MVB Financial (MVBF) Risk Analysis

In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions, we may rely on information furnished by or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial statements, credit reports and other financial information. We may also rely on representations of those customers, counterparties or other third parties, such as independent auditors, as to the accuracy and completeness of that information. Reliance on inaccurate or misleading financial statements, credit reports or other financial information could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Accounting policies and estimates are fundamental to how our records and reports our financial condition and results of operations. Our management makes judgments and assumptions in selecting and adopting various accounting policies and in applying estimates so that such policies and estimates comply with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). Management has identified certain accounting policies as critical because they require management's judgment to ascertain the valuations of assets, liabilities, commitments and contingencies. A variety of factors could affect the ultimate value that is obtained either when earning income, recognizing an expense, recovering an asset, valuing an asset or liability or reducing a liability. Because of the uncertainty surrounding management's judgments and the estimates pertaining to these matters, actual outcomes may be materially different from amounts previously estimated. For example, because of the inherent uncertainty of estimates, the Bank could need to significantly increase its allowance for credit losses if actual losses are more than the amount reserved. Any increase in its allowance for credit losses or loan charge-offs could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we cannot guarantee that we will not be required to adjust accounting policies or restate prior financial statements. Refer to the section captioned Allowance for Credit Losses in Item 7 – Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this report for further discussion related to our process for determining the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses. Further, from time to time, the FASB and SEC change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. Recent economic conditions have resulted in continuing scrutiny of accounting standards by legislators and regulators, particularly as they relate to fair value accounting principles. In addition, ongoing efforts to achieve convergence between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards may result in changes to U.S. GAAP. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in us restating prior period financial statements or otherwise adversely affecting our financial condition or results of operations.

The processes we use to estimate our inherent credit losses and 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, depend 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 design or implementation flaws. If the models used 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 for determining our probable credit losses are inadequate, the allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to support future charge-offs. If the models used 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.

At December 31, 2024, $1.44 billion, or 68.4%, of our loan portfolio consisted of non-residential real estate and other non-residential loans. Non-residential real estate and other non-residential loans generally expose a lender to greater risk of non-payment and loss than residential mortgage loans because repayment of the loans often depends on the successful operation of the property and the income stream of the borrowers. Such loans expose us to additional risks because they typically are made on the basis of the borrower's ability to make repayments from the cash flow of the borrower's business and are secured by collateral that may depreciate over time. These loans typically involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers compared to residential mortgage loans. Because such loans generally entail greater risk than residential mortgage loans, we may need to increase our allowance for credit losses in the future to account for the likely increase in probable incurred credit losses associated with the growth of such loans, which would reduce net income. Also, many of our non-residential real estate borrowers have more than one loan outstanding. 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 residential mortgage loan.

The Bank maintains an allowance for credit losses that it believes is adequate for absorbing the estimated future losses inherent in its loan portfolio. Management conducts a periodic review and consideration of the loan portfolio to determine the amount of the allowance for credit losses based upon general market conditions, credit quality of the loan portfolio and performance of the Bank's clients relative to their financial obligations with it. However, the amount of future losses is susceptible to changes in economic and other market conditions, including changes in interest rates and collateral values, which are beyond the Bank's control, and these future losses may exceed its current estimates. Management performs stress tests on the loan portfolios to estimate future credit losses, but additional provisions for credit losses could be required in the future, including as a result of changes in the economic assumptions underlying management's estimates and judgments, adverse developments in the economy on a national basis or in the Bank's market area or changes in the circumstances of particular borrowers. We cannot predict with certainty the amount of losses or guarantee that the allowance for credit losses is adequate to absorb future losses in the loan portfolio. Excessive credit losses could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The Bank's financial condition and results of operations are significantly affected by changes in interest rates. The Bank's earnings depend primarily upon its net interest income, which is the difference between its interest income earned on its interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and its interest expense paid on its interest-bearing liabilities, consisting of deposits and borrowings. Moreover, the loans included in our interest-earning assets are primarily comprised of variable and adjustable rate loans. Net interest income is subject to interest rate risk in the following ways: lIn general, for a given change in interest rates, the amount of change in value (positive or negative) is larger for assets and liabilities with longer remaining maturities. The shape of the yield curve may affect new loan yields, funding costs and investment income differently.lThe remaining maturity of various assets or liabilities may shorten or lengthen as payment behavior changes in response to changes in interest rates. For example, if interest rates decline sharply, loans may prepay, or pay down, faster than anticipated, thus reducing future cash flows and interest income. Conversely, if interest rates increase, depositors may cash in their certificates of deposit prior to maturity (notwithstanding any applicable early withdrawal penalties) or otherwise reduce their deposits to pursue higher yielding investment alternatives.lRe-pricing frequencies and maturity profiles for assets and liabilities may occur at different times. For example, in a falling rate environment, if assets re-price faster than liabilities, there will be an initial decline in earnings. Moreover, if assets and liabilities re-price at the same time, they may not be by the same increment. For instance, if the federal funds rate increased 50 basis points, rates on demand deposits may rise by ten basis points; whereas rates on prime-based loans will instantly rise 50 basis points. In recent years, there have been market indicators of a pronounced rise in inflation and the Federal Reserve Board raised certain benchmark interest rates in an effort to combat inflation in both 2022 and 2023. While the Federal Reserve Board reduced benchmark interest rates in 2024, they may decide to rise benchmark interest rates in 2025 in an effort to curb the upward inflationary pressure on the cost of goods and services in the U.S. Resumption of increases in market interest rates could have an adverse effect on our net interest income and profitability. Although by changing interest rates, the Federal Reserve acted with the goal of avoiding abrupt or unpredictable changes in economic or financial conditions which would disrupt the financial systems, also known as "shocks," the continuing impact of these changes cannot be certain. Vulnerabilities in the financial system can amplify the impact of an initial shock following rate increases, potentially leading to unintended volatility, as well to disruptions in the provision of financial services, such as clearing payments, the provision of liquidity and the availability of credit. Financial instruments do not respond in a parallel fashion to rising or falling interest rates. Given the interconnectedness of the global financial system, these vulnerabilities could impact our business operations and financial condition. Furthermore, any asymmetry in the magnitude of changes to net interest income, net economic value and investment income resulting from the hypothetical increases and decreases in interest rates could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Interest rate risk is more fully described in Item 7A – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk included elsewhere in this report.

Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty or 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, brokers and 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 when the collateral held cannot be realized or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the credit or derivative exposure due. Any such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Technology and other changes allow parties to complete financial transactions without banks. For example, consumers can pay bills and transfer funds directly without banks. Consumers can also shop for higher deposit interest rates at banks across the country, which may offer higher rates because they have few or no physical branches and open deposit accounts electronically. This process could result in the loss of fee income, client deposits and the income generated from those deposits, in addition to increasing funding costs.

Liquidity refers to our ability to ensure sufficient levels of cash to fund operations, such as meeting deposit withdrawals, funding loan commitments, paying expenses and meeting periodic payment obligations under certain subordinated debentures issued by us in connection with the issuance of floating rate redeemable trust preferred securities. The source of the funds for our debt obligations is dependent on the Bank. Any significant restriction or disruption of our ability to obtain funding from these or other sources could negatively effect our ability to satisfy our current and future financial obligations, which could materially affect our financial condition. A deterioration in economic conditions or the loss of confidence in financial institutions may result in deposit base outflows and limit our access to some of our customary sources of liquidity, including, but not limited to, inter-bank borrowings and borrowings from the Federal Reserve and FHLB. In addition, account and deposit balances may decrease when clients perceive alternative investments, such as the stock market or real estate, as providing a better risk/return trade-off. Furthermore, the portion of our deposit portfolio that is comprised of large uninsured deposits may be more likely to be withdrawn rapidly under adverse economic conditions. If our clients move money out of bank deposits into investments or to other financial institutions, we could lose a relatively low-cost source of funds.

We have made significant investments in ICM and Warp Speed. The profitability of ICM and Warp Speed depend in large part upon their ability to originate a high volume of loans and to sell them in the secondary market. Thus, they are dependent upon (i) the existence of an active secondary market and (ii) their ability to sell loans into that market. Volatile interest rate environments could increase this risk initially. ICM and Warp Speed's ability to readily sell mortgage loans is dependent upon the availability of an active secondary market for single-family mortgage loans, which in turn depends in part upon the continuation of programs currently offered by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other institutional and non-institutional investors. These entities account for a substantial portion of the secondary market in residential mortgage loans. Some of the largest participants in the secondary market, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are government-sponsored enterprises with substantial market influence whose activities are governed by federal law. Any future changes in laws that significantly affect the activity of these government-sponsored enterprises and other institutional and non-institutional investors or any impairment of their ability to participate in such programs could, in turn, adversely affect the value of our investments, financial condition and results of operations.

The Federal Reserve utilizes benchmark interest rates to manage inflationary pressures within the economy. Elevated levels of inflation could have complex effects on our business and results of operations, some of which could be materially adverse. For example, as interest rates rise in response to, or as a result of, elevated levels of inflation, the value of our securities portfolio becomes negatively impacted. While the Federal Reserve reduced benchmark interest rates in 2024, it may decide to raise benchmark interest rates in 2025, as it did multiple times in 2022 and 2023, in an effort to curb the upward inflationary pressure on the cost of goods and services across the U.S. In addition, while we generally expect any inflation-related increases in our interest expense to be offset by increases in our interest revenue, inflation-driven increases in our levels of noninterest expense could negatively impact our results of operations. Elevated levels of inflation could also cause increased volatility and uncertainty in the business environment, which could adversely affect loan demand and our clients' ability to repay indebtedness. It is also possible that governmental responses to the current inflation environment could adversely affect our business, such as changes to monetary and fiscal policy that are too strict, or the imposition or threatened imposition of price controls. The duration and severity of elevated inflationary periods cannot be estimated with precision.

Throughout 2023, certain banking institutions with elevated concentrations of uninsured deposits experienced large deposit outflows, resulting in the institutions being placed into FDIC receiverships. In the aftermath, there has been substantial market disruption and indications that deposit concerns could spread within the banking industry, leading to deposit outflows and other destabilizing results. Following the 2023 bank failures, the FDIC published new rules regarding uninsured deposits and has increased regulatory scrutiny in the financial industry. Bank failures have led the U.S. Treasury Secretary, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve to invoke the systemic risk exception to the least-cost resolution requirement under the FDIA to guarantee uninsured deposits of the failed banks. The systemic bank exception can only be invoked for financial market risks that pose a threat to financial stability. The FDIC may impose a special assessment on insured depository institutions to recover the loss to the failed bank resulting from the use of the systemic risk exception to protect the uninsured depositors. The potential impact of a special assessment to us could increase noninterest expense for that quarter. These market events could materially adversely affect our business.