NOTE 1:       BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Simmons First National Corporation (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries.  Significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

All adjustments made to the unaudited financial statements were of a normal recurring nature.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of interim periods have been made.  Certain prior year amounts are reclassified to conform to current year classification.  The consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 2015, has been derived from the audited consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of that date.  The results of operations for the period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted.  These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Form 10-K Annual Report for 2015 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

ASU 2016-13 – Financial Instruments-Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). ASU 2016-13 requires earlier measurement of credit losses, expands the range of information considered in determining expected credit losses and enhances disclosures. The main objective of ASU 2016-13 is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. The amendments in ASU 2016-13 replace the incurred loss impairment methodology in current GAAP (“Accounting Principles Generally Accepted in the United States of America”) with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

ASU 2016-09 – Compensation-Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”). ASU 2016-09 simplifies the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

ASU 2016-02 – Leases (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 establishes the principles to report transparent and economically neutral information about the assets and liabilities that arise from leases. The new guidance results in a more faithful representation of the rights and obligations arising from leases by requiring lessees to recognize the lease asset and lease liabilities that arise from leases in the statement of financial position and to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about lease transactions, such as information about variable lease payments and options to renew and terminate leases. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

ASU 2016-01 – Financial Instruments-Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (“ASU 2016-01”).  ASU 2016-01 makes changes primarily affecting the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. In addition, the FASB clarified guidance related to the valuation allowance assessment when recognizing deferred tax assets resulting from unrealized losses on available-for-sale debt securities. ASU 2016-01 is effective for fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

ASU 2015-16 – Business Combinations: Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (“ASU 2015-16”).  ASU 2015-16 requires entities to recognize measurement period adjustments during the reporting period in which the adjustments are determined.  The income effects, if any, of a measurement period adjustment are cumulative and are to be reported in the period in which the adjustment to a provisional amount is determined.  Also, ASU 2015-16 requires presentation on the face of the income statement or in the notes, the effect of the measurement period adjustment as if the adjustment had been recognized at acquisition date.  ASU 2015-16 is effective for fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and should be applied prospectively to measurement period adjustments that occur after the effective date. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

ASU 2015-14 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date (“ASU 2015-14”). ASU 2015-14 is an update to the effective date in ASU 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 provides guidance 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. ASU 2015-14 is effective prospectively, for annual and interim periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

ASU 2015-08 – Business Combinations: Pushdown Accounting – Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 115 (“ASU 2015-08”). ASU 2015-08 removes references to the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) Topic 5.J on pushdown accounting from ASC 805-50, thereby conforming the FASB’s guidance on pushdown accounting with the SEC’s guidance on this topic. ASU 2015-08 became effective upon issuance. The adoption of this standard has not had a material effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

ASU 2015-02 – Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (“ASU 2015-02”). ASU 2015-02 amends the consolidation requirements of ASU 810 by changing the consolidation analysis required under GAAP. The revised guidance amends the consolidation analysis based on certain fee arrangements or relationships to the reporting entity and, for limited partnerships, requires entities to consider the limited partner’s rights relative to the general partner. ASU 2015-02 became effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of this standard has not had a material effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or disclosures.

There have been no other significant changes to the Company’s accounting policies from the 2015 Form 10-K.  Presently, the Company is not aware of any other changes to the Accounting Standards Codification that will have a material impact on the Company’s present or future financial position or results of operations.

Acquisition Accounting, Acquired Loans

The Company accounts for its acquisitions under ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, which requires the use of the acquisition method of accounting. All identifiable assets acquired, including loans, are recorded at fair value. No allowance for loan losses related to the acquired loans is recorded on the acquisition date as the fair value of the loans acquired incorporates assumptions regarding credit risk. Loans acquired are recorded at fair value in accordance with the fair value methodology prescribed in ASC Topic 820, exclusive of the shared-loss agreements with the FDIC. The fair value estimates associated with the loans include estimates related to expected prepayments and the amount and timing of undiscounted expected principal, interest and other cash flows.

The Company evaluates loans acquired, other than purchased impaired loans, in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 310-20, Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs. The fair value discount on these loans is accreted into interest income over the weighted average life of the loans using a constant yield method. The Company evaluates purchased impaired loans in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 310-30, Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality. Purchased loans are considered impaired if there is evidence of credit deterioration since origination and if it is probable that not all contractually required payments will be collected.

For impaired loans accounted for under ASC Topic 310-30, the Company continues to estimate cash flows expected to be collected on these loans. The Company evaluates at each balance sheet date whether the present value of the loans determined using the effective interest rates has decreased significantly and if so, recognize a provision for loan loss in our consolidated statement of income. For any significant increases in cash flows expected to be collected, the Company adjusts the amount of accretable yield recognized on a prospective basis over the remaining life of the loan.

Covered Loans and Related Indemnification Asset

In September 2015, we entered into an agreement with the FDIC to terminate all loss share agreements which were entered into in 2010 and 2012 in conjunction with the Company’s acquisition of substantially all of the assets (“covered assets”) and assumption of substantially all of the liabilities of four failed banks in FDIC-assisted transactions. Under the early termination, all rights and obligations of the Company and the FDIC under the FDIC loss share agreements, including the clawback provisions and the settlement of loss share and expense reimbursement claims, have been resolved and terminated.

Under the terms of the agreement, the FDIC made a net payment of $2,368,000 to the Bank as consideration for the early termination of the loss share agreements. The early termination was recorded in the Company’s financial statements by removing the FDIC Indemnification Asset, receivable from FDIC, the FDIC True-up liability and recording a one-time, pre-tax charge of $7,476,000. As a result, the Company reclassified loans previously covered by FDIC loss share to loans acquired, not covered by FDIC loss share. Foreclosed assets previously covered by FDIC loss share were reclassified to foreclosed assets not covered by FDIC loss share.

For further discussion of our acquisition and loan accounting, see Note 2, Acquisitions, and Note 5, Loans Acquired.

Earnings Per Common Share (“EPS”)

Basic EPS is computed by dividing reported net income available to common shareholders by weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period.  Diluted EPS is computed by dividing reported net income available to common shareholders by the weighted average common shares and all potential dilutive common shares outstanding during the period.

Following is the computation of earnings per common share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015:

NOTE 2:      ACQUISITIONS

Liberty Bancshares, Inc.

On February 27, 2015, Simmons First National Corporation completed the acquisition of Liberty Bancshares, Inc. (“Liberty”), headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, including its wholly-owned bank subsidiary Liberty Bank (“LB”). The Company issued 5,181,337 shares of its common stock valued at approximately $212.2 million as of February 27, 2015 in exchange for all outstanding shares of Liberty common stock.

Prior to the acquisition, Liberty conducted banking business from 24 branches located in southwest Missouri. Including the effects of the acquisition method accounting adjustments, the Company acquired approximately $1.1 billion in assets, approximately $780.7 million in loans including loan discounts and approximately $874.7 million in deposits. The Company completed the systems conversion and merged LB into Simmons First National Bank (“Simmons Bank” or the “Bank”) on April 24, 2015.

Goodwill of $95.2 million was recorded as a result of the transaction. The merger strengthened the Company’s position in the southwest Missouri market and the Company is able to achieve cost savings by integrating the two companies and combining accounting, data processing, and other administrative functions all of which gave rise to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill will not be deductible for tax purposes.

A summary, at fair value, of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the Liberty transaction, as of the acquisition date, is as follows:

The following is a description of the methods used to determine the fair values of significant assets and liabilities presented in the Liberty acquisition above.

Cash and due from banks, time deposits due from banks and federal funds sold – The carrying amount of these assets is a reasonable estimate of fair value based on the short-term nature of these assets. Due from banks – time were acquired with an adjustment to fair value based on rates currently available to the Company for deposits in banks with similar maturities.

Investment securities – Investment securities were acquired with an adjustment to fair value based upon quoted market prices.

Loans acquired – Fair values for loans were based on a discounted cash flow methodology that considered factors including the type of loan and related collateral, classification status, fixed or variable interest rate, term of loan and whether or not the loan was amortizing, and current discount rates.  The discount rates used for loans are based on current market rates for new originations of comparable loans and include adjustments for liquidity concerns.  The discount rate does not include a factor for credit losses as that has been included in the estimated cash flows.  Loans were grouped together according to similar characteristics and were treated in the aggregate when applying various valuation techniques.

Premises and equipment – Bank premises and equipment were acquired with an adjustment to fair value, which represents the difference between the Company’s current analysis of property and equipment values completed in connection with the acquisition and book value acquired.

Bank owned life insurance – Bank owned life insurance is carried at its current cash surrender value, which is the most reasonable estimate of fair value.

Goodwill – The consideration paid as a result of the acquisition exceeded the fair value of the assets acquired, resulting in an intangible asset, goodwill, of $95.2 million.

Core deposit intangible – This intangible asset represents the value of the relationships that Liberty had with its deposit customers.  The fair value of this intangible asset was estimated based on a discounted cash flow methodology that gave appropriate consideration to expected customer attrition rates, cost of the deposit base and the net maintenance cost attributable to customer deposits.

Other assets – The fair value adjustment results from certain assets whose value was estimated to be less than book value, such as certain prepaid assets, receivables and other miscellaneous assets. The deferred tax asset, included in other assets, is based on 39.225% of fair value adjustments related to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities and on a calculation of future tax benefits. The Company also recorded Liberty’s remaining deferred tax assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date.

Deposits – The fair values used for the demand and savings deposits that comprise the transaction accounts acquired, by definition equal the amount payable on demand at the acquisition date.  The Company performed a fair value analysis of the estimated weighted average interest rate of Liberty’s certificates of deposits compared to the current market rates. Based on the results of the analysis, the estimated fair value adjustment was immaterial.

FHLB borrowings – The fair value of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings is estimated based on borrowing rates currently available to the Company for borrowings with similar terms and maturities.

Subordinated debentures – The fair value of subordinated debentures is estimated based on borrowing rates currently available to the Company for borrowings with similar terms and maturities.

Accrued interest and other liabilities – The adjustment establishes a liability for unfunded commitments equal to the fair value of that liability at the date of acquisition.

During 2015 the Company finalized its analysis of the acquired loans and subordinated debentures along with the other acquired assets and assumed liabilities. 

The Company’s operating results for 2015 include the operating results of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities of Liberty subsequent to the acquisition date.

Community First Bancshares, Inc.

On February 27, 2015, Simmons First National Corporation completed the acquisition of Community First Bancshares, Inc. (“Community First”), headquartered in Union City, Tennessee, including its wholly-owned bank subsidiary First State Bank (“FSB”). The Company issued 6,552,915 shares of its common stock valued at approximately $268.3 million as of February 27, 2015, plus $9,974 in cash in exchange for all outstanding shares of Community First common stock. The Company also issued $30.9 million of preferred stock in exchange for all outstanding shares of Community First preferred stock.

Prior to the acquisition, Community First conducted banking business from 33 branches located across Tennessee. Including the effects of the acquisition method accounting adjustments, the Company acquired approximately $1.9 billion in assets, approximately $1.1 billion in loans including loan discounts and approximately $1.5 billion in deposits. The Company completed the systems conversion and merged FSB into Simmons Bank on September 4, 2015.

Goodwill of $110.4 million was recorded as a result of the transaction. The merger allowed the Company’s entrance into the Tennessee market and will serve as a launching platform for possible expansion into adjacent areas. The Company is able to achieve cost savings by integrating the two companies and combining accounting, data processing, and other administrative functions. Further the Company can benefit from the addition of Community First's small-business lending platform while cross-selling its trust products in Community First’s market. This combination of factors gave rise to the goodwill recorded. The goodwill will not be deductible for tax purposes.

A summary, at fair value, of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the Community First transaction, as of the acquisition date, is as follows:

The following is a description of the methods used to determine the fair values of significant assets and liabilities presented in the Community First acquisition above.

Cash and due from banks and federal funds sold – The carrying amount of these assets is a reasonable estimate of fair value based on the short-term nature of these assets.

Investment securities – Investment securities were acquired with an adjustment to fair value based upon quoted market prices.

Loans acquired – Fair values for loans were based on a discounted cash flow methodology that considered factors including the type of loan and related collateral, classification status, fixed or variable interest rate, term of loan and whether or not the loan was amortizing, and current discount rates.  The discount rates used for loans are based on current market rates for new originations of comparable loans and include adjustments for liquidity concerns.  The discount rate does not include a factor for credit losses as that has been included in the estimated cash flows.  Loans were grouped together according to similar characteristics and were treated in the aggregate when applying various valuation techniques.

Foreclosed assets held for sale – These assets are presented at the estimated present values that management expects to receive when the properties are sold, net of related costs of disposal.

Premises and equipment – Bank premises and equipment were acquired with an adjustment to fair value, which represents the difference between the Company’s current analysis of property and equipment values completed in connection with the acquisition and book value acquired.

Bank owned life insurance – Bank owned life insurance is carried at its current cash surrender value, which is the most reasonable estimate of fair value.

Goodwill – The consideration paid as a result of the acquisition exceeded the fair value of the assets acquired, resulting in an intangible asset, goodwill, of $110.4 million. Goodwill established prior to the acquisition was written off.

Core deposit intangible – This intangible asset represents the value of the relationships that Community First had with its deposit customers.  The fair value of this intangible asset was estimated based on a discounted cash flow methodology that gave appropriate consideration to expected customer attrition rates, cost of the deposit base and the net maintenance cost attributable to customer deposits.

Other intangibles – This intangible asset represents the value of the relationships that Community First’s insurance subsidiary had with their customers.  The fair value of this intangible asset was estimated based on a combination of discounted cash flow methodology and a market valuation approach.

Deferred tax asset – The deferred tax asset is based on 39.225% of fair value adjustments related to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities and on a calculation of future tax benefits. The Company also recorded Community First’s remaining deferred tax assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date.

Other assets – The carrying amount of these assets was deemed to be a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Deposits – The fair values used for the demand and savings deposits that comprise the transaction accounts acquired, by definition equal the amount payable on demand at the acquisition date.  The Company performed a fair value analysis of the estimated weighted average interest rate of Community First’s certificates of deposits compared to the current market rates and recorded a fair value adjustment for the difference.

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreement to repurchase – The carrying amount of federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreement to repurchase is a reasonable estimate of fair value based on the short-term nature of these liabilities.

FHLB borrowings – The fair value of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings is estimated based on borrowing rates currently available to the Company for borrowings with similar terms and maturities.

Subordinated debentures – The fair value subordinated debentures is estimated based on borrowing rates currently available to the Company for borrowings with similar terms and maturities.

Accrued interest and other liabilities – The adjustment establishes a liability for unfunded commitments equal to the fair value of that liability at the date of acquisition.

During 2015 the Company finalized its analysis of the acquired loans and subordinated debentures along with the other acquired assets and assumed liabilities.

The Company’s operating results for 2015 include the operating results of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities of Community First subsequent to the acquisition date.

Ozark Trust & Investment Corporation

On October 29, 2015, Simmons First National Corporation completed the acquisition of Ozark Trust & Investment Corporation (“Ozark Trust”), headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, including its wholly-owned non-deposit trust company, Trust Company of the Ozarks (“TCO”). Simmons issued 339,290 shares of its common stock valued at approximately $17.9 million as of October 29, 2015, plus $5.8 million in cash in exchange for all outstanding shares of Ozark Trust common stock.

Prior to the acquisition, Ozark Trust had over $1 billion in assets under management. The Company owned 1,000 shares of Ozark Trust’s common stock, which it acquired through its acquisition of Liberty in February 2015. The purchase price is allocated among the net assets of Ozark Trust acquired as appropriate, with the remaining balance being reported as goodwill.

A summary, at fair value, of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the Ozark Trust transaction, as of the acquisition date, is as follows:

The following is a description of the methods used to determine the fair values of significant assets and liabilities presented in the Ozark Trust acquisition above.

Cash– The carrying amount of these assets is a reasonable estimate of fair value based on the short-term nature of these assets.

Investment securities – The carrying amount of these assets was deemed to be a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Premises and equipment – Premises and equipment were acquired with an adjustment to fair value, which represents the difference between the Company’s current analysis of property values completed in connection with the acquisition and book value acquired.

Goodwill – The consideration paid as a result of the acquisition exceeded the fair value of the assets acquired, resulting in an intangible asset, goodwill, of $13.9 million.

Other intangibles – These intangible assets represent the value of the relationships that Ozark Trust had with their customers.  The fair value of these intangible assets was estimated based on a combination of discounted cash flow methodology and a market valuation approach.

Other assets – The carrying amount of these assets was deemed to be a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Deferred tax liability – The deferred tax liability is based on 39.225% of fair value adjustments related to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities and on a calculation of future tax benefits. The Company also recorded Ozark Trust’s remaining deferred tax assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date.

The purchase price allocation and certain fair value measurements remain preliminary due to the timing of the acquisition. Management will continue to review the estimated fair values and to evaluate the assumed tax positions. The Company expects to finalize its analysis of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities in this transaction over the next few months, within one year of the acquisition. Therefore, adjustments to the estimated amounts and carrying values may occur.  

Citizens National Bank (Pending Acquisition)

On May 18, 2016, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement (the “Agreement”) with Citizens National Bancorp, Inc. (“Citizens”) and Citizens National Bank (“CNB”) to acquire CNB, headquartered in Athens, Tennessee. CNB had assets of approximately $552 million at March 31, 2016. According to the terms of the Agreement, the Company will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of CNB. The transaction is valued at $77.0 million (based on the Company’s May 17, 2016 closing price). The purchase price will be allocated among the net assets of CNB acquired as appropriate, with the remaining balance being reported as goodwill. The transaction has received to the routine regulatory approval, but is subject to other customary closing conditions, including approval by the shareholders of Citizens. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2016. After closing, CNB is expected to continue operations as a separate bank subsidiary of the Company for an interim period until it is merged into Simmons Bank.

NOTE 3:       INVESTMENT SECURITIES

The amortized cost and fair value of investment securities that are classified as held-to-maturity (“HTM”) and available-for-sale (“AFS”) are as follows:

Securities with limited marketability, such as stock in the Federal Reserve Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank, are carried at cost and are reported as other available-for-sale securities in the table above.

Certain investment securities are valued at less than their historical cost.  Total fair value of these investments at June 30, 2016, was $65.4 million, which is approximately 4.5% of the Company’s combined available-for-sale and held-to-maturity investment portfolios.

The following table shows the gross unrealized losses and fair value of the Company’s investments with unrealized losses, aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at June 30, 2016:

These declines primarily resulted from the rate for these investments yielding less than current market rates.  Based on evaluation of available evidence, management believes the declines in fair value for these securities are temporary. Management does not have the intent to sell these securities and management believes it is more likely than not the Company will not have to sell these securities before recovery of their amortized cost basis less any current period credit losses.

Declines in the fair value of held-to-maturity and available-for-sale securities below their cost that are deemed to be other than temporary are reflected in earnings as realized losses.  In estimating other-than-temporary impairment losses, management considers, among other things, (i) the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, (ii) the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, and (iii) the intent and ability of the Company to retain its investment in the issuer for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value. 

Management has the ability and intent to hold the securities classified as held to maturity until they mature, at which time the Company expects to receive full value for the securities.  Furthermore, as of June 30, 2016, management also had the ability and intent to hold the securities classified as available-for-sale for a period of time sufficient for a recovery of cost.  The unrealized losses are largely due to increases in market interest rates over the yields available at the time the underlying securities were purchased.  The fair value is expected to recover as the bonds approach their maturity date or repricing date or if market yields for such investments decline.  Management does not believe any of the securities are impaired due to reasons of credit quality.  Accordingly, as of June 30, 2016, management believes the impairments detailed in the table above are temporary.  Should the impairment of any of these securities become other than temporary, the cost basis of the investment will be reduced and the resulting loss recognized in net income in the period the other-than-temporary impairment is identified.

The book value of securities sold under agreements to repurchase equaled $102.5 million and $96.8 million for June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

Income earned on securities for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, is as follows:

Maturities of investment securities at June 30, 2016, are as follows:

The carrying value, which approximates the fair value, of securities pledged as collateral, to secure public deposits and for other purposes, amounted to $866.3 million at June 30, 2016 and $840.4 million at December 31, 2015.

There were $3.8 million of gross realized gains and no realized losses from the sale of available for sale securities during the three months ended June 30, 2016 and there were $4.1 million of realized gains and no realized losses from the sale of available for sale securities during the six months ended June 30, 2016. There were no realized gains and no realized losses for the three months ended June 30, 2015 and there were $2,000 of gross realized gains and $40,000 of realized losses from the sale of available for sale securities during the six months ended June 30, 2015.

The state and political subdivision debt obligations are predominately non-rated bonds representing small issuances, primarily in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas issues, which are evaluated on an ongoing basis.

NOTE 4:      LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN LOSSES

At June 30, 2016, the Company’s loan portfolio was $5.014 billion, compared to $4.919 billion at December 31, 2015.  The various categories of loans are summarized as follows:

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Loan Origination/Risk Management – The Company seeks to manage its credit risk by diversifying its loan portfolio, determining that borrowers have adequate sources of cash flow for loan repayment without liquidation of collateral; obtaining and monitoring collateral; providing an adequate allowance for loans losses by regularly reviewing loans through the internal loan review process.  The loan portfolio is diversified by borrower, purpose and industry.  The Company seeks to use diversification within the loan portfolio to reduce its credit risk, thereby minimizing the adverse impact on the portfolio, if weaknesses develop in either the economy or a particular segment of borrowers.  Collateral requirements are based on credit assessments of borrowers and may be used to recover the debt in case of default.  Furthermore, a factor that influenced the Company’s judgment regarding the allowance for loan losses consists of a five-year historical loss average segregated by each primary loan sector.  On an annual basis, historical loss rates are calculated for each sector.

Consumer – The consumer loan portfolio consists of credit card loans and other consumer loans.  Credit card loans are diversified by geographic region to reduce credit risk and minimize any adverse impact on the portfolio. Although they are regularly reviewed to facilitate the identification and monitoring of creditworthiness, credit card loans are unsecured loans, making them more susceptible to be impacted by economic downturns resulting in increasing unemployment.  Other consumer loans include direct and indirect installment loans and overdrafts.  Loans in this portfolio segment are sensitive to unemployment and other key consumer economic measures.

Real estate – The real estate loan portfolio consists of construction loans, single family residential loans and commercial loans.  Construction and development loans (“C&D”) and commercial real estate loans (“CRE”) can be particularly sensitive to valuation of real estate.  Commercial real estate cycles are inevitable.  The long planning and production process for new properties and rapid shifts in business conditions and employment create an inherent tension between supply and demand for commercial properties.  While general economic trends often move individual markets in the same direction over time, the timing and magnitude of changes are determined by other forces unique to each market.  CRE cycles tend to be local in nature and longer than other credit cycles.  Factors influencing the CRE market are traditionally different from those affecting residential real estate markets; thereby making predictions for one market based on the other difficult.  Additionally, submarkets within commercial real estate – such as office, industrial, apartment, retail and hotel – also experience different cycles, providing an opportunity to lower the overall risk through diversification across types of CRE loans.  Management realizes that local demand and supply conditions will also mean that different geographic areas will experience cycles of different amplitude and length.  The Company monitors these loans closely.

Commercial – The commercial loan portfolio includes commercial and agricultural loans, representing loans to commercial customers and farmers for use in normal business or farming operations to finance working capital needs, equipment purchase or other expansion projects.  Collection risk in this portfolio is driven by the creditworthiness of the underlying borrowers, particularly cash flow from customers’ business or farming operations.  The Company continues its efforts to keep loan terms short, reducing the negative impact of upward movement in interest rates.  Term loans are generally set up with one or three year balloons, and the Company has recently instituted a pricing mechanism for commercial loans.  It is standard practice to require personal guaranties on all commercial loans, particularly as they relate to closely-held or limited liability entities.

Nonaccrual and Past Due Loans – Loans are considered past due if the required principal and interest payments have not been received as of the date such payments were due.  Loans are placed on nonaccrual status when, in management’s opinion, the borrower may be unable to meet payment obligations as they become due, as well as when required by regulatory provisions.  Loans may be placed on nonaccrual status regardless of whether or not such loans are considered past due.  When interest accrual is discontinued, all unpaid accrued interest is reversed. Interest income is subsequently recognized only to the extent cash payments are received in excess of principal due.  Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

Nonaccrual loans, excluding loans acquired, segregated by class of loans, are as follows:

An age analysis of past due loans, excluding loans acquired, segregated by class of loans, is as follows: