Prosperity Bancshares (PB) Risk Analysis

The processes the Company uses to estimate its expected 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 the Company's financial condition and results of operations, depend upon the use of analytical and forecasting models and tools. These models and tools reflect assumptions that may not be accurate, particularly in times of market stress or other unforeseen circumstances. Even if these assumptions are accurate, the models and tools may prove to be inadequate or inaccurate because of other flaws in their design or their implementation. Any such failure in the Company's analytical or forecasting models and tools could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

Goodwill represents the amount by which the acquisition cost exceeds the fair value of net assets the Company acquired in the purchase of another financial institution. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the asset might be impaired. The Company determines impairment by comparing the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Any such adjustments are reflected in the Company's results of operations in the periods in which they become known. At December 31, 2023, the Company's goodwill totaled $3.40 billion. Although the Company has not recorded any such impairment charges since it initially recorded the goodwill, the Company's future evaluations of goodwill could result in findings of impairment and related write-downs, which may have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations. Operational Risks

Because Warehouse Purchase Program balances are contingent upon residential mortgage lending activity, changes in the residential real estate market nationwide can lead to wide fluctuations of balances in this product, materially impacting both interest and non-interest income. Additionally, Warehouse Purchase Program period-end balances are generally higher than the average balance during the period due to increased mortgage activity that occurs at the end of a month, which can significantly impact the Company's reported capital ratios.

The Company has emphasized both new and existing loan products, focusing on managing its commercial real estate (including farmland and multifamily residential) and commercial loan portfolios, and intends to continue to increase its lending activities and acquire loans in possible future acquisitions. As a result, commercial real estate and commercial loans as a proportion of its portfolio could increase. As of December 31, 2023, commercial real estate (including farmland and multifamily residential) and commercial loans totaled $8.57 billion. In general, commercial real estate loans and commercial loans pose greater credit risks than do owner-occupied residential real estate loans. These types of loans are also typically larger than residential real estate loans. Accordingly, the deterioration of one or several of these loans could cause a significant increase in nonperforming loans, which could result in a loss of earnings from these loans and an increase in the provision for credit losses and net charge-offs. The Company makes both secured and some unsecured commercial loans. Unsecured loans generally involve a higher degree of risk of loss than do secured loans because, without collateral, repayment is wholly dependent upon the success of the borrowers' businesses. Secured commercial loans are generally collateralized by accounts receivable, inventory, equipment or other assets owned by the borrower and include a personal guaranty of the business owner. Compared to real estate, that type of collateral is more difficult to monitor, its value is harder to ascertain, it may depreciate more rapidly and it may not be as readily saleable if repossessed. Further, commercial loans generally will be serviced primarily from the operation of the business, which may not be successful, while commercial real estate loans generally will be serviced from income on the properties securing the loans. As the Company's various commercial loan portfolios increase, the corresponding risks and potential for losses from these loans will also increase.

The Company may need to raise additional capital in the future to provide it with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet regulatory capital requirements or its commitments and business needs. In addition, the Company may elect to raise additional capital to support its business or to finance acquisitions, if any. If needed, the Company's ability to raise additional capital will depend on many things, including conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside its control, and its financial performance. Such capital may not be available to the Company on acceptable terms or at all. Any occurrence that may limit the Company's access to the capital markets, such as a decline in the confidence of investors, depositors of the Bank or counterparties participating in the capital markets, may adversely affect the Company's capital costs and its ability to raise capital and, in turn, its liquidity. Moreover, if the Company needs to raise capital in the future, it may have to do so when many other financial institutions are also seeking to raise capital and would have to compete with those institutions for investors. An inability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company relies on customer deposits as a significant source of funding. Competition among U.S. banks for customer deposits is intense, may increase the cost of deposits or prevent new deposits, and may otherwise negatively affect the Company's ability to grow its deposit base. The Company's deposit accounts may decrease in the future, and any such decrease could have an adverse impact on the Company's sources of funding, which impact could be material. Any changes the Company makes to the rates offered on its deposit products to remain competitive with other financial institutions may adversely affect its profitability and liquidity. The demand for the deposit products the Company offers may also decline due to a variety of factors such as demographic patterns, changes in customer preferences, changes in interest rates, payment of interest on demand deposits by other financial institutions, reductions in consumers' disposable income, regulatory actions that decrease customer access to particular products or the availability of competing products, including from new financial technology competitors or competitors that provide customers with alternate investment options.

The majority of the Company's assets are monetary in nature, and, as a result, the Company is subject to significant risk from changes in interest rates. Changes in interest rates can impact the Company's net interest income as well as the valuation of its assets and liabilities. The Company's earnings are significantly dependent on its net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between the interest income earned on loans, investments and other interest-earning assets and the interest expense paid on deposits, borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond the Company's control, including general economic conditions, inflationary trends, changes in government spending and debt issuances and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the Federal Open Market Committee. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence the interest the Company receives on loans and securities and the amount of interest it pays on deposits and borrowings, and could also affect (1) the Company's ability to originate loans, such as decreased demand due to higher interest rates, and obtain deposits, (2) the fair value of the Company's financial assets and liabilities and (3) the average duration of the Company's mortgage-backed securities portfolio. Beginning early in 2022, in response to growing signs of inflation, the Federal Reserve Board increased interest rates rapidly. Further, the Federal Reserve Board announced an intention to take further actions to mitigate inflationary pressures. Rapid changes in interest rates may make it difficult for the Company to balance its loan and deposit portfolios. 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, the Company's net interest income, and therefore earnings, could be adversely affected. Earnings also could be adversely affected if the interest rates received on loans and other investments decrease more quickly than the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings. Decreasing interest rates reduces the Company's yield on its variable rate loans and on its new loans, which reduces its net interest income. In addition, lower interest rates may reduce the Company's realized yields on investment securities which would reduce its net interest income and cause downward pressure on net interest margin in future periods. Further, the Company's assets and liabilities may react differently to changes in overall market rates or conditions because there may be mismatches between the repricing or maturity characteristics of the assets and liabilities. Any substantial, unexpected, prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. Although the Federal Reserve Board increased the target federal funds rate in 2023 to combat inflationary trends, the Federal Reserve Board held the federal funds rate steady in December 2023 for the third consecutive time and indicated that the rate is likely to be decreased in 2024 and beyond. The Company is unable to predict changes in interest rates, which are affected by factors beyond its control, including inflation, deflation, recession, unemployment, money supply, and other changes in financial markets. Credit and Lending Risks

The Company's business depends on its ability to successfully measure and manage credit risk. As a lender, the Company is exposed to the risk that the principal of, or interest on, a loan will not be repaid timely or at all or that the value of any collateral supporting a loan will be insufficient to cover the Company's outstanding exposure. In addition, the Company is exposed to risks with respect to the period of time over which the loan may be repaid, risks relating to proper loan underwriting, risks resulting from changes in economic and industry conditions, and risks inherent in dealing with individual loans and borrowers. The creditworthiness of a borrower is affected by many factors including local market conditions and general economic conditions. If the overall economic climate in the United States, generally, or the Company's market areas, specifically, experiences material disruption, the Company's borrowers may experience difficulties in repaying their loans, the collateral the Company holds may decrease in value or become illiquid, and the level of nonperforming loans, charge-offs and delinquencies could rise and require significant additional provisions for credit losses. Additional factors related to the credit quality of commercial loans include the quality of the management of the business and the borrower's ability to properly evaluate changes in the supply and demand characteristics affecting their market for products and services, to evaluate regulatory changes affecting their products and services, such as climate change regulation, and to effectively respond to those changes. Additional factors related to the credit quality of commercial real estate loans include tenant vacancy rates and the quality of management of the property. In addition, financial markets and global supply chains may be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of military conflict, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, terrorism or other geopolitical events. Current economic conditions are significantly affected by elevated levels of inflation and rising interest rates throughout 2022 and 2023. Continuing inflationary pressures in 2024 could lead to increased costs to the Company's customers, making it more difficult for them to repay their loans or other obligations, which would increase the Company's credit risk. Sustained higher interest rates by the Federal Reserve Board may be needed to address persistent inflationary price pressures, which could push down asset prices and weaken economic activity. Meanwhile, economic and inflationary pressure on consumers and uncertainty regarding the prospects for economic improvement could alter consumer and business spending, borrowing and savings habits. A deterioration in economic conditions in the United States and the Company's markets could result in an increase in loan delinquencies and nonperforming assets, decreases in loan collateral values and a decrease in demand for its products and services, all of which, in turn, would adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, evolving responses from federal and state governments and other regulators, and the Company's customers or vendors, to new challenges such as climate change have impacted and could continue to impact the economic and political conditions under which the Company operates, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. The Company's risk management practices, such as monitoring the concentration of the Company's loans within specific industries and the Company's credit approval, review and administrative practices, may not adequately reduce credit risk, and the Company's credit administration personnel, policies and procedures may not adequately adapt to changes in economic or any other conditions affecting customers and the quality of the loan portfolio. Many of the Company's loans are made to businesses that are less able to withstand competitive, economic and financial pressures than larger borrowers. Consequently, the Company may have significant exposure if any of these borrowers becomes unable to pay their loan obligations as a result of economic or market conditions, or personal circumstances, such as divorce or death. A failure to effectively measure and limit the credit risk associated with the Company's loan portfolio may result in loan defaults, foreclosures and additional charge-offs, and may require the Company to significantly increase its allowance for credit losses, each of which could adversely affect the Company's net income. As a result, the Company's inability to successfully manage credit risk could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

As a lender, the Company is exposed to the risk that its loan customers may not repay their loans according to the terms of these loans and the collateral securing the payment of these loans may be insufficient to fully compensate the Company for the outstanding balance of the loan plus the costs to dispose of the collateral. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses in an attempt to cover estimated losses inherent in its loan portfolio. Additional credit losses could occur in the future and may occur at a rate greater than the Company has experienced to date. The determination of the appropriate level of the allowance inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires the Company to make significant estimates of current credit risks, future trends and general economic conditions, including inflation and recession, all of which may undergo material changes. If the Company's assumptions prove to be incorrect or if it experiences significant credit losses in future periods, its current allowance may not be sufficient to cover actual credit losses and adjustments may be necessary to allow for different economic conditions or adverse developments in its loan portfolio. A material addition to the allowance could cause net income, and possibly capital, to decrease. In addition, federal and state regulators periodically review the Company's allowance for credit losses and may require the Company to increase its provision for credit losses or recognize further charge-offs, based on judgments different than those of the Company's management. An increase in the Company's allowance for credit losses or charge-offs as required by these regulatory agencies could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results and financial condition.

Approximately 82.6% of the Company's total loans as of December 31, 2023 consisted of loans included in the real estate loan portfolio, with 29.6% in commercial real estate (including farmland and multifamily residential), 38.5% in residential real estate (including home equity) and 14.5% in construction, land development and other land loans. The real estate collateral in each case provides an alternate source of repayment in the event of default by the borrower and may deteriorate in value during the time the credit is extended. The market value for real estate can fluctuate significantly over a relatively short period as a result of conditions in the Company's primary market areas, due to economic downturns, changes in the economic health of industries heavily concentrated in a particular market area, or changes in market interest rates. A weakening of the real estate market in the Company's primary market areas 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 the loans and the value of real estate owned by the Company. If real estate values decline, it is also more likely that the Company would be required to increase its allowance for credit losses, which could adversely affect its financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The Company faces a variety of risks and difficulties pursuing its growth strategy, including: - finding suitable markets for expansion;- finding suitable candidates for acquisition;- attracting funding to support additional growth;- maintaining asset quality;- attracting and retaining qualified management;- managing execution risks;- maintaining adequate regulatory capital; and - scaling technology platforms. In addition, in order to manage its growth and maintain adequate information and reporting systems within its organization, the Company must identify, hire and retain additional qualified associates, particularly in the accounting and operational areas of its business. If the Company does not manage its growth effectively, its business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects could be negatively affected, and the Company may not be able to continue to implement its business strategy and successfully conduct its operations.

To achieve its past levels of growth, the Company has focused on both internal growth and acquisitions. The Company may not be able to sustain its historical rate of growth or may not be able to grow at all in the future. More specifically, the Company may not be able to obtain the financing necessary to fund additional growth and may not be able to find suitable acquisition candidates. Various factors, such as economic conditions, competition and heightened regulatory scrutiny, may impede or prohibit the opening of new banking centers and the completion of acquisitions. Further, the Company may be unable to attract and retain experienced bankers, which could adversely affect its internal growth. If the Company is not able to continue its historical levels of growth, it may not be able to maintain its historical earnings trends.

The Company has implemented a risk management framework to identify and manage its risk exposure, which is reviewed and overseen by the Company's Risk Committee. This framework consists of various processes, systems and strategies, and is designed to manage the types of risk to which the Company is subject, including, among others, credit, market, liquidity, operational, financial, interest rate, legal and regulatory, compliance, strategic, reputation, fiduciary and general economic risks. The Company's framework also includes financial or other modeling methodologies, which involves management assumptions and judgment. In addition, under this framework, the Company has developed a risk appetite statement to detail its risk tolerance levels at an enterprise-wide level. This risk management framework may not be effective under all circumstances, and it may not adequately identify, manage or mitigate all or any risk or loss to the Company. If this framework is not effective, the Company may be subject to potentially adverse regulatory consequences and could suffer unexpected losses and its financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.