Hometrust Bancshares (HTBI) Risk Factors

Our annual goodwill impairment test did not identify any impairment for the year ended June 30, 2023. In testing goodwill for impairment, the Company has the option to assess either qualitative or quantitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If we elect to perform a qualitative assessment and determine that an impairment is more likely than not, we are then required to perform a quantitative impairment test, otherwise no further analysis is required. Under the quantitative impairment test, the evaluation involves comparing the current fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. Our evaluation of the fair value of goodwill involves a substantial amount of judgment. If our judgment was incorrect, or if events or circumstances change, and an impairment of goodwill is deemed to exist, we would be required to write down our goodwill resulting in a charge to earnings, which would adversely affect our results of operations, perhaps materially; however, it would have no impact on our liquidity, operations, or regulatory capital.

Under US GAAP, we are required to record loans acquired through acquisitions, including PCD, at fair value. Estimating the fair value of such loans requires management to make estimates based on available information and facts and circumstances as of the acquisition date. Actual performance could differ from management's initial estimates. If these loans outperform our original fair value estimates, the difference between our original estimate and the actual performance of the loan (the "discount") is accreted into net interest income. Thus, our net interest margins may initially increase due to the discount. We expect the yields on our loans to decline as our acquired loan portfolio pays down or matures and the discount decreases, and we expect downward pressure on our interest income to the extent that the runoff on our acquired loan portfolio is not replaced with comparable high-yielding loans. This could result in higher net interest margins and interest income in current periods and lower net interest rate margins and lower interest income in future periods.

We obtain updated valuations in the form of appraisals and broker price opinions when a loan has been foreclosed upon and the property taken in as REO and at certain other times during the asset's holding period. Our NBV in the loan at the time of foreclosure and thereafter is compared to the updated market value of the foreclosed property less estimated selling costs (fair value). A charge-off is recorded for any excess in the asset's NBV over its fair value. If our valuation process is incorrect, or if property values decline, the fair value of our REO may not be sufficient to recover our carrying value in such assets, resulting in the need for additional charge-offs. Significant charge-offs to our REO could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, bank regulators periodically review our REO and may require us to recognize further charge-offs. Any increase in our write-downs may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.

We are required by federal regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside our control, and on our financial condition and performance. Accordingly, we cannot make assurances that we will be able to raise additional capital if needed on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations could be materially impaired and our financial condition and liquidity could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any additional capital we obtain may result in the dilution of the interests of existing holders of our common stock. Further, if we are unable to raise additional capital when required by our bank regulators, we may be subject to adverse regulatory action.

Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on a number of different sources in order to meet our potential liquidity demands. Our primary sources of liquidity are increases in deposit accounts, cash flows from loan payments, and our securities portfolio. Borrowings also provide us with a source of funds to meet liquidity demands. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans or debt securities, and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities or on terms which are acceptable to us could be impaired by factors that affect us specifically, or the financial services industry or economy in general. Factors that could detrimentally impact our access to liquidity sources include a decrease in the level of our business activity as a result of a downturn in the Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and/or Tennessee markets in which the majority of our loans are concentrated or adverse regulatory action against us. Our ability to borrow could also be impaired by factors that are not specific to us such as a disruption in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry or deterioration in credit markets. In particular, our liquidity position could be significantly constrained if we are unable to access funds from the FHLB Atlanta or other wholesale funding sources, or if adequate financing is not available at acceptable interest rates. Finally, if we are required to rely more heavily on more expensive funding sources, our revenues may not increase proportionately to cover our costs. Any decline in available funding could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses, or fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could, in turn, have a material 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 – Liquidity" of this Form 10-K. Additionally, collateralized public funds are bank deposits of state and local municipalities. These deposits are required to be secured by certain investment grade securities to ensure repayment, which on the one hand tends to reduce our contingent liquidity risk by making these funds somewhat less credit sensitive, but on the other hand reduces standby liquidity by restricting the potential liquidity of the pledged collateral. Although these funds historically have been a relatively stable source of funds for us, availability depends on the individual municipality's fiscal policies and cash flow needs.

We had certain loans, investment securities, and borrowings indexed to USD LIBOR to calculate the interest rate. ICE Benchmark Administration, the authorized and regulated administrator of LIBOR, ended publication of the one-week and two-month USD LIBOR tenors on December 31, 2021, and ended publication of the remaining USD LIBOR tenors on June 30, 2023. The Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act (the "LIBOR Act") was enacted in March 2022 to permit financing agreements that contain a LIBOR-based benchmark without adequate "fallback provisions" to be automatically replaced by a benchmark recommended by the Federal Reserve. In January 2023, the Federal Reserve adopted a final rule implementing the LIBOR Act that, among other things, identifies the applicable SOFR-based benchmark replacements under the LIBOR Act. SOFR is considered to be a risk-free rate while USD LIBOR was a risk-weighted rate. Thus, SOFR tends to be a lower rate than USD LIBOR as SOFR does not contain a risk component. This difference may negatively impact our net interest margin. The implementation of a substitute index or indices for the calculation of interest rates under our loan agreements with our borrowers or under our existing borrowings may result in our incurring significant expenses in effecting the transition, may result in reduced loan balances if borrowers do not accept the substitute index or indices, and may result in disputes or litigation with customers and creditors over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the substitute index or indices, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. We began to use SOFR as a substitute for USD LIBOR for new originations in calendar year 2021. As of June 30, 2023, there were no loans in our portfolio tied to USD LIBOR.

Our earnings and cash flows are largely dependent upon our net interest income, which is the difference, or spread, between the interest earned on loans, securities and other interest-earning assets and the interest paid on deposits, borrowings, and other interest-bearing liabilities. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the Federal Reserve. In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Open Market Committee ("FOMC") of the Federal Reserve reduced the targeted federal funds rate 150 basis points to a range of 0.00% to 0.25%. The reduction in the targeted federal funds rate resulted in a decline in overall interest rates which negatively impacted our net interest income. Starting in March 2022, the FOMC has increased the targeted federal funds rate eleven separate times, raising the rate by 525 basis points to a range of 5.25% to 5.50%. If the FOMC further increases the targeted federal funds rates, overall interest rates will likely rise, which will positively impact our net interest income but may continue to negatively impact both the housing market, by reducing refinancing activity and new home purchases, and the U.S. economy. In addition, deflationary pressures, while possibly lowering our operational costs, could have a significant negative effect on our borrowers, especially our business borrowers, and the values of collateral securing loans which could negatively affect our financial performance. We principally manage interest rate risk by managing our volume and mix of earning assets and funding liabilities. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence not only the interest we receive on loans and investments and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings, but also (i) our ability to originate loans and obtain deposits, (ii) the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities, which could negatively impact stockholders' equity and our ability to realize gains from the sale of such assets; (iii) our ability to obtain and retain deposits in competition with other available investment alternatives; (iv) the ability of our borrowers to repay adjustable or variable rate loans; and (v) the average duration of our debt securities portfolio and other interest-earning assets. If the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings increase at a faster rate than the interest rates received on loans and other investments, our net interest income, and therefore earnings, could be adversely affected. Earnings could also be adversely affected if the interest rates received on loans and other investments fall more quickly than the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings. In a changing interest rate environment we may not be able to manage this risk effectively. If we are unable to manage interest rate risk effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially affected. Changes in interest rates could also have a negative impact on our results of operations by reducing the ability of borrowers to repay their current loan obligations (generally, if rates increase) or by reducing our margins and profitability (generally, if rates decrease). Our net interest margin is the difference between the yield we earn on our assets and the interest rate we pay for deposits and our other sources of funding. Changes in interest rates, up or down, could adversely affect our net interest margin and, as a result, our net interest income. Although the yield we earn on our assets and our funding costs tend to move in the same direction in response to changes in interest rates, one can rise or fall faster than the other, causing our net interest margin to expand or contract. When we anticipate a rising-rate environment, our assets tend to be shorter in duration than our liabilities, so they may adjust faster in response to changes in interest rates. As a result, when interest rates decline, the yield we earn on our assets may decline faster than the rate we pay on funding, causing our net interest margin to contract until the interest rates on interest-bearing liabilities catch up. When we anticipate a declining-rate environment, our liabilities tend to be shorter in duration than our assets, so they may adjust faster in response to changes in interest rates. As a result, when interest rates rise, our funding costs may rise faster than the yield we earn on our assets, causing our net interest margin to contract until the yields on interest-earning assets catch up. Changes in the slope of the "yield curve", or the spread between short-term and long-term interest rates, could also reduce our net interest margin. Normally, the yield curve is upward sloping, meaning short-term rates are lower than long-term rates. Because our liabilities tend to be shorter in duration than our assets in periods where we anticipate a declining-rate environment, when the yield curve flattens or even inverts, we will experience pressure on our net interest margin as our cost of funds increases relative to the yield we can earn on our assets. Also, interest rate decreases can lead to increased prepayments of loans and mortgage-backed securities as borrowers refinance their loans to reduce borrowing costs. Under these circumstances, we are subject to reinvestment risk as we may have to redeploy such repayment proceeds into lower yielding investments, which would likely hurt our income. A sustained increase in market interest rates, such as the increases experienced over the past 15-18 months, could adversely affect our earnings. A significant portion of our loans have fixed interest rates and longer terms than our deposits and borrowings. As is the case with many other financial institutions, our emphasis on increasing the development of core deposits, those deposits bearing no or a relatively low rate of interest with no stated maturity date, has resulted in our having a significant amount of these deposits which have a shorter duration than our assets. At June 30, 2023, we had $642.8 million in certificates of deposit that mature within one year and $2.9 billion in checking, savings, and money market accounts with no stated maturity. We have incurred and may continue to incur a higher cost of funds to retain these deposits in a rising interest rate environment, as well as supplementing any runoff with other types of borrowings also at a higher cost of funds. Our net interest income has been and could continue to be adversely affected if the rates we pay on deposits and borrowings increase more rapidly than the rates we earn on loans and other investments. In addition, a substantial amount of our loans have adjustable interest rates. As a result, these loans may experience a higher rate of default in a rising interest rate environment. Further, a significant portion of our adjustable rate loans have interest rate floors below which the loan's contractual interest rate may not adjust. As of June 30, 2023, our loans with interest rate floors totaled approximately $640.1 million, or 17.5% of our total loan portfolio, and had a weighted average floor rate of 4.80%, of which $26.5 million were at their floor rate. The inability of our loans to adjust downward can contribute to increased income in periods of declining interest rates, although this result is subject to the risks that borrowers may refinance these loans during such periods. Also, when loans are at their floors, there is a further risk that our interest income may not increase as rapidly as our cost of funds during periods of increasing interest rates which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Changes in interest rates also affect the value of our interest-earning assets and in particular our debt securities portfolio. Generally, the fair value of fixed-rate debt securities fluctuates inversely with changes in interest rates. Unrealized gains and losses on debt securities available for sale are reported as a separate component of equity, net of tax. Decreases in the fair value of debt securities available for sale resulting from increases in interest rates could have an adverse effect on stockholders' equity. Although management believes it has implemented effective asset and liability management strategies to reduce the potential effects of changes in interest rates on our results of operations, any substantial, unexpected or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations. Also, our interest rate risk modeling techniques and assumptions likely may not fully predict or capture the impact of actual interest rate changes on our consolidated balance sheet or projected operating results. For further discussion of how changes in interest rates could impact us, see "Part II, Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" for additional information about our interest rate risk management.

At June 30, 2023, $462.2 million and $105.0 million, or 12.6% and 2.8% of our total loan portfolio, consisted of equipment finance and indirect auto finance loans, respectively. Equipment finance and indirect auto finance loans are inherently risky as they are secured by assets that depreciate rapidly. In some cases, repossessed collateral for transportation and construction loans, and manufacturing equipment for equipment finance loans may not provide an adequate source of repayment for the outstanding loan and the remaining deficiency may not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower. Equipment finance loan collections depend on the borrower's continuing financial stability, and therefore are more likely to be adversely affected by the cash flows of the borrower's business within certain industries. Similarly, automobile loan collections depend on the borrower's continuing financial stability, and therefore are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness, or personal bankruptcy. In addition, for indirect auto finance loans, our ability to originate loans is reliant on our relationships with automotive dealers. In particular, our automotive finance operations depend in large part upon our ability to establish and maintain relationships with reputable automotive dealers that direct customers to our offices or originate loans at the point-of-sale. Although we have relationships with certain automotive dealers, none of our relationships are exclusive and any of these relationships may be terminated at any time. If our existing dealer base experiences decreased sales we may experience decreased loan volume in the future, which may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

While commercial real estate lending may potentially be more profitable than single-family residential lending, it is generally more sensitive to regional and local economic conditions, making loss levels more difficult to predict. Collateral evaluation and financial statement analysis in these types of loans require a more detailed analysis at the time of loan underwriting and on an ongoing basis. At June 30, 2023, commercial real estate loans were $1.9 billion, or 51.5% of our total loan portfolio, including multifamily loans totaling $81.8 million or 2.2% of our total loan portfolio. These loans typically involve higher principal amounts than other types of loans and some of our commercial borrowers have more than one loan outstanding with us. Consequently, an adverse development with respect to one loan or one credit relationship can expose us to a significantly greater risk of loss compared to an adverse development with respect to a one-to-four family residential mortgage loan. Repayment of these loans is dependent upon income being generated from the property securing the loan in amounts sufficient to cover operating expenses and debt service, which may be adversely affected by changes in the economy or local market conditions. Commercial real estate loans also expose a lender to greater credit risk than loans secured by one-to-four family residential real estate because the collateral securing these loans typically cannot be sold as easily as residential real estate. In addition, many of our commercial real estate loans are not fully amortizing and contain large balloon payments upon maturity. Such balloon payments may require the borrower to either sell or refinance the underlying property in order to make the payment, which may increase the risk of default or non-payment. At June 30, 2023, commercial real estate loans that were nonperforming totaled $624,000, or 7.5% of our total nonperforming loans. A secondary market for most types of commercial real estate loans is not readily available, so we have less opportunity to mitigate credit risk by selling part or all of our interest in these loans. As a result of these characteristics, if we foreclose on a commercial real estate loan, our holding period for the collateral typically is longer than for one-to-four family residential loans because there are fewer potential purchasers of the collateral. Additionally, charge-offs on commercial real estate loans may be larger on a per loan basis than those incurred with our residential and consumer loan portfolios.

At June 30, 2023, construction and land development loans in our residential real estate loan portfolio were $110.1 million, or 3.0% of our total loan portfolio, and consisted primarily of construction to permanent loans to homeowners building a residence or developing lots in residential subdivisions intending to construct a residence within one year. Construction and development loans in our commercial real estate loan portfolio at June 30, 2023, totaled $356.7 million, or 9.7% of our total loan portfolio, and consisted of loans to contractors and builders primarily to finance the construction of single and multi-family homes, subdivisions, as well as commercial properties. We originate these loans whether or not the collateral property underlying the loan is under contract for sale. Construction and land development lending generally involves additional risks because funds are advanced upon estimates of costs in relation to values associated with the completed project. Construction and land development lending involves additional risks when compared with permanent residential lending because funds are advanced upon the collateral for the project based on an estimate of costs that will produce a future value at completion. Because of the uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs, as well as the market value of the complete project and the effects of governmental regulation on real property, it is relatively difficult to evaluate accurately the total funds required to complete a project and the completed project loan-to-value ratio. Changes in demand for new housing and higher than anticipated building costs, may cause actual results to vary significantly from those estimated. This type of lending also typically involves higher loan principal amounts and is often concentrated with loans to a small number of builders. For these reasons, a downturn in housing or the real estate market, could increase loan delinquencies, defaults and foreclosures, and significantly impair the value of the collateral underlying our construction and land development loans and our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure. Some of the builders we deal with have more than one loan outstanding with us. Consequently, an adverse development with respect to one loan or one credit relationship can expose us to a significantly greater risk of loss. In addition, during the term of some of our construction and land development loans, no payment from the borrower is required since the accumulated interest is added to the principal of the loan through an interest reserve. As a result, these loans often involve the disbursement of funds with repayment substantially dependent on the success of the ultimate project and the ability of the borrower to sell or lease the property or obtain permanent take-out financing, rather than the ability of the borrower or guarantor to repay principal and interest. If our appraisal of the value of a completed project proves to be overstated, we may have inadequate security for the repayment of the loan upon completion of construction of the project and may incur a loss. Because construction loans require active monitoring of the building process, including cost comparisons and on-site inspections, these loans are more difficult and costly to monitor. Increases in market rates of interest may have a more pronounced effect on construction loans by rapidly increasing the end-purchasers' borrowing costs, thereby reducing the overall demand for the project. Properties under construction are often difficult to sell and typically must be completed in order to be successfully sold, which also complicates the process of working out problem construction loans. This may require us to advance additional funds and/or contract with another builder to complete construction and assume the market risk of selling the project at a future market price, which may or may not enable us to fully recover unpaid loan funds and associated construction and liquidation costs. Furthermore, in the case of speculative construction loans, there is the added risk associated with identifying an end-purchaser for the finished project. At June 30, 2023, $80.1 million of our construction and land development loans were for speculative construction loans and none were classified as nonaccruing. Loans on land under development or held for future construction as well as lot loans made to individuals for the future construction of a residence also pose additional risk because the length of time from financing to completion of a development project is significantly longer than for a traditional construction loan, which makes them more susceptible to declines in real estate values, declines in overall economic conditions, which may delay the development of the land and changes in the political landscape that could affect the permitted and intended use of the land being financed, and the potential illiquid nature of the collateral. In addition, during this long period of time from financing to completion, the collateral often does not generate any cash flow to support the debt service.

At June 30, 2023, $151.8 million, or 30.4% of our one-to-four family loans and 4.1% of our total loan portfolio, consisted of loans secured by non-owner occupied residential properties. Loans secured by non-owner occupied properties generally expose a lender to greater risk of non-payment and loss than loans secured by owner occupied properties because repayment of such loans depends primarily on the tenant's continuing ability to pay rent to the property owner who is our borrower, or, if the property owner is unable to find a tenant, the property owner's ability to repay the loan without the benefit of a rental income stream. In addition, the physical condition of non-owner occupied properties is often below that of owner occupied properties due to lax property maintenance standards, which has a negative impact on the value of the collateral properties. Furthermore, some of our non-owner occupied residential loan borrowers have more than one loan outstanding with HomeTrust Bank, which may expose us to a greater risk of loss compared to an adverse development with respect to an owner occupied residential mortgage loan.

Many of our one-to-four family loans and home equity lines of credit are secured by liens on mortgage properties in which the borrowers have little or no equity because of declines in prior years in home values in our market areas. Residential loans with high combined loan-to-value ratios will be more sensitive to declining property values than those with lower combined loan-to-value ratios and therefore may experience a higher incidence of default and severity of losses. In addition, if the borrowers sell their homes, they may be unable to repay their loans in full from the sale proceeds. Further, a majority of our home equity lines of credit consist of second mortgage loans. For those home equity lines secured by a second mortgage, it is unlikely that we will be successful in recovering all or a portion of our loan proceeds in the event of default unless we are prepared to repay the first mortgage loan and such repayment and the costs associated with a foreclosure are justified by the value of the property. For these reasons, we may experience higher rates of delinquency, default and loss.

At June 30, 2023, $529.7 million, or 14.5% of our total loan portfolio, was secured by liens on one-to-four family residential loans. These types of loans are generally sensitive to regional and local economic conditions that significantly impact the ability of borrowers to meet their loan payment obligations, making loss levels difficult to predict. A decline in residential real estate values resulting from a downturn in the housing markets in which we operate may reduce the value of the real estate collateral securing these types of loans and increase our risk of loss if borrowers default on their loans. Recessionary conditions or declines in the volume of real estate sales and/or the sales prices coupled with elevated unemployment rates may result in higher than expected loan delinquencies or problem assets, and a decline in demand for our products and services. These potential negative events may cause us to incur losses, adversely affect our capital and liquidity, and damage our financial condition and business operations. A majority of our residential loans are "non-conforming" because they are adjustable rate mortgages that contain interest rate floors or do not satisfy credit or other requirements due to personal and financial reasons (e.g., divorce, bankruptcy, length of time employed, etc.), conforming loan limits (i.e., jumbo mortgages), and other requirements, imposed by secondary market purchasers. Some of these borrowers have higher debt-to-income ratios, or the loans are secured by unique properties in rural markets for which there are no sales of comparable properties to support the value according to secondary market requirements. We may require additional collateral or lower loan-to-value ratios to reduce the risk of these loans. We believe that these loans satisfy a need in our local market areas. As a result, subject to market conditions, we intend to continue to originate these types of loans.

Our mortgage banking and SBA lending operations provide a significant portion of our noninterest income. We generate mortgage revenues primarily from gains on the sale of single-family residential loans pursuant to programs currently offered by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and other investors. These entities account for a substantial portion of the secondary market in residential mortgage loans. We also generate commercial business loan revenues from gains on the sale of the guaranteed portion of SBA and business and industry loans pursuant to programs currently offered by the SBA and USDA B&I. Any future changes in these programs, significant impairment of our eligibility to participate in such programs, the criteria for loans to be accepted or laws that significantly affect the activity of such entities could, in turn, result in a lower volume of corresponding loan originations or increase other administrative costs which may materially adversely affect our results of operations. Mortgage production, especially refinancing, generally declines in rising interest rate environments resulting in fewer loans that are available to be sold to investors. When interest rates rise, or even if they do not, there can be no assurance that our mortgage production will continue at current levels. The profitability of our mortgage banking operations depends in large part upon our ability to aggregate a high volume of loans and sell them in the secondary market at a gain. Thus, in addition to the interest rate environment, our mortgage business is dependent upon (i) the existence of an active secondary market and (ii) our ability to profitably sell loans into that market. Similar to mortgage production, our SBA and USDA B&I operations are dependent upon (i) and (ii) previously mentioned. The loans in our held-for-sale portfolio are carried at the lower of cost or fair market value less estimated costs to sell with changes recognized in our statement of operations. Carrying the loans at fair value may also increase the volatility in our earnings. In addition, our results of operations are affected by the amount of noninterest expense associated with mortgage banking and SBA lending activities, such as salaries and employee benefits, occupancy, equipment and data processing expense and other operating costs. During periods of reduced loan demand, our results of operations may be adversely affected to the extent that we are unable to reduce expenses commensurate with the decline in loan originations. Also, although we sell loans into the secondary market without recourse, we are required to give customary representations and warranties about the loans to the buyers. If we breach those representations and warranties, the buyers may require us to repurchase the loans and we may incur a loss on the repurchase.