transfer of Funds.”

The Bank’s deposit accounts are insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act up to applicable limits. See “Supervision and Regulation – Deposit Insurance.”

As a bank holding company, the Company is subject to regulation and examination by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“FRB”). The Bank is a California state-chartered non-FRB member bank subject to the regulation and examination of the California Department of Business Oversight (“DBO”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).

Service Area

During 2014, the Company continued its efforts to broaden its geographic footprint by converting loan production offices (“LPO”) in Irvine, CA and Walnut Creek, CA to full-service branches.  Experienced lending and equipment leasing professionals have been hired to staff these offices.  Construction of an additional branch in Concord, an area contiguous to Walnut Creek, has also begun and should be completed during the 1st half of 2015.  Both the Irvine and Walnut Creek areas have strong local economies, and will help diversify some of the concentration risks that the Company now has to the Central Valley and the agricultural industry.  The Irvine location is also the headquarters for the Company’s equipment leasing activities.

At the present time, the Company’s primary service area remains the mid Central Valley of California, including Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties, where we operate 21 full-service branches and one stand-alone ATM. This area encompasses:

· Sacramento Metropolitan Statistical Area (“MSA”), with branches in Sacramento, Elk Grove and Galt. This MSA has a Population of 2.27 million and a Per Capita Income of approximately $49,700. The MSA includes significant employment in the following sectors: state and local government; agriculture; and trade, transportation and utilities. Unemployment currently stands at 6.3%.

· Stockton MSA, with branches in Lodi, Linden and Stockton. This MSA has a Population of 0.7 million and a Per Capita Income of approximately $37, 000. The MSA includes significant employment in the following sectors: state and local government; agriculture; trade, transportation, and utilities; and education and health services. Unemployment currently stands at 10.2%.

· Modesto MSA, with branches in Modesto and Turlock. This MSA has a Population of 0.5 million and a Per Capita Income of approximately $38,400. The MSA includes significant employment in the following sectors: agriculture; trade, transportation and utilities; state and local government; and education and health services. Unemployment currently stands at 10.4%.
 
· Merced MSA with branches in Hilmar and Merced. This MSA has a Population of 0.3 million and a Per Capita Income of approximately $34,000. The MSA includes significant employment in the following sectors: agriculture; state and local government; and trade, transportation and utilities. Unemployment currently stands at 12.1%.

All of the Company’s Central Valley service areas are heavily influenced by the agricultural industry, however, with the exception of the State of California in the Sacramento MSA, no single employer represents a material concentration of jobs in any of our service areas.

See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Overview” and “Financial Condition – Loans & Leases” for additional discussion regarding the Company’s market conditions.

Through its network of banking offices, the Company emphasizes personalized service along with a broad range of banking services to businesses and individuals located in the service areas of its offices. Although the Company focuses on marketing its services to small and medium sized businesses, a broad range of retail banking services are made available to the local consumer market.

The Company offers a wide range of deposit instruments. These include checking, savings, money market, time certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts and online banking services for both business and personal accounts.

The Company provides a broad complement of lending products, including commercial, real estate construction, agribusiness, consumer, credit card, real estate loans, and equipment leases. Commercial products include term loans, lines of credit and other working capital financing and letters of credit. Financing products for individuals include automobile financing, lines of credit, residential real estate, home improvement and home equity lines of credit.

The Company also offers a wide range of specialized services designed for the needs of its commercial accounts. These services include a credit card program for merchants, lockbox and other collection services, account reconciliation, investment sweep, on-line account access, and electronic funds transfers by way of domestic and international wire and automated clearinghouse.

The Company makes investment products available to customers, including mutual funds and annuities. These investment products are offered through a third party, which employs investment advisors to meet with and provide investment advice to the Company’s customers.

Employees

At December 31, 2014, the Company employed 310 full time equivalent employees. The Company believes that its employee relations are satisfactory.

Competition

The banking and financial services industry in California generally, and in the Company’s market areas specifically, is highly competitive. The increasingly competitive environment is a result primarily of changes in regulation, changes in technology and product delivery systems, and the accelerating pace of consolidation among financial service providers. The Company competes with other major commercial banks, diversified financial institutions, credit unions, savings and loan associations, money market and other mutual funds, mortgage companies, and a variety of other non-banking financial services and advisory companies. Federal legislation encourages competition between different types of financial service providers and has fostered new entrants into the financial services market. It is anticipated that this trend will continue. Using the financial holding company structure, insurance companies and securities firms may compete more directly with banks and bank holding companies.
 
Many of our competitors are much larger in total assets and capitalization, have greater access to capital markets and offer a broader range of financial services than the Company. In order to compete with other financial service providers, the Company relies upon personal contact by its officers, directors, employees, and stockholders, along with various promotional activities and specialized services. In those instances where the Company is unable to accommodate a customer’s needs, the Company may arrange for those services to be provided through its correspondents.

Government Policies

The Company’s profitability, like most financial institutions, is primarily dependent on interest rate differentials. The difference between the interest rates paid by the Company on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and other borrowings, and the interest rates received by the Company on its interest-earning assets, such as loans & leases extended to its customers and securities held in its investment portfolio, comprise the major portion of the Company’s earnings. These rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond the control of the Company and the Bank, such as inflation, recession and unemployment. The impact that changes in economic conditions might have on the Company and the Bank cannot be predicted.

The business of the Company is also influenced by the monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government and the policies of regulatory agencies, particularly the FRB. The FRB implements national monetary policies (with objectives such as curbing inflation and combating recession) through its open-market operations in U.S. Government securities by adjusting the required level of reserves for depository institutions subject to its reserve requirements, and by varying the target federal funds and discount rates applicable to borrowings by depository institutions. The actions of the FRB in these areas influence the growth of bank loans & leases, investments, and deposits and also affect interest rates earned on interest-earning assets and paid on interest-bearing liabilities. The nature and impact on the Company of any future changes in monetary and fiscal policies cannot be predicted.

From time to time, legislative acts, as well as regulations, are enacted which have the effect of increasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities, or affecting the competitive balance between banks and other financial services providers. Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of banks, bank holding companies, and other financial institutions and financial services providers are frequently made in the U.S. Congress, in the state legislatures, and before various regulatory agencies. This legislation may change banking statutes and the operating environment of the Company and the Bank in substantial and unpredictable ways. If enacted, such legislation could increase or decrease the cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities or affect the competitive balance among banks, savings associations, credit unions, and other financial institutions. The Company cannot predict whether any of this potential legislation will be enacted, and if enacted, the effect that it, or any implemented regulations, would have on the financial condition or results of operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

Supervision and Regulation

General
Bank holding companies and banks are extensively regulated under both federal and state law. The regulation is intended primarily for the protection of the banking system and the deposit insurance fund and not for the benefit of stockholders of the Company. Set forth below is a summary description of the material laws and regulations, which relate to the operations of the Company and the Bank. This description does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable laws and regulations.

The Company
The Company is a registered bank holding company and is subject to regulation under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (“BHCA”), as amended. Accordingly, the Company’s operations are subject to extensive regulation and examination by the FRB. The Company is required to file with the FRB quarterly and annual reports and such additional information as the FRB may require pursuant to the BHCA. The FRB conducts periodic examinations of the Company.
 
The FRB may require that the Company terminate an activity or terminate control of or liquidate or divest certain subsidiaries of affiliates when the FRB believes the activity or the control of the subsidiary or affiliate constitutes a significant risk to the financial safety, soundness or stability of any of its banking subsidiaries. The FRB also has the authority to regulate provisions of certain bank holding company debt. Under certain circumstances, the Company must file written notice and obtain approval from the FRB prior to purchasing or redeeming its equity securities.
 
Under the BHCA and regulations adopted by the FRB, a bank holding company and its non-banking subsidiaries are prohibited from requiring certain tie-in arrangements in connection with an extension of credit, lease or sale of property, or furnishing of services. For example, with certain exceptions, a bank may not condition an extension of credit on a promise by its customer to obtain other services provided by it, its holding company or other subsidiaries, or on a promise by its customer not to obtain other services from a competitor. In addition, federal law imposes certain restrictions on transactions between Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and its subsidiaries. Further, the Company is required by the FRB to maintain certain levels of capital. See “Capital Standards.”

The Company is prohibited by the BHCA, except in certain statutorily prescribed instances, 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, the Company, subject to the prior notice and/or approval of the FRB, may engage in any, or acquire shares of companies engaged in, activities that are deemed by the FRB to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto.

Under FRB regulations, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks and may not conduct its operations in an unsafe or unsound manner. In addition, it is the FRB’s policy that in serving as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks, a bank holding company should stand ready to use available resources to provide adequate capital funds to its subsidiary banks during periods of financial stress or adversity and should maintain the financial flexibility and capital-raising capacity to obtain additional resources for assisting its subsidiary banks. This support may be required at times when a bank holding company may not be able to provide such support. A bank holding company’s failure to meet its obligations to serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks will generally be considered by the FRB to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice or a violation of the FRB’s regulations or both.

The Company is not a financial holding company for purposes of the FRB.

The Company is also a bank holding company within the meaning of the California Financial Code. As such, the Company and its subsidiaries are subject to examination by, and may be required to file reports with, the DBO.

The Company’s securities are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As such, the Company is subject to the reporting, proxy solicitation and other requirements and restrictions of the Exchange Act.

The Bank
The Bank, as a California chartered non-FRB member bank, is subject to primary supervision, periodic examination and regulation by the DBO and the FDIC. If, as a result of an examination of the Bank, the FDIC should determine that the financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity, or other aspects of the Bank’s operations are unsatisfactory, or that the Bank or its management is violating or has violated any law or regulation, various remedies are available to the FDIC. Such remedies include the power to enjoin “unsafe or unsound” practices, to require affirmative action to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice, to issue an administrative order that can be judicially enforced, to direct an increase in capital, to restrict the growth of the Bank, to assess civil monetary penalties, to remove officers and directors, and ultimately to terminate the Bank’s deposit insurance, which for a California chartered bank would result in a revocation of the Bank’s charter. The DBO has many of the same remedial powers.

Various requirements and restrictions under the laws of the State of California and the United States affect the operations of the Bank. State and federal statutes and regulations relate to many aspects of the Bank’s operations, including reserves against deposits, ownership of deposit accounts, interest rates payable on deposits, loans & leases, investments, mergers and acquisitions, borrowings, dividends, locations of branch offices, and capital requirements. Further, the Bank is required to maintain certain levels of capital. See “Capital Standards.”
 
The USA Patriot Act
Title III of the United and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA Patriot Act”) includes numerous provisions for fighting international money laundering and blocking terrorism access to the U.S. financial system. The USA Patriot Act requires certain additional due diligence and record keeping practices, including, but not limited to, new customers, correspondent, and private banking accounts.

Part of the USA Patriot Act requires covered financial institutions to: (i) establish an anti-money laundering program; (ii) establish appropriate anti-money laundering policies, procedures and controls; (iii) appoint a Bank Secrecy Act officer responsible for day-to-day compliance; and (iv) conduct independent audits. The Patriot Act also expands penalties for violation of the anti-money laundering laws, including expanding the circumstances under which funds in a bank account may be forfeited. The Patriot Act also requires covered financial institutions to respond, under certain circumstances, to requests for information from federal banking agencies within 120 hours.

Privacy Restrictions
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”) requires financial institutions in the U.S. to provide certain privacy disclosures to customers and consumers, to comply with certain restrictions on the sharing and usage of personally identifiable information, and to implement and maintain commercially reasonable customer information safeguarding standards.

The Company believes that it complies with all provisions of the GLBA and all implementing regulations and the Bank has developed appropriate policies and procedures to meet its responsibilities in connection with the privacy provisions of GLBA.

Dividends and Other Transfer of Funds
Dividends from the Bank constitute the principal source of income to the Company. The Company is a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank. The Bank is subject to various statutory and regulatory restrictions on its ability to pay dividends to the Company. Under such restrictions, the amount available for payment of dividends to the Company by the Bank totaled $45.8 million at December 31, 2014. During 2014, the Bank paid $8.0 million in dividends to the Company.

The FDIC and the DBO also have authority to prohibit the Bank from engaging in activities that, in their opinion, constitute unsafe or unsound practices in conducting its business. It is possible, depending upon the financial condition of the bank in question and other factors, that the FDIC or the DBO could assert that the payment of dividends or other payments might, under some circumstances, be an unsafe or unsound practice. Further, the FRB and the FDIC have established guidelines with respect to the maintenance of appropriate levels of capital by banks or bank holding companies under their jurisdiction. Compliance with the standards set forth in such guidelines and the restrictions that are or may be imposed under the prompt corrective action provisions of federal law could limit the amount of dividends that the Bank or the Company may pay. An insured depository institution is prohibited from paying management fees to any controlling persons or, with certain limited exceptions, making capital distributions if after such transaction the institution would be undercapitalized. The DBO may impose similar limitations on the Bank. See “Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action and Other Enforcement Mechanisms” and “Capital Standards” for a discussion of these additional restrictions on capital distributions.

Transactions with Affiliates
The Bank is subject to certain restrictions imposed by federal law on any extensions of credit to, or the issuance of a guarantee or letter of credit on behalf of the Company or other affiliates, the purchase of, or investments in stock or other securities thereof, the taking of such securities as collateral for loans & leases, and the purchase of assets of the Company or other affiliates. Such restrictions prevent the Company and other affiliates from borrowing from the Bank unless the loans are secured by marketable obligations of designated amounts. Further, such secured loans and investments by the Bank to or in the Company or to or in any other affiliates are limited, individually, to 10% of the Bank’s capital and surplus (as defined by federal regulations), and such secured loans and investments are limited, in the aggregate, to 20% of the Bank’s capital and surplus (as defined by federal regulations).
 
In addition, the Company and its operating subsidiaries generally may not purchase a low-quality asset from an affiliate, and other specified transactions between the Company or its operating subsidiaries and an affiliate must be on terms and conditions that are consistent with safe and sound banking practices.

Also, the Company and its operating subsidiaries may engage in transactions with affiliates only on terms and under conditions that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the Company or its subsidiaries, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with (or that in good faith would be offered to) non-affiliated companies.

California law also imposes certain restrictions with respect to transactions with affiliates. Additionally, limitations involving the transactions with affiliates may be imposed on the Bank under the prompt corrective action provisions of federal law. See “Prompt Corrective Action and Other Enforcement Mechanisms.”

Capital Standards
The FRB and the FDIC have established risk-based capital guidelines with respect to the maintenance of appropriate levels of capital by United States banking organizations. These guidelines are intended to provide a measure of capital that reflects the risk associated with a banking organization’s operations for both transactions reported on the balance sheet as assets and transactions, such as letters of credit and recourse arrangements, which are recorded as off balance sheet items. Under these guidelines, nominal dollar amounts of assets and credit equivalent amounts of off balance sheet items are multiplied by one of several risk adjustment percentages, which range from 0% for assets with low credit risk, such as certain U.S. Treasury securities, to 100% for assets with relatively high credit risk, such as commercial loans.

The federal banking agencies currently require a minimum ratio of qualifying total capital to risk-weighted assets of 8% and a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 4%. In addition to the risk-based guidelines, federal banking regulators require banking organizations to maintain a minimum amount of Tier 1 capital to total assets, referred to as the leverage ratio. For a banking organization rated in the highest of the five categories used by regulators to rate banking organizations, the minimum leverage ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets must be 4%. In addition to these uniform risk-based capital guidelines and leverage ratios that apply across the industry, the regulators have the discretion to set individual minimum capital requirements for specific institutions at rates significantly above minimum guidelines and ratios. For further information on the Company and the Bank’s risk-based capital ratios see Note 14 located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

In 2013, both the FRB and the FDIC approved final rules that substantially amend the regulatory risk-based capital rules applicable to the Company and the Bank. These rules implement the Basel III regulatory capital reforms and changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act as hereinafter defined.

The final rules include new minimum risk-based capital and leverage ratios, which would be phased in over time. The new minimum capital level requirements applicable to the Company and the Bank under the final rules will be: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5% of risk-weighted assets (“RWA”); (ii) a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6% of RWA; (iii) a total capital ratio of 8% of RWA; and (iv) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4% of total assets. The final rules also establish a "capital conservation buffer" of 2.5% above each of the new regulatory minimum capital ratios, which would result in the following minimum ratios: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 7.0% of RWA; (ii) a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.5% of RWA; and (iii) a total capital ratio of 10.5% of RWA. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount. The final rules also permit the Company’s subordinated debentures issued in 2003 to continue to be counted as Tier 1 capital.

The final rules became effective as applied to the Company and the Bank on January 1, 2015, with a phase in period through January 1, 2019.  The Company believes that it is currently in compliance with all of these new capital requirements (as fully phased-in) and that they will not result in any restrictions on the Company’s business activity.
 
Prompt Corrective Action and Other Enforcement Mechanisms
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), among other things, identifies five capital categories for insured depository institutions (well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized) and requires the respective Federal regulatory agencies to implement systems for “prompt corrective action” for insured depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements within such categories. FDICIA imposes progressively more restrictive constraints on operations, management, and capital distributions, depending on the category in which an institution is classified. Failure to meet the capital guidelines could also subject a banking institution to capital raising requirements. An “undercapitalized” institution must develop a capital restoration plan. At December 31, 2014, the Bank exceeded all of the required ratios for classification as “well capitalized.” It should be noted; however, that the Bank’s capital category is determined solely for the purpose of applying the federal banking agencies’ prompt corrective action regulations and the capital category may not constitute an accurate representation of the Bank’s overall financial condition or prospects.

An institution that, based upon its capital levels, 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 practice warrants such treatment. At each successive lower capital category, an insured depository institution is subject to more restrictions.

Banking agencies have also adopted regulations which mandate that regulators take into consideration: (i) concentrations of credit risk; (ii) interest rate risk (when the interest rate sensitivity of an institution’s assets does not match the sensitivity of its liabilities or its off-balance-sheet position); and (iii) risks from non-traditional activities, as well as an institution’s ability to manage those risks, when determining the adequacy of an institution’s capital. That evaluation will be made as a part of the institution’s regular safety and soundness examination. In addition, the banking agencies have amended their regulatory capital guidelines to incorporate a measure for market risk. In accordance with the amended guidelines, any company with significant trading activity must incorporate a measure for market risk in its regulatory capital calculations.

In addition to measures taken under the prompt corrective action provisions, commercial banking organizations may be subject to potential enforcement actions by the federal banking agencies for unsafe or unsound practices in conducting their businesses or for violations of any law, rule, regulation, any condition imposed in writing by the agency, or any written agreement with the agency. Enforcement actions may include the imposition of a conservator or receiver, the issuance of a cease-and-desist order that can be judicially enforced, the termination of insurance of deposits (in the case of a depository institution), the imposition of civil money penalties, the issuance of directives to increase capital, the issuance of formal and informal agreements, the issuance of removal and prohibition orders against 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. Additionally, a holding company's inability to serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary banking organizations could serve as an additional basis for a regulatory action against the holding company.
 
Federal banking regulators have also issued final guidance regarding commercial real estate (“CRE”) lending. This guidance suggests that institutions that are potentially exposed to significant CRE concentration risk will be subject to increased regulatory scrutiny. Institutions that have experienced rapid growth in CRE lending, have notable exposure to a specific type of CRE lending, or are approaching or exceed certain supervisory criteria that measure an institution’s CRE portfolio against its capital levels, may be subject to such increased regulatory scrutiny. The Company’s CRE portfolio may be viewed as falling within one or more of the foregoing categories, and accordingly may become subject to increased regulatory scrutiny because of the CRE portfolio. Institutions that are determined by their regulator to have an undue concentration in CRE lending may be required to maintain levels of capital in excess of the statutory minimum requirements and/or be required to reduce their concentration in CRE loans. The FDIC has determined that the Company does not have any undue concentrations in CRE lending.

Safety and Soundness Standards
The federal banking agencies have adopted guidelines designed to assist in identifying and addressing potential safety and soundness concerns before capital becomes impaired. The guidelines set forth operational and managerial standards relating to: (i) internal controls, information systems, and internal audit systems; (ii) loan & lease documentation; (iii) credit underwriting; (iv) asset growth; (v) earnings; and (vi) compensation, fees, and benefits. In addition, the federal banking agencies have also adopted safety and soundness guidelines with respect to asset quality and earnings standards. These guidelines provide six standards for establishing and maintaining a system to identify problem assets and prevent those assets from deteriorating. Under these standards, any insured depository institution should: (i) conduct periodic asset quality reviews to identify problem assets; (ii) estimate the inherent losses in problem assets and establish reserves that are sufficient to absorb estimated losses; (iii) compare problem asset totals to capital; (iv) take appropriate corrective action to resolve problem assets; (v) consider the size and potential risks of material asset concentrations; and (vi) provide periodic asset quality reports with adequate information for management and the Board of Directors to assess the level of asset risk. These guidelines also set forth standards for evaluating and monitoring earnings and for ensuring that earnings are sufficient for the maintenance of adequate capital and reserves.
 
Deposit Insurance
After the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, the deposits of the Bank are now insured by the FDIC up to $250,000 per insured depositor.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 provided the FDIC Board of Directors the authority to set the designated reserve ratio for the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) between 1.15% and 1.50%. The FDIC must adopt a restoration plan when the reserve ratio falls below 1.15% and begin paying dividends when the reserve ratio exceeds 1.35%.

Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the minimum designated reserve ratio of the DIF increased from 1.15% to 1.35% of estimated insured deposits. Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act revised the assessment base against which an insured depository institution’s deposit insurance premiums paid to the DIF will be calculated. On February 7, 2011, the FDIC approved a final rule, as mandated by Dodd-Frank, changing the deposit insurance assessment system from one that is based on total domestic deposits to one that is based on average consolidated total assets minus average tangible equity. The new rule took effect for the quarter beginning April 1, 2011.

The Bank’s FDIC premiums were $1.0 million in 2014 compared to $981,000 in 2013. Future increases in insurance premiums could have adverse effects on the operating expenses and results of operations of the Company. Management cannot predict what insurance assessment rates will be in the future.

Insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order, or condition imposed by the FDIC or the Bank’s primary regulator. Management of the Company is not aware of any practice, condition or violation that might lead to termination of the Company’s deposit insurance.

Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) and Fair Lending
The Bank is subject to certain fair lending requirements involving lending, investing, and other CRA activities. CRA requires each insured depository institution to identify the communities served by the institution’s offices and to identify the types of credit and investments the institution is prepared to extend within such communities including low and moderate-income neighborhoods. It also requires the institution’s regulators to assess the institution’s performance in meeting the credit needs of its community and to take such assessment into consideration in reviewing applications for mergers, acquisitions, relocation of existing branches, opening of new branches, and other transactions. A bank may be subject to substantial penalties and corrective measures for a violation of certain fair lending laws.
 
A bank’s compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act is assessed using an evaluation system, which bases CRA ratings on an institution’s lending, service and investment performance. An unsatisfactory rating may be the basis for denying a merger application. The Bank’s latest CRA examination was completed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in September 2013 and the Bank received an overall Outstanding rating in complying with its CRA obligations.

Consumer Protection Regulations
The Company’s lending activities are subject to a variety of statutes and regulations designed to protect consumers, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, the Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts and Practices and the Dodd-Frank Act. Deposit operations are also subject to laws and regulations that protect consumer rights including Funds Availability, Truth in Savings, and Electronic Funds Transfers. Additional rules govern check writing ability on certain interest earning accounts and prescribe procedures for complying with administrative subpoenas of financial records. Additionally, effective October 26, 2013, there is a new provision of the Federal Reserve Regulation E to accommodate the new Remittance Transfer Rule requirement of the Dodd-Frank Act concerning international wires.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”)
On July 21, 2010, President Obama signed into law the sweeping financial regulatory reform, Dodd-Frank Act, that implements significant changes to the regulation of the financial services industry, including provisions that, among other things:

· Centralize responsibility for consumer financial protection by creating a new agency within the Federal Reserve Board, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, with broad rulemaking, supervision and enforcement authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that would apply to all banks and thrifts.

· Apply the same leverage and risk-based capital requirements that apply to insured depository institutions to bank holding companies.

· Require the FDIC to seek to make its capital requirements for banks countercyclical so that the amount of capital required to be maintained increases in times of economic expansion and decreases in times of economic contraction.

· Change the assessment base for federal deposit insurance from the amount of insured deposits to consolidated assets less tangible capital.

· Implement corporate governance revisions, including executive compensation and proxy access by stockholders.

· Make permanent the $250,000 limit for federal deposit insurance and increase the cash limit of Securities Investor Protection Corporation protection from $100,000 to $250,000, and provide unlimited federal deposit insurance until January 1, 2013 for non-interest bearing demand transaction accounts at all insured depository institutions.

· Repeal the federal prohibitions on the payment of interest on demand deposits effective July 21, 2011, thereby permitting depository institutions to pay interest on business transaction and other accounts.

Many aspects of the Dodd-Frank Act are subject to rulemaking by various regulatory agencies and will take effect over several years, making it difficult to anticipate the overall financial impact on the Company, its customers or the financial industry more generally. The elimination of the prohibition on the payment of interest on demand deposits could materially increase our interest expense, depending on our competitors' responses.

Notice and Approval Requirements Related to Control
Banking laws impose notice, approval and ongoing regulatory requirements on any shareholder or other party that seeks to acquire direct or indirect "control" of an FDIC-insured depository institution. These laws include the BHCA and the Change in Bank Control Act. Among other things, these laws require regulatory filings by a shareholder or other party that seeks to acquire direct or indirect "control" of an FDIC-insured depository institution or bank holding company. The determination whether an investor "controls" a depository institution is based on all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the investment. As a general matter, a party is deemed to control a depository institution or other company if the party owns or controls 25% or more of any class of voting stock. Subject to rebuttal, a party may be presumed to control a depository institution or other company if the investor owns or controls 10% or more of any class of voting stock. Ownership by family members, affiliated parties, or parties acting in concert, is typically aggregated for these purposes. If a party's ownership of the Company were to exceed certain thresholds, the investor could be deemed to "control" the Company for regulatory purposes. This could subject the investor to regulatory filings or other regulatory consequences.

In addition, except under limited circumstances, bank holding companies are prohibited from acquiring, without prior approval:
 
• control of any other bank or bank holding company or all or substantially all the assets thereof; or
• more than 5% of the voting shares of a bank or bank holding company which is not already a subsidiary.

Incentive Compensation
The Dodd-Frank Act requires the federal bank regulators and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines prohibiting incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities, including the Company and the Bank, having at least $1 billion in total assets that encourage inappropriate risks by providing an executive officer, employee, director or principal stockholder with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits or that could lead to material financial loss to the entity. In addition, these regulators must establish regulations or guidelines requiring enhanced disclosure to regulators of incentive-based compensation arrangements. The agencies proposed such regulations in April 2011, but the regulations have not been finalized. If the regulations are adopted in the form initially proposed, they will impose limitations on the manner in which the Company may structure compensation for our executives.

The FRB will review, as part of the regular, risk-focused examination process, the incentive compensation arrangements of banking organizations that are not “large, complex banking organizations.” These reviews will be tailored to each organization based on the scope and complexity of the organization’s activities and the prevalence of incentive compensation arrangements. The findings of the supervisory initiatives will be included in reports of examination. Deficiencies will be incorporated into the organization’s supervisory ratings, which can affect the organization’s ability to make acquisitions and take other actions. Enforcement actions may be taken against a banking organization if its incentive compensation arrangements, or related risk management control or governance processes, pose a risk to the organization’s safety and soundness and the organization is not taking prompt and effective measures to correct the deficiencies.

Future Legislation and Regulatory Initiatives
Various legislative and regulatory initiatives are from time to time introduced in Congress and state legislatures, as well as regulatory agencies. Future legislation regarding financial institutions may change banking statutes and the operating environment of the Company and the Bank in substantial and unpredictable ways, and could increase or decrease the cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities or affect the competitive balance depending upon whether any of this potential legislation will be enacted, and if enacted, the effect that it or any implementing regulations, would have on the financial condition or results of operations of the Company or the Bank. The nature and extent of future legislative and regulatory changes affecting financial institutions is unpredictable at this time. The Company cannot determine the ultimate effect that such potential legislation, if enacted, would have upon its financial condition or operations.

Available Information

Company reports filed with the SEC including the annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and ownership reports filed by directors, executive officers and principal stockholders can be accessed through the Company’s website at http://www.fmbonline.com. The link to the SEC is on the About Us page.

Item 1A.
Risk Factors

An investment in our common stock is subject to risks inherent in our business. The material risks and uncertainties that management believes may affect our business are described below. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this 10-K Report. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing our business. Additional risks and uncertainties that management is not aware of or focused on or that management currently deems immaterial may also impair our business operations. This 10-K Report is qualified in its entirety by these risk factors.
 
If any of the following risks actually occur, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. If this were to happen, the value of our common stock could decline significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Associated With Our Business

Continuing Difficult Economic Conditions In Our Service Areas Could Adversely Affect Our Operations And/Or Cause Us To Sustain Losses - While the national economy and the economy of other portions of California have experienced improvements over the past several years, the Central Valley of California, which remains the Company’s primary market area, continues to experience sluggish economic conditions. This is reflected in: (1) continuing public sector financial stress, both at the local and statewide level. See “Item 1. Business – Service Area.” The State of California, a large employer in one of the Company’s market territories, continues to experience financial challenges, particularly relating to the funding of pension and other financial commitments made to retired employees, and the City of Stockton, which recently exited bankruptcy but still faces financial challenges; and (2) continuing high levels of unemployment and home prices that have only slightly improved and remain well below peak levels.

Although we have initiated efforts to broaden our geographic footprint, our retail and commercial banking operations remain concentrated in Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties. See “Item 1. Business – Service Area.” As a result of this geographic concentration, our results of operations depend largely upon economic conditions in these areas.  Whereas much of this area appears to have stabilized, real estate values remain well below peak prices and unemployment remains well above most other areas in the state and country. As a result, risk still remains from the possibility that losses will be sustained if a significant number of our borrowers, guarantors and related parties fail to perform in accordance with the terms of their loans or leases. We have adopted underwriting and credit monitoring procedures and credit policies, including the establishment and review of the allowance for credit losses, that management believes are appropriate to minimize this risk by assessing the likelihood of nonperformance, tracking loan & lease performance and diversifying our credit portfolio. These policies and procedures; however, may not prevent unexpected losses that could materially adversely affect our results of operations in general and the market value of our stock. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Overview - Looking Forward: 2015 and Beyond.”

Additionally, despite the stability of our earnings over the last several years, economic uncertainties may continue for the foreseeable future and the full extent of the repercussions on our local economies in general and our business in particular are not fully known at this time. Such events may have a negative effect on: (i) our ability to service our existing customers and attract new customers; (ii) the ability of our borrowers to operate their business as successfully as in the past; (iii) the financial security and net worth of our customers; and (iv) the ability of our customers to repay their loans or leases with us in accordance with the terms thereof.

Our Allowance For Credit Losses May Not Be Adequate To Cover Actual Losses - A significant source of risk arises from the possibility that losses could be sustained because borrowers, guarantors, and related parties may fail to perform in accordance with the terms of their loans & leases. The underwriting and credit monitoring policies and procedures that we have adopted to address this risk may not prevent unexpected losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Unexpected losses may arise from a wide variety of specific or systemic factors, many of which are beyond our ability to predict, influence, or control.

Like all financial institutions, we maintain an allowance for credit losses to provide for loan & lease defaults and non-performance. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses.” The allowance is funded from a provision for credit losses, which is a charge to our income statement. Our allowance for credit losses may not be adequate to cover actual loan & lease losses, and future provisions for credit losses could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The allowance for credit losses reflects our estimate of the probable losses in our loan & lease portfolio at the relevant balance sheet date. Our allowance for credit losses is based on prior experience, as well as an evaluation of the known risks in the current portfolio, composition and growth of the loan & lease portfolio and other economic factors. The determination of an appropriate level of credit loss allowance is an inherently difficult process and is based on numerous assumptions. The amount of future losses is susceptible to changes in economic, operating and other conditions, including changes in interest rates, that may be beyond our control and these losses may exceed current estimates.
 
The process we use to estimate losses inherent in our credit exposure requires difficult, subjective and complex judgments, including forecasts of economic conditions and how these economic conditions might impair the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans and lessees to make their lease payments. The level of uncertainty concerning current economic conditions may adversely affect the accuracy of our estimates, which may, in turn, impact the reliability of the allowance for credit losses.

While we believe that our allowance for credit losses is adequate to cover current losses, we cannot assure you that we will not increase the allowance for credit losses further or that regulators will not require us to increase this allowance. Either of these occurrences could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We Are Dependent On Real Estate And Further Downturns In The Real Estate Market Could Hurt Our Business - Although our regulators have determined that we do not have significant CRE concentration risk, a significant portion of our loan portfolio is dependent on real estate. See “Item 1. Business – Supervision and Regulation - Prompt Corrective Action and Other Enforcement Mechanisms.” At December 31, 2014, real estate served as the principal source of collateral with respect to approximately 67% of our loan outstandings and 19% of loans outstanding were secured by production agricultural properties. Continuing stresses in current economic conditions in our local markets or rising interest rates could have an adverse effect on the demand for new loans, the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, the value of real estate and other collateral securing loans and the value of real estate owned by us, as well as our financial condition and results of operations in general and the market value of our common stock.

Acts of nature, including earthquakes, floods and fires, which may cause uninsured damage and other loss of value to real estate that secures these loans, may also negatively impact our financial condition.

Our Real Estate Lending Also Exposes Us To The Risk Of Environmental Liabilities - In the course of our business, we may foreclose and take title to real estate, and could be subject to environmental liabilities with respect to these properties. We may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third persons for property damage, personal injury, investigation and clean-up costs incurred by these parties in connection with environmental contamination, or may be required to investigate or clean up hazardous or toxic substances, or chemical releases at a property. The costs associated with investigation or remediation activities could be substantial. In addition, as the owner or former owner of a contaminated site, we may be subject to common law claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the property. If we ever become subject to significant environmental liabilities, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Our Business Is Subject To Interest Rate Risk And Changes In Interest Rates May Adversely Affect Our Performance And Financial Condition - Our earnings are impacted by changing interest rates. Changes in interest rates impact the demand for new loans & leases, the credit profile of our borrowers, the rates received on loans & leases and securities and rates paid on deposits and borrowings. The difference between the rates received on loans & leases and securities and the rates paid on deposits and borrowings is known as the net interest margin. Like many financial institutions, our net interest margin has been declining. We expect that continued low interest rates and aggressive competitor pricing strategies will continue to push net interest margin lower in 2015.

Although we believe our current level of interest rate sensitivity is reasonable, significant fluctuations in interest rates and increasing competition may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Net Interest Income/Net Interest Margin” and “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Interest Rate Risk.”
 
Continuing low levels of market interest rates could adversely affect our earnings. The FRB regulates the supply of money and credit in the United States. Its policies determine, in large part, the cost of funds for lending and investing and the yield earned on those loans, leases and investments, which impact the Company’s net interest margin. Beginning in September 2007 the FRB implemented a series of rate reductions in response to the current state of the national economy and housing market as well as the volatility of financial markets. Rates have remained low ever since, and show no signs of significantly increasing in the near future. When interest rates decline, borrowers tend to refinance higher-rate, fixed-rate loans at lower rates, and prepaying their existing loans. Under those circumstances, we would not be able to reinvest those prepayments in assets earning interest rates as high as the rates on the prepaid loans. In addition, our CRE and commercial loans, which carry interest rates that, in general, adjust in accordance with changes in the prime rate, will adjust to lower rates. We are also significantly affected by the level of loan & lease demand available in our market. The inability to make sufficient loans & leases directly affects the interest income we earn. Lower loan & lease demand will generally result in lower interest income realized as we place funds in lower yielding investments. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Overview - Looking Forward: 2015 and Beyond.”

Our Accounting Estimates and Risk Management Processes Rely On Analytical and Forecasting Models - The processes we use to measure the fair value of financial instruments, as well as the processes used to estimate the effects of changing interest rates and other market measures on our financial condition and results of operations, depends upon the use of analytical and forecasting models. These models reflect assumptions that may not be accurate, particularly in times of market stress or other unforeseen circumstances. Even if these assumptions are adequate, the models may prove to be inadequate or inaccurate because of other flaws in their design or their implementation. If the models we use for interest rate risk and asset-liability management are inadequate, we may incur increased or unexpected losses upon changes in market interest rates or other market measures. If the models we use to measure the fair value of financial instruments are inadequate, the fair value of such financial instruments may fluctuate unexpectedly or may not accurately reflect what we could realize upon sale or settlement of such financial instruments. Any such failure in our analytical or forecasting models could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure To Successfully Execute Our Strategy Could Adversely Affect Our Performance - Our financial performance and profitability depends on our ability to execute our corporate growth strategy. Continued growth however, may present operating and other problems that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will be able to execute our growth strategy or maintain the level of profitability that we have recently experienced. Factors that may adversely affect our ability to attain our long-term financial performance goals include those stated elsewhere in this section, as well as the:

· inability to maintain or increase net interest margin;
· inability to control non-interest expense, including, but not limited to, rising employee and healthcare costs and the costs of regulatory compliance;
· inability to maintain or increase non-interest income; and
·
continuing ability to expand through de novo branching or otherwise.

New Market Areas And New Lines Of Business Or New Products And Services May Subject Us To Additional Risks. A Failure To Successfully Manage These Risks May Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Business - As part of our growth strategy, we have implemented and may continue to implement new market areas and new lines of business. We recently have begun to implement plans to (i) expand into the greater San Francisco Bay Area, which is a new market area for us, and (ii) introduce equipment leasing as a new product line.  There are risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where such product lines are not fully mature. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services and/or shifting the focus of our asset mix and/or expanding into new markets, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives in these markets and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation. Failure to successfully manage these risks could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Our Financial Results Can Be Impacted By The Cyclicality and Seasonality Of Our Agricultural Business And The Risks Related Thereto - The Company has provided financing to agricultural customers in the Central Valley throughout its history.  We recognize the cyclical nature of the industry, often caused by fluctuating commodity prices and changing climatic conditions, and manage these risks accordingly.  The Company remains committed to providing credit to agricultural customers and will always have a material exposure to this industry.  Although the Company’s loan portfolio is believed to be well diversified, at various times during 2014 approximately 41% of the Company’s loan balances were outstanding to agricultural borrowers. Commitments are well diversified across various commodities, including dairy, grapes, walnuts, almonds, cherries, apples, pears, and various row crops. Additionally, many individual borrowers are themselves diversified across commodity types, reducing their exposure, and therefore the Company’s, to cyclical downturns in any one commodity. The state of California experienced drought conditions during much of 2013 and 2014.  Importantly, most of the Company’s agricultural customers have access to their own ground water supplies and, therefore, are not as dependent on the delivery of surface water as growers in other parts of California.  Although Management continues to believe that current conditions will not have a material impact on credit quality during 2015, the lack of rain will have a continuing adverse impact on our agricultural customers’ operating costs, crop yields and crop quality.  The longer the drought continues, the more significant this impact will become, particularly if ground water levels reach critical stage.

The Company’s service areas can also be significantly impacted by the seasonal operations of the agricultural industry. As a result, the Company’s financial results can be influenced by the banking needs of its agricultural customers (e.g., generally speaking during the spring and summer customers draw down their deposit balances and increase loan borrowing to fund the purchase of equipment and the planting of crops. Correspondingly, deposit balances are replenished and loans repaid in late fall and winter as crops are harvested and sold).

We Face Strong Competition From Financial Service Companies And Other Companies That Offer Banking Services That Could Adversely Impact Our Business - The financial services business in our market areas is highly competitive. It is becoming increasingly competitive due to changes in regulation, technological advances, and the accelerating pace of consolidation among financial services providers. We face competition both in attracting deposits and in making loans & leases. We compete for loans & leases principally through the interest rates and loan & lease fees we charge and the efficiency and quality of services we provide. Increasing levels of competition in the banking and financial services business may reduce our market share, decrease loan & lease demand, cause the prices we charge for our services to fall, or decrease our net interest margin by forcing us to offer lower lending interest rates and pay higher deposit interest rates. Therefore, our results may differ in future periods depending upon the nature or level of competition.

Technology and other changes are allowing parties to complete financial transactions that historically have involved banks through alternative methods. For example, consumers can now maintain funds that would have historically been held as bank deposits in brokerage accounts or mutual funds. Consumers can also complete transactions such as paying bills and/or transferring funds directly without the assistance of banks. The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries, known as “disintermediation,” could result in the loss of fee income, as well as the loss of customer deposits and the related income generated from those deposits. The loss of these revenue streams and the lower cost deposits as a source of funds could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Many of our competitors offer products and services that we do not offer, and many have substantially greater resources, such as greater capital resources and more access to longer term, lower cost funding sources. Many also have greater name recognition and market presence that benefit them in attracting business. In addition, larger competitors may be able to price loans & lease and deposits more aggressively than we do. Our larger competitors generally have easier access to capital, and often on better terms. Some of the financial services organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as is imposed on bank holding companies and federally insured state-chartered banks, national banks and federal savings institutions. As a result, these non-bank competitors have certain advantages over us in accessing funding and in providing various services. Other competitors are subject to similar regulation but have the advantages of larger established customer bases, higher lending limits, extensive branch networks, numerous automated teller machines, greater advertising and marketing budgets or other factors. Some of our competitors have other advantages, such as tax exemption in the case of credit unions, and lesser regulation in the case of mortgage companies and specialty finance companies.
 
Deposit Insurance Assessments Could Increase At Any Time, Which Will Adversely Affect Profits - FDIC deposit insurance expense for the years 2014, 2013, and 2012 was $1.0 million, $981,000, and $968,000, respectively. During 2011, the FDIC changed its methodology for calculating deposit premiums, See “Item 1. Business – Supervision and Regulation – Deposit Insurance.” Any increases could have adverse effects on the operating expenses and results of operations of the Company.
 
We May Not Be Able To Attract And Retain Skilled People - Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best people in most of our activities can be intense and we may not be able to hire people or to retain them. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of our key personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business because of their skills, knowledge of our market, years of industry experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

Our Internal Operations Are Subject To A Number Of Risks - We are subject to certain operations risks, including, but not limited to, information system failures and errors, customer or employee fraud and catastrophic failures resulting from terrorist acts or natural disasters. We maintain a system of internal controls to mitigate against such occurrences and maintain insurance coverage for such risks that are insurable, but should such an event occur that is not prevented or detected by our internal controls, uninsured or in excess of applicable insurance limits, it could have a significant adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan & leases and other systems. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of the failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems, there can be no assurance that any such failures, interruptions or security breaches will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. The occurrence of any failures, interruptions or security breaches of our information systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, 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 financial condition and results of operations.

The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve customers and to reduce costs. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse impact on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

Natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business. Such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans and lessees to make lease payments, impair the value of collateral securing loans & leases, cause significant property damage, result in loss of revenue and/or cause us to incur additional expenses. Operations in several of our markets could be disrupted by both the evacuation of large portions of the population as well as damage and or lack of access to our banking and operation facilities. While we have not experienced such an occurrence to date, other natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism or other adverse external events may occur in the future. Although management has established disaster recovery policies and procedures, the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We Depend On Cash Dividends From The Bank To Meet Our Cash Obligations - As a holding company, dividends from the Bank provide a substantial portion of our cash flow used to service the interest payments on our subordinated debentures issued in 2003 and our other obligations, including cash dividends. See “Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.” Various statutory provisions restrict the amount of dividends our subsidiary bank can pay to us without regulatory approval.
 
A Lack Of Liquidity Could Adversely Affect Our Operations And Jeopardize Our Business, Financial Condition And Results Of Operations - Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on our ability to generate deposits and effectively manage the repayment and maturity schedules of our loans and investment securities, respectively, to ensure that we have adequate liquidity to fund our operations. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of our investment securities, Federal Home Loan Bank advances, the sale of loans and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our most important source of funds consists of deposits. Deposit balances can decrease when customers perceive alternative investments as providing a better risk/return tradeoff. If customers move money out of bank deposits and into other investments, we would lose a relatively low-cost source of funds, increasing our funding costs and reducing our net interest income and net income.

Other primary sources of funds consist of cash flows from operations, investment maturities and sales of investment securities and proceeds from the issuance and sale of any equity and debt securities to investors. Additional liquidity is provided by the ability to borrow from the Federal Reserve Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank and our ability to raise brokered deposits. We also may borrow funds from third-party lenders, such as other financial institutions. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our activities, or on terms that are acceptable to us, could be impaired by factors that affect us directly or the bank or non-bank financial services industries or economy in general, such as disruptions in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the bank or non-bank financial services industries.

As of December 31, 2014, approximately $985.7 million, or 47.8%, of our deposits consisted of interest-bearing demand deposits, savings and money market accounts. Based on past experience, we believe that our deposit accounts are relatively stable sources of funds. If we increase interest rates paid to retain deposits, our earnings may be adversely affected, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.   Any decline in available funding could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses, pay dividends to our shareholders or to fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

Cyber Security Is A Growing Risk For Financial Institutions - Our business requires the secure handling of sensitive client information. We also rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. Cyber incidents include intentional attacks and unintentional events that may present unauthorized access to digital systems that disrupt operations, corrupt data, release sensitive information or cause denial-of-service on our websites. We store, process and transmit account information in connection with lending and deposit relationships, including funds transfer and online banking. A breach of cyber-security systems of the Bank, our vendors or customers, or widely publicized breaches of other financial institutions could significantly harm our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and financial liability. While we have systems and procedures designed to prevent security breaches, we cannot be certain that advances in criminal capabilities, physical system or network break-ins or inappropriate access will not compromise or breach the technology protecting our networks or proprietary client information.

We Rely On Third-Party Vendors For Important Aspects Of Our Operation - We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information and systems provided by certain key vendors, including but not limited to data processing, payroll processing, technology support, investment safekeeping and accounting. Our ability to operate, as well as our financial condition and results of operations, could be negatively affected in the event of an interruption of an information system, an undetected error, a cyber breach, or in the event of a natural disaster whereby certain vendors are unable to maintain business continuity.

We May Be Adversely Affected By The Soundness Of Other Financial Institutions - Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty and other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including commercial banks, broker-dealers, investment banks and other institutional clients. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of a default by a counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated if our collateral cannot be foreclosed upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the credit or cover the derivative exposure due. Any such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
Deterioration Of Credit Quality Or Insolvency Of Insurance Companies May Impede Our Ability To Recover Losses - The financial crisis led certain major insurance companies to be downgraded by rating agencies. We have property, casualty and financial institution risk coverage underwritten by several insurance companies. In addition, some of our investments in obligations of state and political subdivisions are insured by insurance companies. While we closely monitor credit ratings of our insurers and insurers of our municipality securities, and we are poised to make quick changes if needed, we cannot predict an unexpected inability to honor commitments. We also invest in bank-owned life insurance policies on certain members of senior Management, which may lose value in the event of the carriers' insolvency. In the event that our bank-owned life insurance policy carriers' credit ratings fall below investment grade, we may exchange policies underwritten by them to another carrier at a cost charged by the original carrier, or we may terminate the policies which may result in adverse tax consequences.

Our loan portfolio is also primarily secured by properties located in earthquake or fire-prone zones. In the event of a disaster that causes pervasive damage to the region in which we operate, not only the Bank, but also the loan collateral may suffer losses not recovered by insurance.

Risks Associated With Our Industry

We Are Subject To Government Regulation That Could Limit Or Restrict Our Activities, Which In Turn Could Adversely Impact Our Financial Performance - The financial services industry is regulated extensively and we are subject to examination, supervision and comprehensive regulations by various regulatory agencies. Federal and state regulations are designed primarily to protect the deposit insurance funds and consumers, and not to benefit our stockholders. These regulations can sometimes impose significant limitations on our operations and increase our cost of doing business.

Further, federal monetary policy, particularly as implemented by the FRB, significantly affects economic conditions for us.

Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of, and federal insurance premiums paid by, banks and other financial institutions and companies that control such institutions are frequently raised in the U.S. Congress, the California legislature and before bank regulatory authorities. The likelihood of any major changes in the future and the impact such changes, including the Dodd-Frank Act, might have on us or the Bank are impossible to determine. Similarly, proposals to change the accounting treatment applicable to banks and other depository institutions are frequently raised by the SEC, the federal banking agencies, the IRS and other appropriate authorities. The likelihood and impact of any additional future changes in law or regulation and the impact such changes might have on us or the Bank are impossible to determine at this time.

Risks Associated With Our Stock

Our Stock Trades Less Frequently Than Others - The Company’s common stock is not widely held or listed on any exchange. However, trades are reported on the OTCQX under the symbol "FMCB." Management is aware that there are private transactions in the Company’s common stock. However, the limited trading market for the Company’s common stock may make it difficult for stockholders to dispose of their shares.

Our Stock Price Is Affected By A Variety Of Factors - Stock price volatility may make it more difficult for you to resell your common stock when you want and at prices you find attractive. Our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors discussed in this section, including, among other things:

· actual or anticipated variations in quarterly results of operations;

· operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to our Company;

· news reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in the financial services industry;

· available investment liquidity in our market area since our stock is not listed on any exchange; and
 
· perceptions in the marketplace regarding our Company and/or its competitors.
 
Our Common Stock Is Not An Insured Deposit - Our common stock is not a bank deposit and, therefore, is not insured against loss by the FDIC, any other deposit insurance fund or by any other public or private entity. Investment in our common stock is inherently risky for the reasons described in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this report and is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock in any company. As a result, if you acquire our common stock, you may lose some or all of your investment.

Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments

The Company has no unresolved comments received from staff at the SEC.

Item 2.
Properties

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp along with its subsidiaries are headquartered in Lodi, California. Executive offices are located at 111 W. Pine Street. Banking services are provided in twenty-four branch locations in the Company's service area. Of the twenty-four branches, fifteen are owned and nine are leased. The expiration of these leases occurs between the years 2015 and 2024. See Note 19, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Item 3.
Legal Proceedings

Certain lawsuits and claims arising in the ordinary course of business have been filed or are pending against the Company or its subsidiaries. Based upon information available to the Company, its review of such lawsuits and claims and consultation with its counsel, the Company believes the liability relating to these actions, if any, would not have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial statements.

There are no material proceedings adverse to the Company to which any director, officer or affiliate of the Company is a party.

Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable

PART II

Item 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The common stock of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp is not widely held or listed on any exchange. However, trades are reported on the OTCQX (prior to January 12, 2015, the Over the Counter (“OTC”) Bulletin Board) under the symbol “FMCB.” Additionally, management is aware that there are private transactions in the Company’s common stock.
 
The following table summarizes the actual high, low, and close sale prices for the Company's common stock since the first quarter of 2013. These figures are based on activity posted on the OTC Bulletin Board and on private transactions between individual stockholders that are reported to the Company.

Calendar Quarter
  
High
    
Low
    
Close
    
Cash Dividends
Declared (Per Share)
  
2014
Fourth quarter
  
$
466
    
$
450
    
$
463
    
$
6.40
  
Third quarter
    
445
      
430
      
450
      
-
  
Second quarter
    
451
      
420
      
433
      
6.30
  
First quarter
    
448
      
417
      
425
      
-
  

Calendar Quarter
  
High
    
Low
    
Close
    
Cash Dividends
Declared (Per Share)
  
2013
Fourth quarter
  
$
417
    
$
405
    
$
417
    
$
6.30
  
Third quarter
    
420
      
400
      
415
      
-
  
Second quarter
    
500
      
384
      
400
      
6.20
  
First quarter
    
470
      
375
      
470
      
-
  

As of January 31, 2015, there were approximately 1,449 stockholders of record of the Company’s common stock.

The Company and, before the Company was formed, the Bank, has paid cash dividends for the past 80 consecutive years. There are limitations under Delaware corporate law as to the amounts of cash dividends that may be paid by the Company. Additionally, if we decided to defer interest on our 2003 subordinated debentures, we would be prohibited from paying cash dividends on the Company’s common stock. The Company is dependent on cash dividends paid by the Bank to fund its cash dividend payments to its stockholders. There are regulatory limitations on cash dividends that may be paid by the Bank under state and federal laws. See “Item 1. Business – Supervision and Regulation.”

In 1998, the Board approved the Company’s first common stock repurchase program. This program has been extended and expanded several times since then, and most recently, on September 11, 2012, the Board of Directors approved increasing the funds available for the Company’s common stock repurchase program to $20 million over the three-year period ending September 30, 2015.

Repurchases under the program may be made from time to time on the open market or through private transactions. The repurchase program also requires that no purchases may be made if the Bank would not remain “well-capitalized” after the repurchase.

There were no shares repurchased by the Company during 2014. The approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the program is $20 million.

On August 5, 2008, the Board of Directors approved a Share Purchase Rights Plan (the “Rights Plan”), pursuant to which the Company entered into a Rights Agreement dated August 5, 2008, with Computershare (formerly Registrar and Transfer Company), as Rights Agent, and the Company declared a dividend of a right to acquire one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share, to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 15, 2008. Generally, the Rights are only triggered and become exercisable if a person or group (the “Acquiring Person”) acquires beneficial ownership of 10 percent or more of the Company’s common stock or announces a tender offer for 10 percent or more of the Company’s common stock.

The Rights Plan is similar to plans adopted by many other publicly traded companies. The effect of the Rights Plan is to discourage any potential acquirer from triggering the Rights without first convincing Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s Board of Directors that the proposed acquisition is fair to, and in the best interest of, all of the stockholders of the Company. The provisions of the Plan will substantially dilute the equity and voting interest of any potential acquirer unless the Board of Directors approves of the proposed acquisition. Each Right, if and when exercisable, will entitle the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of a share of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, no par value, at a purchase price of $1,200 for each one one-hundredth of a share, subject to adjustment. Each holder of a Right (except for the Acquiring Person, whose Rights will be null and void upon such event) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon exercise, that number of Common Shares of the Company having a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right. At any time before a person becomes an Acquiring Person, the Rights can be redeemed, in whole, but not in part, by Farmers and Merchants Bancorp’s Board of Directors at a price of $0.001 per Right. The Rights Plan will expire on August 5, 2018.
 
On December 4, 2014, the Company issued 6,200 shares of common stock to the Bank’s non-qualified defined contribution retirement plans. See Note 16, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” These shares were issued at a price of $450 per share based upon a valuation completed by a nationally recognized bank consulting and advisory firm and in reliance upon the exemption in Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the regulations promulgated thereunder. Most of the proceeds were contributed to the Bank as equity capital.

Performance Graphs
 
The following graph compares the Company’s cumulative total stockholder return on common stock from December 31, 2009 to December 31, 2014 to that of: (i) the Morningstar Banks Index - Regional (US) Industry Group; and (ii) the cumulative total return of the New York Stock Exchange market index. The graph assumes an initial investment of $100 on December 31, 2009 and reinvestment of dividends. The stock price performance set forth in the following graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance. The Company’s stock price data is based on activity posted on the OTC Bulletin Board and on private transactions between individual stockholders that are reported to the Company. This data was furnished by Zacks SEC Compliance Services Group.
 
 
This graph shall not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.
 
Item 6.
Selected Financial Data

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Five Year Financial Summary of Operations
(in thousands except per share data)

Summary of Income:
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
    
2011
    
2010
  
Total Interest Income
  
$
81,521
    
$
76,531
    
$
78,491
    
$
82,354
    
$
84,461
  
Total Interest Expense
    
2,813
      
2,891
      
5,140
      
7,974
      
9,685
  
Net Interest Income
    
78,708
      
73,640
      
73,351
      
74,380
      
74,776
  
Provision for Credit Losses
    
1,175
      
425
      
1,850
      
6,775
      
14,735
  
Net Interest Income After Provision for Credit Losses
    
77,533
      
73,215
      
71,501
      
67,605
      
60,041
  
Total Non-Interest Income
    
14,329
      
15,937
      
14,110
      
12,274
      
17,185
  
Total Non-Interest Expense
    
51,366
      
50,870
      
48,277
      
45,028
      
43,939
  
Income Before Income Taxes
    
40,496
      
38,282
      
37,334
      
34,851
      
33,287
  
Provision for Income Taxes
    
15,094
      
14,221
      
13,985
      
12,642
      
12,169
  
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,061
    
$
23,349
    
$
22,209
    
$
21,118
  
Balance Sheet Data:
                                        
Total Assets
  
$
2,360,551
    
$
2,076,073
    
$
1,974,686
    
$
1,919,684
    
$
1,841,491
  
Loans & Leases
    
1,712,244
      
1,388,236
      
1,246,902
      
1,163,078
      
1,176,002
  
Allowance for Credit Losses
    
35,401
      
34,274
      
34,217
      
33,017
      
32,261
  
Investment Securities
    
430,405
      
473,144
      
486,383
      
542,912
      
493,581
  
Deposits
    
2,064,073
      
1,807,691
      
1,722,026
      
1,626,197
      
1,566,503
  
Federal Home Loan Bank Advances
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
530
      
591
  
Shareholders' Equity
    
233,178
      
209,904
      
205,033
      
189,346
      
173,241
  
                                         
Selected Ratios:
                                        
Return on Average Assets
    
1.17
%
    
1.21
%
    
1.22
%
    
1.19
%
    
1.19
%
Return on Average Equity
    
11.43
%
    
11.54
%
    
11.62
%
    
12.10
%
    
12.25
%
Dividend Payout Ratio
    
39.05
%
    
40.41
%
    
40.34
%
    
41.24
%
    
41.93
%
Average Loans & Leases to Average Deposits
    
79.99
%
    
74.28
%
    
72.02
%
    
74.48
%
    
79.03
%
Average Equity to Average Assets
    
10.28
%
    
10.52
%
    
10.45
%
    
9.85
%
    
9.74
%
Period-end Shareholders' Equity to Total Assets
    
9.88
%
    
10.11
%
    
10.38
%
    
9.86
%
    
9.41
%
                                         
Basic Per Share Data:
                                        
Net Income (1)
  
$
32.64
    
$
30.93
    
$
29.99
    
$
28.49
    
$
27.05
  
Cash Dividends Per Share
  
$
12.70
    
$
12.50
    
$
12.10
    
$
11.75
    
$
11.35
  

(1)
Based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding of 778,358, 777,882, 778,648, 779,424, and 780,619 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively.
 
Item 7.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

Although the Company has initiated efforts to expand its geographic footprint into Walnut Creek and Irvine, CA (see Item 1: Business – Service Area), the Company’s primary service area remains the mid Central Valley of California, a region that can be significantly impacted by the seasonal needs of the agricultural industry. Accordingly, discussion of the Company’s Financial Condition and Results of Operations is influenced by the seasonal banking needs of its agricultural customers (e.g., during the spring and summer customers draw down their deposit balances and increase loan borrowing to fund the purchase of equipment and planting of crops. Correspondingly, deposit balances are replenished and loans repaid in late fall and winter as crops are harvested and sold).

The Five-Year Period: 2010 through 2014
Through much of 2007 the economy in our primary service area was strong, the stock market rising and individuals and businesses doing well. Then in October 2007 the financial markets started what would become a major adjustment and an economic recession began, the impact of which is still being felt today in the Central Valley of California. The Central Valley was one of the hardest hit areas in the country during the recession. In many areas housing prices declined as much as 60% and unemployment reached 15% or more. Although the economy has stabilized throughout most of the Central Valley, housing prices for the most part have not recovered significantly and unemployment levels remain well above those in other areas of the state and country.

Despite this difficult economic environment, in management’s opinion, the Company’s operating performance over the past five years has been exceptionally strong.

(in thousands, except per share data)

Financial Performance Indicator
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
    
2011
    
2010
  
                   
 
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,062
    
$
23,349
    
$
22,209
    
$
21,118
  
Total Assets
    
2,360,551
      
2,076,073
      
1,974,686
      
1,919,684
      
1,841,491
  
Total Loans
    
1,712,244
      
1,388,236
      
1,246,902
      
1,163,078
      
1,176,002
  
Total Deposits
    
2,064,073
      
1,807,691
      
1,722,026
      
1,626,197
      
1,566,503
  
Total Shareholders’ Equity
    
233,178
      
209,904
      
205,033
      
189,346
      
173,241
  
Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio
    
12.93
%
    
13.99
%
    
14.96
%
    
14.86
%
    
13.82
%
Non-Performing Loans as a % of Total Loans
    
0.13
%
    
0.19
%
    
0.74
%
    
0.36
%
    
0.45
%
Substandard Loans as a % of Total Loans
    
0.21
%
    
0.41
%
    
1.72
%
    
3.67
%
    
3.40
%
Net Charge-Offs to Average Loans
    
0.00
%
    
0.03
%
    
0.05
%
    
0.51
%
    
1.04
%
Loan Loss Allowance as a % of Total Loans
    
2.06
%
    
2.46
%
    
2.74
%
    
2.83
%
    
2.74
%
Return on Average Assets
    
1.17
%
    
1.21
%
    
1.22
%
    
1.19
%
    
1.19
%
Return on Average Equity
    
11.43
%
    
11.54
%
    
11.62
%
    
12.10
%
    
12.25
%
Earnings Per Share
    
32.64
      
30.93
      
29.99
      
28.49
      
27.05
  
Cash Dividends Per Share
    
12.70
      
12.50
      
12.10
      
11.75
      
11.35
  
Cash Dividends Declared
    
9,919
      
9,723
      
9,418
      
9,158
      
8,855
  
# Shares Repurchased During Year
    
-
      
-
      
1,542
      
-
      
1,520
  
Average Share Price of Repurchased Shares
    
-
      
-
      
373
      
-
      
400
  
High Stock Price – Fourth Quarter
    
466
      
417
      
405
      
400
      
425
  
Low Stock Price – Fourth Quarter
    
450
      
405
      
355
      
345
      
400
  
Closing Stock Price – Fourth Quarter
    
463
      
417
      
405
      
400
      
415
  
 
Although the Company was not entirely immune to the pressures that a struggling economy brought to bear, management believes that the Company’s performance compared very favorably to its peer banks during the five-year period ending December 31, 2014:

· Net income totaled $116.1 million and never dropped below $21.0 million in any single year.

· Return on Average Assets never dropped below 1.17% in any single year.

· Total assets increased 32.5% to $2.4 billion.

· Total loans & leases increased 41.2% to $1.7 billion.

· Total deposits increased 37.8% to $2.1 billion.

More recently:

· In 2014, the Company earned $25.4 million for a return on average assets of 1.17%, and our return on average assets averaged 1.20% over the five-year period. Importantly, these strong results were generated at the same time the Company increased its credit loss allowance by $1.2 million, to $35.4 million or 2.06% of total loans & leases.

· In 2014, the Company increased its cash dividend per share by 2.0% over 2013 levels, and our strong financial performance has allowed us to increase dividends every year during this five-year period.

· The Company’s total risk based capital ratio was ­12.93% at December 31, 2014, and the Bank achieved the highest regulatory classification of “well capitalized” in each of the five years. See “Financial Condition – Capital.”

· The Company began to diversify its: (1) geographic market by establishing new branches in Walnut Creek and Irvine, CA; and (2) lending products by introducing equipment leasing.

· Despite continuing sluggish economic conditions in the Company’s local markets, the Company’s asset quality remains very strong compared to peer banks at the present time, when measured by: (1) net charge-offs of 0.33% of average loans & leases during this five-year period; and (2) substandard loans & leases totaling 0.21% of total loans & leases at December 31, 2014. See “Results of Operations – Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses” and “Financial Condition – Classified Loans & Leases and Non-Performing Assets.”

As a result of this strong earnings performance, capital position, and asset quality, stockholders have benefited from the fact that cash dividends per share have increased 15.4% since 2009, and totaled $60.40 per share over the five-year period. The 2014 dividend of $12.70 per share represents a 2.7% yield based upon the December 31, 2014 ending stock price of $463 per share.

Looking Forward: 2015 and Beyond
In management’s opinion, the following key issues will continue to influence the financial results of the Company in 2015 and future years:

· The Company’s earnings are heavily dependent on its net interest margin, which is sensitive to such factors as: (1) market interest rates; (2) the mix of our earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities; and (3) competitor pricing strategies.

- During the third quarter of 2007, the FRB began dropping short-term market rates. Market rates remain low, and management does not expect this to change significantly during 2015.
 
- Deposit growth outstripped loan growth in 2010 – 2012 and, as a result, the Company’s loan-to-deposit ratio dropped. This resulted in a higher percentage of our earning assets being placed into lower yielding investment securities, interest-bearing deposits with banks, and Federal Funds Sold. Although loan growth picked-up substantially in 2013 - 2014, partially as a result of our expansion into Walnut Creek and equipment leasing, we still face a difficult economic environment in the Central Valley combined with a very competitive pricing environment. No assurances can be given that this recent growth in the loan & lease portfolio will continue.
 
- Aggressive competitor pricing for loans, leases and deposits has often required the Company to respond in order to retain key customers.

The combination of low market interest rates and aggressive competitor pricing has caused the Company’s net interest margin to decline from 4.89% in the second quarter of 2007 to 4.14% in the fourth quarter of 2014. The Company expects many of these factors to continue to push the net interest margin lower in 2015. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Interest Rate Risk.”

· The Company’s results are impacted by changes in the credit quality of its borrowers. Substandard loans & leases totaled $3.6 million or 0.21% of total loans & leases at December 31, 2014 vs. $5.8 million or 0.41% of total loans at December 31, 2013, and a peak of $62.8 million or 5.17% of total loans at December 31, 2009. Management believes, based on information currently available, that these levels are adequately covered by the Company’s $35.4 million allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2014. See “Results of Operations - Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses” and “Financial Condition – Classified Loans & Leases and Non-Performing Assets.” The Company’s provision for credit losses was $1.2 million in 2014, compared to $425,000 in 2013 and $1.9 million in 2012. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

· FDIC deposit insurance expense for the years 2014, 2013, and 2012 was $1.0 million, $981,000, and $968,000, respectively. In 2011 the FDIC changed its methodology for calculating deposit premiums. See “Item 1. Business – Supervision and Regulation – Deposit Insurance.” While FDIC deposit insurance assessments have stabilized in recent years, they remain well above the pre-recession level the Company paid in 2007.

· Congress and the Obama Administration are continuing to implement broad changes to the regulation of consumer financial products and the financial services industry as a whole. These changes could significantly affect the Company’s product offerings, pricing and profitability in areas such as debit and credit cards, home mortgages and deposit service charges.

· The Company has expanded its geographic footprint to include Walnut Creek, CA and Irvine, CA and has established equipment leasing as a new line of business.  Additional expansion is underway in Concord, CA, an area contiguous to Walnut Creek (see Item 1: Business – Service Area). Although Management believes that these initiatives will result in increased asset growth and earnings, along with reduced concentration risks, the start-up costs related to staff and facilities are significant and will take time to cover.

Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis is intended to provide a better understanding of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and its subsidiaries’ performance during each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014, and the material changes in financial condition, operating income, and expense of the Company and its subsidiaries as shown in the accompanying financial statements.

Net Interest Income/Net Interest Margin
The tables on the following pages reflect the Company's average balance sheets and volume and rate analysis for the years ending 2014, 2013, and 2012. Average balance amounts for assets and liabilities are the computed average of daily balances.

Net interest income is the amount by which the interest and fees on loans & leases and other interest-earning assets exceed the interest paid on interest-bearing sources of funds. For the purpose of analysis, the interest earned on tax-exempt investments and municipal loans is adjusted to an amount comparable to interest subject to normal income taxes. This adjustment is referred to as “tax equivalent” adjustment and is noted wherever applicable. The presentation of net interest income and net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis is a common practice within the banking industry.
 
The Volume and Rate Analysis of Net Interest Income summarizes the changes in interest income and interest expense based on changes in average asset and liability balances (volume) and changes in average rates (rate). For each category of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, information is provided with respect to changes attributable to: (1) changes in volume (change in volume multiplied by initial rate); (2) changes in rate (change in rate multiplied by initial volume); and (3) changes in rate/volume (allocated in proportion to the respective volume and rate components).

The Company’s earning assets and rate sensitive liabilities are subject to repricing at different times, which exposes the Company to income fluctuations when interest rates change. In order to minimize income fluctuations, the Company attempts to match asset and liability maturities. However, some maturity mismatch is inherent in the asset and liability mix. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk - Interest Rate Risk.”
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Year-to-Date Average Balances and Interest Rates
(Interest and Rates on a Taxable Equivalent Basis)
(in thousands)

   
Year Ended December 31, 2014
  
Assets
  
Balance
    
Interest
    
Rate
  
Interest Bearing Deposits with Banks
  
$
62,452
    
$
158
      
0.25
%
Investment Securities:
                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
    
18,383
      
186
      
1.01
%
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
    
65,202
      
3,552
      
5.45
%
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
314,293
      
7,174
      
2.28
%
Other
    
36,643
      
379
      
1.03
%
Total Investment Securities
    
434,521
      
11,291
      
2.60
%
                         
Loans & Leases
                        
Real Estate
    
1,027,795
      
49,914
      
4.86
%
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
34,017
      
1,881
      
5.53
%
Agricultural
    
224,859
      
8,997
      
4.00
%
Commercial
    
179,420
      
8,655
      
4.82
%
Consumer
    
5,143
      
307
      
5.97
%
Other
    
17
      
1
      
5.88
%
Leases
    
28,136
      
1,555
      
5.53
%
Total Loans & Leases
    
1,499,387
      
71,310
      
4.76
%
Total Earning Assets
    
1,996,360
    
$
82,759
      
4.15
%
                         
Unrealized Gain on Securities Available-for-Sale
    
1,462
                  
Allowance for Credit Losses
    
(34,316
)
                
Cash and Due From Banks
    
32,219
                  
All Other Assets
    
166,860
                  
Total Assets
  
$
2,162,585
                  
                         
Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity
                        
Interest Bearing Deposits
                        
Interest Bearing DDA
  
$
311,911
    
$
167
      
0.05
%
Savings and Money Market
    
627,129
      
1,051
      
0.17
%
Time Deposits
    
430,968
      
1,268
      
0.29
%
Total Interest Bearing Deposits
    
1,370,008
      
2,486
      
0.18
%
Federal Home Loan Bank Advances
    
3,643
      
5
      
0.14
%
Subordinated Debt
    
10,310
      
322
      
3.12
%
Total Interest Bearing Liabilities
    
1,383,961
    
$
2,813
      
0.20
%
Interest Rate Spread
                    
3.94
%
Demand Deposits
    
504,470
                  
All Other Liabilities
    
51,946
                  
Total Liabilities
    
1,940,377
                  
Shareholders' Equity
    
222,208
                  
Total Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity
  
$
2,162,585
                  
Impact of Non-Interest Bearing Deposits and Other Liabilities
                    
0.06
%
Net Interest Income and Margin on Total Earning Assets
            
79,946
      
4.00
%
Tax Equivalent Adjustment
            
(1,238
)
        
Net Interest Income
          
$
78,708
      
3.94
%

Notes:  Yields on municipal securities have been calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis.  Loan interest income includes fee income and unearned discount in the amount of $5.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Non-accrual loans and lease financing receivables have been included in the average balances. Yields on securities available-for-sale are based on historical cost.
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Year-to-Date Average Balances and Interest Rates
(Interest and Rates on a Taxable Equivalent Basis)
(in thousands)

    Year Ended December 31, 2013  
Assets
  
Balance
    
Interest
    
Rate
  
Interest Bearing Deposits with Banks
  
$
30,743
    
$
79
      
0.26
%
Investment Securities:
                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
    
28,033
      
256
      
0.91
%
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
    
68,832
      
3,929
      
5.71
%
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
374,927
      
8,117
      
2.16
%
Other
    
52,318
      
598
      
1.14
%
Total Investment Securities
    
524,110
      
12,900
      
2.46
%
                         
Loans & Leases
                        
Real Estate
    
868,855
      
46,056
      
5.30
%
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
38,293
      
2,187
      
5.71
%
Agricultural
    
204,103
      
8,715
      
4.27
%
Commercial
    
150,456
      
7,546
      
5.02
%
Consumer
    
4,888
      
313
      
6.40
%
Other
    
230
      
13
      
5.65
%
Leases
    
2,507
      
91
      
3.63
%
Total Loans & Leases
    
1,269,332
      
64,921
      
5.11
%
Total Earning Assets
    
1,824,185
    
$
77,900
      
4.27
%
                         
Unrealized Gain on Securities Available-for-Sale
    
3,453
                  
Allowance for Credit Losses
    
(34,227
)
                
Cash and Due From Banks
    
33,648
                  
All Other Assets
    
155,715
                  
Total Assets
  
$
1,982,774
                  
                         
Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity
                        
Interest Bearing Deposits
                        
Interest Bearing DDA
  
$
259,348
    
$
119
      
0.05
%
Savings and Money Market
    
577,214
      
947
      
0.16
%
Time Deposits
    
444,605
      
1,482
      
0.33
%
Total Interest Bearing Deposits
    
1,281,167
      
2,548
      
0.20
%
Other Borrowed Funds
    
12,265
      
16
      
0.13
%
Subordinated Debt
    
10,310
      
327
      
3.17
%
Total Interest Bearing Liabilities
    
1,303,742
    
$
2,891
      
0.22
%
Interest Rate Spread
                    
4.05
%
Demand Deposits
    
427,673
                  
All Other Liabilities
    
42,783
                  
Total Liabilities
    
1,774,198
                  
Shareholders' Equity
    
208,576
                  
Total Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity
  
$
1,982,774
                  
Impact of Non-Interest Bearing Deposits and Other Liabilities
                    
0.06
%
Net Interest Income and Margin on Total Earning Assets
            
75,009
      
4.11
%
Tax Equivalent Adjustment
            
(1,369
)
        
Net Interest Income
          
$
73,640
      
4.04
%
 
Notes:  Yields on municipal securities have been calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis.  Loan interest income includes fee income and unearned discount in the amount of $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. Non-accrual loans and lease financing receivables have been included in the average balances. Yields on securities available-for-sale are based on historical cost.
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Year-to-Date Average Balances and Interest Rates
(Interest and Rates on a Taxable Equivalent Basis)
(in thousands)

   
Year Ended December 31, 2012
  
Assets
  
Balance
    
Interest
    
Rate
  
Interest Bearing Deposits with Banks
  
$
43,351
    
$
110
      
0.25
%
Investment Securities:
                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
    
56,396
      
577
      
1.02
%
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
    
70,432
      
4,047
      
5.75
%
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
399,121
      
9,182
      
2.30
%
Other
    
15,358
      
182
      
1.19
%
Total Investment Securities
    
541,307
      
13,988
      
2.58
%
                         
Loans
                        
Real Estate
    
767,555
      
44,329
      
5.78
%
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
46,405
      
2,656
      
5.72
%
Agricultural
    
200,040
      
9,888
      
4.94
%
Commercial
    
163,089
      
8,455
      
5.18
%
Consumer
    
5,820
      
456
      
7.84
%
Other
    
237
      
13
      
5.49
%
Total Loans
    
1,183,146
      
65,797
      
5.56
%
Total Earning Assets
    
1,767,804
    
$
79,895
      
4.52
%
                         
Unrealized Gain on Securities Available-for-Sale
    
12,116
                  
Allowance for Loan Losses
    
(33,248
)
                
Cash and Due From Banks
    
33,941
                  
All Other Assets
    
140,998
                  
Total Assets
  
$
1,921,611
                  
                         
Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity
                        
Interest Bearing Deposits
                        
Interest Bearing DDA
  
$
231,813
    
$
167
      
0.07
%
Savings and Money Market
    
540,063
      
1,281
      
0.24
%
Time Deposits
    
496,327
      
2,291
      
0.46
%
Total Interest Bearing Deposits
    
1,268,203
      
3,739
      
0.29
%
Securities Sold Under Agreement to Repurchase
    
28,197
      
1,018
      
3.61
%
Other Borrowed Funds
    
3,698
      
36
      
0.97
%
Subordinated Debt
    
10,310
      
347
      
3.37
%
Total Interest Bearing Liabilities
    
1,310,408
    
$
5,140
      
0.39
%
Interest Rate Spread
                    
4.13
%
Demand Deposits
    
374,677
                  
All Other Liabilities
    
35,631
                  
Total Liabilities
    
1,720,716
                  
Shareholders' Equity
    
200,895
                  
Total Liabilities & Shareholders' Equity
  
$
1,921,611
                  
Impact of Non-Interest Bearing Deposits and Other Liabilities
                    
0.10
%
Net Interest Income and Margin on Total Earning Assets
            
74,755
      
4.23
%
Tax Equivalent Adjustment
            
(1,404
)
        
Net Interest Income
          
$
73,351
      
4.15
%

Notes:  Yields on municipal securities have been calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis.  Loan interest income includes fee income and unearned discount in the amount of $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. Non-accrual loans and lease financing receivables have been included in the average balances. Yields on securities available-for-sale are based on historical cost.
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Volume and Rate Analysis of Net Interest Revenue
(Interest and Rates on a Taxable Equivalent Basis)
   2014 versus 2013  
(in thousands)
   Amount of Increase  
    (Decrease) Due to Change in:  
Interest Earning Assets
  
Volume
    
Rate
    
Net Chg.
  
Interest Bearing Deposits with Banks
  
$
80
    
$
(1
)
  
$
79
  
Investment Securities:
                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
    
(96
)
    
26
      
(70
)
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
    
(202
)
    
(175
)
    
(377
)
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
(1,366
)
    
423
      
(943
)
Other
    
(166
)
    
(53
)
    
(219
)
Total Investment Securities
    
(1,830
)
    
221
      
(1,609
)
                         
Loans & Leases:
                        
Real Estate
    
7,941
      
(4,083
)
    
3,858
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
(238
)
    
(68
)
    
(306
)
Agricultural
    
851
      
(569
)
    
282
  
Commercial
    
1,406
      
(297
)
    
1,109
  
Consumer
    
16
      
(22
)
    
(6
)
Other
    
(13
)
    
1
      
(12
)
Leases
    
1,392
      
72
      
1,464
  
Total Loans & Leases
    
11,355
      
(4,966
)
    
6,389
  
Total Earning Assets
    
9,605
      
(4,746
)
    
4,859
  
                         
Interest Bearing Liabilities
                        
Interest Bearing Deposits:
                        
Interest Bearing DDA
    
26
      
22
      
48
  
Savings and Money Market
    
84
      
20
      
104
  
Time Deposits
    
(44
)
    
(170
)
    
(214
)
Total Interest Bearing Deposits
    
66
      
(128
)
    
(62
)
Other Borrowed Funds
    
(12
)
    
1
      
(11
)
Subordinated Debt
    
-
      
(5
)
    
(5
)
Total Interest Bearing Liabilities
    
54
      
(132
)
    
(78
)
Total Change
  
$
9,551
    
$
(4,614
)
  
$
4,937
  
 
Notes:  Rate/volume variance is allocated based on the percentage relationship of changes in volume and changes in rate to the total "net change."  The above figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Volume and Rate Analysis of Net Interest Revenue

(Interest and Rates on a Taxable Equivalent Basis)
  
2013 versus 2012
  
(in thousands)
  
Amount of Increase
  
   
(Decrease) Due to Change in:
  
Interest Earning Assets
  
Volume
    
Rate
    
Net Chg.
  
Interest Bearing Deposits with Banks
  
$
(32
)
  
$
1
    
$
(31
)
                         
Investment Securities:
                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
    
(264
)
    
(57
)
    
(321
)
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
    
(92
)
    
(27
)
    
(119
)
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
(540
)
    
(525
)
    
(1,065
)
Other
    
422
      
(6
)
    
416
  
Total Investment Securities
    
(474
)
    
(615
)
    
(1,089
)
                         
Loans & Leases:
                        
Real Estate
    
5,554
      
(3,827
)
    
1,727
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
(463
)
    
(6
)
    
(469
)
Agricultural
    
197
      
(1,370
)
    
(1,173
)
Commercial
    
(640
)
    
(269
)
    
(909
)
Consumer
    
(67
)
    
(76
)
    
(143
)
Leases
    
91
      
-
      
91
  
Total Loans & Leases
    
4,672
      
(5,548
)
    
(876
)
Total Earning Assets
    
4,166
      
(6,162
)
    
(1,996
)
                         
Interest Bearing Liabilities
                        
Interest Bearing Deposits:
                        
Interest Bearing DDA
    
18
      
(66
)
    
(48
)
Savings and Money Market
    
83
      
(417
)
    
(334
)
Time Deposits
    
(221
)
    
(588
)
    
(809
)
Total Interest Bearing Deposits
    
(120
)
    
(1,071
)
    
(1,191
)
Securities Sold Under Agreement to Repurchase
    
(1,018
)
    
-
      
(1,018
)
Other Borrowed Funds
    
30
      
(50
)
    
(20
)
Subordinated Debt
    
-
      
(20
)
    
(20
)
Total Interest Bearing Liabilities
    
(1,108
)
    
(1,141
)
    
(2,249
)
Total Change
  
$
5,274
    
$
(5,021
)
  
$
253
  
 
Notes:  Rate/volume variance is allocated based on the percentage relationship of changes in volume and changes in rate to the total "net change."  The above figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
 
2014 Compared to 2013
Net interest income increased 6.9% to $78.7 million during 2014. On a fully tax equivalent basis, net interest income increased 6.6% and totaled $79.9 million during 2014 compared to $75.0 million for 2013. As more fully discussed below, the increase in net interest income was primarily due to an increase in average earning assets offset somewhat by a decrease in the net interest margin.

Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis, expressed as a percentage of average total earning assets, is referred to as the net interest margin. For 2014, the Company’s net interest margin was 4.00% compared to 4.11% in 2013. This decrease in net interest margin was due primarily to declining yields on earning assets that exceeded a corresponding drop in funding costs, offset somewhat by an increase in the mix of loans & leases as a percentage of total earning assets.

Average loans & leases totaled $1.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2014; an increase of $230.1 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2013. Loans & leases increased from 69.6% of average earning assets during 2013 to 75.1% in 2014. Because of the impact of decreases in market interest rates from mid-September 2007 through December 2008, and the continuing low rate environment since then, the year-to-date yield on the loan & lease portfolio declined to 4.76% for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to 5.11% for the year ended December 31, 2013. This lower yield partially offset the impact of an increase in average loan & lease balances but still resulted in interest revenue from loans & leases increasing 9.8% to $71.3 million for 2014. The Company has been experiencing aggressive competitor pricing for loans & leases to which it may need to continue to respond in order to retain key customers. This could place even greater negative pressure on future loan & lease yields and net interest margin.

The investment portfolio is the other main component of the Company’s earning assets. Historically, the Company invested primarily in: (1) mortgage-backed securities issued by government-sponsored entities; (2) debt securities issued by government agencies and government-sponsored entities; and (3) investment grade bank-qualified municipal bonds. However, during 2012, when loan demand lagged deposit growth, resulting in significant liquidity, the Company began to selectively add corporate securities (floating rate and fixed rate with maturities less than 5 years) to the portfolio in order to obtain yields that exceed government agency securities of equivalent maturity without subjecting the Company to the interest rate risk associated with mortgage-backed securities. Since the risk factor for these types of investments is generally lower than that of loans & leases, the yield earned on investments is generally less than that of loans & leases.

Average investment securities decreased $89.6 million in 2014 compared to the average balance during 2013. As a result, tax equivalent interest income on securities decreased $1.6 million to $11.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to $12.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The average yield, on a tax equivalent basis, in the investment portfolio was 2.60% in 2014 compared to 2.46% in 2013. This overall increase in yield was caused primarily by a decrease in the mix of corporate securities as a percentage of total securities and an increase in the yield on the Company’s mortgage-backed securities portfolio due to the sale of certain lower yielding MBS. See “Financial Condition – Investment Securities” for a discussion of the Company’s investment strategy in 2014. Net interest income on the Schedule of Year-to-Date Average Balances and Interest Rates is shown on a tax equivalent basis, which is higher than net interest income as reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Income because of adjustments that relate to income on securities that are exempt from federal income taxes.

Interest-bearing deposits with banks and overnight investments in Federal Funds Sold are additional earning assets available to the Company. Average interest-bearing deposits with banks consisted of FRB deposits. Balances with the FRB earn interest at the Fed Funds rate, which has been 0.25% since December 2008. Average interest-bearing deposits with banks for the year ended December 31, 2014, was $62.5 million, an increase of $31.7 million compared to the average balance for the year ended December 31, 2013. Interest income on interest-bearing deposits with banks for the year ended December 31, 2014, increased $79,000 to $158,000 from the year ended December 31, 2013.

Average interest-bearing liabilities increased $80.2 million or 6.2% during the twelve months ended December 31, 2014. Of that increase: (1) interest-bearing deposits increased $88.8 million; (2) FHLB Advances decreased $8.6 million; and (3) subordinated debt remained unchanged.
 
The $88.8 million increase in average interest-bearing deposits was primarily in lower cost interest-bearing DDA, and savings and money market deposits, which increased $102.5 million since 2013, as higher cost time deposits decreased by $13.6 million. See “Financial Condition – Deposits” for a discussion of trends in the Company’s deposit base. Total interest expense on deposits was $2.5 million for 2014 and 2013. The average rate paid on interest-bearing deposits was 0.18% in 2014 and 0.20% in 2013. Since most of the Company’s interest-bearing deposits are priced off of short-term market rates, the Company is benefiting from the impact of these lower market rates. See “Overview – Looking Forward: 2015 and Beyond” for a discussion of factors influencing the Company’s future deposit rates and their impact on net interest margin.

Section 627 of the Dodd-Frank Act repealed Regulation Q effective July 21, 2011, thereby eliminating the prohibition on the payment of interest on demand deposits. Given the historically low rate environment since then, this change has not had any material impact on the Company. However, when rates begin to rise this may impact the Company’s cost of deposits, particularly business checking accounts.

2013 Compared to 2012
Net interest income increased 0.4% to $73.6 million during 2013. On a fully tax equivalent basis, net interest income increased 0.3% and totaled $75.0 million during 2013 compared to $74.8 million for 2012. As more fully discussed below, the increase in net interest income was primarily due to an increase in average earning assets offset somewhat by a decrease in the net interest margin.

For 2013, the Company’s net interest margin was 4.11% compared to 4.23% in 2012. This decrease in net interest margin was due primarily to declining yields on earning assets that exceeded a corresponding drop in funding costs, offset somewhat by an increase in the mix of loans & leases as a percentage of total earning assets.

Average loans & leases totaled $1.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2013; an increase of $86.2 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2012. Loans & leases increased from 66.9% of average earning assets during 2012 to 69.6% in 2013. Because of the impact of decreases in market interest rates from mid-September 2007 through December 2008, and the continuing low rate environment since then, the year-to-date yield on the loan & lease portfolio declined to 5.11% for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared to 5.56% for the year ended December 31, 2012. This lower yield offset the impact of an increase in average loan & lease balances resulting in interest revenue from loans & leases decreasing 1.3% to $64.9 million for 2013.

Average investment securities decreased $17.2 million in 2013 compared to the average balance during 2012. As a result, tax equivalent interest income on securities decreased $1.1 million to $12.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared to $14.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The average yield, on a tax equivalent basis, in the investment portfolio was 2.46% in 2013 compared to 2.58% in 2012. This overall decrease in yield was caused primarily by a decrease in the mix of mortgage-backed securities as a percentage of total securities and a decline in the yield on the Company’s mortgage-backed securities portfolio due to a shift in mix from 30 year MBS to 10, 15 and 20 year MBS. Net interest income on the Schedule of Year-to-Date Average Balances and Interest Rates is shown on a tax equivalent basis, which is higher than net interest income as reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Income because of adjustments that relate to income on securities that are exempt from federal income taxes.

Average interest-bearing deposits with banks consisted of: (1) $611,000 in Community Reinvestment Act (‘CRA’) qualified CD’s with various banks; and (2) $30.1 million in FRB deposits. The average rate paid on CRA qualified CD’s for 2013 was 0.38% and balances with the FRB earn interest at the Fed Funds rate, which has been 0.25% since December 2008. Average interest-bearing deposits with banks for the year ended December 31, 2013, was $30.7 million, a decrease of $12.6 million compared to the average balance for the year ended December 31, 2012. Interest income on interest-bearing deposits with banks for the year ended December 31, 2013, decreased $31,000 to $79,000 from the year ended December 31, 2012.

Average interest-bearing liabilities decreased $6.7 million or 0.5% during the twelve months ended December 31, 2013. Of that decrease: (1) interest-bearing deposits increased $12.9 million; (2) FHLB Advances increased $8.6 million; and (3) securities sold under agreement to repurchase and subordinated debt decreased $28.2 million.
 
The $12.9 million increase in average interest-bearing deposits was primarily in lower cost interest-bearing DDA, and savings and money market deposits, which increased $64.7 million since 2012, as higher cost time deposits decreased by $51.7 million. See “Financial Condition – Deposits” for a discussion of trends in the Company’s deposit base. Total interest expense on deposits was $2.5 million for 2013 as compared to $3.7 million for 2012. The average rate paid on interest-bearing deposits was 0.20% in 2013 and 0.29% in 2012. Since most of the Company’s interest-bearing deposits are priced off of short-term market rates, the Company is benefiting from the impact of these lower market rates.

Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses
As a financial institution that assumes lending and credit risks as a principal element of its business, credit losses will be experienced in the normal course of business. The Company has established credit management policies and procedures that govern both the approval of new loans & leases and the monitoring of the existing portfolio. The Company manages and controls credit risk through comprehensive underwriting and approval standards, dollar limits on loans & leases to one borrower (the term “borrower” is used herein to describe a customer who has entered into either a loan or lease transaction), and by restricting loans & leases made primarily to its principal market area where management believes it is best able to assess the applicable risk. Additionally, management has established guidelines to ensure the diversification of the Company’s credit portfolio such that even within key portfolio sectors such as real estate or agriculture, the portfolio is diversified across factors such as location, building type, crop type, etc. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk – Credit Risk.” Management reports regularly to the Board of Directors regarding trends and conditions in the loan & lease portfolio and regularly conducts credit reviews of individual loans & leases. Loans & leases that are performing but have shown some signs of weakness are subject to more stringent reporting and oversight.

Allowance for Credit Losses
The allowance for credit losses is an estimate of probable incurred credit losses inherent in the Company's loan & lease portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The allowance is established through a provision for credit losses, which is charged to expense. Additions to the allowance are expected to maintain the adequacy of the total allowance after credit losses and loan & lease growth. Credit exposures determined to be uncollectible are charged against the allowance. Cash received on previously charged off amounts is recorded as a recovery to the allowance. The overall allowance consists of three primary components: specific reserves related to impaired loans & leases; general reserves for inherent losses related to loans & leases that are not impaired; and an unallocated component that takes into account the imprecision in estimating and allocating allowance balances associated with macro factors.

A loan or lease is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due, including principal and interest, according to the contractual terms of the original agreement. Loans & leases determined to be impaired are individually evaluated for impairment. When a loan or lease is impaired, the Company measures impairment based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s or lease's effective interest rate, except that as a practical expedient, it may measure impairment based on a loan’s or lease's observable market price, or the fair value of the collateral if the loan or lease is collateral dependent. A loan or lease is collateral dependent if the repayment of the loan or lease is expected to be provided solely by the underlying collateral.

A restructuring of a loan or lease constitutes a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) under ASC 310-40, if the Company for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower's financial difficulties grants a concession to the borrower that it would not otherwise consider. Restructured loans or leases typically present an elevated level of credit risk as the borrowers are not able to perform according to the original contractual terms. If the restructured loan or lease was current on all payments at the time of restructure and management reasonably expects the borrower will continue to perform after the restructure, management may keep the loan or lease on accrual. Loans & leases that are on nonaccrual status at the time they become TDR, remain on nonaccrual status until the borrower demonstrates a sustained period of performance, which the Company generally believes to be six consecutive months of payments, or equivalent. A loan or lease can be removed from TDR status if it was restructured at a market rate in a prior calendar year and is currently in compliance with its modified terms. However, these loans or leases continue to be classified as impaired and are individually evaluated for impairment.

The determination of the general reserve for loans or leases that are collectively evaluated for impairment is based on estimates made by management, to include, but not limited to, consideration of historical losses by portfolio segment, internal asset classifications, and qualitative factors that include economic trends in the Company's service areas, industry experience and trends, geographic concentrations, estimated collateral values, the Company's underwriting policies, the character of the loan & lease portfolio, and probable losses inherent in the portfolio taken as a whole.
 
The Company maintains a separate allowance for each portfolio segment (loan & lease type). These portfolio segments include: (1) commercial real estate; (2) agricultural real estate; (3) real estate construction (including land and development loans); (4) residential 1st mortgages; (5) home equity lines and loans; (6) agricultural; (7) commercial; (8) consumer & other; and (9) equipment leases. See “Financial Condition – Loans & Leases” for examples of loans & leases made by the Company. The allowance for credit losses attributable to each portfolio segment, which includes both impaired loans & leases and loans & leases that are not impaired, is combined to determine the Company's overall allowance, which is included on the consolidated balance sheet.

The Company assigns a risk rating to all loans & leases and periodically performs detailed reviews of all such loans & leases over a certain threshold to identify credit risks and assess overall collectability. For smaller balance loans & leases, such as consumer and residential real estate, a credit grade is established at inception, and then updated only when the loan or lease becomes contractually delinquent or when the borrower requests a modification. For larger balance loans, management monitors and analyzes the financial condition of borrowers and guarantors, trends in the industries in which borrowers operate and the fair values of collateral securing these loans & leases. These credit quality indicators are used to assign a risk rating to each individual loan or lease. These risk ratings are also subject to examination by independent specialists engaged by the Company. The risk ratings can be grouped into five major categories, defined as follows:

Pass – A pass loan or lease is a strong credit with no existing or known potential weaknesses deserving of management's close attention.

Special Mention – A special mention loan or lease has potential weaknesses that deserve management's close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or lease position at some future date. Special mention loans & leases are not adversely classified and do not expose the Company to sufficient risk to warrant adverse classification.

Substandard – A substandard loan or lease is not adequately protected by the current financial condition and paying capacity of the borrower or the value of the collateral pledged, if any. Loans or leases classified as substandard have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the debt. Well-defined weaknesses include a project's lack of marketability, inadequate cash flow or collateral support, failure to complete construction on time or the project's failure to fulfill economic expectations. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that the Company will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.

Doubtful – Loans or leases classified doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as substandard with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, based on currently known facts, conditions and values, highly questionable or improbable.

Loss – Loans or leases classified as loss are considered uncollectible. Once a loan or lease becomes delinquent and repayment becomes questionable, the Company will address collateral shortfalls with the borrower and attempt to obtain additional collateral. If this is not forthcoming and payment in full is unlikely, the Bank will estimate its probable loss and immediately charge-off some or all of the balance.

The general reserve component of the allowance for credit losses also consists of reserve factors that are based on management's assessment of the following for each portfolio segment: (1) inherent credit risk; (2) historical losses; and (3) other qualitative factors. These reserve factors are inherently subjective and are driven by the repayment risk associated with each portfolio segment described below:

Commercial Real Estate – Commercial real estate mortgage loans are generally considered to possess a higher inherent risk of loss than the Company’s commercial, agricultural and consumer loan types. Adverse economic developments or an overbuilt market impact commercial real estate projects and may result in troubled loans. Trends in vacancy rates of commercial properties impact the credit quality of these loans. High vacancy rates reduce operating revenues and the ability for properties to produce sufficient cash flow to service debt obligations.
 
Real Estate Construction – Real estate construction loans, including land loans, are generally considered to possess a higher inherent risk of loss than the Company’s commercial, agricultural and consumer loan types. A major risk arises from the necessity to complete projects within specified cost and time lines. Trends in the construction industry significantly impact the credit quality of these loans, as demand drives construction activity. In addition, trends in real estate values significantly impact the credit quality of these loans, as property values determine the economic viability of construction projects.

Commercial – These loans are generally considered to possess a moderate inherent risk of loss because they are shorter-term; typically made to relationship customers; generally underwritten to existing cash flows of operating businesses; and may be collateralized by fixed assets, inventory and/or accounts receivable. Debt coverage is provided by business cash flows and economic trends influenced by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans.

Agricultural Real Estate and Agricultural – These loans are generally considered to possess a moderate inherent risk of loss since they are typically made to relationship customers and are secured by crop production, livestock and related real estate.  These loans are vulnerable to two risk factors that are largely outside the control of Company and borrowers: commodity prices and weather conditions.

Leases – Equipment leases are generally considered to possess a moderate inherent risk of loss. As Lessor, the company is subject to both the credit risk of the borrower and the residual value risk of the equipment. Credit risks are underwritten using the same credit criteria the Company would use when making an equipment term loan. Residual value risk is managed through the use of qualified, independent appraisers that establish the residual values the Company uses in structuring a lease.

Residential 1st Mortgages and Home Equity Lines and Loans – These loans are generally considered to possess a low inherent risk of loss, although this is not always true as evidenced by the weakness in residential real estate values over the past five years. The degree of risk in residential real estate lending depends primarily on the loan amount in relation to collateral value, the interest rate and the borrower's ability to repay in an orderly fashion.  Economic trends determined by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans. Weak economic trends indicate that the borrowers' capacity to repay their obligations may be deteriorating.

Consumer & Other – A consumer installment loan portfolio is usually comprised of a large number of small loans scheduled to be amortized over a specific period. Most installment loans are made for consumer purchases. Economic trends determined by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans. Weak economic trends indicate that the borrowers' capacity to repay their obligations may be deteriorating.

In addition, the Company's and Bank's regulators, including the FRB, DBO and FDIC, as an integral part of their examination process, review the adequacy of the allowance. These regulatory agencies may require additions to the allowance based on their judgment about information available at the time of their examinations.

Provision for Credit Losses
Changes in the provision for credit losses between years are the result of management’s evaluation, based upon information currently available, of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses relative to factors such as the credit quality of the loan & lease portfolio, loan & lease growth, current credit losses, and the prevailing economic climate and its effect on borrowers’ ability to repay loans & leases in accordance with the terms of the notes.

The Central Valley of California was one of the hardest hit areas in the country during the recession. In many areas, housing prices declined as much as 60% and unemployment reached 15% or more. Although the economy has stabilized throughout most of the Central Valley, housing prices for the most part have not recovered significantly and unemployment levels remain well above those in other areas of the state and country. While, in management’s opinion, the Company’s levels of net charge-offs and non-performing assets as of December 31, 2014, compare very favorably to our peers at the present time, carefully managing credit risk remains a key focus of the Company.
 
The state of California has experienced drought conditions during much of 2013 and 2014. Importantly, most of the Company’s agricultural customers have access to their own ground water supplies and, therefore, are not as dependent on the delivery of surface water as growers in other parts of California. Although Management continues to believe that current conditions will not have a material impact on credit quality during 2015, the lack of rain will have a continuing adverse impact on our agricultural customers’ operating costs, crop yields and crop quality. The longer the drought continues, the more significant this impact will become, particularly if ground water levels reach critical stage.

The provision for credit losses totaled $1.2 million in 2014 compared to $425,000 in 2013 and $1.9 million in 2012. Net charge-offs during 2014 were $48,000 compared to $368,000 in 2013 and $650,000 in 2012. Net charge-offs represented 0.0% of average loans & leases during 2014, a level that in management’s opinion compares very favorably to the Company’s peers at the present time. The increase in the provision over the past year reflects the growth that occurred in the loan portfolio during 2014. See “Overview – Looking Forward: 2015 and Beyond,” “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates – Allowance for Credit Losses” and “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk-Credit Risk.”
 
The following tables summarize the activity and the allocation of the allowance for credit losses for the years indicated. (in thousands)

   
2014
    
2013
    
2012
    
2011
    
2010
  
Allowance for Credit Losses Beginning of Year
  
$
34,274
    
$
34,217
    
$
33,017
    
$
32,261
    
$
29,813
  
Provision Charged to Expense
    
1,175
      
425
      
1,850
      
6,775
      
14,735
  
Charge-Offs:
                                        
Commercial Real Estate
    
-
      
6
      
-
      
25
      
1,629
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
575
      
-
      
384
      
559
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
4,095
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
73
      
16
      
152
      
449
      
759
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
70
      
91
      
259
      
751
      
310
  
Agricultural
    
-
      
23
      
294
      
3,559
      
916
  
Commercial
    
1
      
60
      
198
      
788
      
4,143
  
Consumer & Other
    
132
      
120
      
145
      
190
      
112
  
Total Charge-Offs
    
276
      
891
      
1,048
      
6,146
      
12,523
  
Recoveries:
                                        
Commercial Real Estate
    
11
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
90
      
18
      
2
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
-
      
-
      
53
      
4
      
7
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
58
      
115
      
14
      
13
      
-
  
Agricultural
    
8
      
42
      
61
      
10
      
68
  
Commercial
    
86
      
312
      
117
      
21
      
92
  
Consumer & Other
    
65
      
54
      
63
      
61
      
67
  
Total Recoveries
    
228
      
523
      
398
      
127
      
236
  
Net Charge-Offs
    
(48
)
    
(368
)
    
(650
)
    
(6,019
)
    
(12,287
)
Total Allowance for Credit Losses
  
$
35,401
    
$
34,274
    
$
34,217
    
$
33,017
    
$
32,261
  
Ratios:
                                        
Allowance for Credit Losses to:
                                        
Total Loans & Leases at Year End
    
2.06
%
    
2.46
%
    
2.74
%
    
2.83
%
    
2.74
%
Average Loans & Leases
    
2.36
%
    
2.70
%
    
2.89
%
    
2.82
%
    
2.73
%
Consolidated Net Charge-Offs to:
                                        
Total Loans & Leases at Year End
    
0.00
%
    
0.03
%
    
0.05
%
    
0.52
%
    
1.04
%
Average Loans & Leases
    
0.00
%
    
0.03
%
    
0.05
%
    
0.51
%
    
1.04
%

The table below breaks out year-to-date activity by portfolio segment (in thousands):
 
December 31, 2014
  
Commercial Real Estate
    
Agricultural Real Estate
    
Real Estate Construction
    
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
Home Equity Lines & Loans
    
Agricultural
    
Commercial
    
Consumer & Other
    
Leases
    
Unallocated
    
Total
  
                                             
Year-To-Date Allowance for Credit Losses:
                                          
Beginning Balance- January 1, 2014
  
$
5,178
    
$
3,576
    
$
654
    
$
1,108
    
$
2,767
    
$
12,205
    
$
5,697
    
$
176
    
$
639
    
$
2,274
    
$
34,274
  
Charge-Offs
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
(73
)
    
(70
)
    
-
      
(1
)
    
(132
)
    
-
      
-
      
(276
)
Recoveries
    
11
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
58
      
8
      
86
      
65
      
-
      
-
      
228
  
Provision
    
2,653
      
609
      
1,015
      
(13
)
    
(329
)
    
(6,109
)
    
2,413
      
109
      
1,572
      
(745
)
    
1,175
  
Ending Balance- December 31, 2014
  
$
7,842
    
$
4,185
    
$
1,669
    
$
1,022
    
$
2,426
    
$
6,104
    
$
8,195
    
$
218
    
$
2,211
    
$
1,529
    
$
35,401
  
 
Overall, the Allowance for Credit Losses as of December 31, 2014 increased $1.1 million from December 31, 2013. The allowance allocated to the following categories of loans changed as follows during the twelve months ended December 31, 2014:
 
· Commercial Real Estate, Agricultural Real Estate, Real Estate Construction, Commercial and Lease allowance  balances increased, primarily as a result of increased loan and lease balances.

· Agricultural allowance balances decreased $6.1 million, primarily due to the impact on reserve factors of an improvement in the overall credit quality of the portfolio during the past three years.

· Unallocated allowance balances decreased $745,000 due to the imprecision in estimating and allocating allowance balances associated with macro factors such as: (1) the continuing sluggish economic conditions in the Central Valley (see Item 1A. Risk Factors – Risks Associated With Our Business - Continuing Difficult Economic Conditions In Our Service Areas Could Adversely Affect Our Operations And/Or Cause Us To Sustain Losses); and (2) the long term impact of drought conditions currently being experienced in California (see Item 1A. Risk Factors – Risks Associated With Our Business -  Our Financial Results Can Be Impacted By The Cyclicality and Seasonality Of Our Agricultural Business And The Risks Related Thereto).

   
Allowance Allocation at December 31,
  
(in thousands)
  
2014 Amount
    
Percent of
Loans in Each
Category to
Total Loans
    
2013 Amount
    
Percent of
Loans in Each
Category to
Total Loans
    
2012 Amount
    
Percent of
Loans in Each
Category to
Total Loans
    
2011 Amount
    
Percent of
Loans in Each
Category to
Total Loans
    
2010 Amount
    
Percent of
Loans in Each
Category to
Total Loans
  
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
7,842
      
28.9
%
  
$
5,178
      
29.5
%
  
$
6,464
      
28.2
%
  
$
5,823
      
26.4
%
  
$
7,631
      
27.0
%
Agricultural Real Estate
    
4,185
      
20.8
%
    
3,576
      
23.6
%
    
2,877
      
25.0
%
    
2,583
      
24.0
%
    
1,539
      
21.6
%
Real Estate Construction
    
1,669
      
5.6
%
    
654
      
3.0
%
    
986
      
2.6
%
    
1,933
      
2.5
%
    
2,160
      
3.2
%
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
1,022
      
10.0
%
    
1,108
      
10.9
%
    
1,219
      
11.2
%
    
1,251
      
9.2
%
    
1,164
      
8.8
%
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
2,426
      
1.9
%
    
2,767
      
2.5
%
    
3,235
      
3.4
%
    
3,746
      
4.4
%
    
3,724
      
5.0
%
Agricultural
    
6,104
      
16.4
%
    
12,205
      
18.4
%
    
10,437
      
17.7
%
    
8,127
      
18.6
%
    
6,733
      
19.6
%
Commercial
    
8,195
      
13.5
%
    
5,697
      
10.8
%
    
7,963
      
11.5
%
    
8,733
      
14.2
%
    
9,084
      
14.0
%
Consumer & Other
    
218
      
0.3
%
    
176
      
0.4
%
    
182
      
0.4
%
    
207
      
0.7
%
    
216
      
0.8
%
Leases
    
2,211
      
2.6
%
    
639
      
0.9
%
    
-
      
0.0
%
    
-
      
0.0
%
    
-
      
0.0
%
Unallocated
    
1,529
              
2,274
              
854
              
614
              
10
          
Total
  
$
35,401
      
100.0
%
  
$
34,274
      
100.0
%
  
$
34,217
      
100.0
%
  
$
33,017
      
100.0
%
  
$
32,261
      
100.0
%

As of December 31, 2014, the allowance for credit losses was $35.4 million, which represented 2.06% of the total loan & lease balance. At December 31, 2013, the allowance for credit losses was $34.3 million or 2.46% of the total loan & lease balance. After reviewing all factors above, based upon information currently available, management concluded that the allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2014, was adequate.

Non-Interest Income
Non-interest income includes: (1) service charges and fees from deposit accounts; (2) net gains and losses from investment securities; (3) increases in the cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance; (4) debit card and ATM fees; (5) net gains and losses on non-qualified deferred compensation plan investments; and (6) fees from other miscellaneous business services. See “Overview – Looking Forward: 2015 and Beyond.”

2014 Compared to 2013
Non‑interest income totaled $14.3 million, a decrease of $1.6 million or 10.1% from non-interest income of $15.9 million for 2013.

Service charges on deposit accounts totaled $3.9 million, a decrease of $427,000 or 9.8% from service charges on deposit accounts of $4.4 million in 2013. This was due primarily to a decrease in fees related to the Company’s Overdraft Privilege Service.

Net gain on investment securities was $90,000 in 2014 compared to a net loss of $229,000 for 2013. See “Financial Condition-Investment Securities” for a discussion of the Company’s investment strategy.
 
Net gains on deferred compensation investments were $2.1 million in 2014 compared to net gains of $3.4 million in 2013. See Note 16, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for a description of these plans. Balances in non-qualified deferred compensation plans may be invested in financial instruments whose market value fluctuates based upon trends in interest rates and stock prices. Although Generally Accepted Accounting Principles require these investment gains/losses be recorded in non-interest income, an offsetting entry is also required to be made to non-interest expense resulting in no effect on the Company’s net income.

Other non-interest income was $3.2 million, a decrease of $306,000 or 8.9% over 2013. This decrease was primarily due to the gain on sale of our Modesto Village branch building in the amount of $706,000, which took place in 2013. The absence of this gain in 2014 was partially offset by a $483,000 gain on the early termination of a lease agreement.

2013 Compared to 2012
Non‑interest income totaled $15.9 million, an increase of $1.8 million or 13.0% from non-interest income of $14.1 million for 2012.

Service charges on deposit accounts totaled $4.4 million, a decrease of $541,000 or 11.1% from service charges on deposit accounts of $4.9 million in 2012. This was due primarily to a decrease in fees related to the Company’s Overdraft Privilege Service.

Net loss on investment securities was $229,000 in 2013 compared to a net gain of $158,000 for 2012.

Debit Card and ATM fees totaled $3.1 million, an increase of $131,000 or 4.5% over fees in 2012. These are: (1) fees paid to the Company by card associations and networks (such as Visa, Pulse, etc. when the Company’s cardholders (ATM Card or Debit Card) use their cards to complete transactions; (2) fees earned by the Company when non-customers use our ATM’s; and (3) monthly transaction fees paid by our customers.

Net gains on deferred compensation investments were $3.4 million in 2013 compared to net gains of $1.7 million in 2012.

Other non-interest income was $3.5 million, an increase of $925,000 or 35.6% over 2012. This increase was primarily due to: (1) the gain on sale of our Modesto Village branch building in the amount of $706,000; and (2) an increase of $227,000 in FHLB cash dividends.

Non-Interest Expense
Non-interest expense for the Company includes expenses for: (1) salaries and employee benefits; (2) net gains and losses on non-qualified deferred compensation plan investments; (3) occupancy; (4) equipment; (5) supplies; (6) legal fees; (7) professional services; (8) data processing; (9) marketing; (10) deposit insurance; and (11) other miscellaneous expenses.

2014 Compared to 2013
Overall, non-interest expense totaled $51.4 million, an increase of $496,000 or 1.0% for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Salaries and employee benefits increased $2.8 million or 8.3% primarily related to: (1) new staff added for the then loan production offices in Walnut Creek and Irvine; (2) bank wide raises; and (3) increased medical insurance premiums.

Net Gains on deferred compensation investments were $2.1 million in 2014 compared to net gains of $3.4 million in 2013. See Note 16, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for a description of these plans. Balances in non-qualified deferred compensation plans may be invested in financial instruments whose market value fluctuates based upon trends in interest rates and stock prices. Although Generally Accepted Accounting Principles require these investment gains/losses be recorded in non-interest expense, an offsetting entry is also required to be made to non-interest income resulting in no effect on the Company’s net income.
 
Occupancy expense in 2014 totaled $2.7 million, an increase of $177,000 or 7.0% from 2013. This increase is primarily due to lease payments related to our two new branches in Irvine and Walnut Creek, CA.

Legal fee expense decreased $441,000 or 77.5% from 2013. This decrease is primarily related to reimbursement of certain prior years’ legal fees by the Company’s insurance company.

Other non-interest expense decreased $869,000, or 12.4%, to $6.1 million in 2014 compared to $7.0 million in 2013, primarily due to a $681,000 drop in operating losses.

2013 Compared to 2012
Overall, non-interest expense totaled $50.9 million, an increase of $2.6 million or 5.4% for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Salaries and employee benefits increased $2.0 million or 6.4% primarily related to: (1) new staff added for the LPO’s in Walnut Creek and Irvine; (2) bank wide raises; and (3) increased medical insurance premiums.

Net Gains on deferred compensation investments were $3.4 million in 2013 compared to net gains of $1.7 million in 2012.

Equipment expense in 2013 totaled $2.8 million, a decrease of $345,000 or 11.0% from 2012. This decrease is primarily due to reduced software maintenance contracts and Americans with Disabilities Act (‘ADA’) upgrades to all of our ATM machines that took place in 2012.

ORE holding costs in 2013 totaled $91,000, a decrease of $31,000 or 25.4% as compared to $122,000 in 2012. This decrease is primarily due to a decrease in the number of ORE properties the Company owns and stabilization of real estate values.

The Company’s total FDIC insurance costs increased $13,000 in 2013 to $981,000, a 1.3% increase from $968,000 in 2012.

Legal fee expense decreased $470,000 or 45.2% from 2012. This decrease is primarily related to the decline in the level of the Company’s problem loans.

On June 21, 2012, the Company terminated repurchase agreements with Citigroup resulting in an early termination fee totaling $1.7 million. The Company determined that the time was appropriate to replace these relatively “high-cost” borrowings with short-term FHLB advances at substantially lower rates.

Other non-interest expense increased $1.4 million, or 25.0%, to $7.0 million in 2013 compared to $5.6 million in 2012. During 2013, the Company incurred increased expenses related to employee training, ATM/Debit card activities, consulting services and customer operating losses.

Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes increased $873,000 during 2014. The effective tax rate in 2014 was 37.3% compared to 37.2% in 2013 and 37.5% in 2012. The effective rates were lower than the statutory rate of 42% due primarily to benefits regarding the cash surrender value of life insurance, California enterprise zone interest income exclusion, and tax-exempt interest income on municipal securities and loans.

Current tax law causes the Company’s current taxes payable to approximate or exceed the current provision for taxes on the income statement. Three provisions have had a significant effect on the Company’s current income tax liability: (1) the restrictions on the deductibility of credit losses; (2) deductibility of pension and other long-term employee benefits only when paid; and (3) the statutory deferral of deductibility of California franchise taxes on the Company’s federal return.
 
Financial Condition

Investment Securities and Federal Funds Sold
The investment portfolio provides the Company with an income alternative to loans & leases. The debt securities in the Company’s investment portfolio have historically been comprised primarily of: (1) mortgage-backed securities issued by federal government-sponsored entities; (2) debt securities issued by government agencies and government-sponsored entities; and (3) investment grade bank-qualified municipal bonds. However, during 2012, when loan demand lagged deposit growth resulting in significant liquidity, the Company began to selectively add investment grade corporate securities (floating rate and fixed rate with maturities less than 5 years) to the portfolio in order to obtain yields that exceed government agency securities of equivalent maturity without subjecting the Company to the interest rate risk associated with mortgage-backed securities. This portfolio of corporate securities was sold during the 3rd quarter of 2014 in order to fund the Company’s increase in loan balances.

The Company’s investment portfolio at December 31, 2014 was $430.4 million compared to $473.1 million at December 31, 2013, a decrease of $42.7 million or 9.0%. To protect against future increases in market interest rates, while at the same time generating some reasonable level of current yields, the Company has invested most of its available funds in either shorter term government agency & government-sponsored entity securities and shorter term (10, 15, and 20 year) mortgage-backed securities.

The Company's total investment portfolio currently represents 18.2% of the Company’s total assets as compared to 22.8% at December 31, 2013.

As of December 31, 2014 the Company held $61.7 million of municipal investments, of which $48.3 million were bank-qualified municipal bonds, all classified as held-to-maturity (“HTM”). The continuing financial problems being experienced by certain municipalities, along with the financial stresses exhibited by some of the large monoline bond insurers, has increased the overall risk associated with bank-qualified municipal bonds. This situation caused the Company not to purchase any municipal bonds between late 2006 and year-end 2011. However, during the first quarter of 2012 the Company began investing in bank-qualified municipals that were rated AA or better. In order to comply with Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Company performs its own credit analysis on new purchases of municipal bonds. As of December 31, 2014, ninety-seven percent of the Company’s bank-qualified municipal bond portfolio is rated at either the issue or issuer level, and all of these ratings are “investment grade.” The Company monitors the status of all municipal investments with particular attention paid to the approximately three percent ($1.4 million) of the portfolio that is not rated, and at the current time does not believe any of them to be exhibiting financial problems that could result in a loss in any individual security. In June 2014, the Company sold $375,000 of municipal bonds from a single issuer. The Company took this action under the provisions of ASC 320-10-25-6(a), which allow for the sale of HTM securities where there is “evidence of a significant deterioration in the issuer’s creditworthiness.”

Not included in the investment portfolio are interest bearing deposits with banks and overnight investments in Federal Funds Sold. Interest bearing deposits with banks consist of FRB deposits. The FRB currently pays interest on the deposits that banks maintain in their FRB accounts, whereas historically banks had to sell these Federal Funds to other banks in order to earn interest. Since balances at the FRB are effectively risk free, the Company elected to maintain its excess cash at the FRB. Interest bearing deposits with banks totaled $34.8 million at December 31, 2014 and $42.7 million at December 31, 2013.

The Company classifies its investments as held-to-maturity, trading, or available-for-sale (“AFS”). Securities are classified as held-to-maturity and are carried at amortized cost when the Company has the intent and ability to hold the securities to maturity. Trading securities are securities acquired for short-term appreciation and are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded in non-interest income. As of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, there were no securities in the trading portfolio. Securities classified as available-for-sale include securities, which may be sold to effectively manage interest rate risk exposure, prepayment risk, satisfy liquidity demands and other factors. These securities are reported at fair value with aggregate, unrealized gains or losses excluded from income and included as a separate component of shareholders’ equity, net of related income taxes.
 
Investment Portfolio
The following table summarizes the balances and distributions of the investment securities held on the dates indicated.

   
Available
for Sale
    
Held to
Maturity
    
Available
for Sale
    
Held to
Maturity
    
Available
for Sale
    
Held to
Maturity
  
December 31:  (in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Government Agency & Government Sponsored Entities
  
$
78,109
    
$
-
    
$
28,436
    
$
-
    
$
26,823
    
$
-
  
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
    
-
      
61,716
      
-
      
65,685
      
5,665
      
65,694
  
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
287,948
      
-
      
324,929
      
45
      
352,772
      
484
  
Corporate Securities
    
-
      
-
      
49,380
      
-
      
22,558
      
-
  
Other
    
485
      
2,147
      
1,894
      
2,775
      
10,173
      
2,214
  
Total Book Value
  
$
366,542
    
$
63,863
    
$
404,639
    
$
68,505
    
$
417,991
    
$
68,392
  
Fair Value
  
$
366,542
    
$
64,635
    
$
404,639
    
$
68,689
    
$
417,991
    
$
70,697
  

Analysis of Investment Securities Available-for-Sale
The following table is a summary of the relative maturities and yields of the Company's investment securities Available-for-Sale as of December 31, 2014. Non-taxable Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions have been calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis.

December 31, 2014 (in thousands)
  
Fair
Value
    
Average
Yield
  
Government Agency & Government Sponsored Entities
        
One year or less
  
$
76,985
      
0.18
%
After one year through five years
    
1,124
      
2.82
%
Total Government Agency & Government Sponsored Entities
    
78,109
      
0.22
%
Other
                
One year or less
    
485
      
0.68
%
Total Other Securities
    
485
      
0.68
%
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
287,948
      
2.26
%
Total Investment Securities Available-for-Sale
  
$
366,542
      
1.82
%

Note:  The average yield for floating rate securities is calculated using the current stated yield.

Analysis of Investment Securities Held-to-Maturity
The following table is a summary of the relative maturities and yields of the Company's investment securities Held-to-Maturity as of December 31, 2014. Non-taxable Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions have been calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis.

December 31, 2014 (in thousands)
  
Book
Value
    
Average
Yield
  
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
        
One year or less
  
$
600
      
5.35
%
After one year through five years
    
16,426
      
6.20
%
After five years through ten years
    
9,845
      
5.00
%
After ten years
    
34,845
      
4.83
%
Total Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - Non-Taxable
    
61,716
      
5.23
%
Other
                
After one year through five years
    
2,147
      
0.57
%
Total Other Securities
    
2,147
      
0.27
%
Total Investment Securities Held-to-Maturity
  
$
63,863
      
5.06
%
 
Loans & Leases
 
Loans & Leases can be categorized by borrowing purpose and use of funds. Common examples of loans & leases made by the Company include:
 
Commercial and Agricultural Real Estate - These are loans secured by farmland, commercial real estate, multifamily residential properties, and other non-farm, non-residential properties within our market area. Commercial mortgage term loans can be made if the property is either income producing or scheduled to become income producing based upon acceptable pre-leasing, and the income will be the Bank's primary source of repayment for the loan. Loans are made both on owner occupied and investor properties; generally do not exceed 15 years (and may have pricing adjustments on a shorter timeframe); have debt service coverage ratios of 1.00 or better with a target of greater than 1.20; and fixed rates that are most often tied to treasury indices with an appropriate spread based on the amount of perceived risk in the loan.

Real Estate Construction - These are loans for development and construction (the Company generally requires the borrower to fund the land acquisition) and are secured by commercial or residential real estate. These loans are generally made only to experienced local developers with whom the Bank has a successful track record; for projects in our service area; with Loan To Value (LTV) below 75%; and where the property can be developed and sold within 2 years. Commercial construction loans are made only when there is a written take-out commitment from the Bank or an acceptable financial institution or government agency. Most acquisition, development and construction loans are tied to the prime rate with an appropriate spread based on the amount of perceived risk in the loan.

Residential 1st Mortgages - These are loans primarily made on owner occupied residences; generally underwritten to income and LTV guidelines similar to those used by FNMA and FHLMC; however, we will make loans on rural residential properties up to 20 acres. Most residential loans have terms from ten to twenty years and carry fixed rates priced off of treasury rates. The Company has always underwritten mortgage loans based upon traditional underwriting criteria and does not make loans that are known in the industry as “subprime,” “no or low doc,” or “stated income.”

Home Equity Lines and Loans - These are loans made to individuals for home improvements and other personal needs. Generally, amounts do not exceed $250,000; Combined Loan To Value (CLTV) does not exceed 80%; FICO scores are at or above 670; Total Debt Ratios do not exceed 43%; and in some situations the Company is in a 1st lien position.

Agricultural - These are loans and lines of credit made to farmers to finance agricultural production. Lines of credit are extended to finance the seasonal needs of farmers during peak growing periods; are usually established for periods no longer than 12 to 24 months; are often secured by general filing liens on livestock, crops, crop proceeds and equipment; and are most often tied to the prime rate with an appropriate spread based on the amount of perceived risk in the loan. Term loans are primarily made for the financing of equipment, expansion or modernization of a processing plant, or orchard/vineyard development; have maturities from five to seven years; and fixed rates that are most often tied to treasury indices with an appropriate spread based on the amount of perceived risk in the loan.

Commercial - These are loans and lines of credit to businesses that are sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLC’s and corporations. Lines of credit are extended to finance the seasonal working capital needs of customers during peak business periods; are usually established for periods no longer than 12 to 24 months; are often secured by general filing liens on accounts receivable, inventory and equipment; and are most often tied to the prime rate with an appropriate spread based on the amount of perceived risk in the loan. Term loans are primarily made for the financing of equipment, expansion or modernization of a plant or purchase of a business; have maturities from five to seven years; and fixed rates that are most often tied to treasury indices with an appropriate spread based on the amount of perceived risk in the loan.

Consumer - These are loans to individuals for personal use, and primarily include loans to purchase automobiles or recreational vehicles, and unsecured lines of credit. The Company has a very minimal consumer loan portfolio, and loans are primarily made as an accommodation to deposit customers.
 
Leases –These are leases to businesses or individuals, for the purpose of financing the acquisition of equipment.  They can be either “finance leases” where the lessee retains the tax benefits of ownership but obtains 100% financing on their equipment purchases; or “true tax leases” where the Company, as lessor, places reliance on equipment residual value and in doing so obtains the tax benefits of ownership. Leases typically have a maturity of three to ten years, and fixed rates that are most often tied to treasury indices with an appropriate spread based on the amount of perceived risk. Credit risks are underwritten using the same credit criteria the Company would use when making an equipment term loan. Residual value risk is managed through the use of qualified, independent appraisers that establish the residual values the Company uses in structuring a lease.

The Company accounts for leases with Investment Tax Credits (ITC) under the deferred method as established in Accounting Standard Codification (ASC) 740-10. ITC are viewed and accounted for as a reduction of the cost of the related assets and presented as deferred income on the Company’s financial statement.

See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk-Credit Risk” for a discussion about the credit risks the Company assumes and its overall credit risk management practices.

Each loan or lease type involves risks specific to the: (1) borrower; (2) collateral; and (3) loan & lease structure. See “Results of Operations - Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses” for a more detailed discussion of risks by loan & lease type. The Company’s current underwriting policies and standards are designed to mitigate the risks involved in each loan & lease type. The Company’s policies require that loans & leases are approved only to those borrowers exhibiting a clear source of repayment and the ability to service existing and proposed debt. The Company’s underwriting procedures for all loan & lease types require careful consideration of the borrower, the borrower’s financial condition, the borrower’s management capability, the borrower’s industry, and the economic environment affecting the loan or lease.

Most loans & leases made by the Company are secured, but collateral is the secondary or tertiary source of repayment; cash flow is our primary source of repayment. The quality and liquidity of collateral are important and must be confirmed before the loan is made.

In order to be responsive to borrower needs, the Company prices loans & leases: (1) on both a fixed rate and adjustable rate basis; (2) over different terms; and (3) based upon different rate indices; as long as these structures are consistent with the Company’s interest rate risk management policies and procedures. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk-Interest Rate Risk.”

Overall, the Company's loan & lease portfolio at December 31, 2014, increased $324.0 million or 23.3% from December 31, 2013. This increase has occurred despite the continuing sluggish economic conditions in the Central Valley of California and is a result of: (1) the Company’s intensified business development efforts directed toward credit-qualified borrowers; (2) entry into the equipment leasing business; and (3) expansion of our service area into Walnut Creek and Irvine. No assurances can be made that this growth in the loan & lease portfolio will continue.
 
The following table sets forth the distribution of the loan & lease portfolio by type and percent as of December 31 of the years indicated.

   
2014
    
2013
    
2012
    
2011
    
2010
  
(in thousands)
  
Amount
    
Percent
    
Amount
    
Percent
    
Amount
    
Percent
    
Amount
    
Percent
    
Amount
    
Percent
  
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
495,316
      
28.9
%
  
$
411,037
      
29.5
%
  
$
353,109
      
28.3
%
  
$
307,670
      
26.4
%
  
$
318,341
      
27.0
%
Agricultural Real Estate
    
357,207
      
20.8
%
    
328,264
      
23.6
%
    
311,992
      
25.0
%
    
280,139
      
24.0
%
    
254,575
      
21.6
%
Real Estate Construction
    
96,519
      
5.6
%
    
41,092
      
3.0
%
    
32,680
      
2.6
%
    
29,607
      
2.5
%
    
37,486
      
3.2
%
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
171,880
      
10.0
%
    
151,292
      
10.9
%
    
140,257
      
11.2
%
    
107,421
      
9.2
%
    
103,574
      
8.8
%
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
33,017
      
1.9
%
    
35,477
      
2.5
%
    
42,042
      
3.4
%
    
50,956
      
4.4
%
    
58,971
      
5.0
%
Agricultural
    
281,963
      
16.4
%
    
256,414
      
18.4
%
    
221,032
      
17.7
%
    
217,227
      
18.6
%
    
231,150
      
19.6
%
Commercial
    
230,819
      
13.5
%
    
150,398
      
10.8
%
    
143,293
      
11.5
%
    
165,089
      
14.2
%
    
165,263
      
14.0
%
Consumer & Other
    
4,719
      
0.3
%
    
5,052
      
0.4
%
    
5,058
      
0.3
%
    
6,935
      
0.7
%
    
8,712
      
0.8
%
Leases
    
44,217
      
2.6
%
    
12,733
      
0.9
%
    
-
      
0.0
%
    
-
      
0.0
%
    
-
      
0.0
%
Total Gross Loans & Leases
    
1,715,657
      
100.0
%
    
1,391,759
      
100.0
%
    
1,249,463
      
100.0
%
    
1,165,044
      
100.0
%
    
1,178,072
      
100.0
%
Less: Unearned Income
    
3,413
              
3,523
              
2,561
              
1,966
              
2,070
          
Subtotal
    
1,712,244
              
1,388,236
              
1,246,902
              
1,163,078
              
1,176,002
          
Less: Allowance for Credit Losses
    
35,401
              
34,274
              
34,217
              
33,017
              
32,261
          
Loans & Leases, Net
  
$
1,676,843
            
$
1,353,962
            
$
1,212,685
            
$
1,130,061
            
$
1,143,741
          

There were no concentrations of loans exceeding 10% of total loans which were not otherwise disclosed as a category of loans in the above table.

The following table shows the maturity distribution and interest rate sensitivity of the loan portfolio of the Company on December 31, 2014.

(in thousands)
  
One Year
or Less
    
Over One
Year to
Five
Years
    
Over
Five
Years
    
Total
  
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
23,276
    
$
156,972
    
$
311,655
    
$
491,903
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
12,597
      
91,079
      
253,531
      
357,207
  
Real Estate Construction
    
48,486
      
46,615
      
1,418
      
96,519
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
391
      
3,201
      
168,288
      
171,880
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
24
      
871
      
32,122
      
33,017
  
Agricultural
    
157,717
      
89,002
      
35,244
      
281,963
  
Commercial
    
80,487
      
98,869
      
51,463
      
230,819
  
Consumer & Other
    
903
      
3,301
      
515
      
4,719
  
Leases
    
-
      
3,628
      
40,589
      
44,217
  
Total
  
$
323,881
    
$
493,538
    
$
894,825
    
$
1,712,244
  
Rate Sensitivity:
                                
Fixed Rate
  
$
71,836
    
$
158,713
    
$
388,068
    
$
618,617
  
Variable Rate
    
252,046
      
334,824
      
506,757
      
1,093,627
  
Total
  
$
323,882
    
$
493,537
    
$
894,825
    
$
1,712,244
  
Percent
    
18.92
%
    
28.82
%
    
52.26
%
    
100.00
%

Classified Loans & Leases and Non-Performing Assets
All loans & leases are assigned a credit risk grade using grading standards developed by bank regulatory agencies. See “Results of Operations - Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses” for more detail on risk grades. The Company utilizes the services of a third-party independent loan & lease review firm to perform evaluations of individual loans & leases and review the credit risk grades the Company places on loans & leases. Loans & leases that are judged to exhibit a higher risk profile are referred to as “classified” and these loans & leases receive increased management attention. As of December 31, 2014, classified loans & leases totaled $3.6 million compared to $5.8 million at December 31, 2013.
 
Classified loans & leases with higher levels of credit risk can be further designated as “impaired” loans & leases. A loan or lease is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due, including principal and interest, according to the contractual terms of the original agreement. See “Results of Operations - Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses” for further details. Impaired loans & leases consist of: (1) non-accrual loans & leases; and/or (2) restructured loans & leases that are still performing (i.e., accruing interest).

Non-Accrual Loans & Leases - Accrual of interest on loans & leases is generally discontinued when a loan or lease becomes contractually past due by 90 days or more with respect to interest or principal. When loans & leases are 90 days past due, but in management's judgment are well secured and in the process of collection, they may not be classified as non-accrual. When a loan or lease is placed on non-accrual status, all interest previously accrued but not collected is reversed. Income on such loans & leases is then recognized only to the extent that cash is received and where the future collection of principal is probable. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, non-accrual loans & leases totaled $2.3 million and $2.6 million.

Restructured Loans & Leases - A restructuring of a loan or lease constitutes a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) under ASC 310-40, if the Company for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor's financial difficulties grants a concession to the debtor that it would not otherwise consider. Restructured loans or leases typically present an elevated level of credit risk as the borrowers are not able to perform according to the original contractual terms. If the restructured loan or lease was current on all payments at the time of restructure and management reasonably expects the borrower will continue to perform after the restructure, management may keep the loan or lease on accrual. Loans & leases that are on nonaccrual status at the time they become TDR loans, remain on nonaccrual status until the borrower demonstrates a sustained period of performance, which the Company generally believes to be six consecutive months of payments, or equivalent. A loan or lease can be removed from TDR status if it was restructured at a market rate in a prior calendar year and is currently in compliance with its modified terms. However, these loans or leases continue to be classified as impaired and are individually evaluated for impairment.

As of December 31, 2014, restructured loans totaled $6.6 million with $5.0 million performing. At December 31, 2013, restructured loans totaled $6.8 million with $4.6 million performing.

Other Real Estate - Loans where the collateral has been repossessed are classified as other real estate ("ORE") or, if the collateral is personal property, the loan is classified as other assets on the Company's financial statements.
 
The following table sets forth the amount of the Company's non-performing loans & leases and ORE as of December 31 of the years indicated.

   
December 31,
  
(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
    
2011
    
2010
  
Non-Accrual Loans & Leases
                    
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
1,354
    
$
2,348
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
5,423
      
954
      
1,797
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
77
      
324
      
445
      
284
      
954
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
576
      
406
      
213
      
194
      
-
  
Agricultural
    
18
      
35
      
3,198
      
1,202
      
-
  
Commercial
    
1,586
      
1,815
      
-
      
217
      
207
  
Consumer & Other
    
13
      
16
      
19
      
23
      
2
  
Total Non-Accrual Loans & Leases
    
2,270
      
2,596
      
9,298
      
4,228
      
5,308
  
Accruing Loans & Leases Past Due 90 Days or More
                                        
Commercial Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Agricultural
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Commercial
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Consumer & Other
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Total Accruing Loans & Leases Past Due 90 Days or More
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Total Non-Performing Loans & Leases
  
$
2,270
    
$
2,596
    
$
9,298
    
$
4,228
    
$
5,308
  
Other Real Estate Owned
  
$
3,299
    
$
4,611
    
$
2,553
    
$
2,924
    
$
8,039
  
Total Non-Performing Assets
  
$
5,569
    
$
7,207
    
$
11,851
    
$
7,152
    
$
13,347
  
Restructured Loans & Leases (Performing)
  
$
4,955
    
$
4,649
    
$
2,300
    
$
4,710
    
$
27,652
  
Non-Performing Loans & Leases as a Percent of Total Loans & Leases
    
0.13
%
    
0.19
%
    
0.74
%
    
0.36
%
    
0.45
%

Although management believes that non-performing loans & leases are generally well-secured and that potential losses are provided for in the Company’s allowance for credit losses, there can be no assurance that future deterioration in economic conditions and/or collateral values will not result in future credit losses. See Note 5, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for an allocation of the allowance classified to impaired loans & leases.

The Company reported $3.3 million of ORE at December 31, 2014, and $4.6 million at December 31, 2013. The decrease in ORE during 2014 was a result of the Company selling an agricultural real estate property previously acquired through foreclosure.  The December 31, 2014, carrying value of $3.3 million is net of a $3.7 million reserve for ORE valuation adjustments. ORE at December 31, 2014 includes a mix of agricultural real estate, raw land and residential finished lots.

Except for those classified and non-performing loans & leases discussed above, the Company’s management is not aware of any loans & leases as of December 31, 2014, for which known financial problems of the borrower would cause serious doubts as to the ability of these borrowers to materially comply with their present loan or lease repayment terms, or any known events that would result in the loan or lease being designated as non-performing at some future date. However:

· The Central Valley was one of the hardest hit areas in the country during the recession. In many areas housing prices declined as much as 60% and unemployment reached 15% or more. Although the economy has stabilized throughout most of the Central Valley, housing prices for the most part have not recovered significantly and unemployment levels remain well above those in other areas of the state and country.
 
· The state of California has experienced drought conditions during much of 2013 and 2014. Importantly, most of the Company’s agricultural customers have access to their own ground water supplies and, therefore, are not as dependent on the delivery of surface water as growers in other parts of California. Although management continues to believe that current conditions will not have a material impact on credit quality during 2015, the lack of rain will have a continuing adverse impact on our agricultural customers’ operating costs, crop yields and crop quality. The longer the drought continues, the more significant this impact will become, particularly if ground water levels reach critical stage.

See “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Deposits
One of the key sources of funds to support earning assets is the generation of deposits from the Company’s customer base. The ability to grow the customer base and subsequently deposits is a significant element in the performance of the Company.

The following table sets forth, by time remaining to maturity, the Company’s time deposits in amounts of $250,000 or more at December 31, 2014.

(in thousands)
  
  
 
Time Deposits of $250,000 or More
    
Three Months or Less
  
$
186,073
  
Over Three Months Through Six Months
    
8,899
  
Over Six Months Through Twelve Months
    
25,906
  
Over Twelve Months
    
18,771
  
Total Time Deposits of $250,000 or More
  
$
239,649
  

Refer to the Year-To-Date Average Balances and Rate Schedules located in this "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" for information on separate deposit categories.

At December 31, 2014, deposits totaled $2.1 billion. This represents an increase of 14.2% or $256.4 million from December 31, 2013. In addition to the Company’s ongoing business development activities for deposits, the following factors positively impacted year-over-year deposit growth: (1) the Federal government’s decision to permanently increase FDIC deposit insurance limits from $100,000 to $250,000 per depositor; and (2) the Company’s strong financial results and position and F&M Bank’s reputation as one of the most safe and sound banks in its market territory. The Company expects that, at some point, deposit customers may begin to diversify how they invest their money (e.g., move funds back into the stock market or other investments) and this could impact future deposit growth.

Although total deposits have increased 14.2% since December 31, 2013, the Company’s focus has been on increasing low cost transaction and savings accounts, which have grown at a faster pace:

· Demand and interest-bearing transaction accounts increased $163.8 million or 20.8% since December 31, 2013.

· Savings and money market accounts have increased $54.7 million or 9.3% since December 31, 2013.

· Time deposit accounts have increased $37.9 million or 8.8% since December 31, 2013.

Federal Home Loan Bank Advances and Federal Reserve Bank Borrowings
Lines of Credit with the Federal Reserve Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank are other key sources of funds to support earning assets. These sources of funds are also used to manage the Bank’s interest rate risk exposure; and, as opportunities arise, to borrow and invest the proceeds at a positive spread through the investment portfolio. There were no FHLB advances at December 31, 2014 or 2013. There were no Federal Funds purchased or advances from the FRB at December 31, 2014 or 2013.
 
Securities Sold Under Agreement to Repurchase
Securities Sold Under Agreement to Repurchase are used as secured borrowing alternatives to FHLB Advances or FRB Borrowings.

At December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company had no securities sold under agreement to repurchase.

Long-Term Subordinated Debentures
On December 17, 2003, the Company raised $10.0 million through the sale of subordinated debentures to an off-balance sheet trust and its sale of trust-preferred securities. See Note 13, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Under current regulatory guidelines, these subordinated debentures will continue to qualify as regulatory capital (See “Basel III Regulatory Capital Rules” for a discussion of the potential impact of proposed regulatory guidelines on this qualification). These securities accrue interest at a variable rate based upon 3-month London InterBank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 2.85%. Interest rates reset quarterly (the next reset is March 16, 2015) and the rate was 3.09% as of December 31, 2014. The average rate paid for these securities was 3.12% in 2014 and 3.17% in 2013. Additionally, if the Company decided to defer interest on the subordinated debentures, the Company would be prohibited from paying cash dividends on the Company’s common stock.

Capital
The Company relies primarily on capital generated through the retention of earnings to satisfy its capital requirements. The Company engages in an ongoing assessment of its capital needs in order to support business growth and to insure depositor protection. Shareholders’ Equity totaled $233.2 million at December 31, 2014, and $209.9 million at the end of 2013.

The Company and the Bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a material effect on the Company and the Bank's financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Company and the Bank must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of the Company’s and the Bank's assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance-sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The Company’s and the Bank's capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings, and other factors.

Quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy require the Company and the Bank to maintain minimum amounts and ratios of Total and Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets (as defined in the regulations), and of Tier 1 capital to average assets (as defined in the regulations). Management believes, as of December 31, 2014, that the Company and the Bank meet all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject. In addition, the most recent notification from the FDIC categorized the Bank as “well capitalized” under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. There are no conditions or events since that notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category. For further information on the Company’s and the Bank’s risk-based capital ratios, see Note 14, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

As previously discussed, in order to supplement its regulatory capital base, during December 2003, the Company issued $10.0 million of trust preferred securities. In accordance with the provisions of the “Consolidation” topic of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”), the Company does not consolidate the subsidiary trust, which has issued the trust-preferred securities.

In 1998, the Board approved the Company’s first common stock repurchase program. This program has been extended and expanded several times since then, and most recently, on September 11, 2012, the Board of Directors approved increasing the funds available for the Company’s common stock repurchase program to $20 million over the three-year period ending September 30, 2015. See “Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.”

In 2014 and 2013, the Company did not repurchase any shares under the Stock Repurchase Program. The remaining dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the Company’s Stock Repurchase Program is approximately $20 million.
 
On August 5, 2008, the Board of Directors approved a Share Purchase Rights Plan (the “Rights Plan”), pursuant to which the Company entered into a Rights Agreement dated August 5, 2008, with Computershare (formerly Registrar and Transfer Company) as Rights Agent. See “Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” for further explanation.

On December 4, 2014, the Company issued 6,200 shares of common stock to the Bank’s non-qualified defined contribution retirement plans. See Note 16, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” These shares were issued at a price of $450 per share based upon a valuation completed by a nationally recognized bank consulting and advisory firm.

Basel III Regulatory Capital Rules
Both the FRB and FDIC have approved final rules that substantially amend the regulatory risk-based capital rules applicable to the Company and the Bank. These rules would implement the Basel III regulatory capital reforms and changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act.

The final rules include new minimum risk-based capital and leverage ratios, which would be phased in over time. The new minimum capital level requirements applicable to the Company and the Bank under the final rules will be: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5% of Risk Weighted Assets (“RWA”); (ii) a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6% of RWA; (iii) a total capital ratio of 8% of RWA; and (iv) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4% of total assets. The final rules also establish a "capital conservation buffer" of 2.5% above each of the new regulatory minimum capital ratios, which would result in the following minimum ratios: (i) a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 7.0% of RWA; (ii) a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.5% of RWA, and (iii) a total capital ratio of 10.5% of RWA. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount.

The final rules also implement other revisions to the current capital rules but, in general, those revisions are not as onerous as originally thought when the proposed rules were issued in June 2012. For instance, the Company’s subordinated debentures will continue to qualify for Tier 1 under the rules. The Company believes that it is currently in compliance with all of these new capital requirements (as fully phased-in) and that they will not result in any restrictions on the Company’s business activity.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
This “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” is based upon the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In preparing the Company’s financial statements management makes estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. Management believes that the most significant subjective judgments that it makes include the following:

Allowance for Credit Losses - As a financial institution, which assumes lending and credit risks as a principal element in its business, the Company anticipates that credit losses will be experienced in the normal course of business. Accordingly, the allowance for credit losses is maintained at a level considered adequate by management to provide for losses that are inherent in the portfolio. The allowance is increased by provisions charged to operating expense and reduced by net charge-offs. Management employs a systematic methodology for determining the allowance for credit losses. On a quarterly basis, management reviews the credit quality of the loan & lease  portfolio and considers problem loans & leases, delinquencies, internal credit reviews, current economic conditions, loan & lease loss experience, and other factors in determining the adequacy of the allowance balance.

While the Company utilizes a systematic methodology in determining its allowance, the allowance is based on estimates, and ultimate losses may vary from current estimates. The estimates are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary, are reported in earnings in the periods in which they become known. For additional information, see Note 5, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Fair Value - The Company discloses the fair value of financial instruments and the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate those fair values. The estimated fair value amounts have been determined by the Company using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. The use of assumptions and various valuation techniques, as well as the absence of secondary markets for certain financial instruments, will likely reduce the comparability of fair value disclosures between financial institutions. In some cases, book value is a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the relatively short period of time between origination of the instrument and its expected realization. For additional information, see “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk – Credit Risk” and Notes 17 and 18 located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
 
Income Taxes - The Company uses the liability method of accounting for income taxes. This method results in the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities that are reflected at currently enacted income tax rates applicable to the period in which the deferred tax assets or liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. As changes in tax laws or rates are enacted, deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted through the provision for income taxes. The deferred provision for income taxes is the result of the net change in the deferred tax asset and deferred tax liability balances during the year. This amount combined with the current taxes payable or refundable results in the income tax expense for the current year. For additional information, see Note 1, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements
Off-balance-sheet arrangements are any contractual arrangement to which an unconsolidated entity is a party, under which the Company has: (1) any obligation under a guarantee contract; (2) a retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity, or market risk support to that entity for such assets; (3) any obligation under certain derivative instruments; or (4) any obligation under a material variable interest held by us in an unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk, or credit risk support to the Company, or engages in leasing, hedging, or research and development services with the Company. The Company had the following off balance sheet commitments as of the dates indicated.

(in thousands)
  
December 31, 2014
    
December 31, 2013
  
Commitments to Extend Credit
  
$
539,288
    
$
445,294
  
Letters of Credit
    
9,734
      
7,393
  
Performance Guarantees Under Interest Rate Swap Contracts Entered Into Between Our Borrowing Customers and Third Parties
    
2,042
      
-
  

The Company's exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party with regard to standby letters of credit, undisbursed loan commitments, and financial guarantees is represented by the contractual notional amount of those instruments. Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for recorded balance sheet items. The Company may or may not require collateral or other security to support financial instruments with credit risk. Evaluations of each customer's creditworthiness are performed on a case-by-case basis.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee performance of or payment for a customer to a third party. Most standby letters of credit are issued for 12 months or less. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Additionally, the Company maintains a reserve for off balance sheet commitments, which totaled $142,000 at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. We do not anticipate any material losses as a result of these transactions.

Aggregate Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following table presents, as of December 31, 2014, our significant and determinable contractual obligations by payment date. The payment amounts represent those amounts contractually due to the recipient and do not include any unamortized premiums or discounts, hedge basis adjustments, or other similar carrying value adjustments. For further information on the nature of each obligation type, see applicable note disclosures located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
 
(in thousands)
  
Total
    
1 Year
or Less
    
2-3 Years
    
4-5 Years
    
More Than 5 Years
  
Operating Lease Obligations
  
$
2,051
    
$
540
    
$
568
    
$
386
    
$
557
  
Long-Term Subordinated Debentures
    
10,310
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
10,310
  
Deferred Compensation (1)
    
37,546
      
679
      
1,129
      
389
      
35,349
  
Total
  
$
49,907
    
$
1,219
    
$
1,697
    
$
775
    
$
46,216
  

(1) These amounts represent obligations to participants under the Company's various non-qualified deferred compensation plans. See Note 16 located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
 
Quarterly Unaudited Financial Data

The following tables set forth certain unaudited historical quarterly financial data for each of the eight consecutive quarters in 2014 and 2013. This information is derived from unaudited consolidated financial statements that include, in management’s opinion, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation when read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

2014
  
First
    
Second
    
Third
    
Fourth
      
(in thousands except per share data)
  
Quarter
    
Quarter
    
Quarter
    
Quarter
    
Total
  
Total Interest Income
  
$
19,047
    
$
19,458
    
$
20,614
    
$
22,402
    
$
81,521
  
Total Interest Expense
    
680
      
678
      
708
      
747
      
2,813
  
Net Interest Income
    
18,367
      
18,780
      
19,906
      
21,655
      
78,708
  
Provision for Credit Losses
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
1,175
      
1,175
  
Net Interest Income After
                                        
Provision for Credit Losses
    
18,367
      
18,780
      
19,906
      
20,480
      
77,533
  
Total Non-Interest Income
    
3,162
      
3,943
      
2,920
      
4,304
      
14,329
  
Total Non-Interest Expense
    
11,640
      
13,034
      
12,542
      
14,150
      
51,366
  
Income Before Income Taxes
    
9,889
      
9,689
      
10,284
      
10,634
      
40,496
  
Provision for Income Taxes
    
3,607
      
3,585
      
3,852
      
4,050
      
15,094
  
Net Income
  
$
6,282
    
$
6,104
    
$
6,432
    
$
6,584
    
$
25,402
  
Basic Earnings Per Common Share
  
$
8.08
    
$
7.84
    
$
8.27
    
$
8.45
    
$
32.64
  
                                         
2013
  
First
    
Second
    
Third
    
Fourth
          
(in thousands except per share data)
  
Quarter
    
Quarter
    
Quarter
    
Quarter
    
Total
  
Total Interest Income
  
$
18,255
    
$
18,945
    
$
19,615
    
$
19,716
    
$
76,531
  
Total Interest Expense
    
764
      
719
      
721
      
687
      
2,891
  
Net Interest Income
    
17,491
      
18,226
      
18,894
      
19,029
      
73,640
  
Provision for Credit Losses
    
-
      
250
      
-
      
175
      
425
  
Net Interest Income After
                                        
Provision for Credit Losses
    
17,491
      
17,976
      
18,894
      
18,854
      
73,215
  
Total Non-Interest Income
    
5,497
      
2,964
      
3,448
      
4,028
      
15,937
  
Total Non-Interest Expense
    
12,959
      
12,102
      
12,185
      
13,624
      
50,870
  
Income Before Income Taxes
    
10,029
      
8,838
      
10,157
      
9,258
      
38,282
  
Provision for Income Taxes
    
3,778
      
3,273
      
3,805
      
3,365
      
14,221
  
Net Income
  
$
6,251
    
$
5,565
    
$
6,352
    
$
5,893
    
$
24,061
  
Basic Earnings Per Common Share
  
$
8.04
    
$
7.15
    
$
8.17
    
$
7.57
    
$
30.93
  
 
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Risk Management
The Company has adopted risk management policies and procedures, which aim to ensure the proper control and management of all risk factors inherent in the operation of the Company, most importantly credit risk, interest rate risk and liquidity risk. These risk factors are not mutually exclusive. It is recognized that any product or service offered by the Company may expose the Company to one or more of these risk factors.

Credit Risk
Credit risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from an obligor’s failure to meet the terms of any contract or otherwise fail to perform as agreed. Credit risk is found in all activities where success depends on counterparty, issuer, or borrower performance.

Credit risk in the investment portfolio and correspondent bank accounts is addressed through defined limits in the Company’s policy statements. In addition, certain securities carry insurance to enhance credit quality of the bond.

In order to control credit risk in the loan & lease portfolio the Company has established credit management policies and procedures that govern both the approval of new loans & leases and the monitoring of the existing portfolio. The Company manages and controls credit risk through comprehensive underwriting and approval standards, dollar limits on loans & leases to one borrower, and by restricting loans & leases made primarily to its principal market area where management believes it is best able to assess the applicable risk. Additionally, management has established guidelines to ensure the diversification of the Company’s credit portfolio such that even within key portfolio sectors such as real estate or agriculture, the portfolio is diversified across factors such as location, building type, crop type, etc. However, as a financial institution that assumes credit risks as a principal element of its business, credit losses will be experienced in the normal course of business. The allowance for credit losses is maintained at a level considered by management to be adequate to provide for risks inherent in the loan & lease portfolio. The allowance is increased by provisions charged to operating expense and reduced by net charge-offs.

The Company’s methodology for assessing the appropriateness of the allowance is applied on a regular basis and considers all loans & leases. The systematic methodology consists of three parts.

Part 1 - includes a detailed analysis of the loan & lease portfolio in two phases. The first phase is conducted in accordance with the “Receivables” topic of the FASB ASC. Individual loans & leases are reviewed to identify them for impairment. A loan or lease is impaired when principal and interest are deemed uncollectible in accordance with the original contractual terms of the loan or lease. Impairment is measured as either the expected future cash flows discounted at each loan’s or lease’s effective interest rate, the fair value of the loan’s or lease’s collateral if the loan or lease is collateral dependent, or an observable market price of the loan or lease, if one exists. Upon measuring the impairment, the Company will ensure an appropriate level of allowance is present or established.

Central to the first phase of the analysis of the loan & lease portfolio is the risk rating system. The originating credit officer assigns each borrower an initial risk rating, which is based primarily on a thorough analysis of that borrower’s financial position in conjunction with industry and economic trends. Approvals are made based upon the amount of inherent credit risk specific to the transaction and are reviewed for appropriateness by senior credit administration personnel. Credits are monitored by credit administration personnel for deterioration in a borrower’s financial condition, which would impact the ability of the borrower to perform under the contract. Risk ratings are adjusted as necessary. Risk ratings are reviewed by both the Company’s independent third-party credit examiners and bank examiners from the DBO and FDIC.

Based on the risk rating system, specific allowances are established in cases where management has identified significant conditions or circumstances related to a credit that management believes indicates that the loan or lease is impaired and there is a probability of loss. Management performs a detailed analysis of these loans & leases, including, but not limited to, cash flows, appraisals of the collateral, conditions of the marketplace for liquidating the collateral, and assessment of the guarantors. Management then determines the inherent loss potential and allocates a portion of the allowance for losses as a specific allowance for each of these credits.
 
The second phase is conducted by segmenting the loan & lease portfolio by risk rating and into groups of loans & leases with similar characteristics in accordance with the “Contingency” topic of the FASB ASC. In this second phase, groups of loans & leases with similar characteristics are reviewed and the appropriate allowance factor is applied based on the historical average charge-off rate for each particular group of loans or leases.

Part 2 - considers qualitative internal and external factors that may affect a loan or lease’s collectability, is based upon management’s evaluation of various conditions, the effects of which are not directly measured in the determination of the historical and specific allowances. The evaluation of the inherent loss with respect to these conditions is subject to a higher degree of uncertainty because they are not identified with specific problem credits or portfolio segments. The conditions evaluated in connection with the second element of the analysis of the allowance include, but are not limited to the following conditions that existed as of the balance sheet date:

§ general economic and business conditions affecting the key service areas of the Company;
§ credit quality trends (including trends in collateral values, delinquencies and non-performing loans & leases);
§ loan & lease volumes, growth rates and concentrations;
§ loan & lease portfolio seasoning;
§ specific industry and crop conditions;
§ recent loss experience; and
§ duration of the current business cycle.

Part 3 - An unallocated allowance often occurs due to the imprecision in estimating and allocating allowance balances associated with macro factors such as: (1) the continuing sluggish economic conditions in the Central Valley; and (2) the long term impact of drought conditions currently being experienced in California.

Management reviews all of these conditions in discussion with the Company’s senior credit officers. To the extent that any of these conditions is evidenced by a specifically identifiable impaired credit or portfolio segment as of the evaluation date, management’s estimate of the effect of such condition may be reflected as a specific allowance applicable to such credit or portfolio segment. Where any of these conditions is not evidenced by a specifically identifiable impaired credit or portfolio segment as of the evaluation date, management’s evaluation of the inherent loss related to such condition is reflected in the second element of the allowance or in the unallocated allowance.

Management believes, that based upon the preceding methodology, and using information currently available, the allowance for credit losses at December 31, 2014 was adequate. No assurances can be given that future events may not result in increases in delinquencies, non-performing loans & leases, or net loan & lease charge-offs that would require increases in the provision for credit losses and thereby adversely affect the results of operations.

Interest Rate Risk
The mismatch between maturities of interest sensitive assets and liabilities results in uncertainty in the Company’s earnings and economic value and is referred to as interest rate risk. The Company does not attempt to predict interest rates and positions the balance sheet in a manner, which seeks to minimize, to the extent possible, the effects of changing interest rates.

The Company measures interest rate risk in terms of potential impact on both its economic value and earnings. The methods for governing the amount of interest rate risk include: (1) analysis of asset and liability mismatches (Gap analysis); (2) the utilization of a simulation model; and (3) limits on maturities of investment, loan & lease, and deposit products, which reduces the market volatility of those instruments.

The Gap analysis measures, at specific time intervals, the divergence between earning assets and interest bearing liabilities for which repricing opportunities will occur. A positive difference, or Gap, indicates that earning assets will reprice faster than interest-bearing liabilities. This will generally produce a greater net interest margin during periods of rising interest rates and a lower net interest margin during periods of declining interest rates. Conversely, a negative Gap will generally produce a lower net interest margin during periods of rising interest rates and a greater net interest margin during periods of decreasing interest rates.

The interest rates paid on deposit accounts do not always move in unison with the rates charged on loans & leases. In addition, the magnitude of changes in the rates charged on loans & leases is not always proportionate to the magnitude of changes in the rate paid for deposits. Consequently, changes in interest rates do not necessarily result in an increase or decrease in the net interest margin solely as a result of the differences between repricing opportunities of earning assets or interest bearing liabilities.
 
The Company also utilizes the results of a dynamic simulation model to quantify the estimated exposure of net interest income to sustained interest rate changes. The sensitivity of the Company’s net interest income is measured over a rolling one-year horizon.

The simulation model estimates the impact of changing interest rates on interest income from all interest earning assets and the interest expense paid on all interest bearing liabilities reflected on the Company’s balance sheet. This sensitivity analysis is compared to policy limits, which specify a maximum tolerance level for net interest income exposure over a one-year horizon assuming no balance sheet growth, given a 200 basis point upward and a 100 basis point downward shift in interest rates. A shift in rates over a 12-month period is assumed. Results that exceed policy limits, if any, are analyzed for risk tolerance and reported to the Board with appropriate recommendations. At December 31, 2014, the Company’s estimated net interest income sensitivity to changes in interest rates, as a percent of net interest income was an increase in net interest income of 2.98% if rates increase by 200 basis points and a decrease in net interest income of 0.17% if rates decline 100 basis points.

The estimated sensitivity does not necessarily represent a Company forecast and the results may not be indicative of actual changes to the Company’s net interest income. These estimates are based upon a number of assumptions including: the nature and timing of interest rate levels including yield curve shape; prepayments on loans & leases and securities; pricing strategies on loans & leases and deposits; replacement of asset and liability cash flows; and other assumptions. While the assumptions used are based on current economic and local market conditions, there is no assurance as to the predictive nature of these conditions including how customer preferences or competitor influences might change.

Liquidity Risk
Liquidity risk is the risk to earnings or capital resulting from the Company’s inability to meet its obligations when they come due without incurring unacceptable losses. It includes the ability to manage unplanned decreases or changes in funding sources and to recognize or address changes in market conditions that affect the Company’s ability to liquidate assets or acquire funds quickly and with minimum loss of value. The Company endeavors to maintain a cash flow adequate to fund operations, handle fluctuations in deposit levels, respond to the credit needs of borrowers, and to take advantage of investment opportunities as they arise.

The Company’s principal operating sources of liquidity include (see “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows”) cash and cash equivalents, cash provided by operating activities, principal payments on loans & leases, proceeds from the maturity or sale of investments, and growth in deposits. To supplement these operating sources of funds the Company maintains Federal Funds credit lines of $71 million and repurchase lines of $100 million with major banks. As of December 31, 2014, the Company has additional borrowing capacity of $257.0 million with the Federal Home Loan Bank and $340.8 million with the Federal Reserve Bank. Borrowings under these lines are collateralized with loans or securities that have been accepted for pledging at the FHLB and FRB.

At December 31, 2014, the Company had available sources of liquidity, which included cash and cash equivalents and unpledged investment securities available-for-sale of approximately $309.6 million, which represents 13.1% of total assets.
 
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

 
Page
   
Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
60
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms
61
Consolidated Financial Statements
  
 
Consolidated Balance Sheets – December 31, 2014, and 2013
63
 
Consolidated Statements of Income – Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012
64
 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income – Years Ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012
 65
 
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity – Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012
66
 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - Years Ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012
 67
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
 68
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp

Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting at Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (“the Company”). Internal control over financial reporting includes controls over the preparation of financial statements in accordance with the instructions to the Consolidated Financial Statements for Bank Holding Companies (Form FR Y-9C) to comply with the reporting requirements of Part 363 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Rules and Regulations.

Management has assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria described in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013)” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that assessment, management concluded that the Company maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014.

Moss Adams LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited the financial statements included in this Annual Report, was engaged to express an opinion as to the fairness of presentation of such financial statements. Moss Adams LLP was also engaged to audit the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The report of Moss Adams LLP follows this report.

/s/ Kent A. Steinwert
/s/ Stephen W. Haley
   
Kent A. Steinwert
Stephen W. Haley
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


To the Board of Directors and Stockholders
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp


We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for  each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2014.  We have also audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.  The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report On Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall consolidated financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2014 in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.  Also, in our opinion Farmers & Merchants Bancorp maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

/s/ Moss Adams LLP

Stockton, California
March 13, 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crowe Horwath LLP
 
 
Independent Member Crowe Horwath International
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Shareholders and Board of Directors
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Lodi, California

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders' equity, and cash flows of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and subsidiaries (the "Company") for the year ended December 31, 2012.  These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the results of the Company’s operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2012 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 
/s/ Crowe Horwath LLP
   
 
Crowe Horwath LLP

San Francisco, California
March 13, 2013
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands except share and per share data)

   
December 31,
  
Assets
  
2014
    
2013
  
Cash and Cash Equivalents:
        
Cash and Due from Banks
  
$
42,375
    
$
40,966
  
Interest Bearing Deposits with Banks
    
34,750
      
42,711
  
Total Cash and Cash Equivalents
    
77,125
      
83,677
  
                 
Investment Securities:
                
Available-for-Sale
    
366,542
      
404,639
  
Held-to-Maturity
    
63,863
      
68,505
  
Total Investment Securities
    
430,405
      
473,144
  
                 
Loans & Leases:
    
1,712,244
      
1,388,236
  
Less: Allowance for Credit Losses
    
35,401
      
34,274
  
Loans& Leases, Net
    
1,676,843
      
1,353,962
  
                 
Premises and Equipment, Net
    
25,821
      
22,887
  
Bank Owned Life Insurance
    
53,990
      
52,109
  
Interest Receivable and Other Assets
    
96,367
      
90,294
  
Total Assets
  
$
2,360,551
    
$
2,076,073
  
                 
Liabilities
                
Deposits:
                
Demand
  
$
610,133
    
$
495,963
  
Interest-Bearing Transaction
    
341,397
      
291,795
  
Savings and Money Market
    
644,260
      
589,511
  
Time
    
468,283
      
430,422
  
Total Deposits
    
2,064,073
      
1,807,691
  
                 
Subordinated Debentures
    
10,310
      
10,310
  
Interest Payable and Other Liabilities
    
52,990
      
48,168
  
Total Liabilities
    
2,127,373
      
1,866,169
  
                 
Commitments & Contingencies (See Note 19)
                
Shareholders' Equity
                
Preferred Stock:  No Par Value, 1,000,000 Shares Authorized, None Issued or Outstanding
    
-
      
-
  
Common Stock:  Par Value $0.01, 7,500,000 Shares Authorized, 784,082 and 777,882 Shares Issued and Outstanding at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
    
8
      
8
  
Additional Paid-In Capital
    
77,804
      
75,014
  
Retained Earnings
    
152,833
      
137,350
  
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
    
2,533
      
(2,468
)
Total Shareholders' Equity
    
233,178
      
209,904
  
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
  
$
2,360,551
    
$
2,076,073
  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Consolidated Statements of Income
(in thousands except per share data)
 
   
Year Ended December 31,
  
   
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Interest Income
            
Interest and Fees on Loans & Leases
  
$
71,310
    
$
64,921
    
$
65,798
  
Interest on Deposits with Banks
    
158
      
79
      
110
  
Interest on Investment Securities:
                        
Taxable
    
7,739
      
8,971
      
9,940
  
Exempt from Federal Tax
    
2,314
      
2,560
      
2,643
  
Total Interest Income
    
81,521
      
76,531
      
78,491
  
                         
Interest Expense
                        
Deposits
    
2,486
      
2,548
      
3,739
  
Borrowed Funds
    
5
      
16
      
1,054
  
Subordinated Debentures
    
322
      
327
      
347
  
Total Interest Expense
    
2,813
      
2,891
      
5,140
  
                         
Net Interest Income
    
78,708
      
73,640
      
73,351
  
Provision for Credit Losses
    
1,175
      
425
      
1,850
  
Net Interest Income After Provision for Credit Losses
    
77,533
      
73,215
      
71,501
  
                         
Non-Interest Income
                        
Service Charges on Deposit Accounts
    
3,923
      
4,350
      
4,891
  
Net Gain (Loss) on Investment Securities
    
90
      
(229
)
    
158
  
Increase in Cash Surrender Value of Life Insurance
    
1,881
      
1,856
      
1,836
  
Debit Card and ATM Fees
    
3,087
      
3,069
      
2,938
  
Net Gain on Deferred Compensation Investments
    
2,129
      
3,366
      
1,687
  
Other
    
3,219
      
3,525
      
2,600
  
Total Non-Interest Income
    
14,329
      
15,937
      
14,110
  
                         
Non-Interest Expense
                        
Salaries and Employee Benefits
    
36,446
      
33,658
      
31,635
  
Net Gain on Deferred Compensation Investments
    
2,129
      
3,366
      
1,687
  
Occupancy
    
2,690
      
2,513
      
2,565
  
Equipment
    
2,794
      
2,783
      
3,128
  
FDIC Insurance
    
1,048
      
981
      
968
  
Legal Fees
    
128
      
569
      
1,039
  
Termination Fee Related to Repurchase Agreement
    
-
      
-
      
1,657
  
Other
    
6,131
      
7,000
      
5,598
  
Total Non-Interest Expense
    
51,366
      
50,870
      
48,277
  
                         
Income Before Income Taxes
    
40,496
      
38,282
      
37,334
  
Provision for Income Taxes
    
15,094
      
14,221
      
13,985
  
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,061
    
$
23,349
  
Basic Earnings Per Common Share
  
$
32.64
    
$
30.93
    
$
29.99
  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(in thousands)
 
   
Year Ended December 31,
  
   
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,061
    
$
23,349
  
                         
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
                        
Increase (Decrease) in Net Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Available-for-Sale Securities
    
8,719
      
(16,564
)
    
4,182
  
Deferred Tax (Expense) Benefit Related to Unrealized Gains (Losses)
    
(3,666
)
    
6,965
      
(1,759
)
                         
Reclassification Adjustment for Realized (Gain) Loss on Available-for-Sale Securities Included in Net Income
    
(90
)
    
229
      
(158
)
Tax Expense (Benefit) Related to Reclassification Adjustment
    
38
      
(97
)
    
67
  
Change in Net Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Available-for-Sale Securities, Net of Tax
    
5,001
      
(9,467
)
    
2,332
  
                         
Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
    
5,001
      
(9,467
)
    
2,332
  
                         
Comprehensive Income
  
$
30,403
    
$
14,594
    
$
25,681
  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity
(in thousands except share and per share data)
 
   
Common
Shares
Outstanding
    
Common
Stock
    
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
    
Retained
Earnings
    
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
(Loss)
    
Total
Shareholders'
Equity
  
Balance, January 1, 2012
    
779,424
    
$
8
    
$
75,590
    
$
109,081
    
$
4,667
    
$
189,346
  
Net Income
                            
23,349
              
23,349
  
Cash Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($12.10 per share)
                            
(9,418
)
            
(9,418
)
Repurchase of Common Stock
    
(1,542
)
            
(576
)
                    
(576
)
Change in Net Unrealized Gain on Securities Available-for-Sale
                                    
2,332
      
2,332
  
Balance, December 31, 2012
    
777,882
    
$
8
    
$
75,014
    
$
123,012
    
$
6,999
    
$
205,033
  
Net Income
                            
24,061
              
24,061
  
Cash Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($12.50 per share)
                            
(9,723
)
            
(9,723
)
Repurchase of Common Stock
                    
-
                      
-
  
Change in Net Unrealized (Loss) on Securities Available-for-Sale
                                    
(9,467
)
    
(9,467
)
Balance, December 31, 2013
    
777,882
    
$
8
    
$
75,014
    
$
137,350
    
$
(2,468
)
  
$
209,904
  
Net Income
                            
25,402
              
25,402
  
Cash Dividends Declared on Common Stock ($12.70 per share)
                            
(9,919
)
            
(9,919
)
Issuance of Common Stock
    
6,200
              
2,790
                      
2,790
  
Change in Net Unrealized (Loss) on Securities Available-for-Sale
                                    
5,001
      
5,001
  
Balance, December 31, 2014
    
784,082
    
$
8
    
$
77,804
    
$
152,833
    
$
2,533
    
$
233,178
  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)

   
Year Ended December 31,
  
   
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Operating Activities
            
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,061
    
$
23,349
  
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
                        
Provision for Credit Losses
    
1,175
      
425
      
1,850
  
Depreciation and Amortization
    
1,325
      
1,506
      
1,704
  
Provision for Deferred Income Taxes
    
6,436
      
(8,501
)
    
(2,548
)
Net Amortization of Investment Security Premium & Discounts
    
1,659
      
3,068
      
3,944
  
Net Loss (Gain) on Investment Securities
    
(90
)
    
229
      
(158
)
Net Gain on Sale of Property & Equipment
    
(22
)
    
(721
)
    
-
  
Net Change in Operating Assets & Liabilities:
                        
Net Increase in Interest Receivable and Other Assets
    
(15,070
)
    
(3,719
)
    
(434
)
Net Increase in Interest Payable and Other Liabilities
    
4,822
      
10,851
      
4,016
  
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
    
25,637
      
27,199
      
31,723
  
Investing Activities
                        
Purchase of Investment Securities Available-for-Sale
    
(132,619
)
    
(221,745
)
    
(143,295
)
Proceeds from Sold, Matured, or Called Securities Available-for-Sale
    
177,324
      
208,962
      
205,374
  
Purchase of Investment Securities Held-to-Maturity
    
(17,692
)
    
(2,077
)
    
(10,739
)
Proceeds from Matured, or Called Securities Held-to-Maturity
    
22,628
      
8,443
      
5,419
  
Purchase of Life Insurance Contracts
    
-
      
-
      
(1,000
)
Net Loans & Leases Paid, Originated or Acquired
    
(324,284
)
    
(142,225
)
    
(84,872
)
Principal Collected on Loans & Leases Previously Charged Off
    
228
      
523
      
398
  
Additions to Premises and Equipment
    
(4,274
)
    
(1,614
)
    
(547
)
Proceeds from Sale of Property & Equipment
    
37
      
843
      
-
  
Net Cash Used by Investing Activities
    
(278,652
)
    
(148,890
)
    
(29,262
)
Financing Activities
                        
Net Increase in Deposits
    
256,382
      
85,665
      
95,829
  
Net Change in Other Borrowings
    
-
      
-
      
(530
)
Net Decrease in Securities Sold Under Agreement to Repurchase
    
-
      
-
      
(60,000
)
Stock Repurchases
    
-
      
-
      
(576
)
Cash Dividends
    
(9,919
)
    
(9,723
)
    
(9,418
)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
    
246,463
      
75,942
      
25,305
  
(Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents
    
(6,552
)
    
(45,749
)
    
27,766
  
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year
    
83,677
      
129,426
      
101,660
  
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year
  
$
77,125
    
$
83,677
    
$
129,426
  
Supplementary Data
                        
Loans Transferred to Foreclosed Assets (ORE)
  
$
-
    
$
4,403
    
$
58
  
Cash Payments Made for Income Taxes
  
$
15,030
    
$
17,285
    
$
17,472
  
Issuance of Common Stock
  
$
2,790
    
$
-
    
$
-
  
Interest Paid
  
$
2,787
    
$
3,037
    
$
5,553
  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Significant Accounting Policies

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (the “Company”) was organized March 10, 1999. Primary operations are related to traditional banking activities through its subsidiary Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California (the “Bank”) which was established in 1916. The Bank’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Farmers & Merchants Investment Corporation and Farmers/Merchants Corp. Farmers & Merchants Investment Corporation has been dormant since 1991. Farmers/Merchants Corp. acts as trustee on deeds of trust originated by the Bank.

The Company’s other subsidiaries include F & M Bancorp, Inc. and FMCB Statutory Trust I. F & M Bancorp, Inc. was created in March 2002 to protect the name F & M Bank. During 2002, the Company completed a fictitious name filing in California to begin using the streamlined name “F & M Bank” as part of a larger effort to enhance the Company’s image and build brand name recognition. In December 2003, the Company formed a wholly owned subsidiary, FMCB Statutory Trust I. FMCB Statutory Trust I is a non-consolidated subsidiary per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and was formed for the sole purpose of issuing Trust Preferred Securities and related subordinated debentures.

The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to U.S. GAAP and prevailing practice within the banking industry. The following is a summary of the significant accounting and reporting policies used in preparing the consolidated financial statements.

Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for financial information.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the Company’s wholly owned subsidiaries, F & M Bancorp, Inc. and the Bank, along with the Bank’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Farmers & Merchants Investment Corporation and Farmers/Merchants Corp. Significant inter-company transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Certain amounts in the prior years' financial statements and related footnote disclosures have been reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net income or total shareholders’ equity. In the opinion of management, the accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments), which are necessary for a fair presentation of financial results for the periods presented.

Cash and Cash Equivalents
For purposes of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, the Company has defined cash and cash equivalents as those amounts included in the balance sheet captions Cash and Due from Banks, Interest Bearing Deposits with Banks, Federal Funds Sold and Securities Purchased Under Agreements to Resell. For these instruments, the carrying amount is a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Investment Securities
Investment securities are classified at the time of purchase as held-to-maturity if it is management’s intent and the Company has the ability to hold the securities until maturity. These securities are carried at cost, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount using a level yield of interest over the estimated remaining period until maturity. Losses, reflecting a decline in value judged by the Company to be other than temporary, are recognized in the period in which they occur.
 
Securities are classified as available-for-sale if it is management’s intent, at the time of purchase, to hold the securities for an indefinite period of time and/or to use the securities as part of the Company’s asset/liability management strategy. These securities are reported at fair value with aggregate unrealized gains or losses excluded from income and included as a separate component of shareholders’ equity, net of related income taxes. Fair values are based on quoted market prices or broker/dealer price quotations on a specific identification basis. Gains or losses on the sale of these securities are computed using the specific identification method.

Trading securities, if any, are acquired for short-term appreciation and are recorded in a trading portfolio and are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded in non-interest income.

Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) on at least a quarterly basis, and more frequently when economic or market conditions warrant such an evaluation. For securities in an unrealized loss position, management considers the extent and duration of the unrealized loss, and the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer. Management also assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell, a security in an unrealized loss position before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the entire difference between amortized cost and fair value is recognized as impairment through earnings. For debt securities that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, the amount of impairment is split into two components as follows: (1) OTTI related to credit loss, which must be recognized in the income statement; and (2) OTTI related to other factors, which is recognized in other comprehensive income. The credit loss is defined as the difference between the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected and the amortized cost basis. For equity securities, the entire amount of impairment is recognized through earnings.

In order to determine OTTI for purchased beneficial interests that, on the purchase date, were not highly rated, the Company compares the present value of the remaining cash flows as estimated at the preceding evaluation date to the current expected remaining cash flows. OTTI is deemed to have occurred if there has been an adverse change in the remaining expected future cash flows.

Loans & Leases
Loans & leases are reported at the principal amount outstanding net of unearned discounts and deferred loan & lease fees and costs. Interest income on loans & leases is accrued daily on the outstanding balances using the simple interest method. Loan & lease origination fees are deferred and recognized over the contractual life of the loan or lease as an adjustment to the yield. Loans & leases are placed on non-accrual status when the collection of principal or interest is in doubt or when they become past due for 90 days or more unless they are both well-secured and in the process of collection. For this purpose, a loan or lease is considered well-secured if it is collateralized by property having a net realizable value in excess of the amount of the loan or lease or is guaranteed by a financially capable party. When a loan or lease is placed on non-accrual status, the accrued and unpaid interest receivable is reversed and charged against current income; thereafter, interest income is recognized only as it is collected in cash. Additionally, cash would be applied to principal if all principal was not expected to be collected. Loans & leases placed on non-accrual status are returned to accrual status when the loans or leases are paid current as to principal and interest and future payments are expected to be made in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan or lease.

A loan or lease is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due, including principal and interest, according to the contractual terms of the original agreement. Impaired loans & leases are either: (1) non-accrual loans & leases; or (2) restructured loans & leases that are still accruing interest. Loans or leases determined to be impaired are individually evaluated for impairment. When a loan or lease is impaired, the Company measures impairment based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan or lease's effective interest rate, except that as a practical expedient, it may measure impairment based on a loan or lease's observable market price, or the fair value of the collateral if the loan or lease is collateral dependent. A loan or lease is collateral dependent if the repayment of the loan or lease is expected to be provided solely by the underlying collateral.
 
A restructuring of a loan or lease constitutes a troubled debt restructuring (TDR) if the Company for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s (the term “borrower” is used herein to describe a customer who has entered into either a loan or lease transaction) financial difficulties grants a concession to the borrower that it would not otherwise consider. Restructured loans & leases typically present an elevated level of credit risk as the borrowers are not able to perform according to the original contractual terms. If the restructured loan or lease was current on all payments at the time of restructure and management reasonably expects the borrower will continue to perform after the restructure, management may keep the loan or lease on accrual. Loans & leases that are on nonaccrual status at the time they become TDR, remain on nonaccrual status until the borrower demonstrates a sustained period of performance, which the Company generally believes to be six consecutive months of payments, or equivalent. A loan or lease can be removed from TDR status if it was restructured at a market rate in a prior calendar year and is currently in compliance with its modified terms. However, these loans or leases continue to be classified as impaired and are individually evaluated for impairment as described above.

Generally, the Company will not restructure loans or leases for borrowers unless: (1) the existing loan or lease is brought current as to principal and interest payments; and (2) the restructured loan or lease can be underwritten to reasonable underwriting standards. If these standards are not met other actions will be pursued (e.g., foreclosure) to collect outstanding loan or lease amounts. After restructure a determination is made whether the loan or lease will be kept on accrual status based upon the underwriting and historical performance of the restructured credit.

Allowance for Credit Losses
The allowance for credit losses is an estimate of probable incurred credit losses inherent in the Company's loan & lease portfolio as of the balance sheet date. The allowance is established through a provision for credit losses, which is charged to expense. Additions to the allowance are expected to maintain the adequacy of the total allowance after credit losses and loan & lease growth. Credit exposures determined to be uncollectible are charged against the allowance. Cash received on previously charged off amounts is recorded as a recovery to the allowance. The overall allowance consists of three primary components: specific reserves related to impaired loans & leases; general reserves for inherent losses related to loans & leases that are not impaired; and an unallocated component that takes into account the imprecision in estimating and allocating allowance balances associated with macro factors.

The determination of the general reserve for loans & leases that are collectively evaluated for impairment is based on estimates made by management, to include, but not limited to, consideration of historical losses by portfolio segment, internal asset classifications, qualitative factors that include economic trends in the Company's service areas, industry experience and trends, geographic concentrations, estimated collateral values, the Company's underwriting policies, the character of the loan & lease portfolio, and probable losses inherent in the portfolio taken as a whole.

The Company maintains a separate allowance for each portfolio segment (loan & lease type). These portfolio segments include: (1) commercial real estate; (2) agricultural real estate; (3) real estate construction (including land and development loans); (4) residential 1st mortgages; (5) home equity lines and loans; (6) agricultural; (7) commercial; (8) consumer and other; and (9) equipment leases. The allowance for credit losses attributable to each portfolio segment, which includes both individually evaluated impaired loans & leases and loans & leases that are collectively evaluated for impairment, is combined to determine the Company's overall allowance, which is included on the consolidated balance sheet.

The Company assigns a risk rating to all loans & leases and periodically performs detailed reviews of all such loans & leases over a certain threshold to identify credit risks and assess overall collectability. For smaller balance loans & leases, such as consumer and residential real estate, a credit grade is established at inception, and then updated only when the loan or lease becomes contractually delinquent or when the borrower requests a modification. For larger balance loans, management monitors and analyzes the financial condition of borrowers and guarantors, trends in the industries in which borrowers operate and the fair values of collateral securing these loans & leases. These credit quality indicators are used to assign a risk rating to each individual loan or lease. These risk ratings are also subject to examination by independent specialists engaged by the Company. The risk ratings can be grouped into five major categories, defined as follows:

Pass – A pass loan or lease is a strong credit with no existing or known potential weaknesses deserving of management's close attention.

Special Mention – A special mention loan or lease has potential weaknesses that deserve management's close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or lease or in the Company's credit position at some future date. Special mention loans & leases are not adversely classified and do not expose the Company to sufficient risk to warrant adverse classification.
 
Substandard – A substandard loan or lease is not adequately protected by the current financial condition and paying capacity of the borrower or the value of the collateral pledged, if any. Loans or leases classified as substandard have a well-defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the debt. Well defined weaknesses include a project's lack of marketability, inadequate cash flow or collateral support, failure to complete construction on time or the project's failure to fulfill economic expectations. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that the Company will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.

Doubtful – Loans or leases classified doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as substandard with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, based on currently known facts, conditions and values, highly questionable or improbable.

Loss – Loans or leases classified as loss are considered uncollectible. Once a loan or lease becomes delinquent and repayment becomes questionable, the Company will address collateral shortfalls with the borrower and attempt to obtain additional collateral. If this is not forthcoming and payment in full is unlikely, the Company will estimate its probable loss and immediately charge-off some or all of the balance.

The general reserve component of the allowance for credit losses also consists of reserve factors that are based on management's assessment of the following for each portfolio segment: (1) inherent credit risk; (2) historical losses; and (3) other qualitative factors. These reserve factors are inherently subjective and are driven by the repayment risk associated with each portfolio segment described below:

Commercial Real Estate – Commercial real estate mortgage loans are generally considered to possess a higher inherent risk of loss than the Company’s commercial, agricultural and consumer loan types. Adverse economic developments or an overbuilt market impact commercial real estate projects and may result in troubled loans. Trends in vacancy rates of commercial properties impact the credit quality of these loans. High vacancy rates reduce operating revenues and the ability for properties to produce sufficient cash flow to service debt obligations.

Real Estate Construction – Real estate construction loans, including land loans, are generally considered to possess a higher inherent risk of loss than the Company’s commercial, agricultural and consumer loan types. A major risk arises from the necessity to complete projects within specified cost and time lines. Trends in the construction industry significantly impact the credit quality of these loans, as demand drives construction activity. In addition, trends in real estate values significantly impact the credit quality of these loans, as property values determine the economic viability of construction projects.

Commercial – These loans are generally considered to possess a moderate inherent risk of loss because they are shorter-term; typically made to relationship customers; generally underwritten to existing cash flows of operating businesses; and may be collateralized by fixed assets, inventory and/or accounts receivable. Debt coverage is provided by business cash flows and economic trends influenced by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans.

Agricultural Real Estate and Agricultural – These loans are generally considered to possess a moderate inherent risk of loss since they are typically made to relationship customers and are secured by crop production, livestock and related real estate.  These loans are vulnerable to two risk factors that are largely outside the control of Company and borrowers: commodity prices and weather conditions.

Leases – Equipment leases are generally considered to possess a moderate inherent risk of loss. As Lessor, the company is subject to both the credit risk of the borrower and the residual value risk of the equipment. Credit risks are underwritten using the same credit criteria the Company would use when making an equipment term loan. Residual value risk is managed through the use of qualified, independent appraisers that establish the residual values the Company uses in structuring a lease.

Residential 1st Mortgages and Home Equity Lines and Loans – These loans are generally considered to possess a low inherent risk of loss, although this is not always true as evidenced by the weakness in residential real estate values over the past five years. The degree of risk in residential real estate lending depends primarily on the loan amount in relation to collateral value, the interest rate and the borrower's ability to repay in an orderly fashion.  Economic trends determined by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans. Weak economic trends indicate that the borrowers' capacity to repay their obligations may be deteriorating.
 
Consumer & Other – A consumer installment loan portfolio is usually comprised of a large number of small loans scheduled to be amortized over a specific period. Most installment loans are made for consumer purchases. Economic trends determined by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans. Weak economic trends indicate that the borrowers' capacity to repay their obligations may be deteriorating.

At least quarterly, the Board of Directors reviews the adequacy of the allowance, including consideration of the relative risks in the portfolio, current economic conditions and other factors. If the Board of Directors and management determine that changes are warranted based on those reviews, the allowance is adjusted. In addition, the Company's and Bank's regulators, including the Federal Reserve Bank (“FRB”), the California Department of Business Oversight (“DBO”) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), as an integral part of their examination process, review the adequacy of the allowance. These regulatory agencies may require additions to the allowance based on their judgment about information available at the time of their examinations.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposures
The Company also maintains a separate allowance for off-balance-sheet commitments. Management estimates anticipated losses using historical data and utilization assumptions. The allowance for off-balance-sheet commitments is included in Interest Payable and Other Liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Premises and Equipment
Premises, equipment, and leasehold improvements are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed principally by the straight line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Estimated useful lives of buildings range from 30 to 40 years, and for furniture and equipment from 3 to 7 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the terms of the respective leases, or their useful lives, which are generally 5 to 10 years. Remodeling and capital improvements are capitalized while maintenance and repairs are charged directly to occupancy expense.

Other Real Estate
Other real estate, which is included in other assets, is expected to be sold and is comprised of properties no longer utilized for business operations and property acquired through foreclosure in satisfaction of indebtedness. These properties are recorded at fair value less estimated selling costs upon acquisition. Revised estimates to the fair value less cost to sell are reported as adjustments to the carrying amount of the asset, provided that such adjusted value is not in excess of the carrying amount at acquisition. Initial losses on properties acquired through full or partial satisfaction of debt are treated as credit losses and charged to the allowance for credit losses at the time of acquisition. Subsequent declines in value from the recorded amounts, routine holding costs, and gains or losses upon disposition, if any, are included in non-interest expense as incurred.

Income Taxes
The Company uses the liability method of accounting for income taxes. This method results in the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities that are reflected at currently enacted income tax rates applicable to the period in which the deferred tax assets or liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. As changes in tax laws or rates are enacted, deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted through the provision for income taxes. The deferred provision for income taxes is the result of the net change in the deferred tax asset and deferred tax liability balances during the year. This amount combined with the current taxes payable or refundable results in the income tax expense for the current year.

The Company follows the standards set forth in the “Income Taxes” topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”), which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements. This standard prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement standard for the financial statement recognition and measurement of an income tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. It also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition.
 
When tax returns are filed, it is highly certain that some positions taken would be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, while others are subject to uncertainty about the merits of the position taken or the amount of the position that would be ultimately sustained. The benefit of a tax position is recognized in the financial statements in the period during which, based on all available evidence, management believes it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of appeals or litigation processes, if any. Tax positions taken are not offset or aggregated with other positions. Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with the applicable taxing authority. The portion of the benefits associated with tax positions taken that exceeds the amount measured as described above is reflected as a liability for unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet along with any associated interest and penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination.

Interest expense and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits, if any, are included in the provision for income taxes in the Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income.

Dividends and Basic Earnings Per Common Share
The Company’s common stock is not traded on any exchange. The shares are primarily held by local residents and are not actively traded. Basic earnings per common share amounts are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. There are no common stock equivalent shares. Therefore, there is no presentation of diluted basic earnings per common share. See Note 15 for additional information.

Segment Reporting
The “Segment Reporting” topic of the FASB ASC requires that public companies report certain information about operating segments. It also requires that public companies report certain information about their products and services, the geographic areas in which they operate, and their major customers. The Company is a holding company for a community bank, which offers a wide array of products and services to its customers. Pursuant to its banking strategy, emphasis is placed on building relationships with its customers, as opposed to building specific lines of business. As a result, the Company is not organized around discernible lines of business and prefers to work as an integrated unit to customize solutions for its customers, with business line emphasis and product offerings changing over time as needs and demands change. Therefore, the Company only reports one segment.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
The “Derivatives and Hedging” topic of the FASB ASC establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities. All derivatives, whether designated in hedging relationships or not, are required to be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. Changes in the fair value of those derivatives are accounted for depending on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation under specified criteria. If the derivative is designated as a fair value hedge, the changes in the fair value of the derivative and of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in earnings. If the derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, designed to minimize interest rate risk, the effective portions of the change in the fair value of the derivative are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss), net of related income taxes. Ineffective portions of changes in the fair value of cash flow hedges are recognized in earnings.

From time to time, the Company utilizes derivative financial instruments such as interest rate caps, floors, swaps, and collars. These instruments are purchased and/or sold to reduce the Company’s exposure to changing interest rates. The Company marks to market the value of its derivative financial instruments and reflects gain or loss in earnings in the period of change or in other comprehensive income (loss). The Company was not utilizing any derivative instruments as of or for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Comprehensive Income
The “Comprehensive Income” topic of the FASB ASC establishes standards for the reporting and display of comprehensive income and its components in the financial statements. Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to revenues, expenses, gains, and losses that generally accepted accounting principles recognize as changes in value to an enterprise but are excluded from net income. For the Company, comprehensive income includes net income and changes in fair value of its available-for-sale investment securities.
 
Loss Contingencies
Loss contingencies, including claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business, are recorded as liabilities when the likelihood of loss is probable and an amount or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Management does not believe there now are such matters that will have a material effect on the financial statements.

2. Investment Securities

The amortized cost, fair values, and unrealized gains and losses of the securities available-for-sale are as follows:
(in thousands)

   
Amortized
    
Gross Unrealized
    
Fair/Book
  
December 31, 2014
  
Cost
    
Gains
    
Losses
    
Value
  
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
  
$
78,051
    
$
61
    
$
3
    
$
78,109
  
Mortgage Backed Securities (1)
    
283,636
      
4,969
      
657
      
287,948
  
Other
    
485
      
-
      
-
      
485
  
Total
  
$
362,172
    
$
5,030
    
$
660
    
$
366,542
  
                                 
   
Amortized
    
Gross Unrealized
    
Fair/Book
  
December 31, 2013
  
Cost
    
Gains
    
Losses
    
Value
  
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
  
$
28,287
    
$
149
    
$
-
    
$
28,436
  
Mortgage Backed Securities (1)
    
329,469
      
3,026
      
7,566
      
324,929
  
Corporate Securities
    
49,247
      
280
      
147
      
49,380
  
Other
    
1,894
      
-
      
-
      
1,894
  
Total
  
$
408,897
    
$
3,455
    
$
7,713
    
$
404,639
  

(1) All Mortgage Backed Securities were issued by an agency or government sponsored entity of the U.S. government.

The book values, estimated fair values and unrealized gains and losses of investments classified as held-to-maturity are as follows: (in thousands)

   
Book
    
Gross Unrealized
    
Fair
  
December 31, 2014
  
Value
    
Gains
    
Losses
    
Value
  
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions
  
$
61,716
    
$
782
    
$
10
    
$
62,488
  
Other
    
2,147
      
-
      
-
      
2,147
  
Total
  
$
63,863
    
$
782
    
$
10
    
$
64,635
  
                                 
   
Book
    
Gross Unrealized
    
Fair
  
December 31, 2013
  
Value
    
Gains
    
Losses
    
Value
  
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions
  
$
65,685
    
$
812
    
$
627
    
$
65,870
  
Mortgage Backed Securities (1)
    
45
      
-
      
-
      
45
  
Other
    
2,775
      
-
      
-
      
2,775
  
Total
  
$
68,505
    
$
812
    
$
627
    
$
68,690
  

 (1) All Mortgage Backed Securities were issued by an agency or government sponsored entity of the U.S. government.

Fair values are based on quoted market prices or dealer quotes. If a quoted market price or dealer quote is not available, fair value is estimated using quoted market prices for similar securities.

In June 2014, the Company sold $375,000 of municipal bonds from a single issuer. The Company took this action under the provisions of ASC 320-10-25-6(a), which allow for the sale of held-to-maturity securities where there is “evidence of a significant deterioration in the issuer’s creditworthiness.” The resulting income statement impact was not material.
 
The amortized cost and estimated fair values of investment securities at December 31, 2014 by contractual maturity are shown in the following tables. (in thousands)

   
Available-for-Sale
    
Held-to-Maturity
  
   
Amortized
    
Fair/Book
    
Book
    
Fair
  
December 31, 2014
  
Cost
    
Value
    
Value
    
Value
  
Within One Year
  
$
77,462
    
$
77,470
    
$
2,747
    
$
2,748
  
After One Year Through Five Years
    
1,074
      
1,124
      
16,426
      
16,633
  
After Five Years Through Ten Years
    
-
      
-
      
9,845
      
9,931
  
After Ten Years
    
-
      
-
      
34,845
      
35,323
  
     
78,536
      
78,594
      
63,863
      
64,635
  
                                 
Investment Securities Not Due at a Single Maturity Date:
                                
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
283,636
      
287,948
      
-
      
-
  
Total
  
$
362,172
    
$
366,542
    
$
63,863
    
$
64,635
  

Expected maturities of mortgage-backed securities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

The following tables show those investments with gross unrealized losses and their market value aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at the dates indicated. (in thousands)

   
Less Than 12 Months
    
12 Months or More
    
Total
  
December 31, 2014
  
Fair
Value
    
Unrealized
Loss
    
Fair
Value
    
Unrealized
Loss
    
Fair
Value
    
Unrealized
Loss
  
                         
Securities Available-for-Sale
                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
  
$
66,980
    
$
3
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
66,980
    
$
3
  
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
14,487
      
151
      
33,574
      
506
      
48,061
      
657
  
Total
  
$
81,467
    
$
154
    
$
33,574
    
$
506
    
$
115,041
    
$
660
  
                                                 
Securities Held-to-Maturity
                                                
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions
  
$
849
    
$
5
    
$
876
    
$
5
    
$
1,725
    
$
10
  
Total
  
$
849
    
$
5
    
$
876
    
$
5
    
$
1,725
    
$
10
  
                                                 
   
Less Than 12 Months
    
12 Months or More
    
Total
  
December 31, 2013
  
Fair
Value
    
Unrealized
Loss
    
Fair
Value
    
Unrealized
Loss
    
Fair
Value
    
Unrealized
Loss
  
                                                 
Securities Available-for-Sale
                                                
Mortgage Backed Securities
  
$
195,736
    
$
7,566
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
195,736
    
$
7,566
  
Corporate Securities
    
15,297
      
106
      
2,457
      
41
      
17,754
      
147
  
Total
  
$
211,033
    
$
7,672
    
$
2,457
    
$
41
    
$
213,490
    
$
7,713
  
                                                 
Securities Held-to-Maturity
                                                
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions
  
$
9,518
    
$
627
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
9,518
    
$
627
  
Total
  
$
9,518
    
$
627
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
9,518
    
$
627
  

As of December 31, 2014, the Company held 264 investment securities of which 7 were in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve months. Six securities were in an unrealized loss position for twelve months or more. Management periodically evaluates each investment security for other-than-temporary impairment relying primarily on industry analyst reports and observations of market conditions and interest rate fluctuations. Management believes it will be able to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the underlying investment securities.
 
Securities of Government Agency and Government Sponsored Entities – The unrealized losses on the Company's investments in securities of government agency and government sponsored entities were $3,000 at December 31, 2014 and $0 at December 31, 2013. The unrealized loss was caused by interest rate fluctuations. Repayment of these investments is guaranteed by an agency or government sponsored entity of the U.S. government. Accordingly, it is expected that the securities would not be settled at a price less than the amortized cost of the Company's investment. Because the decline in market value is attributable to changes in interest rates and not credit quality, and because the Company does not intend to sell the securities and it is more likely than not that the Company will not have to sell the securities before recovery of their cost basis, the Company does not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired at December 31, 2014.

Mortgage Backed Securities - The unrealized losses on the Company's investment in mortgage-backed securities were $657,000 at December 31, 2014 and $7.6 million at December 31, 2013. The unrealized losses were caused by interest rate fluctuations. The contractual cash flows of these investments are guaranteed by an agency or government sponsored entity of the U.S. government. Accordingly, it is expected that the securities would not be settled at a price less than the amortized cost of the Company's investment. Because the decline in market value is attributable to changes in interest rates and not credit quality, and because the Company does not intend to sell the securities and it is more likely than not that the Company will not have to sell the securities before recovery of their cost basis, the Company does not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired at December 31, 2014 or 2013.

Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions - The continuing financial problems being experienced by certain municipalities, along with the financial stresses exhibited by some of the large monoline bond insurers have increased the overall risk associated with bank-qualified municipal bonds. As of December 31, 2014, over ninety-seven percent of the Company’s bank-qualified municipal bond portfolio is rated at either the issue or the issuer level, and all of these ratings are “investment grade.” The Company monitors the status of the three percent of the portfolio that is not rated and at the current time does not believe any of them to be exhibiting financial problems that could result in a loss in any individual security.

The unrealized losses on the Company’s investment in obligation of states and political subdivision were $10,000 at December 31, 2014 and $627,000 at December 31, 2013. Management believes that any unrealized losses on the Company's investments in obligations of states and political subdivisions were caused by interest rate fluctuations. The contractual terms of these investments do not permit the issuer to settle the securities at a price less than the amortized cost of the investment. Because the Company did not intend to sell the securities and it is more likely than not that the Company would not have to sell the securities before recovery of their cost basis, the Company did not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

Corporate Securities - The Company did not hold any corporate securities at December 31, 2014. The unrealized losses on the Company’s investment in corporate securities at December 31, 2013 were $147,000. Changes in the prices of corporate securities are primarily influenced by: (1) changes in market interest rates; (2) changes in perceived credit risk in the general economy or in particular industries; (3) changes in the perceived credit risk of a particular company; and (4) day to day trading supply, demand and liquidity.

Proceeds from sales and calls of securities were as follows:

(in thousands)
  
Gross
Proceeds
    
Gross
Gains
    
Gross
Losses
  
2014
  
$
130,174
    
$
1,204
    
$
1,114
  
2013
  
$
81,390
    
$
1,208
    
$
1,437
  
2012
  
$
55,986
    
$
158
      
-
  
 
Pledged Securities
As of December 31, 2014, securities carried at $178.8 million were pledged to secure public deposits, Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) borrowings, and other government agency deposits as required by law. This amount was $334.8 million at December 31, 2013.

The decrease in pledged securities in 2014 was due to the Company’s use of a $165 million standby Letter of Credit (“LC”) issued by the Federal Home Loan Bank as collateral for Public Deposits.  The LC was issued December 4, 2014, and matures December 2, 2016, with a maintenance fee of 10 basis points per annum.

3. Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Stock

The Bank is a member of the FHLB system. Members are required to own a certain amount of stock based on the level of borrowings and other factors, and may invest in additional amounts. FHLB stock is carried at cost, classified as a restricted security, and periodically evaluated for impairment based on ultimate recovery of par value. Both cash and stock dividends are reported as income. FHLB stock is reported in Other Assets and Interest Receivable on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and totaled $7.7 million at December 31, 2014 and $7.2 million at December 31, 2013.

4. Loans & Leases

Loans & leases as of December 31 consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
  
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
495,316
    
$
411,037
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
357,207
      
328,264
  
Real Estate Construction
    
96,519
      
41,092
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
171,880
      
151,292
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
33,017
      
35,477
  
Agricultural
    
281,963
      
256,414
  
Commercial
    
230,819
      
150,398
  
Consumer & Other
    
4,719
      
5,052
  
Leases
    
44,217
      
12,733
  
Total Gross Loans & Leases
    
1,715,657
      
1,391,759
  
Less: Unearned Income
    
3,413
      
3,523
  
Subtotal
    
1,712,244
      
1,388,236
  
Less: Allowance for Credit Losses
    
35,401
      
34,274
  
Loans & Leases, Net
  
$
1,676,843
    
$
1,353,962
  

At December 31, 2014, the portion of loans that were approved for pledging as collateral on borrowing lines with the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and the Federal Reserve Bank (“FRB”) were $516.6 million and $537.5 million, respectively. The borrowing capacity on these loans was $256.6 million from FHLB and $340.5 million from the FRB.
 
5. Allowance for Credit Losses

The following tables show the allocation of the allowance for credit losses at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 by portfolio segment and by impairment methodology (in thousands):
 
December 31, 2014
  
Commercial Real Estate
    
Agricultural Real Estate
    
Real Estate Construction
    
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
Home Equity Lines & Loans
    
Agricultural
    
Commercial
    
Consumer & Other
    
Leases
    
Unallocated
    
Total
  
                                             
Year-To-Date Allowance for Credit Losses:
                                      
Beginning Balance- January 1, 2014
  
$
5,178
    
$
3,576
    
$
654
    
$
1,108
    
$
2,767
    
$
12,205
    
$
5,697
    
$
176
    
$
639
    
$
2,274
    
$
34,274
  
Charge-Offs
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
(73
)
    
(70
)
    
-
      
(1
)
    
(132
)
    
-
      
-
      
(276
)
Recoveries
    
11
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
58
      
8
      
86
      
65
      
-
      
-
      
228
  
Provision
    
2,653
      
609
      
1,015
      
(13
)
    
(329
)
    
(6,109
)
    
2,413
      
109
      
1,572
      
(745
)
    
1,175
  
Ending Balance- December 31, 2014
  
$
7,842
    
$
4,185
    
$
1,669
    
$
1,022
    
$
2,426
    
$
6,104
    
$
8,195
    
$
218
    
$
2,211
    
$
1,529
    
$
35,401
  
Ending Balance Individually Evaluated for Impairment
    
377
      
-
      
-
      
422
      
329
      
114
      
914
      
41
      
-
      
-
      
2,197
  
Ending Balance Collectively Evaluated for Impairment
    
7,465
      
4,185
      
1,669
      
600
      
2,097
      
5,990
      
7,281
      
177
      
2,211
      
1,529
      
33,204
  
Loans & Leases:
                                                                                        
Ending Balance
  
$
491,903
    
$
357,207
    
$
96,519
    
$
171,880
    
$
33,017
    
$
281,963
    
$
230,819
    
$
4,719
    
$
44,217
    
$
-
    
$
1,712,244
  
Ending Balance Individually Evaluated for Impairment
    
20,066
      
-
      
4,386
      
2,108
      
1,643
      
461
      
4,874
      
46
      
-
      
-
      
33,584
  
Ending Balance Collectively Evaluated for Impairment
    
471,837
      
357,207
      
92,133
      
169,772
      
31,374
      
281,502
      
225,945
      
4,673
      
44,217
      
-
      
1,678,660
  
 
December 31, 2013
  
Commercial Real Estate
    
Agricultural Real Estate
    
Real Estate Construction
    
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
Home Equity Lines & Loans
    
Agricultural
    
Commercial
    
Consumer & Other
    
Leases
    
Unallocated
    
Total
  
                                             
Year-To-Date Allowance for Credit Losses:
                                      
Beginning Balance- January 1, 2013
  
$
6,464
    
$
2,877
    
$
986
    
$
1,219
    
$
3,235
    
$
10,437
    
$
7,963
    
$
182
    
$
-
    
$
854
    
$
34,217
  
Charge-Offs
    
(6
)
    
(575
)
    
-
      
(16
)
    
(91
)
    
(23
)
    
(60
)
    
(120
)
    
-
      
-
      
(891
)
Recoveries
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
115
      
42
      
312
      
54
      
-
      
-
      
523
  
Provision
    
(1,280
)
    
1,274
      
(332
)
    
(95
)
    
(492
)
    
1,749
      
(2,518
)
    
60
      
639
      
1,420
      
425
  
Ending Balance- December 31, 2013
  
$
5,178
    
$
3,576
    
$
654
    
$
1,108
    
$
2,767
    
$
12,205
    
$
5,697
    
$
176
    
$
639
    
$
2,274
    
$
34,274
  
Ending Balance Individually Evaluated for Impairment
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
414
      
209
      
122
      
820
      
51
      
-
      
-
      
1,616
  
Ending Balance Collectively Evaluated for Impairment
    
5,178
      
3,576
      
654
      
694
      
2,558
      
12,083
      
4,877
      
125
      
639
      
2,274
      
32,658
  
Loans & Leases:
                                                                                        
Ending Balance
  
$
407,514
    
$
328,264
    
$
41,092
    
$
151,292
    
$
35,477
    
$
256,414
    
$
150,398
    
$
5,052
    
$
12,733
    
$
-
    
$
1,388,236
  
Ending Balance Individually Evaluated for Impairment
    
22,176
      
-
      
4,500
      
2,072
      
1,045
      
522
      
5,250
      
51
      
-
      
-
      
35,616
  
Ending Balance Collectively Evaluated for Impairment
    
385,338
      
328,264
      
36,592
      
149,220
      
34,432
      
255,892
      
145,148
      
5,001
      
12,733
      
-
      
1,352,620
  
 
The ending balance of loans individually evaluated for impairment includes restructured loans in the amount of $26.4 million and $28.4 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, which are no longer disclosed or classified as TDR’s.
 
The following tables show the loan & lease portfolio allocated by management’s internal risk ratings at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):

December 31, 2014
  
Pass
    
Special Mention
    
Substandard
    
Total Loans
  
Loans & Leases:
                
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
483,146
    
$
8,651
    
$
106
    
$
491,903
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
357,207
      
-
      
-
      
357,207
  
Real Estate Construction
    
94,887
      
1,632
      
-
      
96,519
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
170,462
      
744
      
674
      
171,880
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
32,054
      
85
      
878
      
33,017
  
Agricultural
    
281,232
      
679
      
52
      
281,963
  
Commercial
    
211,036
      
18,143
      
1,640
      
230,819
  
Consumer & Other
    
4,449
      
-
      
270
      
4,719
  
Leases
    
44,217
      
-
      
-
      
44,217
  
Total
  
$
1,678,690
    
$
29,934
    
$
3,620
    
$
1,712,244
  

December 31, 2013
  
Pass
    
Special Mention
    
Substandard
    
Total Loans
  
Loans & Leases:
                
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
398,488
    
$
7,979
    
$
1,047
    
$
407,514
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
325,926
      
2,338
      
-
      
328,264
  
Real Estate Construction
    
39,460
      
1,632
      
-
      
41,092
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
149,798
      
774
      
720
      
151,292
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
34,821
      
-
      
656
      
35,477
  
Agricultural
    
255,443
      
889
      
82
      
256,414
  
Commercial
    
132,008
      
15,426
      
2,964
      
150,398
  
Consumer & Other
    
4,763
      
-
      
289
      
5,052
  
Leases
    
12,733
      
-
      
-
      
12,733
  
Total
  
$
1,353,440
    
$
29,038
    
$
5,758
    
$
1,388,236
  

See Note 1. Significant Accounting Policies – Allowance for Credit Losses for a description of the internal risk ratings used by the Company. There were no loans & leases outstanding at December 31, 2014 and 2013 rated doubtful or loss.
 
The following tables show an aging analysis of the loan & lease portfolio by the time past due at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):

December 31, 2014
  
30-59 Days
Past Due
    
60-89 Days
Past Due
    
90 Days and
Still Accruing
    
Nonaccrual
    
Total Past
Due
    
Current
    
Total
Loans & Leases
  
Loans & Leases:
                            
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
491,903
    
$
491,903
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
357,207
      
357,207
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
96,519
      
96,519
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
77
      
77
      
171,803
      
171,880
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
79
      
-
      
-
      
576
      
655
      
32,362
      
33,017
  
Agricultural
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
18
      
18
      
281,945
      
281,963
  
Commercial
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
1,586
      
1,586
      
229,233
      
230,819
  
Consumer & Other
    
10
      
-
      
-
      
13
      
23
      
4,696
      
4,719
  
Leases
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
44,217
      
44,217
  
Total
  
$
89
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
2,270
    
$
2,359
    
$
1,709,885
    
$
1,712,244
  

December 31, 2013
  
30-89 Days
Past Due
    
60-89 Days
Past Due
    
90 Days and
Still Accruing
    
Nonaccrual
    
Total Past
Due
    
Current
    
Total
Loans
  
Loans & Leases:
                            
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
773
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
773
    
$
406,741
    
$
407,514
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
607
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
607
      
327,657
      
328,264
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
41,092
      
41,092
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
324
      
324
      
150,968
      
151,292
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
-
      
52
      
-
      
406
      
458
      
35,019
      
35,477
  
Agricultural
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
35
      
35
      
256,379
      
256,414
  
Commercial
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
1,815
      
1,815
      
148,583
      
150,398
  
Consumer & Other
    
19
      
-
      
-
      
16
      
35
      
5,017
      
5,052
  
Leases
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
12,733
      
12,733
  
Total
  
$
1,399
    
$
52
    
$
-
    
$
2,596
    
$
4,047
    
$
1,384,189
    
$
1,388,236
  

Non-accrual loans & leases at December 31, 2014 and 2013 were $2.3 million and $2.6 million, respectively. Interest income forgone on loans & leases placed on non-accrual status was $92,000, $52,000, and $209,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013,and 2012, respectively.
 
The following tables show information related to impaired loans & leases at and for the year ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 (in thousands):

December 31, 2014
  
Recorded
Investment
    
Unpaid
Principal
Balance
    
Related
Allowance
    
Average
Recorded
Investment
    
Interest
Income
Recognized
  
With no related allowance recorded:
                    
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
49
    
$
4
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
169
      
-
  
Agricultural
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
15
      
-
  
Commercial
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
1,620
      
54
  
Consumer & Other
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
   
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
1,853
    
$
58
  
With an allowance recorded:
                                        
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
92
    
$
92
    
$
2
    
$
47
    
$
4
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
937
      
1,069
      
187
      
612
      
9
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
951
      
1,020
      
190
      
803
      
10
  
Agricultural
    
461
      
473
      
114
      
473
      
28
  
Commercial
    
4,742
      
4,813
      
910
      
3,182
      
54
  
Consumer & Other
    
46
      
51
      
41
      
46
      
2
  
   
$
7,229
    
$
7,518
    
$
1,444
    
$
5,163
    
$
107
  
Total
  
$
7,229
    
$
7,518
    
$
1,444
    
$
7,016
    
$
165
  

December 31, 2013
  
Recorded
Investment
    
Unpaid
Principal
Balance
    
Related
Allowance
    
Average
Recorded
Investment
    
Interest
Income
Recognized
  
With no related allowance recorded:
                    
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
102
    
$
101
    
$
-
    
$
865
    
$
8
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
2,185
      
-
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
450
      
11
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
228
      
5
  
Agricultural
    
35
      
43
      
-
      
586
      
-
  
Commercial
    
3,474
      
3,532
      
-
      
939
      
13
  
   
$
3,611
    
$
3,676
    
$
-
    
$
5,253
    
$
37
  
With an allowance recorded:
                                        
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
2
    
$
-
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
823
      
-
  
Real Estate Construction
    
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
      
-
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
769
      
826
      
154
      
254
      
6
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
689
      
821
      
138
      
332
      
3
  
Agricultural
    
488
      
488
      
122
      
1,002
      
31
  
Commercial
    
1,641
      
1,657
      
820
      
1,072
      
6
  
Consumer & Other
    
50
      
53
      
50
      
126
      
3
  
   
$
3,637
    
$
3,845
    
$
1,284
    
$
3,611
    
$
49
  
Total
  
$
7,248
    
$
7,521
    
$
1,284
    
$
8,864
    
$
86
  

Total recorded investment shown in the prior table will not equal the total ending balance of loans & leases individually evaluated for impairment on the allocation of allowance table. This is because the calculation of recorded investment takes into account charge-offs, net unamortized loan & lease fees & costs, unamortized premium or discount, and accrued interest. This table also excludes impaired loans that were previously modified in a troubled debt restructuring, are currently performing and are no longer disclosed or classified as TDR’s.

At December 31, 2014, the Company allocated $1.3 million of specific reserves to $6.6 million of troubled debt restructured loans, of which $5.0 million were performing. At December 31, 2013, the Company allocated $1.2 million of specific reserves to $6.8 million of troubled debt restructured loans, of which $4.6 million were performing. The Company had no commitments at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 to lend additional amounts to customers with outstanding loans that are classified as troubled debt restructurings.
 
During the period ending December 31, 2014, the terms of certain loans were modified as troubled debt restructurings. The modification of the terms of such loans included one or a combination of the following: a reduction of the stated interest rate of the loan; an extension of the maturity date at a stated rate of interest lower than the current market rate for new debt with similar risk; or a permanent reduction of the recorded investment in the loan.

Modifications involving a reduction of the stated interest rate of the loan were for periods ranging from 4 to 30 years. Modifications involving an extension of the maturity date were for periods ranging from 6 months to 30 years.

The following table presents loans by class modified as troubled debt restructured loans for the period ended December 31, 2014 (in thousands):

   
December 31, 2014
  
Troubled Debt Restructurings
  
Number of Loans
    
Pre-Modification
Outstanding
Recorded
Investment
    
Post-Modification
Outstanding
Recorded
Investment
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
5
    
$
857
    
$
804
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
3
      
98
      
89
  
Agricultural
    
1
      
32
      
32
  
Commercial
    
1
      
18
      
18
  
Consumer & Other
    
1
      
7
      
7
  
Total
    
11
    
$
1,012
    
$
950
  

The troubled debt restructurings described above increased the allowance for credit losses by $28,000 and resulted in charge-offs of $63,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014.

During the period ended December 31, 2014, there were no payment defaults on loans modified as troubled debt restructurings within twelve months following the modification. The Company considers a loan to be in payment default once it is greater than 90 days contractually past due under the modified terms.

During the period ending December 31, 2013, the terms of certain loans were modified as troubled debt restructurings. The modification of the terms of such loans included one or a combination of the following: a reduction of the stated interest rate of the loan; an extension of the maturity date at a stated rate of interest lower than the current market rate for new debt with similar risk; or a permanent reduction of the recorded investment in the loan.

Modifications involving a reduction of the stated interest rate of the loan were for periods of 5 years. Modifications involving an extension of the maturity date were for periods ranging from 6 months to 10 years.
 
The following table presents loans by class modified as troubled debt restructured loans for the period ended December 31, 2013 (in thousands):

   
December 31, 2013
  
Troubled Debt Restructurings
  
Number of Loans
    
Pre-Modification
Outstanding
Recorded
Investment
    
Post-Modification
Outstanding
Recorded
Investment
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
4
    
$
306
    
$
290
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
4
      
414
      
387
  
Commercial
    
4
      
5,016
      
5,016
  
Total
    
12
    
$
5,736
    
$
5,693
  

The troubled debt restructurings described above did not increase the allowance for credit losses but did result in charge-offs of $43,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

As of December 31, 2013, there was one commercial loan with an outstanding balance of $174,000 that was previously modified as a troubled debt restructuring within the previous 12 months that subsequently defaulted during the twelve months ended December 31, 2013. This defaulted loan did not increase the allowance for credit loss and did not result in any charge offs during the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2013.

6. Premises and Equipment

Premises and equipment as of December 31, consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
  
Land and Buildings
  
$
33,527
    
$
33,354
  
Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment
    
20,244
      
16,770
  
Leasehold Improvements
    
1,763
      
2,060
  
Subtotal
    
55,534
      
52,184
  
Less:  Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization
    
29,713
      
29,297
  
Total
  
$
25,821
    
$
22,887
  

Depreciation and amortization on premises and equipment included in occupancy and equipment expense amounted to $1,325,000, $1,506,000, and $1,704,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. Total rental expense for premises was $530,000, $411,000, and $391,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. Rental income was $81,000, $102,000, and $148,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.

7. Other Real Estate

The Bank reported $3.3 million, net of $3.7 million reserve, in other real estate at December 31, 2014, and $4.6 million, net of $3.7 million reserve, in 2013. Other real estate includes property no longer utilized for business operations and property acquired through foreclosure proceedings. These properties are carried at fair value less selling costs determined at the date acquired. Losses, if any, arising from properties acquired through foreclosure are charged against the allowance for loan losses at the time of foreclosure. Subsequent declines in value, periodic holding costs, and net gains or losses on disposition are included in other operating expense as incurred. Other real estate is reported in Interest Receivable and Other Assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
 
8. Time Deposits

Time Deposits of $250,000 or more as of December 31 were as follows:
 
(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
  
Balance
  
$
239,649
    
$
206,189
  

At December 31, 2014, the scheduled maturities of time deposits were as follows:

(in thousands)
  
Scheduled Maturities
  
2015
  
$
410,487
  
2016
    
34,330
  
2017
    
20,355
  
2018
    
2,021
  
2019
    
1,090
  
Total
  
$
468,283
  

9. Income Taxes

Current and deferred income tax expense (benefit) provided for the years ended December 31 consisted of the following:

(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Current
            
Federal
  
$
7,941
    
$
11,497
    
$
12,252
  
State
    
4,345
      
4,357
      
4,281
  
Total Current
    
12,286
      
15,854
      
16,533
  
Deferred
                        
Federal
    
3,116
      
(998
)
    
(2,041
)
State
    
(308
)
    
(635
)
    
(507
)
Total Deferred
    
2,808
      
(1,633
)
    
(2,548
)
Total Provision for Taxes
  
$
15,094
    
$
14,221
    
$
13,985
  

The total provision for income taxes differs from the federal statutory rate as follows:

   
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
(in thousands)
  
Amount
    
Rate
    
Amount
    
Rate
    
Amount
    
Rate
  
Tax Provision at Federal Statutory Rate
  
$
14,174
      
35.0
%
  
$
13,399
      
35.0
%
  
$
13,067
      
35.0
%
Interest on Obligations of States and Political
                                                
Subdivisions exempt from Federal Taxation
    
(805
)
    
(2.0
%)
    
(894
)
    
(2.3
%)
    
(917
)
    
(2.5
%)
State and Local Income Taxes, Net of Federal Income Tax Benefit
    
2,624
      
6.5
%
    
2,419
      
6.3
%
    
2,453
      
6.6
%
Bank Owned Life Insurance
    
(696
)
    
(1.7
%)
    
(702
)
    
(1.8
%)
    
(675
)
    
(1.8
%)
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
    
(126
)
    
(0.3
%)
    
(129
)
    
(0.3
%)
    
-
      
-
  
Other, Net
    
(77
)
    
(0.2
%)
    
128
      
0.3
%
    
57
      
0.2
%
Total Provision for Taxes
  
$
15,094
      
37.3
%
  
$
14,221
      
37.1
%
  
$
13,985
      
37.5
%
 
The components of net deferred tax assets as of December 31 are as follows:

(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
  
Deferred Tax Assets
  
   
 
Allowance for Credit Losses
  
$
14,944
    
$
14,470
  
Accrued Liabilities
    
8,184
      
7,723
  
Deferred Compensation
    
10,006
      
8,859
  
State Franchise Tax
    
1,521
      
1,525
  
Interest on Non-Accrual Loans
    
2
      
15
  
ORE Writedown and Holding Costs
    
1,724
      
1,713
  
Unrealized Loss on Securities Available-for-Sale
    
-
      
1,790
  
Low-Income Housing Investment
    
58
      
21
  
Total Deferred Tax Assets
  
$
36,439
    
$
36,116
  
Deferred Tax Liabilities
                
Premises and Equipment
    
(286
)
    
(213
)
Securities Accretion
    
(298
)
    
(966
)
Unrealized Gain on Securities Available-for-Sale
    
(1,838
)
    
-
  
Leasing Activities
    
(7,018
)
    
(1,501
)
Other
    
(786
)
    
(787
)
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities
    
(10,226
)
    
(3,467
)
Net Deferred Tax Assets
  
$
26,213
    
$
32,649
  

The net deferred tax assets are reported in Interest Receivable and Other Assets on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheet.

The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the U.S. federal and California jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2008.

10. Short Term Borrowings

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had unused lines of credit available for short-term liquidity purposes of $597.8 million and $887.8 million, respectively. Federal Funds purchased and advances are generally issued on an overnight basis. There were no advances from the FHLB at December 31, 2014 or 2013. There were no Federal Funds purchased or advances from the FRB at December 31, 2014 or 2013.

11.  Securities Sold Under Agreement to Repurchase

Securities Sold Under Agreement to Repurchase are used as secured borrowing alternatives to FHLB Advances or FRB Borrowings.

At December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company had no securities sold under agreement to repurchase.

12. Federal Home Loan Bank Advances

The Company had no short-term or long-term advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco at December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012.

In accordance with the Collateral Pledge and Security Agreement, advances are secured by all FHLB stock held by the Company and by government agency & government-sponsored entity securities and mortgage-backed securities with borrowing capacity of $500,000. At December 31, 2014, $516.6 million in loans were approved for pledging as collateral on borrowing lines with the FHLB. The borrowing capacity on these loans was $256.6 million.
 
13.  Long-term Subordinated Debentures

In December 2003, the Company formed a wholly owned Connecticut statutory business trust, FMCB Statutory Trust I (“Statutory Trust I”), which issued $10.0 million of guaranteed preferred beneficial interests in the Company’s junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures (the “Trust Preferred Securities”). The Company is not considered the primary beneficiary of the trust (variable interest entity), therefore the trust is not consolidated in the Company’s financial statements, but rather the subordinated debentures are shown as a liability. These debentures qualify as Tier 1 capital under current regulatory guidelines. All of the common securities of Statutory Trust I are owned by the Company. The proceeds from the issuance of the common securities and the Trust Preferred Securities were used by FMCB Statutory Trust to purchase $10.3 million of junior subordinated debentures of the Company, which carry a floating rate based on three-month LIBOR plus 2.85%. The debentures represent the sole asset of Statutory Trust I. The Trust Preferred Securities accrue and pay distributions at a floating rate of three-month LIBOR plus 2.85% per annum of the stated liquidation value of $1,000 per capital security. The Company has entered into contractual arrangements which, taken collectively, fully and unconditionally guarantee payment to the extent that Statutory Trust I has funds available therefore of: (i) accrued and unpaid distributions required to be paid on the Trust Preferred Securities; (ii) the redemption price with respect to any Trust Preferred Securities called for redemption by Statutory Trust I; and (iii) payments due upon a voluntary or involuntary dissolution, winding up, or liquidation of Statutory Trust I. The Trust Preferred Securities are mandatorily redeemable upon maturity of the subordinated debentures on December 17, 2033, or upon earlier redemption as provided in the indenture. The Company has the right to redeem the subordinated debentures purchased by Statutory Trust I, in whole or in part, on or after December 17, 2008. As specified in the indenture, if the subordinated debentures are redeemed prior to maturity, the redemption price will be the principal amount and any accrued but unpaid interest. Additionally, if the Company decided to defer interest on the subordinated debentures, the Company would be prohibited from paying cash dividends on the Company’s common stock.

14. Shareholders' Equity

In 1998, the Board approved the Company’s first common stock repurchase program. This program has been extended and expanded several times since then, and most recently, on September 11, 2012, the Board of Directors approved increasing the funds available for the Company’s common stock repurchase program to $20 million over the three-year period ending September 30, 2015.

Repurchases under the program may be made from time to time on the open market or through private transactions. The repurchase program also requires that no purchases may be made if the Bank would not remain “well-capitalized” after the repurchase.

Dividends from the Bank constitute the principal source of cash to the Company. The Company is a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank. Under regulations controlling California state chartered banks, the Bank is, to some extent, limited in the amount of dividends that can be paid to the Company without prior approval of the California DBO. These regulations require approval if total dividends declared by a state chartered bank in any calendar year exceed the bank's net profits for that year combined with its retained net profits for the preceding two calendar years.

On December 4, 2014, the Company issued 6,200 shares of common stock to the Bank’s non-qualified defined contribution retirement plans. See Note 16, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” These shares were issued at a price of $450 per share based upon a valuation completed by a nationally recognized bank consulting and advisory firm.

The Company and the Bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory, and possibly discretionary, actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Company’s and the Bank's financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Company and the Bank must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of the Company and the Bank's assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance-sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The Company and the Bank's capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings, and other factors.
 
Quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy require the Company and the Bank to maintain minimum amounts and ratios set forth in the following table of Total and Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets (as defined in the regulations), and of Tier 1 capital to average assets (as defined in the regulations). Management believes, as of December 31, 2014, that the Company and the Bank meet all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject.

In addition, the most recent notification from the FDIC categorized the Bank as “well capitalized” under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized, the Bank must maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier 1 risk-based and Tier 1 leverage ratios as set forth in the following tables. There are no conditions or events since that notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category.

(in thousands)
  
Actual
    
Regulatory Capital Requirements
    
Well Capitalized
Under Prompt
Corrective Action
  
December 31, 2014
  
Amount
    
Ratio
    
Amount
    
Ratio
    
Amount
    
Ratio
  
Total Bank Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
266,203
      
12.92
%
  
$
164,887
      
8.0
%
  
$
206,109
      
10.0
%
Total Consolidated Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
266,533
      
12.93
%
  
$
164,911
      
8.0
%
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
Tier 1 Bank Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
240,319
      
11.66
%
  
$
82,444
      
4.0
%
  
$
123,665
      
6.0
%
Tier 1 Consolidated Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
240,645
      
11.67
%
  
$
82,456
      
4.0
%
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
Tier 1 Bank Capital to Average Assets
  
$
240,319
      
10.56
%
  
$
91,062
      
4.0
%
  
$
113,827
      
5.0
%
Tier 1 Consolidated Capital to Average Assets
  
$
240,645
      
10.55
%
  
$
91,219
      
4.0
%
    
N/
A
    
N/
A

(in thousands)
  
Actual
    
 
 
Regulatory Capital Requirements
    
Well Capitalized
Under Prompt
Corrective Action
  
December 31, 2013
  
Amount
    
Ratio
    
Amount
    
Ratio
    
Amount
    
Ratio
  
Total Bank Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
244,087
      
13.98
%
  
$
139,674
      
8.0
%
  
$
174,593
      
10.0
%
Total Consolidated Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
244,354
      
13.99
%
  
$
139,689
      
8.0
%
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
Tier 1 Bank Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
222,108
      
12.72
%
  
$
69,837
      
4.0
%
  
$
104,756
      
6.0
%
Tier 1 Consolidated Capital to Risk Weighted Assets
  
$
222,372
      
12.74
%
  
$
69,845
      
4.0
%
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
Tier 1 Bank Capital to Average Assets
  
$
222,108
      
11.02
%
  
$
80,633
      
4.0
%
  
$
100,791
      
5.0
%
Tier 1 Consolidated Capital to Average Assets
  
$
222,372
      
11.01
%
  
$
80,755
      
4.0
%
    
N/
A
    
N/
A

15. Dividends and Basic Earnings Per Common Share

Total cash dividends during 2014 were $9,919,000 or $12.70 per share of common stock, an increase of 1.6% per share from $9,723,000 or $12.50 per share in 2013. In 2012, cash dividends totaled $9,418,000 or $12.10 per share.

Basic earnings per common share amounts are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. The following table calculates the basic earnings per common share for the periods indicated.

(net income in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,061
    
$
23,349
  
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding
    
778,358
      
777,882
      
778,648
  
Basic Earnings Per Common Share
  
$
32.64
    
$
30.93
    
$
29.99
  
 
16. Employee Benefit Plans

Profit Sharing Plan
The Company, through the Bank, sponsors a Profit Sharing Plan for substantially all full-time employees of the Company with one or more years of service. Participants receive up to two annual employer contributions, one is discretionary and the other is mandatory. The discretionary contributions to the Profit Sharing Plan are determined annually by the Board of Directors. The discretionary contributions totaled $875,000, $825,000, and $800,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. The mandatory contributions to the Profit Sharing Plan are made according to a predetermined set of criteria. Mandatory contributions totaled $1.0 million, $952,000, and $941,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively. Company employees are permitted, within limitations imposed by tax law, to make pretax contributions and after tax (Roth) contributions to the 401(k) feature of the Profit Sharing Plan. The Company does not match employee contributions within the 401(k) feature of the Profit Sharing Plan and the Company can terminate the Profit Sharing Plan at any time. Benefits pursuant to the Profit Sharing Plan vest 0% during the first year of participation, 25% per full year thereafter and after five years such benefits are fully vested.

Executive Retirement Plan and Life Insurance Arrangements
The Company, through the Bank, sponsors an Executive Retirement Plan for certain executive level employees. The Executive Retirement Plan is a non-qualified defined contribution plan and was developed to supplement the Company’s Profit Sharing Plan, which, as a qualified retirement plan, has a ceiling on benefits as set by the Internal Revenue Service. The Plan is comprised of: (1) a Performance Component which makes contributions based upon long-term cumulative profitability and increase in market value of the Company; (2) a Retention Component applicable to participants employed by the Company as of January 1, 2005 (contributions to this component were frozen effective December 31, 2010); (3) a Salary Component which makes contributions based upon participant salary levels; and (4) an Equity Component for which contributions are discretionary and subject to Board of Directors approval. Executive Retirement Plan contributions are invested in a mix of financial instruments; however Equity Component contributions are invested primarily in stock of the Company.

The Company expensed $2.7 million to the Executive Retirement Plan during the year ended December 31, 2014, $2.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2013 and $2.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2012. The Company’s total accrued liability under the Executive Retirement Plan was $27.3 million as of December 31, 2014 and $24.1 million as of December 31, 2013.

The Company has purchased single premium life insurance policies on the lives of certain key employees of the Company. These policies provide: (1) financial protection to the Company in the event of the death of a key employee; and (2) since the interest earned on the cash surrender value of the policies is tax exempt as long as the policies are used to finance employee benefits, significant income to the Company to offset the expense associated with the Executive Retirement Plan and other employee benefit plans. As compensation to each employee for agreeing to allow the Company to purchase an insurance policy on his or her life, split dollar agreements have been entered into with those employees. These agreements provide for a division of the life insurance death proceeds between the Company and each employee’s designated beneficiary or beneficiaries.

The Company earned tax-exempt interest on the life insurance policies of $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, and $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2012. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the total cash surrender value of the insurance policies was $54.0 million and $52.1 million, respectively.

Senior Management Retention Plan
The Company, through the Bank, sponsors a Senior Management Retention Plan (“SMRP”) for certain senior level employees. The SMRP is a non-qualified defined contribution plan and was developed to supplement the Company’s Profit Sharing Plan, which, as a qualified retirement plan, has a ceiling on benefits as set by the Internal Revenue Service. All contributions are discretionary and subject to the Board of Directors approval. Contributions are invested primarily in stock of the Company. The Company expensed $475,000 to the SMRP during the year ended December 31, 2014, $536,000 during the year ended December 31, 2013 and $206,000 during the year ended December 31, 2012.
 
17. Fair Value Measurements

The Company follows the “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures” topic of the FASB ASC, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value in U.S. GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. This standard applies whenever other standards require, or permit, assets or liabilities to be measured at fair value but does not expand the use of fair value in any new circumstances. In this standard, the FASB clarifies the principle that fair value should be based on the assumptions market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. In support of this principle, this standard establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the information used to develop those assumptions. The fair value hierarchy is as follows:

Level 1 inputs – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access at the measurement date.

Level 2 inputs - Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These might include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, such as interest rates and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals.

Level 3 inputs - Unobservable inputs for determining the fair values of assets or liabilities that reflect an entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the assets or liabilities.

Management monitors the availability of observable market data to assess the appropriate classification of financial instruments within the fair value hierarchy. Changes in economic conditions or model-based valuation techniques may require the transfer of financial instruments from one fair value level to another. In such instances, the transfer is reported at the beginning of the reporting period.

Management evaluates the significance of transfers between levels based upon the nature of the financial instrument and size of the transfer relative to total assets, total liabilities or total earnings.

Securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value on a recurring basis utilizing Level 1, 2 and 3 inputs. For these securities, the Company obtains fair value measurements from an independent pricing service. The fair value measurements consider observable data that may include dealer quotes, market spreads, cash flows, the U.S. Treasury yield curve, live trading levels, trade execution data, market consensus prepayment speeds, credit information and the bond's terms and conditions, among other things.

The Company does not record all loans & leases at fair value on a recurring basis. However, from time to time, a loan or lease is considered impaired and an allowance for credit losses is established. Once a loan or lease is identified as individually impaired, management measures impairment in accordance with the “Receivable” topic of the FASB ASC. The fair value of impaired loans or leases is estimated using one of several methods, including collateral value when the loan is collateral dependent, market value of similar debt, enterprise value, and discounted cash flows. Impaired loans & leases not requiring an allowance represent loans & leases for which the fair value of the expected repayments or collateral exceed the recorded investments in such loans & leases. Impaired loans & leases where an allowance is established based on the fair value of collateral require classification in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of collateral dependent impaired loans is generally based on recent real estate appraisals. These appraisals may utilize a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including sales comparison, cost and the income approach. Adjustments are often made in the appraisal process by the appraisers to take in to account differences between the comparable sales and income and other available data. Such adjustments can be significant and typically result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value. The valuation technique used for Level 3 nonrecurring impaired loans is primarily the sales comparison approach less selling costs of 10%.

Other Real Estate (“ORE”) is reported at fair value on a non-recurring basis. Fair values are based on recent real estate appraisals. These appraisals may use a single valuation approach or a combination of approaches including sales comparison, cost and the income approach. Adjustments are often made in the appraisal process by the appraisers to take in to account differences between the comparable sales and income and other available data. Such adjustments can be significant and typically result in a Level 3 classification of the inputs for determining fair value. The valuation technique used for Level 3 nonrecurring ORE is primarily the sales comparison approach less selling costs of 10%.
 
The following tables present information about the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis and indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized by the Company to determine such fair value for the periods indicated.

     
Fair Value Measurements
  
       
At December 31, 2014, Using
  
   
Fair Value
    
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
    
Other Observable Inputs
    
Significant Unobservable Inputs
  
(in thousands)
  
Total
    
(Level 1)
    
(Level 2)
    
(Level 3)
  
Available-for-Sale Securities:
                
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
  
$
78,109
    
$
10,005
    
$
68,104
    
$
-
  
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
287,948
      
-
      
287,948
      
-
  
Other
    
485
      
175
      
310
      
-
  
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Recurring Basis
  
$
366,542
    
$
10,180
    
$
356,362
    
$
-
  
 
           
Fair Value Measurements
  
 
At December 31, 2013, Using
  
   
Fair Value
    
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
    
Other Observable Inputs
    
Significant Unobservable Inputs
  
(in thousands)
  
Total
    
(Level 1)
    
(Level 2)
    
(Level 3)
  
Available-for-Sale Securities:
                                
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
  
$
28,436
    
$
23,394
    
$
5,042
    
$
-
  
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
324,929
      
-
      
324,929
      
-
  
Corporate Securities
    
49,380
      
8,191
      
41,189
      
-
  
Other
    
1,894
      
1,584
      
310
      
-
  
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Recurring Basis
  
$
404,639
    
$
33,169
    
$
371,470
    
$
-
  
 
Fair values for Level 2 available-for-sale investment securities are based on quoted market prices for similar securities. During the year ended December 31, 2014, there were no transfers out of level 2 to level 3. During the year ended December 31, 2013, $5.6 million were transferred out of level 3 available-for-sale investment securities into held-to-maturity investment securities. The following table presents information about the activity of level 3 assets.

(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
  
Balance at Beginning of Period
  
$
-
    
$
5,665
  
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains/(Losses) Included in Income
    
-
      
-
  
Total Unrealized Gains/(Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income
    
-
      
-
  
Purchase of Securities
    
-
      
-
  
Sales, Maturities, and Calls of Securities
    
-
      
(84
)
Net Transfers out of Available for Sale Securities
    
-
      
(5,581
)
Balance at End of Period
   $
-
     $
-
  

Available for sale investments securities categorized as Level 3 assets primarily consist of obligations of states and political subdivisions. These bonds were issued by local housing authorities and have no active market. These bonds are carried at historical cost, which approximates fair value, unless economic conditions for the municipality changes to a degree requiring a valuation adjustment.

The following tables present information about the Company’s impaired loans & leases and other real estate, classes of assets or liabilities that the Company carries at fair value on a non-recurring basis, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized by the Company to determine such fair value for the periods indicated. Not all impaired loans & leases are carried at fair value. Impaired loans & leases are only included in the following tables when their fair value is based upon an appraisal of the collateral, and if that appraisal results in a partial charge-off or the establishment of a specific reserve.

     
Fair Value Measurements
  
       
At December 31, 2014, Using
  
   
Fair Value
    
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
    
Other Observable Inputs
    
Significant Unobservable Inputs
  
(in thousands)
  
Total
    
(Level 1)
    
(Level 2)
    
(Level 3)
  
Impaired Loans:
                
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
90
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
90
  
Residential 1st Mortgage
    
748
      
-
      
-
      
748
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
759
      
-
      
-
      
759
  
Agricultural
    
346
      
-
      
-
      
346
  
Commercial
    
3,832
      
-
      
-
      
3,832
  
Consumer
    
6
      
-
      
-
      
6
  
Total Impaired Loans
    
5,781
      
-
      
-
      
5,781
  
Other Real Estate:
                                
Real Estate Construction
    
2,441
      
-
      
-
      
2,441
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
858
      
-
      
-
      
858
  
Total Other Real Estate
    
3,299
      
-
      
-
      
3,299
  
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Non-Recurring Basis
  
$
9,080
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
9,080
  
 
     
Fair Value Measurements
  
       
At December 31, 2013, Using
  
   
Fair Value
    
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
    
Other Observable Inputs
    
Significant Unobservable Inputs
  
(in thousands)
  
Total
    
(Level 1)
    
(Level 2)
    
(Level 3)
  
Impaired Loans:
                
Residential 1st Mortgage
  
$
614
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
614
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
551
      
-
      
-
      
551
  
Agricultural
    
366
      
-
      
-
      
366
  
Commercial
    
820
      
-
      
-
      
820
  
Total Impaired Loans
    
2,351
      
-
      
-
      
2,351
  
Other Real Estate:
                                
Real Estate Construction
    
2,399
      
-
      
-
      
2,399
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
2,212
      
-
      
-
      
2,212
  
Total Other Real Estate
    
4,611
      
-
      
-
      
4,611
  
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Non-Recurring Basis
  
$
6,962
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
6,962
  

The Company’s property appraisals are primarily based on the sales comparison approach and the income approach methodologies, which consider recent sales of comparable properties, including their income generating characteristics, and then make adjustments to reflect the general assumptions that a market participant would make when analyzing the property for purchase. These adjustments may increase or decrease an appraised value and can vary significantly depending on the location, physical characteristics and income producing potential of each property. Additionally, the quality and volume of market information available at the time of the appraisal can vary from period to period and cause significant changes to the nature and magnitude of comparable sale adjustments. Given these variations, comparable sale adjustments are generally not a reliable indicator for how fair value will increase or decrease from period to period. Under certain circumstances, management discounts are applied based on specific characteristics of an individual property.
 
The following table presents quantitative information about Level 3 fair value measurements for financial instruments measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis at December 31, 2014:
 
(in thousands)
  
Fair Value
  
Valuation Technique
Unobservable Inputs
  
Range, Weighted Avg.
  
Impaired Loans:
            
Commercial Real Estate
  
$
90
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
1% -1%, 1
%
Residential 1st Mortgages
  
$
748
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
11% -21%, 17
%
Home Equity Lines and Loans
  
$
759
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
1% - 14%, 11
%
Agricultural
  
$
331
  
Income Approach
Capitalization Rate
    
14% - 14%, 14
%
Agricultural
  
$
15
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
1% -1%, 1
%
Commercial
  
$
3,832
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
1% - 13%, 4
%
Consumer
  
$
6
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
8% - 8%, 8
%
Other Real Estate:
                    
Real Estate Construction
  
$
2,441
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
10% - 10%, 10
%
Agricultural Real Estate
  
$
858
  
      Sales Comparison Approach
Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales
    
10% - 10%, 10
%

18. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

U.S. GAAP requires disclosure of fair value information about financial instruments, whether or not recognized on the balance sheet, for which it is practical to estimate that value. The estimated fair value amounts have been determined by the Company using available market information and appropriate valuation methodologies. The use of assumptions and various valuation techniques, as well as the absence of secondary markets for certain financial instruments, will likely reduce the comparability of fair value disclosures between financial institutions. In some cases, book value is a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the relatively short period of time between origination of the instrument and its expected realization.
 
The following tables summarize the book value and estimated fair value of financial instruments for the periods indicated:

       
Fair Value of Financial Instruments Using
      
December 31, 2014
(in thousands)
  
Carrying
Amount
    
Quoted Prices
in Active
 Markets for
Identical Assets
 (Level 1)
    
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
    
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
    
Total
Estimated
Fair Value
  
Assets:
                    
Cash and Cash Equivalents
  
$
77,125
    
$
77,125
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
77,125
  
                                         
Investment Securities Available-for-Sale:
                                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
    
78,109
      
10,005
      
68,104
      
-
      
78,109
  
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
287,948
      
-
      
287,948
      
-
      
287,948
  
Other
    
485
      
175
      
310
      
-
      
485
  
Total Investment Securities Available-for-Sale
    
366,542
      
10,180
      
356,362
      
-
      
366,542
  
                                         
Investment Securities Held-to-Maturity:
                                        
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions
    
61,716
      
-
      
49,085
      
13,403
      
62,488
  
Other
    
2,147
      
-
      
2,147
      
-
      
2,147
  
Total Investment Securities Held-to-Maturity
    
63,863
      
-
      
51,232
      
13,403
      
64,635
  
                                         
FHLB Stock
    
7,677
      
N/
A
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
Loans & Leases, Net of Deferred Fees & Allowance:
                                        
Commercial Real Estate
    
484,061
      
-
      
-
      
481,037
      
481,037
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
353,022
      
-
      
-
      
353,288
      
353,288
  
Real Estate Construction
    
94,850
      
-
      
-
      
95,022
      
95,022
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
170,858
      
-
      
-
      
173,916
      
173,916
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
30,591
      
-
      
-
      
32,456
      
32,456
  
Agricultural
    
275,859
      
-
      
-
      
274,195
      
274,195
  
Commercial
    
222,624
      
-
      
-
      
222,175
      
222,175
  
Consumer & Other
    
4,501
      
-
      
-
      
4,535
      
4,535
  
Leases
    
42,006
      
-
      
-
      
40,298
      
40,298
  
Unallocated Allowance
    
(1,529
)
    
-
      
-
      
(1,529
)
    
(1,529
)
Total Loans & Leases, Net of Deferred Fees & Allowance
    
1,676,843
      
-
      
-
      
1,675,393
      
1,675,393
  
Accrued Interest Receivable
    
7,797
      
-
      
7,797
      
-
      
7,797
  
                                         
Liabilities:
                                        
Deposits:
                                        
Demand
    
610,133
      
610,133
      
-
      
-
      
610,133
  
Interest Bearing Transaction
    
341,397
      
341,397
      
-
      
-
      
341,397
  
Savings and Money Market
    
644,260
      
644,260
      
-
      
-
      
644,260
  
Time
    
468,283
      
-
      
468,161
      
-
      
468,161
  
Total Deposits
    
2,064,073
      
1,595,790
      
468,161
      
-
      
2,063,951
  
Subordinated Debentures
    
10,310
      
-
      
6,227
      
-
      
6,227
  
Accrued Interest Payable
    
378
      
-
      
378
      
-
      
378
  
 
       
Fair Value of Financial Instruments Using
      
December 31, 2013
(in thousands)
  
Carrying Amount
    
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
    
Other Observable Inputs
(Level 2)
    
Significant Unobservable Inputs
 (Level 3)
    
Total Estimated
 Fair Value
  
Assets:
                    
Cash and Cash Equivalents
  
$
83,677
    
$
83,677
    
$
-
    
$
-
    
$
83,677
  
                                         
Investment Securities Available-for-Sale:
                                        
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities
    
28,436
      
23,394
      
5,042
      
-
      
28,436
  
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
324,929
      
-
      
324,929
      
-
      
324,929
  
Corporate Securities
    
49,380
      
8,191
      
41,189
      
-
      
49,380
  
Other
    
1,894
      
1,584
      
310
      
-
      
1,894
  
Total Investment Securities Available-for-Sale
    
404,639
      
33,169
      
371,470
      
-
      
404,639
  
                                         
Investment Securities Held-to-Maturity:
                                        
Obligations of States and Political Subdivisions
    
65,685
      
-
      
51,563
      
14,307
      
65,870
  
Mortgage Backed Securities
    
45
      
-
      
45
      
-
      
45
  
Other
    
2,775
      
-
      
2,775
      
-
      
2,775
  
Total Investment Securities Held-to-Maturity
    
68,505
      
-
      
54,383
      
14,307
      
68,690
  
                                         
FHLB Stock
    
7,187
      
N/
A
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
    
N/
A
Loans & Leases Net of Deferred Fees & Allowance:
                                        
Commercial Real Estate
    
402,336
      
-
      
-
      
403,790
      
403,790
  
Agricultural Real Estate
    
324,688
      
-
      
-
      
328,704
      
328,704
  
Real Estate Construction
    
40,438
      
-
      
-
      
40,800
      
40,800
  
Residential 1st Mortgages
    
150,184
      
-
      
-
      
153,352
      
153,352
  
Home Equity Lines and Loans
    
32,710
      
-
      
-
      
35,250
      
35,250
  
Agricultural
    
244,209
      
-
      
-
      
242,950
      
242,950
  
Commercial
    
144,701
      
-
      
-
      
145,131
      
145,131
  
Consumer & Other
    
4,876
      
-
      
-
      
4,912
      
4,912
  
Unallocated Allowance
    
12,094
      
-
      
-
      
11,851
      
11,851
  
Total Loans & Leases Net of Deferred Fees & Allowance
    
(2,274
)
    
-
      
-
      
(2,274
)
    
(2,274
)
Accrued Interest Receivable
    
1,353,962
      
-
      
-
      
1,364,466
      
1,364,466
  
     
6,941
      
-
      
6,941
      
-
      
6,941
  
Liabilities:
                                        
Deposits:
                                        
Demand
    
495,963
      
495,963
      
-
      
-
      
495,963
  
Interest Bearing Transaction
    
291,795
      
291,795
      
-
      
-
      
291,795
  
Savings and Money Market
    
589,511
      
589,511
      
-
      
-
      
589,511
  
Time
    
430,422
      
-
      
430,752
      
-
      
430,752
  
Total Deposits
    
1,807,691
      
1,377,269
      
430,752
      
-
      
1,808,021
  
Subordinated Debentures
    
10,310
      
-
      
6,224
      
-
      
6,224
  
Accrued Interest Payable
    
352
      
-
      
352
      
-
      
352
  

Fair value estimates presented herein are based on pertinent information available to management as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Although management is not aware of any factors that would significantly affect the estimated fair value amounts, such amounts have not been comprehensively revalued for purpose of these financial statements since that date, and; therefore, current estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the amounts presented above. The methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instrument listed in the table above are explained below.
 
Cash and Cash Equivalents - The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet for cash and due from banks, interest-bearing deposits with banks, federal funds sold, and securities purchased under agreements to resell are a reasonable estimate of fair value. All cash and cash equivalents are classified as Level 1.

Investment Securities - Fair values for investment securities consider observable data that may include dealer quotes, market spreads, cash flows, the U.S. Treasury yield curve, live trading levels, trade execution data, market consensus prepayment speeds, credit information and the bond's terms and conditions, among other things. Based on the available market information the classification level could be 1, 2, or 3.

Federal Home Loan Bank Stock - It is not practical to determine the fair value of FHLB stock due to restrictions placed on its transferability.

Loans & Leases, Net of Deferred Loan & Lease Fees & Allowance - Fair values of loans & leases are estimated as follows: For variable rate loans that reprice frequently and with no significant change in credit risk, fair values are based on carrying values resulting in a Level 3 classification. Fair values for other loans & leases are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses, using interest rates currently being offered for loans with similar terms to borrowers of similar credit quality resulting in a Level 3 classification. Impaired loans & leases are valued at the lower of cost or fair value as described previously. The methods utilized to estimate the fair value of loans  & leases do not necessarily represent an exit price.

Deposit Liabilities - The fair values disclosed for demand deposits (e.g., interest and non-interest checking, passbook savings, and certain types of money market accounts) are, by definition, equal to the amount payable on demand at the reporting date (i.e., their carrying amount) resulting in a Level 1 classification. Fair values for fixed-maturity certificates of deposit are estimated using a discounted cash flows calculation that applies interest rates currently being offered on certificates to a schedule of aggregated expected monthly maturities on time deposits resulting in a Level 2 classification.

Subordinated Debentures - The fair values of the Company’s Subordinated Debentures are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses based on the current borrowing rates for similar types of borrowing arrangements resulting in a Level 2 classification.

Accrued Interest Receivable and Payable - The carrying amount of accrued interest receivable and payable approximates their fair value resulting in a Level 2 classification.

19. Commitments and Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Company enters in to financial instruments with off balance sheet risk in order to meet the financing needs of its customers and to reduce its own exposure to fluctuations in interest rates. These instruments include commitments to extend credit, letters of credit, and other types of financial guarantees. The Company had the following off balance sheet commitments as of the dates indicated.

(in thousands)
  
December 31, 2014
    
December 31, 2013
  
Commitments to Extend Credit
  
$
539,288
    
$
445,294
  
Letters of Credit
    
9,734
      
7,393
  
Performance Guarantees Under Interest Rate Swap Contracts Entered Into Between Our Borrowing Customers and Third Parties
    
2,042
      
-
  

The Company's exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party with regard to standby letters of credit, undisbursed loan commitments, and financial guarantees is represented by the contractual notional amount of those instruments. Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for recorded balance sheet items. The Company may or may not require collateral or other security to support financial instruments with credit risk. Evaluations of each customer's creditworthiness are performed on a case-by-case basis.
 
Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee performance of or payment for a customer to a third party. Outstanding standby letters of credit have maturity dates ranging from 1 to 46 months with final expiration in October 2018. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee.

The Company is obligated under a number of noncancellable operating leases for premises and equipment used for banking purposes. Minimum future rental commitments under noncancellable operating leases as of December 31, 2014, were $540,000, $371,000, $197,000, $190,000, and $196,000 for the years 2015 through 2019, and $557,000 for the remaining term of the leases.

In the ordinary course of business, the Company becomes involved in litigation arising out of its normal business activities. Management, after consultation with legal counsel, believes that the ultimate liability, if any, resulting from the disposition of such claims would not be material in relation to the financial position of the Company.

The Company may be required to maintain average reserves on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank primarily based on deposits outstanding. There were no reserve requirements during 2014 or 2013.

20. Recent Accounting Developments

In May, 2014, the FASB has made available Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Topic 606. ASU 2014-09 affects any entity using U.S. GAAP that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., insurance contracts or lease contracts). This ASU will supersede the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance. This ASU also supersedes some cost guidance included in Subtopic 605-35, Revenue Recognition—Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts. In addition, the existing requirements for the recognition of a gain or loss on the transfer of nonfinancial assets that are not in a contract with a customer (e.g., assets within the scope of Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment, and intangible assets within the scope of Topic 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other) are amended to be consistent with the guidance on recognition and measurement (including the constraint on revenue) in this ASU. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. For a public entity, the amendments in this ASU are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operation, cash flows, or disclosure.

In January, 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-04 - Receivables—Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors (Subtopic 310-40) - Reclassification of Residential Real Estate Collateralized Consumer Mortgage Loans upon Foreclosure. This Update clarifies when an in-substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, that is, when a creditor should be considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan such that the loan receivable should be derecognized and the real estate property recognized. The objective of the amendments in this Update is to reduce diversity in practice. An in-substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan, upon either (1) the creditor obtaining legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of foreclosure or (2) the borrower conveying all interest in the residential real estate property to the creditor to satisfy the loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this ASU will have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operation, cash flows, or disclosure.
 
21. Parent Company Financial Information

The following financial information is presented as of December 31 for the periods indicated.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Condensed Balance Sheets

(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
  
Cash
  
$
363
    
$
416
  
Investment in Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California
    
242,852
      
219,640
  
Investment Securities
    
410
      
410
  
Other Assets
    
201
      
87
  
Total Assets
  
$
243,826
    
$
220,553
  
                 
Subordinated Debentures
  
$
10,310
    
$
10,310
  
Liabilities
    
338
      
339
  
Shareholders' Equity
    
233,178
      
209,904
  
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
  
$
243,826
    
$
220,553
  

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Condensed Statements of Income

   
Year Ended December 31,
  
(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Equity in Undistributed Earnings in Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California
  
$
18,211
    
$
14,352
    
$
13,247
  
Dividends from Subsidiary
    
8,000
      
10,450
      
10,900
  
Interest Income
    
10
      
10
      
10
  
Other Expenses, Net
    
(1,406
)
    
(1,288
)
    
(1,386
)
Tax Benefit
    
587
      
537
      
578
  
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,061
    
$
23,349
  
 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows

   
Year Ended December 31,
  
(in thousands)
  
2014
    
2013
    
2012
  
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
            
Net Income
  
$
25,402
    
$
24,061
    
$
23,349
  
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
                        
Equity in Undistributed Net Earnings from Subsidiary
    
(18,211
)
    
(14,352
)
    
(13,247
)
Net Decrease (Increase) in Other Assets
    
(114
)
    
38
      
(216
)
Net (Decrease) Increase in Liabilities
    
(1
)
    
180
      
(78
)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
    
7,076
      
9,927
      
9,808
  
Investing Activities:
                        
Securities Purchased
    
-
      
-
      
-
  
Securities Sold or Matured
    
-
      
-
      
-
  
Net Cash Used by Investing Activities
    
-
      
-
      
-
  
Financing Activities:
                        
Stock Repurchased
    
-
      
-
      
(576
)
Issuance of Common Stock
    
2,790
      
-
      
-
  
Cash Dividends
    
(9,919
)
    
(9,723
)
    
(9,418
)
Net Cash Used by Financing Activities
    
(7,129
)
    
(9,723
)
    
(9,994
)
(Decrease) Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents
    
(53
)
    
204
      
(186
)
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year
    
416
      
212
      
398
  
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year
  
$
363
    
$
416
    
$
212
  

22. Subsequent Events

On January 23, 2015, the Company issued 1,700 shares of common stock to the Bank’s non-qualified defined contribution retirement plans. See Note 16, located in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” These shares were issued at a price of $450 per share based upon a valuation dated December 1, 2014, completed by a nationally recognized bank consulting and advisory firm.

Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None

Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures

The Company maintains controls and procedures designed to ensure that all relevant information is recorded and reported in all filings of financial reports. Such information is reported to the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer to allow timely and accurate disclosure based on the definition of “disclosure controls and procedures” in Rule 13a-15(e). In accordance with Rule 13a-15(b) of the Exchange Act, we carried out an evaluation as of December 31, 2014, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of December 31, 2014.

There have been no significant changes in the Company’s internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect the internal controls subsequent to the date the Company completed its evaluation.
 
Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting is set forth in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” and is incorporated herein by reference. Moss Adams LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report, was engaged to audit the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The report of Moss Adams LLP, which is set forth in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9B.
Other Information

None

PART III

Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Set forth below is certain information regarding the Named Executive Officers of the Company and/or Bank:

Name and Position(s)
Age
Principal Occupation during the Past Five Years
Kent A. Steinwert
Chairman, President
& Chief Executive Officer
of the Company and Bank
62
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Bank since May 1, 2010.
 
President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Bank up to April 30, 2010.
 
Deborah E. Skinner
Executive Vice President & Chief
Administrative Officer of the Bank
52
Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer of the Bank.
 
Stephen W. Haley
Executive Vice President
& Chief Financial Officer &
Secretary of the Company and Bank
61
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of the Company and Bank.
 
 
Kenneth W. Smith
Executive Vice President
& Senior Credit Officer
of the Company and Bank
55
Executive Vice President & Senior Credit Officer of the Company and Bank since August 9, 2011.
 
Executive Vice President & Head of Business Markets of the Bank up to August 8, 2011.
 
James P. Daugherty
Executive Vice President,
Wholesale Banking Division
of the Bank
63
Executive Vice President, Wholesale Banking Division since November 15, 2013.
 
Senior Vice President, Commercial Credit Administrator of the Bank up to November 14, 2013.
 
Jay J. Colombini
Executive Vice President,
Wholesale Banking Division
Of the Bank
52
Executive Vice President, Wholesale Banking Division since November 15, 2013.
 
Senior Vice President and Manager – Lodi Main Branch from August 1, 2012 through November 14, 2013.
 
Senior Vice President and Manager – Linden Branch up to July 31, 2012
 
Also, see “Election of Directors” and “Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders which will be filed with the SEC and which is incorporated herein by reference. During 2014 there were no changes in procedures for the election of directors.

The Company has adopted a Code of Conduct, which complies with the Code of Ethics requirements of the SEC. A copy of the Code of Conduct is posted on the Company’s website. The Company intends to disclose promptly any amendment to, or waiver from any provision of, the Code of Conduct applicable to senior financial officers, and any waiver from any provision of the Code of Conduct applicable to directors, on its website on the About Us page. The Company’s website address is www.fmbonline.com.

Item 11.
Executive Compensation

The information required by Item 11 of Form 10-K is incorporated by reference from the information contained in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A.

Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by Item 12 of Form 10-K is incorporated by reference from the information contained in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A. The Company does not have any equity compensation plans, which require disclosure under Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K.

Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

The information required by Item 13 of Form 10-K is incorporated by reference from the information contained in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A.

Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services

The information required by Item 14 of Form 10-K is incorporated by reference from the information contained in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A.
 
PART IV

Item 15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a)   (1) Financial Statements. Incorporated herein by reference, are listed in Item 8 hereof.

(2) Financial Statement Schedules. Not applicable.

(3) Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number
Description
3.1
Amended Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Appendices 1 and 2 to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for its 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Exhibit 3(i) to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 30, 1999).
3.2
Amended By-Laws (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated September 19, 2008, Appendix 3 to the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for its 2007 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 7, 2005, and Exhibit 3(ii) to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 30, 1999).
3.3
Certificate of Designation for the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (included as Exhibit A to the Rights Agreement between Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and Registrar and Transfer Company, dated as of August 5, 2008, filed as Exhibit 4.1 below), filed on the Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, is incorporated herein by reference.
4.1
Rights Agreement between Farmers & Merchants Bancorp and Registrar and Transfer Company, dated as of August 5, 2008, including Form of Right Certificate attached thereto as Exhibit B, filed on the Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008,  is incorporated herein by reference.
10.1
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement effective April 1, 2014, between Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California and Kent A. Steinwert, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.3
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement effective April 1, 2014, between Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California and Deborah E. Skinner, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.4
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement effective April 1, 2014, between Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California and Kenneth W. Smith, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.6
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement effective April 1, 2014, between Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California and Stephen W. Haley, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.8
Employment Agreement effective April 1, 2014, between Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California and Jay Colombini, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.9
Employment Agreement effective April 1, 2014, between Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California and James Daugherty, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.10
Employment Agreement effective June 2, 2014, between Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California and Ryan J. Misasi, filed on the Registrants Form 8-K dated June 11, 2014, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.15
Executive Retirement Plan – Performance Component as amended on November 5, 2010, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2010, is incorporated herein by reference.
 
10.16
Executive Retirement Plan – Retention Component as amended on November 5, 2010, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2010, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.17
Executive Retirement Plan – Salary Component, amended and restated on November 29, 2014, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
10.18
Deferred Compensation Plan of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, as amended on November 5, 2010, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2010, is incorporated herein by reference.
10.19
Executive Retirement Plan – Equity Component, amended and restated on November 29, 2014, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
10.20
Senior Management Retention Plan, amended and restated on November 29, 2014, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
14
Code of Conduct of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference.
21
Subsidiaries of the Registrant, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference.
31(a)
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31(b)
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Schema Document
101.CAL
XBRL Calculation Linkbase Document
101.LAB
XBRL Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
XBRL Presentation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
XBRL Definition Linkbase Document
 
SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
 
(Registrant)
       
 
By
/s/ Stephen W. Haley
  
Dated:  March 13, 2015
  
Stephen W. Haley
  
   
Executive Vice President &
  
   
Chief Financial Officer
  

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on March 13, 2015.

/s/ Kent A. Steinwert
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
Kent A. Steinwert
(Principal Executive Officer)
   
/s/ Stephen W. Haley
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Stephen W. Haley
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
   
/s/ Bruce A. Mettler
/s/ Calvin Suess
Bruce A. Mettler, Director
Calvin Suess, Director
   
/s/ Stewart C. Adams, Jr.
/s/ Kevin Sanguinetti
Stewart C. Adams, Jr., Director
Kevin Sanguinetti, Director
   
/s/ Edward Corum, Jr.
/s/ Gary Long
Edward Corum, Jr., Director
Gary Long, Director

Exhibit Index
  
   
Executive Retirement Plan – Salary Component, amended and restated on November 29, 2014, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Executive Retirement Plan – Equity Component, amended and restated on November 29, 2014, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Senior Management Retention Plan, amended and restated on November 29, 2014, filed on Registrant’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
 
104