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

 

Form 10-K

 

 

 

Commission file number 0-15752

CENTURY BANCORP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number including area code:

(781) 391-4000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o     No þ

 

State the aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting and nonvoting stock held by nonaffiliates, computed using the closing price as reported on Nasdaq as of June 30, 2007 was $79,860,049.

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock as of February 29, 2008:

 

Class A Common Stock, $1.00 par value 3,516,704 Shares
Class B Common Stock, $1.00 par value 2,027,100 Shares

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

List hereunder the following documents if incorporated by reference and the Part of the Form 10-K (e.g., Part I, Part II, etc.) into which the document is incorporated: (1) Any annual report to security holders; (2) Any proxy or information statement; and (3) Any prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (c) under the Securities Act of 1933. The listed documents should be clearly described for identification purposes (e.g., annual report to security holders for fiscal year ended December 24, 1980).

 

 

 

CENTURY BANCORP INC.

 

FORM 10-K

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

The Company

 

Century Bancorp, Inc. (together with its bank subsidiary, unless the context otherwise requires, the “Company”) is a Massachusetts state chartered bank holding company headquartered in Medford, Massachusetts. The Company is a Massachusetts corporation formed in 1972 and has one banking subsidiary (the “Bank”): Century Bank and Trust Company, formed in 1969. The Company had total assets of approximately $1.7 billion on December 31, 2007. The Company presently operates 21 banking offices in 16 cities and towns in Massachusetts ranging from Braintree in the south to Beverly in the north. The Bank’s customers consist primarily of small and medium-sized businesses and retail customers in these communities and surrounding areas, as well as local governments and institutions throughout Massachusetts.

 

The Company’s results of operations are largely dependent on net interest income, which is the difference between the interest earned on loans and securities and interest paid on deposits and borrowings. The results of operations are also affected by the level of income/fees from loans, deposits, as well as operating expenses, the provision for loan losses, the impact of federal and state income taxes and the relative levels of interest rates and economic activity.

 

The Company offers a wide range of services to commercial enterprises, state and local governments and agencies, non-profit organizations and individuals. It emphasizes service to small and medium-sized businesses and retail customers in its market area. The Company makes commercial loans, real estate and construction loans, consumer loans, and accepts savings, time and demand deposits. In addition, the Company offers to its corporate and institutional customers automated lockbox collection services, cash management services and account reconciliation services, and actively promotes the marketing of these services to the municipal market. Also, the Company provides full service securities brokerage services through a program called Investment Services at Century Bank supported by Linsco/Private Ledger Corp., a full service securities brokerage business.

 

The Company is also a provider of financial services, including cash management, transaction processing and short term financing, to municipalities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Company has deposit relationships with approximately 39% of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.

 

During the fourth quarter of 2007, the Company sold the assets associated with the Sherman Union branch located on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts as well as Automated Teller Machines (ATM) located at or near Boston University. The buyer assumed the leases for the branch and ATMs. The deposits associated with the Sherman Union branch were transferred to Century’s Hotel Commonwealth branch located at 512 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. This resulted in a gain of $115,000.

 

During 2007, the Company entered into a lease agreement to open a branch located on Riverside Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts. The branch is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2008.

 

On August 17, 2007, the Company sold the building which houses one of its branches located at 55 High Street, Medford, Massachusetts for $1.5 million at market terms. The Bank is relocating this branch to 1 Salem Street (formerly 3 Salem Street), Medford, Massachusetts. This resulted in a gain of $1,321,000.

 

On February 7, 2006 the Company announced that it had renewed its contract with NOVA Information Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, and had also sold its rights to future royalty payments for a portion of its Merchant Credit Card customer base for $600,000, which the Bank has included as other income.

 

Availability of Company Filings

 

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Sections 13 and 15(d), periodic and current reports must be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The public may read and copy any materials filed with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0030. The Company electronically files with the SEC its periodic and current reports, as well as other filings it makes with the SEC from

time to time. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports and other information regarding issuers, including the Company, that file electronically with the SEC, at www.sec.gov, in which all forms filed electronically may be accessed. Additionally, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and additional shareholder information are available free of charge on the Company’s website: www.century-bank.com.

 

Employees

 

As of December 31, 2007, the Company had 278 full-time and 95 part-time employees. The Company’s employees are not represented by any collective bargaining unit. The Company believes that its employee relations are good.

 

Financial Services Modernization

 

On November 12, 1999, President Clinton signed into law The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“Gramm-Leach”) which significantly altered banking laws in the United States. Gramm Leach enables combinations among banks, securities firms and insurance companies beginning March 11, 2000. As a result of Gramm Leach, many of the depression-era laws that restricted these affiliations and other activities that may be engaged in by banks and bank holding companies were repealed. Under Gramm-Leach, bank holding companies are permitted to offer their customers virtually any type of financial service that is financial in nature or incidental thereto, including banking, securities underwriting, insurance (both underwriting and agency) and merchant banking.

 

In order to engage in these financial activities, a bank holding company must qualify and register with the Federal Reserve Board as a “financial holding company” by demonstrating that each of its bank subsidiaries is “well capitalized,” “well managed,” and has at least a “satisfactory” rating under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (the “CRA”). The Company has not elected to become a financial holding company under Gramm-Leach.

 

These new financial activities authorized by Gramm-Leach may also be engaged in by a “financial subsidiary” of a national or state bank, except for insurance or annuity underwriting, insurance company portfolio investments, real estate investment and development and merchant banking, which must be conducted in a financial holding company. In order for the new financial activities to be engaged in by a financial subsidiary of a national or state bank, Gramm-Leach requires each of the parent bank (and any bank affiliates) to be “well capitalized” and “well managed;” the aggregate consolidated assets of all of that bank’s financial subsidiaries may not exceed the lesser of 45% of its consolidated total assets or $50 billion; the bank must have at least a satisfactory CRA rating; and, if the bank is one of the 100 largest banks, it must meet certain financial rating or other comparable requirements.

 

Gramm-Leach establishes a system of functional regulation, under which the federal banking agencies will regulate the banking activities of financial holding companies and banks’ financial subsidiaries, the SEC will regulate their securities activities, and state insurance regulators will regulate their insurance activities. Gramm-Leach also provides new protections against the transfer and use by financial institutions of consumers’ nonpublic, personal information.

 

Holding Company Regulation

 

The Company is a bank holding company as defined by the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Holding Company Act”), and is registered as such with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank (the “FRB”), which is responsible for administration of the Holding Company Act. Although the Company may meet the qualifications for electing to become a financial holding company under Gramm-Leach, the Company has elected to retain its pre-Gramm-Leach status for the present time under the Holding Company Act. As required by the Holding Company Act, the Company files with the FRB an annual report regarding its financial condition and operations, management and intercompany relationships of the Company and the Bank. It is also subject to examination by the FRB and must obtain FRB approval before (i) acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting stock of any bank, unless it already owns or controls a majority of the voting stock of that bank, (ii) acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of a bank, except through a subsidiary which is a bank, or (iii) merging or consolidating with any other bank holding company. A bank holding company must also give the FRB prior written notice before purchasing or redeeming its equity securities, if the gross consideration for the

purchase or redemption, when aggregated with the net consideration paid by the company for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding 12 months, is equal to 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated net worth.

 

The Holding Company Act prohibits a bank holding company, with certain exceptions, from (i) acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of any class of voting shares of any company which is not a bank or a bank holding company, or (ii) engaging in any activity other than managing or controlling banks, or furnishing services to or performing services for its subsidiaries. A bank holding company may own, however, shares of a company engaged in activities which the FRB has determined are so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries are examined by federal and state regulators. The FRB has responsibility for holding company activities and performed a review of the Company and its subsidiaries as of November 2006.

 

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991

 

On December 19, 1991, the FDIC Improvement Act of 1991 (the “1991 Act”) was enacted. This legislation provides for, among other things: enhanced federal supervision of depository institutions, including greater authority for the appointment of a conservator or receiver for undercapitalized institutions; the establishment of risk-based deposit insurance premiums; a requirement that the federal banking agencies amend their risk-based capital requirements to include components for interest-rate risk, concentration of credit risk, and the risk of nontraditional activities; expanded authority for cross-industry mergers and acquisitions; mandated consumer protection disclosures with respect to deposit accounts; and imposed restrictions on the activities of state-chartered banks, including the Bank.

 

Provisions of the 1991 Act relating to the activities of state-chartered banks significantly impact the way the Company conducts its business. In this regard, the 1991 Act provides that insured state banks, such as the Bank, may not engage as principal in any activity that is not permissible for a national bank, unless the FDIC has determined that the activity would pose no significant risk to the Bank Insurance Fund (“BIF”) and the state bank is in compliance with applicable capital standards. Activities of subsidiaries of insured state banks are similarly restricted to those activities permissible for subsidiaries of national banks, unless the FDIC has determined that the activity would pose no significant risk to the BIF and the state bank is in compliance with applicable capital standards.

 

Interstate Banking

 

The Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994, as amended (the “Interstate Banking Act”), generally permits bank holding companies to acquire banks in any state and preempts all state laws restricting the ownership by a bank holding company of banks in more than one state. The Interstate Banking Act also permits a bank to merge with an out-of-state bank and convert any offices into branches of the resulting bank if both states have not opted out of interstate branching; permits a bank to acquire branches from an out-of-state bank if the law of the state where the branches are located permits the interstate branch acquisition; and operated de novo interstate branches whenever the host state opts-in to de novo branching. Bank holding companies and banks seeking to engage in transactions authorized by the Interstate Banking Act must be adequately capitalized and managed.

 

USA PATRIOT Act

 

Under Title III of the USA PATRIOT Act, also known as the “International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001”, all financial institutions are required in general to identify their customers, adopt formal and comprehensive anti-money laundering programs, scrutinize or prohibit altogether certain transactions of special concern, and be prepared to respond to inquiries from U.S. law enforcement agencies concerning their customers and their transactions. Additional information-sharing among financial institutions, regulators, and law enforcement authorities is encouraged by the presence of an exemption from the privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach Act for financial institutions that comply with this provision and the authorization of the Secretary of the Treasurer to adopt rules to further encourage cooperation and information-sharing. The effectiveness of a financial

institution in combating money laundering activities is a factor to be considered in any application submitted by the financial institution under the Bank Merger Act.

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, signed into law July 30, 2002, addresses, among other issues, corporate governance, auditor independence and accounting standards, executive compensation, insider loans, whistleblower protection and enhanced and timely disclosure of corporate information. The SEC has adopted a substantial number of implementing rules and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority(FINRA) has adopted corporate governance rules that have been approved by the SEC and are applicable to the Company. The changes are intended to allow stockholders to monitor more effectively the performance of companies and management. As directed by Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Company’s Co-Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officer are each required to certify that the Company’s quarterly and annual reports do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact. This requirement has several parts, including certification that these officers are responsible for establishing, maintaining and regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting; that they have made certain disclosures to the Company’s auditors and the Board of Directors about the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, and that they have included information in the Company’s quarterly and annual reports about their evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, and whether there have been significant changes in the Company’s internal disclosure controls and procedures or in other factors that could significantly affect such controls and procedures subsequent to the evaluation and whether there have been any significant changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected or reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, and compliance with certain other disclosure objectives. Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires an additional certification that each periodic report containing financial statements fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and that the information in the report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial conditions and results of operations of the Company.

 

Deposit Insurance Premiums

 

Effective January 1, 2007, the FDIC approved new deposit insurance assessment rates that were determined based upon a contribution of financial ratios and supervisory factors. There are four established risk categories under the new assessment rules. The Bank’s Risk Category I assessment rate is 5.4 basis points of the deposit assessment base, as defined by the FDIC. The Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 allows eligible insured depository institutions to share in a one-time assessment credit pool of approximately $4.7 billion, effectively reducing the amount these institutions will be required to submit as an overall assessment. The Bank’s one-time assessment credit was $848,301. At December 31, 2007, the credit balance was $365,161.

 

Competition

 

The Company experiences substantial competition in attracting deposits and making loans from commercial banks, thrift institutions and other enterprises such as insurance companies and mutual funds. These competitors include several major commercial banks whose greater resources may afford them a competitive advantage by enabling them to maintain numerous branch offices and mount extensive advertising campaigns. A number of these competitors are not subject to the regulatory oversight that the Company is subject to, which increases these competitors’ flexibility.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

Certain statements contained herein are not based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements, which are based on various assumptions (some of which are beyond the Company’s control), may be identified by a reference to a future period or periods, or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate” “continue” or similar terms or variations on those terms, or the negative of these terms. Actual results could differ materially from those set forth in forward-looking statements due to a variety of

factors, including, but not limited to, those related to the economic environment, particularly in the market areas in which the Company operates, competitive products and pricing, fiscal and monetary policies of the U.S. Government, changes in government regulations affecting financial institutions, including regulatory fees and capital requirements, changes in prevailing interest rates, acquisitions and the integration of acquired businesses, credit risk management, asset/liability management, the financial and securities market and the availability of and costs associated with sources of liquidity.

 

The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

 

 

The risk factors that may affect the Company’s performance and results of operations include the following:

 

(i) the Company’s business is dependent upon general economic conditions in Massachusetts;

 

(ii) the Company’s earnings depend to a great extent upon the level of net interest income generated by the Company, and therefore the Company’s results of operations may be adversely affected by increases or decreases in interest rates or by the shape of the yield curve;

 

(iii) the banking business is highly competitive and the profitability of the Company depends upon the Company’s ability to attract loans and deposits in Massachusetts, where the Company competes with a variety of traditional banking companies, some of which have vastly greater resources, and nontraditional institutions such as credit unions and finance companies;

 

(iv) at December 31, 2007, approximately 57.5% of the Company’s loan portfolio was comprised of commercial and commercial real estate loans, exposing the Company to the risks inherent in financings based upon analyses of credit risk, the value of underlying collateral, including real estate, and other more intangible factors, which are considered in making commercial loans;

 

(v) at December 31, 2007, approximately 31.0% of the Company’s loan portfolio was comprised of residential real estate loans, exposing the Company to the risks inherent in financings based upon analyses of credit risk and the value of underlying collateral. Accordingly, the Company’ profitability may be negatively impacted by errors in risk analyses, by loan defaults and the ability of certain borrowers to repay such loans may be adversely affected by any downturn in general economic conditions;

 

(vi) acts or threats of terrorism and actions taken by the United States or other governments as a result of such acts or threats, including possible military action, could further adversely affect business and economic conditions in the United States of America generally and in the Company’s markets, which could adversely affect the Company’s financial performance and that of the Company’s borrowers and on the financial markets and the price of the Company’s Class A common stock;

 

(vii) changes in the extensive laws, regulations and policies governing bank holding companies and their subsidiaries could alter the Company’s business environment or affect the Company’s operations; and

 

(viii) the potential need to adapt to industry changes in information technology systems, on which the Company is highly dependent to secure bank and customer financial information, could present operational issues, require significant capital spending or impact the Company’s reputation.

 

These factors, as well as general economic and market conditions in the United States of America, may materially and adversely affect the Company’s performance, results of operations and the market price of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock.

 

 

No written comments received by the Company from the SEC regarding the Company’s periodic or current reports remain unresolved.

 

The Company owns its main banking office, headquarters, and operations center in Medford, Massachusetts, which were expanded in 2004, and 11 of the 20 other facilities in which its branch offices are located. The remaining offices are occupied under leases expiring on various dates from 2008 to 2026. The Company believes that its banking offices are in good condition.

 

During 2007, the Company entered into a lease agreement to open a branch located on Riverside Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts. The branch is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2008.

 

On August 17, 2007, the Company sold the building which houses one of its branches located at 55 High Street, Medford, Massachusetts for $1.5 million at market terms. The Bank is relocating this branch to 1 Salem Street (formerly 3 Salem Street), Medford, Massachusetts. This resulted in a gain of $1,321,000.

 

 

The Company and its subsidiaries are parties to various claims and lawsuits arising in the course of their normal business activities. Although the ultimate outcome of these suits cannot be ascertained at this time, it is the opinion of management that none of these matters, even if it resolved adversely to the Company, will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position.

 

 

No matters were submitted to a vote of the Company’s Stockholders during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007.

 

 

(a) The Class A Common Stock of the Company is traded on the NASDAQ National Global Market under the symbol “CNBKA.” The price range of the Company’s Class A common stock since January 1, 2006 is shown on page 9. The Company’s Class B Common Stock is not traded on any national securities exchange or other public trading market. The Company did not repurchase any stock during 2007.

 

The shares of Class A Common Stock are generally not entitled to vote on any matter, including in the election of Company Directors, but, in limited circumstances, may be entitled to vote as a class on certain extraordinary transactions, including any merger or consolidation (other than one in which the Company is the surviving corporation or one which by law may be approved by the directors without any stockholder vote) or the sale, lease, or exchange of all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company. Since the vote of a majority of the shares of the Company’s Class B Common Stock, voting as a separate class, is required to approve certain extraordinary corporate transactions, the holders of Class B Common Stock have the power to prevent any takeover of the Company not approved by them.

 

(b) Approximate number of equity security holders as of December 31, 2007:

 

 

(c) Under the Company’s Articles of Organization, the holders of Class A Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends per share equal to at least 200% of dividends paid, if any, from time to time, on each share of Class B Common Stock.

 

The following table shows the dividends paid by the Company on the Class A and Class B Common Stock for the periods indicated.

 

 

As a bank holding company, the Company’s ability to pay dividends is dependent in part upon the receipt of dividends from the Bank, which is subject to certain restrictions on the payment of dividends. A Massachusetts trust company may pay dividends out of net profits from time to time, provided that either (i) the trust company’s capital stock and surplus account equal an aggregate of at least 10% of its deposit liabilities, or (ii) the amount of its surplus account is equal to at least the amount of its capital account.

(d) The following schedule provides information with respect to the Company’s equity compensation plans under which shares of Class A Common Stock are authorized for issuance as of December 31, 2007:

 

 

(e) The performance graph information required herein is shown on page 10.

 

 

The information required herein is shown on pages 9 and 10.

 

 

The information required herein is shown on pages 11 through 29.

 

 

The information required herein is shown on pages 26 and 27.

 

 

The information required herein is shown on pages 30 through 60.

 

 

None.

 

 

The Company’s principal executive officers and principal financial officer have evaluated the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2007. Based on this evaluation, the principal executive officers and principal financial officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures effectively ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s filings and submissions with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act is accumulated and reported to Company management (including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer) and is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the Company has reviewed its internal control over financial reporting and there have been no significant changes in its internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect its internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting is shown on page 63. The audit report of the registered public accounting firm is shown on page 62.

 

 

None.

Financial Highlights

 

 

 

The stock performance graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return of the Company’s Common Stock from December 31, 2002 to December 31, 2007 with the cumulative total return of the NASDAQ Market Index (U.S. Companies) and the NASDAQ Bank Stock index. The lines in the table below represent monthly index levels derived from compounded daily returns that include all dividends. If the monthly interval, based on the fiscal year-end, was not a trading day, the preceding trading day was used.

 

Comparison of Five-Year
Cumulative Total Return*

 

 

 

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Certain statements contained herein are not based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements, which are based on various assumptions (some of which are beyond the Company’s control), may be identified by reference to a future period or periods, or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “continue” or similar terms or variations on those terms, or the negative of these terms. Actual results could differ materially from those set forth in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, those related to the economic environment, particularly in the market areas in which the Company operates, competitive products and pricing, fiscal and monetary polices of the U.S. Government, changes in government regulations affecting financial institutions, including regulatory fees and capital requirements, changes in prevailing interest rates, acquisitions and the integration of acquired businesses, credit risk management, asset/liability management, the financial and securities markets and the availability of and costs associated with sources of liquidity.

 

The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

 

OVERVIEW

 

Century Bancorp, Inc. (together with its bank subsidiary, unless the context otherwise requires, the “Company”) is a Massachusetts state chartered bank holding company headquartered in Medford, Massachusetts. The Company is a Massachusetts corporation formed in 1972 and has one banking subsidiary (the “Bank”): Century Bank and Trust Company formed in 1969. The Company had total assets of $1.7 billion at December 31, 2007. The Company presently operates 21 banking offices in 16 cities and towns in Massachusetts ranging from Braintree in the south to Beverly in the north. The Bank’s customers consist primarily of small and medium-sized businesses and retail customers in these communities and surrounding areas, as well as local governments and institutions throughout Massachusetts.

 

The Company’s results of operations are largely dependent on net interest income, which is the difference between the interest earned on loans and securities and interest paid on deposits and borrowings. The results of operations are also affected by the level of income/fees from loans, deposits, as well as operating expenses, the provision for loan losses, the impact of federal and state income taxes and the relative levels of interest rates and economic activity.

 

The Company offers a wide range of services to commercial enterprises, state and local governments and agencies, non-profit organizations and individuals. It emphasizes service to small and medium-sized businesses and retail customers in its market area. The Company makes commercial loans, real estate and construction loans, and consumer loans, and accepts savings, time and demand deposits. In addition, the Company offers to its corporate and institutional customers automated lockbox collection services, cash management services and account reconciliation services, and actively promotes the marketing of these services to the municipal market. Also, the Company provides full service securities brokerage services through a program called Investment Services at Century Bank supported by Linsco/Private Ledger Corp., a full service securities brokerage business.

 

The Company is also a provider of financial services including cash management, transaction processing and short-term financing, to municipalities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Company has deposit relationships with approximately 39% of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts.

 

The Company had net income of $7,864,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007, compared with net income of $4,688,000 for the year ended December 31, 2006 and net income of $6,880,000 for the year ended December 31, 2005. Basic earnings per share were $1.42 in 2007, compared to $0.85 in 2006 and $1.24 in 2005. Diluted earnings per share were $1.42 in 2007, compared to $0.84 in 2006 and $1.24 in 2005. Included in income for 2007 is $1,321,000 pre-tax gain on the sale of the building that houses the Company’s Medford Square branch. Included in

income for 2006 is a pre-tax gain of $600,000 from the sale of the Company’s rights to future royalty payments for a portion of its Merchant Credit Card customer base.

 

Throughout 2007, the Company has seen improvement in its net interest margin as illustrated in the graph below:

 

Net Interest Margin

 

 

The primary factors accounting for the increase in net interest margin are:

 

 

While management will continue its efforts to improve the net interest margin, there can be no assurance that certain factors beyond its control, such as prepayments of loans and changes in market interest rates, will continue to positively impact the net interest margin.

 

In addition, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on cost control during 2007 as demonstrated by the increase of 0.1% in operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2007.

Historical U.S. Treasury Yield Curve

 

 

A yield curve is a line that typically plots the interest rates of U.S. Treasury Debt, which have different maturity dates, but the same credit quality, at a specific point in time. The three main types of yield curve shapes are normal, inverted and flat. During 2005 and 2006, the U.S. economy experienced a flattening and subsequent inversion of the yield curve, which means that the spread between the long-term and short-term yields has decreased or inverted. During 2007, rates have fallen and the yield curve has steepened somewhat. This has positively impacted the net interest margin. During 2006 the Company’s earnings were negatively impacted primarily by a decrease in net interest income. This decrease was primarily due to the inverted yield curve during 2006 as well as increased funding costs.

 

Total assets were $1,680,281,000 at December 31, 2007, an increase of 2.2% from total assets of $1,644,290,000 on December 31, 2006.

 

On December 31, 2007, stockholders’ equity totaled $118,806,000, compared with $106,818,000 on December 31, 2006. Book value per share increased to $21.43 at December 31, 2007 from $19.28 on December 31, 2006.

 

During the fourth quarter of 2007, the Company sold the assets associated with the Sherman Union branch located on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts as well as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) located at or near Boston University. The buyer assumed the leases for the branch and ATMs. The deposits associated with the Sherman Union branch were transferred to Century’s Hotel Commonwealth branch located at 512 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. This resulted in a gain of $115,000.

 

During 2007, the Company entered into a lease agreement to open a branch located on Riverside Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts. The branch is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2008.

 

On August 17, 2007, the Company sold the building which houses one of its branches located at 55 High Street, Medford, Massachusetts for $1.5 million at market terms. The Bank is relocating this branch to 1 Salem Street (formerly 3 Salem Street), Medford, Massachusetts. This sale resulted in a gain of $1,321,000.

 

On February 7, 2006, the Company announced that it had renewed its contract with NOVA Information Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, and had also sold its rights to future royalty payments for a portion of its Merchant Credit Card customer base for $600,000, which the Bank has included as other income.

 

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Accounting policies involving significant judgments and assumptions by management, which have, or could have, a material impact on the carrying value of certain assets and impact income, are considered critical accounting policies.

The Company considers the following to be its critical accounting policies: allowance for loan losses and impairment of investment securities. There have been no significant changes in the methods or assumptions used in the accounting policies that require material estimates and assumptions.

 

Allowance for Loan Losses

 

Arriving at an appropriate level of allowance for loan losses necessarily involves a high degree of judgment. Management maintains an allowance for loan losses to absorb losses inherent in the loan portfolio. The allowance is based on assessments of the probable estimated losses inherent in the loan portfolio. Management’s methodology for assessing the appropriateness of the allowance consists of several key elements, which include the formula allowance and specific allowances for identified problem loans.

 

The formula allowance evaluates groups of loans to determine the allocation appropriate within each portfolio segment. Individual loans within the commercial and industrial, commercial real estate and real estate construction loan portfolio segments are assigned internal risk ratings to group them with other loans possessing similar risk characteristics. Changes in risk grades affect the amount of the formula allowance. Risk grades are determined by reviewing current collateral value, financial information, cash flow, payment history and other relevant facts surrounding the particular credit. Provisions for losses on the remaining commercial and commercial real estate loans are based on pools of similar loans using a combination of historical loss experience and qualitative adjustments. For the residential real estate and consumer loan portfolios, the reserves are calculated by applying historical charge-off and recovery experience and qualitative adjustments to the current outstanding balance in each loan category. Loss factors are based on the Company’s historical loss experience, as well as regulatory guidelines.

 

Specific allowances for loan losses entails the assignment of allowance amounts to individual loans on the basis of loan impairment. Certain loans are evaluated individually and are judged to be impaired when management believes it is probable that the Company will not collect all the contractual interest and principle payments as scheduled in the loan agreement. Under this method, loans are selected for evaluation based upon a change in internal risk rating, occurrence of delinquency, loan classification or non-accrual status. A specific allowance amount is allocated to an individual loan when such loan has been deemed impaired and when the amount of a probable loss is able to be estimated on the basis of: (a.) present value of anticipated future cash flows, (b.) the loan’s observable fair market price or (c.) fair value of collateral, if the loan is collateral dependent.

 

The formula allowance and specific allowances also include management’s evaluation of various conditions, including business and economic conditions, delinquency trends, charge-off experience and other quality factors.

 

Management has identified certain risk factors, which could impact the degree of loss sustained within the portfolio. These include: (a.) market risk factors, such as the effects of economic variability on the entire portfolio, and (b.) unique portfolio risk factors that are inherent characteristics of the Company’s loan portfolio. Market risk factors may consist of changes to general economic and business conditions that may impact the Company’s loan portfolio customer base in terms of ability to repay and that may result in changes in value of underlying collateral. Unique portfolio risk factors may include industry concentrations and geographic concentrations or trends that may exacerbate losses resulting from economic events which the Company may not be able to fully diversify out of its portfolio.

 

Management believes that the allowance for loan losses is adequate. In addition, various regulatory agencies, as part of the examination process, periodically review the Company’s allowance for loan losses. Such agencies may require the Company to recognize additions to the allowance based on their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination.

 

Impaired Investment Securities

 

If a decline in fair value below the amortized cost basis of an investment security is judged to be “other-than-temporary,” the cost basis of the investment is written down to fair value. The amount of the write-down is included as a charge to earnings. An “other-than-temporary” impairment exists for debt securities if it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to contractual terms of the security. Some factors considered for “other-than-temporary” impairment related to a debt security include an

analysis of yield which results in a decrease in expected cash flows, whether an unrealized loss is issuer specific, whether the issuer has defaulted on scheduled interest and principal payments, whether the issuer’s current financial condition hinder its ability to make future scheduled interest and principal payments on a timely basis or whether there was downgrade in ratings by rating agencies.

 

The Company has the ability and intent to hold all securities with an unrealized loss until recovery of fair value, which may be maturity.

 

FINANCIAL CONDITION

 

Investment Securities

 

The Company’s securities portfolio consists of securities available-for-sale and securities held-to-maturity.

 

Securities available-for-sale consist of certain U.S. Treasury and U.S. Government Sponsored Enterprises, mortgage-backed securities, state, county, municipal securities, foreign debt securities, other marketable equities and Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) stock.

 

These securities are carried at fair value and unrealized gains and losses, net of applicable income taxes, are recognized as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. The fair value of securities available-for-sale at December 31, 2007 totaled $403,635,000 and include gross unrealized gains of $1,728,000 and gross unrealized losses of $2,077,000. A year earlier, securities available-for-sale were $415,481,000 including gross unrealized gains of $221,000 and unrealized losses of $8,447,000. In 2007, the Company recognized gross gains of $153,000 on the sale of one stock. In 2006, the Company recognized no net gains or losses on the sale of available-for-sale securities.

 

Securities which management intends to hold until maturity consist of U.S. Government Sponsored Enterprises and mortgage-backed securities. Securities held-to-maturity as of December 31, 2007 are carried at their amortized cost of $183,710,000 and exclude gross unrealized gains of $131,000 and gross unrealized losses of $2,137,000. A year earlier, securities held-to-maturity totaled $265,712,000 excluding gross unrealized gains of $76,000 and gross unrealized losses of $7,368,000.

 

The following table sets forth the fair value and percentage distribution of securities available-for-sale at the dates indicated.

 

Fair Value of Securities Available-for-Sale

 

 

Included in mortgage-backed securities are U.S. Government Sponsored Enterprises totaling $148,856,000, $148,134,000 and $180,690,000 for 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.

The following table sets forth the amortized cost and percentage distribution of securities held-to-maturity at the dates indicated.

 

Amortized Cost of Securities Held-to-Maturity

 

 

For all years presented all mortgage-backed securities are obligations of U.S. Government Sponsored Enterprises.

 

The following two tables set forth contractual maturities of the Bank’s securities portfolio at December 31, 2007. Actual maturities will differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

 

Fair Value of Securities Available-for-Sale Amounts Maturing

 

 

Amortized Cost of Securities Held-to-Maturity Amounts Maturing

 

 

At December 31, 2007 and 2006, the Bank had no investments in obligations of individual states, counties, municipalities or nongovernment corporate entities which exceeded 10% of stockholders’ equity. In addition, there were no sales of state, county or municipal securities in 2007 or 2006. One equity security was sold during 2007 with gross proceeds of $336,000 resulting in a gain of $153,000.

 

Loans

 

The Company’s lending activities are conducted principally in Massachusetts. The Company grants single and multi-family residential loans, commercial and commercial real estate loans, and a variety of consumer loans. To a lesser extent, the Company grants loans for the construction of residential homes, multi-family properties, commercial real estate properties, and land development. Most loans granted by the Company are secured by real estate collateral. The ability and willingness of commercial real estate, commercial, construction, residential and consumer loan borrowers to honor their repayment commitments is generally dependent on the health of the real estate market in the borrowers’ geographic areas and the general economy.

 

The following summary shows the composition of the loan portfolio at the dates indicated.

 

 

At December 31, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003 loans were carried net of discounts of $3,000, $3,000, $4,000, $20,000 and $138,000, respectively. Net deferred loan fees of $38,000, $183,000, $482,000, $485,000 and $389,000 were carried in 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.

The following table summarizes the remaining maturity distribution of certain components of the Company’s loan portfolio on December 31, 2007. The table excludes loans secured by 1-4 family residential real estate and loans for household and family personal expenditures. Maturities are presented as if scheduled principal amortization payments are due on the last contractual payment date.

 

Remaining Maturities of Selected Loans at December 31, 2007

 

 

The following table indicates the rate variability of the above loans due after one year.

 

 

The Company’s commercial and industrial (C&I) loan customers represent various small and middle market established businesses involved in manufacturing, distribution, retailing and services. Most clients are privately owned with markets that range from local to national in scope. Many of the loans to this segment are secured by liens on corporate assets and the personal guarantees of the principals. The regional economic strength or weakness impacts the relative risks in this loan category. There is little concentration to any one business sector and loan risks are generally diversified among many borrowers.

 

Commercial real estate loans are extended to finance various manufacturing, warehouse, light industrial, office, retail and residential properties in the Bank’s market area, which generally includes Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. Loans are normally extended in amounts up to a maximum of 80% of appraised value and normally for terms between three to five years. Amortization schedules are long-term and thus a balloon payment is due at maturity. Under most circumstances, the Bank will offer to re-write or otherwise extend the loan at prevailing interest rates. During recent years, the Bank has emphasized non-residential type owner-occupied properties. This complements our C&I emphasis placed on the operating business entities and will continue. The regional economic environment affects the risk of both non-residential and residential mortgages.

 

Residential real estate (1-4 family) includes two categories of loans. Included in residential real estate are approximately $9,503,000 of C&I type loans secured by 1-4 family real estate. Primarily, these are small businesses with modest capital or shorter operating histories where the collateral mitigates some risk. This category of loans shares similar risk characteristics with the C&I loans, notwithstanding the collateral position.

 

The other category of residential real estate loans are mostly 1-4 family residential properties located in the Bank’s market area. General underwriting criteria are largely the same as those used by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) but normally only one or three year adjustable interest rates are used. The Bank utilizes mortgage insurance to provide lower down payment products and has provided a “First Time Homebuyer” product to encourage new home ownership. Residential real estate loan volume has increased and remains a core consumer product. The economic environment impacts the risks associated with this category.

 

Home equity loans are extended as both first and second mortgages on owner-occupied residential properties in the Bank’s market area. Loans are underwritten to a maximum loan to property value of 75%.

The Bank intends to maintain a market for construction loans, principally for smaller local residential projects or an owner-occupied commercial project. Individual consumer residential home construction loans are also extended on a similar basis.

 

Bank officers evaluate the feasibility of construction projects, based on independent appraisals of the project, architects’ or engineers’ evaluations of the cost of construction, and other relevant data. As of December 31, 2007, the Company was obligated to advance a total of $27,294,000 to complete projects under construction.

 

The composition of nonperforming assets is as follows:

 

 

The composition of impaired loans at December 31, is as follows:

 

 

At December 31, 2007, impaired loans of $75,000 had specific reserves of $75,000. There were no impaired loans with specific reserves from December 31, 2003 through December 31, 2006.

 

The Company was servicing mortgage loans sold to others without recourse of approximately $559,000, $798,000, $1,078,000, $1,538,000 and $2,397,000 at December 31, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Additionally, the Company services mortgage loans sold to others with limited recourse. The outstanding balance of these loans with limited recourse was approximately $65,000, $72,000, $80,000, $86,000 and $183,000 at December 31, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.

 

Directors and officers of the Company and their associates are customers of, and have other transactions with, the Company in the normal course of business. All loans and commitments included in such transactions were made on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with other persons and do not involve more than normal risk of collection or present other unfavorable features.

 

Loans are placed on non-accrual status when any payment of principal and/or interest is 90 days or more past due, unless the collateral is sufficient to cover both principal and interest and the loan is in the process of collection. The Company monitors closely the performance of its loan portfolio. In addition to internal loan review, the Company has contracted with an independent organization to review the Company’s commercial and commercial real estate loan portfolios. This independent review was performed in each of the past five years. The status of delinquent loans, as well as situations identified as potential problems, are reviewed on a regular basis by senior management and monthly by the Board of Directors of the Bank.

 

Non-accrual loans increased from 2006 to 2007 primarily as a result of three consumer mortgages totaling $938,000. The relatively low level of nonperforming assets of $135,000 in 2006 and $949,000 in 2005 resulted from fewer additions to nonperforming assets during the year combined with an improvement in the resolution of nonperforming assets including payments on nonperforming loans.

In addition to the above, the Company continues to monitor closely $14,117,000 and $20,779,000 at December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively, of potential problem loans for which management has concerns regarding the ability of the borrowers to perform. The majority of the loans are secured by real estate and are considered to have adequate collateral value to cover the loan balances at December 31, 2007, although such values can fluctuate with changes in the economy and the real estate market.

 

Allowance for Loan Losses

 

The Company maintains an allowance for loan losses in an amount determined by management on the basis of the character of the loans, loan performance, the financial condition of borrowers, the value of collateral securing loans and other relevant factors. The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s allowance for loan losses for the years indicated.

 

 

These provisions are the result of management’s evaluation of the quality of the loan portfolio considering such factors as loan status, collateral values, financial condition of the borrower, the state of the economy and other relevant information. The pace of the charge-offs depends on many factors including the national and regional economy. Cyclical lagging factors may result in charge-offs being higher than historical levels. Charge-offs increased during 2007 due to an increase in commercial loan charge-offs.

The allowance for loan losses is an estimate of the amount needed for an adequate reserve to absorb losses in the existing loan portfolio. This amount is determined by an evaluation of the loan portfolio including input from an independent organization engaged to review selected larger loans, a review of loan experience and current economic conditions. Although the allowance is allocated between categories the entire allowance is available to absorb losses attributable to all loan categories. At December 31, of each year listed below, the allowance was comprised of the following: