UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission file number: 001-39325

ATLANTIC UNION BANKSHARES CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Virginia	54-1598552
(State or other jurisdiction of	(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)

4300 Cox Road, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (804) 633-5031

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


Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $1.33 per share	AUB	The New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, Each Representing a 1/400^th Interest in a Share of 6.875% Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A	AUB.PRA	The New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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

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

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 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 ⌧ No ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and such files). Yes ⌧ No ◻

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

Large accelerated filer	⌧	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ◻

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ◻

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

The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2023 was approximately $1,928,301,553 based on the closing share price on that date of $25.95 per share.

The number of shares of common stock outstanding as of February 14, 2024 was 75,084,066.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be used in conjunction with the registrant’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

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Glossary of Acronyms and Defined Terms

Access	–	Access National Corporation and its subsidiaries
ACL	–	Allowance for credit losses
AFS	–	Available for sale
ALCO	–	Asset liability management committee
ALLL	–	Allowance for loan and lease losses, a component of ACL
American National	–	American National Bankshares Inc.
AOCI	–	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
ASC	–	Accounting Standards Codification
ASU	–	Accounting Standards Update
AUB	–	Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation
the Bank	–	Atlantic Union Bank
BHCA	–	Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended
BOLI	–	Bank-owned life insurance
bps	–	Basis points
BSA/AML	–	Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering regulations
BTFP	–	Bank Term Funding Program
CAMELS	–	Capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity, and sensitivity
CECL	–	Current expected credit losses
CFPB	–	Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
the Company	–	Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation and its subsidiaries
CRA	–	Community Reinvestment Act of 1977
depositary shares	–	Depositary shares, each representing a 1/400th ownership interest in a share of the
		Company’s Series A preferred stock, with a liquidation preference of $10,000 per share of Series A preferred stock (equivalent to $25 per depositary share)
DHFB	–	Dixon, Hubard, Feinour & Brown, Inc.
DIF	–	Deposit Insurance Fund
Dodd-Frank Act	–	Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010
EPS	–	Earnings per common share
ESG	–	Environmental, social, and governance
ESOP	–	Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Exchange Act	–	Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
FASB	–	Financial Accounting Standards Board
FDIA	–	Federal Deposit Insurance Act
FDIC	–	Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Reserve	–	Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
FRB	–	Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
FHLB	–	Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
FHLMC	–	Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
FinCEN	–	Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
FNB	–	FNB Corporation
FNMA	–	Federal National Mortgage Association
FOMC	–	Federal Open Market Committee
FTE	–	Fully taxable equivalent
GAAP	–	Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
GNMA	–	Government National Mortgage Association
GSE	–	Government-sponsored enterprise
HTM	–	Held to maturity
ICE	–	Intercontinental Exchange Data Services
LHFI	–	Loans held for investment
LHFS	–	Loans held for sale
LIBOR	–	London Interbank Offered Rate
MBS	–	Mortgage-Backed Securities
merger agreement	–	Agreement and Plan of Merger dated July 24, 2023 by and between Atlantic Union
		Bankshares Corporation and American National Bankshares Inc.
MFC	–	Middleburg Financial Corporation

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NOL	–	Net operating loss
NPA	–	Nonperforming assets
NYSE	–	New York Stock Exchange
OCI	–	Other comprehensive (loss) income
OFAC	–	Office of Foreign Assets Control
OREO	–	Other real estate owned
PCA	–	Prompt Corrective Action
PCD	–	Purchased credit deteriorated
PSU	–	Performance stock unit
ROU asset	–	Right of Use Asset
RPAs	–	Risk Participation Agreements
RSA	–	Restricted stock award
SBA	–	Small Business Administration
SEC	–	U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Securities Act	–	Securities Act of 1933, as amended
Series A preferred stock	–	6.875% Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A, par value $10.00 per share
SOFR	–	Secured Overnight Financing Rate
TDR	–	Troubled debt restructuring
TLM	–	Troubled loan modification
VCDPA	–	Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act
VFG	–	Virginia Financial Group, Inc.
VIE	–	Variable Interest Entity
VOE	–	Voting Interest Entity
Virginia SCC	–	Virginia State Corporation Commission

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this Form 10-K may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that include, without limitation, statements regarding our expectations with regard to our business, financial and operating results, including our deposit base and funding and the impact of future economic conditions, anticipated changes in the interest rate environments and the related impacts on our net interest margin, changes in economic conditions, management’s belief regarding liquidity and capital resources, the expected impact of our cost saving measures initiated in the second quarter of 2023, and the expected impact of our balance sheet restructuring in the first and third quarters of 2023, statements regarding our pending merger with American National, and statements that include other projections, predictions, expectations, or beliefs about future events or results or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. Such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions as of the time they are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of qualified words (and their derivatives) such as “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “will,” “may,” “view,” “seek to,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “continue, “confidence” or words of similar meaning or other statements concerning opinions or judgment of our management about future events. Although we believe that our expectations with respect to forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions within the bounds of our existing knowledge of our business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual future results, performance, or achievements of, or trends affecting, us will not differ materially from any projected future results, performance, achievements or trends expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Actual future results, performance, achievements or trends may differ materially from historical results or those anticipated depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the effects of or changes in:

●

market interest rates and their related impacts on macroeconomic conditions, customer and client behavior, our funding costs, and our loan and securities portfolios;

●

inflation and its impacts on economic growth and customer and client behavior;

●

adverse developments in the financial industry generally, such as bank failures, responsive measures to mitigate and manage such developments, related supervisory and regulatory actions and costs, and related impacts on customer and client behavior;

●

general economic and financial market conditions, in the United States generally and particularly in the markets in which we operate and which our loans are concentrated, including the effects of declines in real estate values, an increase in unemployment levels and slowdowns in economic growth;

●

the failure to close our previously announced merger with American National when expected or at all because required regulatory approvals and other conditions to closing are not received or satisfied on a timely basis or at all, and the risk that any regulatory approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed merger;

●

the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the merger agreement;

●

any change in the purchase accounting assumptions used regarding the American National assets acquired and liabilities assumed to determine the fair value and credit marks, particularly in light of the current interest rate environment;

●

the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed merger with American National, including anticipated cost savings and strategic gains, are not realized when expected or at all;

●

the proposed merger with American National being more expensive or taking longer to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events;

●

the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities due to the proposed merger with American National;

●

potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed merger with American National;

●

the dilutive effect of shares of the Company’s common stock to be issued at the completion of the proposed merger with American National;

●

changes in the Company’s or American National’s share price before closing;

●

monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. government, including policies of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve;

●

the quality or composition of our loan or investment portfolios and changes therein;

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●

demand for loan products and financial services in our market areas;

●

our ability to manage our growth or implement our growth strategy;

●

the effectiveness of expense reduction plans;

●

the introduction of new lines of business or new products and services;

●

our ability to recruit and retain key employees;

●

changes in accounting principles, standards, rules, and interpretations, and the related impact on our financial statements;

●

an insufficient ACL or volatility in the ACL resulting from the CECL methodology, either alone or as that may be affected by changing economic conditions, credit concentrations, inflation, changing interest rates, or other factors;

●

our liquidity and capital positions;

●

concentrations of loans secured by real estate, particularly commercial real estate;

●

the effectiveness of our credit processes and management of our credit risk;

●

our ability to compete in the market for financial services and increased competition from fintech companies;

●

technological risks and developments, and cyber threats, attacks, or events;

●

operational, technological, cultural, regulatory, legal, credit, and other risks associated with the exploration, consummation and integration of potential future acquisitions, whether involving stock or cash considerations;

●

the potential adverse effects of unusual and infrequently occurring events, such as weather-related disasters, terrorist acts, geopolitical conflicts or public health events (such as pandemics), and of governmental and societal responses thereto; these potential adverse effects may include, without limitation, adverse effects on the ability of our borrowers to satisfy their obligations to us, on the value of collateral securing loans, on the demand for our loans or our other products and services, on supply chains and methods used to distribute products and services, on incidents of cyberattack and fraud, on our liquidity or capital positions, on risks posed by reliance on third-party service providers, or on other aspects of our business operations and on financial markets and economic growth;

●

performance by our counterparties or vendors;

●

deposit flows;

●

the availability of financing and the terms thereof;

●

the level of prepayments on loans and mortgage-backed securities;

●

legislative or regulatory changes and requirements;

●

actual or potential claims, damages, and fines related to litigation or government actions, which may result in, among other things, additional costs, fines, penalties, restrictions on our business activities, reputational harm, or other adverse consequences;

●

the effects of changes in federal, state or local tax laws and regulations;

●

any event or development that would cause us to conclude that there was an impairment of any asset, including intangible assets, such as goodwill; and

●

other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

More information on risk factors that could affect our forward-looking statements is included under the section entitled “Risk Factors” set forth herein. All risk factors and uncertainties described herein should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements, all forward-looking statements made in this Form 10-K are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-K, and undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements. The actual results or developments anticipated may not be realized or, even if substantially realized, they may not have the expected consequences to or effects on our businesses or operations. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We do not intend or assume any obligation to update, revise or clarify any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves risks, including those summarized below. For a more complete discussion of these risk factors, see “Item 1A—Risk Factors.”

Risks Related to Our Lending Activities

●

Our ACL may be insufficient to absorb credit losses in our loan portfolio.

●

Events that negatively impact the real estate market could hurt our business.

●

Our loan portfolio contains commercial real estate, construction and development loans and commercial and industrial loans, which may expose us to additional credit risks, and may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

●

The loans we make through federal programs are dependent on the federal government’s continuation and support of these programs and on our compliance with program requirements.

●

We use independent appraisals and other valuation techniques in evaluating and monitoring loans secured by real estate and other real estate owned, which may not accurately describe the net value of the asset.

●

If we fail to effectively manage credit risk, our business and financial condition will suffer.

●

Our focus on lending to small to mid-sized community-based businesses may increase our credit risk.

●

Nonperforming assets may adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

●

Our mortgage revenue is cyclical and sensitive to interest rates, changes in economic conditions, decreased economic activity, and slowdowns in the housing market, any of which could adversely impact our profits, and we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans or indemnify buyers against losses, which could harm our liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

●

We are subject to environmental risks.

Risks Related to Our Business, Industry, Markets and Market Interest Rates

●

Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected by the financial markets, fiscal, monetary, and regulatory policies, developments impacting the financial services industry specifically and economic conditions.

●

We may not be able to maintain a strong core deposit base or access other low-cost funding sources.

●

We face substantial competition that could adversely affect our growth and/or operating results.

●

Consumers may increasingly decide not to use banks to complete their financial transactions, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

●

Changes in interest rates could adversely affect our income and cash flows.

●

We may incur losses if asset values decline, including due to changes in interest rates and prepayment speeds.

Risks Related to Our Operations

●

A failure and/or breach of our operating or securities systems or infrastructure, or those of our third-party providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks, could disrupt our business, result in disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, damage our reputation, increase our costs and cause losses.

●

We face information security risks that could result in the disclosure of confidential information, adversely affect our business or reputation, and create significant legal and financial exposure.

●

Failure to complete our proposed merger with American National could negatively impact us.

●

Regulatory approvals for our proposed merger with American National may not be received, may take longer than expected or may impose conditions that are not presently anticipated, cannot be met, or that could have an adverse effect on the combined company following the merger.

●

Combining the Company and American National may be more difficult, costly or time consuming than expected and we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger.

●

Interest rate volatility may adversely impact the fair value adjustments of investments and loans acquired in our proposed merger with American National.

●

Shareholder litigation could prevent or delay the completion of our proposed merger with American National or otherwise negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

●

Our business strategy includes continued growth, and our financial condition and results of operation could be negatively affected if we fail to grow or fail to manage our growth effectively.

●

We may be adversely affected by risks associated with future mergers and acquisitions, including execution risk, which could disrupt our business and dilute shareholder value.

●

The carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets may be adversely affected.

●

Our risk-management framework may not be effective in mitigating risks and/or losses.

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●

We could be adversely affected if our design, implementation, or use of models in our business and operations is flawed.

●

Failure to keep pace with technological change could adversely affect our business and competitive position, and we may experience operational challenges when implementing new technologies.

●

The implementation of new lines of business or new products and services may subject us to additional risk.

●

Our business could be adversely affected by the operational functions of such counterparties over which we have limited or no control that provide key components of our infrastructure.

●

Our financial condition could be adversely affected if we rely on misleading information.

●

We are subject to losses due to errors, omissions or fraud by our employees, clients, counterparties, or others.

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If we are unable to attract, retain, develop, and motivate our human capital, our business, results of operations, and prospects could be adversely affected.

●

Our internal controls and procedures may fail or be circumvented, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operation.

●

Our business needs and future growth may require additional capital, which may not be available or may be dilutive.

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We are or may become involved from time to time to various claims and lawsuits or information-gathering requests, investigations, and proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory agencies that may lead to adverse consequences, including expenses and ultimate exposures that cannot be ascertained.

●

We may not be able to generate sufficient taxable income to fully realize our deferred tax assets.

Risks Related to the Regulatory Environment

●

We are subject to extensive regulation that could limit or restrict our activities.

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Current and to-be-effective laws and regulations addressing consumer privacy and data use and security could increase our costs and failure to comply with such laws and regulation could impact our business, financial condition, and reputation.

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If we fail to maintain sufficient capital, our financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations, as well as our ability to maintain regulatory compliance, would be adversely affected.

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New regulations and new approaches to regulation or enforcement by the CFPB could adversely impact us.

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Any deemed deficiency by the Bank with respect to the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering regulations could result in significant liability and have a material adverse effect on our business strategy.

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We are subject to numerous laws designed to protect consumers, including the CRA and fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to material penalties and other sanctions.

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The Federal Reserve may require us to commit capital resources to support the Bank.

Risks Related to Our Securities

●

Our ability to pay dividends is limited, and we may be unable to pay dividends in the future.

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The trading volumes in our common stock may not provide adequate liquidity for investors.

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Future capital needs could result in dilution of shareholder investment and could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and preferred stock (or depositary shares).

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Holders of our indebtedness and depositary shares have senior rights to those of our common shareholders.

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Our governing documents and certain provisions of Virginia law could have an anti-takeover affect and may delay, make more difficult or prevent an attempted acquisition of the Company that you may favor.

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Our stock price may be volatile, which could result in losses to our investors and litigation against us.

General Risk Factors

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Failure to maintain our reputation may materially adversely affect our performance.

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Changes in accounting standards could impact reported earnings.

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We are subject to risks associated with climate change and other weather and natural disaster impacts.

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We are subject to environmental, social and governance risks that could adversely affect our reputation, the trading price of our common stock and/or our business, operations, and earnings.

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PART I

In this Form 10-K, unless the context suggests otherwise, the terms “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including Atlantic Union Bank.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS.

GENERAL

Overview

Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation is a financial holding company and bank holding company organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and registered under the BHCA. We are headquartered in Richmond, Virginia and provide a wide range of financial services and products to commercial and retail clients through our wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Atlantic Union Bank, a Federal Reserve member bank charted under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Bank is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia and, as of December 31, 2023, operated 109 branches and 123 ATMs located throughout Virginia, and portions of Maryland and North Carolina. In addition, our non-bank financial services affiliates include Atlantic Union Equipment Finance, Inc., which provides equipment financing; Atlantic Union Financial Consultants LLC, which provides brokerage services; and Union Insurance Group, LLC, which offers various lines of insurance products.

At December 31, 2023, we had approximately $21.2 billion in assets, $15.6 billion in LHFI (net of deferred fees and costs), $16.8 billion in deposits, and $2.6 billion in stockholders’ equity.

Recent Developments

On July 24, 2023, the Company and American National entered into a merger agreement. Under the merger agreement, American National will merge with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity. Immediately following the merger, American National Bank and Trust Company will merge with and into the Bank, with the Bank continuing as the surviving bank. Subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, at the effective time of the merger, each outstanding share of American National common stock will be converted into the right to receive 1.35 shares of the Company’s common stock. The merger agreement was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of the Company and American National, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals. American National shareholders approved the merger agreement at a special shareholder meeting held on November 14, 2023. The proposed merger is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024.

History

The Company was originally incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1991, and we completed our bank holding company formation in July 1993, in connection with the merger of Northern Neck Bankshares Corporation with and into Union Bancorp, Inc. to form Union Bankshares Corporation, which was renamed Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation in 2019.

Union Bank & Trust Company, a predecessor of Atlantic Union Bank, was formed in 1902, and certain other of the community banks that were acquired and ultimately merged to form what is now Atlantic Union Bank were among the oldest in Virginia at the time they were acquired.

We have a history of growing through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, particularly with our three most recent acquisitions—StellarOne Corporation in 2014, Xenith Bankshares, Inc. in 2018, and Access National Corporation in 2019—which allowed us to meaningfully increase our asset size, enhance our scale and expand our footprint throughout Virginia and into portions of Maryland and North Carolina.

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The table below indicates the year each of our predecessor community banks was formed, acquired by us, and merged into what is now Atlantic Union Bank.


	Formed	Acquired	Merged
Union Bank & Trust Company	1902	n/a	2010
Northern Neck State Bank	1909	1993	2010
King George State Bank	1974	1996	1999
Rappahannock National Bank	1902	1998	2010
Bay Community Bank	1999	de novo bank	2008
Guaranty Bank	1981	2004	2004
Prosperity Bank & Trust Company	1986	2006	2008
First Market Bank, FSB	2000	2010	2010
StellarOne Bank	1994	2014	2014
Xenith Bank	1987	2018	2018
Access National Bank	1999	2019	2019

Principal Products and Services

We are a full-service bank offering consumers and businesses a wide range of banking and related financial services, including checking, savings, certificates of deposit, and other depository services, as well as loans for commercial, industrial, residential mortgage, and consumer purposes. We also offer wealth management and trust services to individuals and corporations. In addition, through our wholly owned subsidiaries, we offer equipment financing services, and insurance products. Our customers have access to our products and services in-person via our full-service branches and ATMs, and virtually through our mobile and internet banking services. We strive to provide a differentiated customer experience that is authentically human and digital forward.

Lending Activities. Our loan portfolio consists primarily of commercial, industrial, residential mortgage, and consumer loans. A substantial portion of our loan portfolio is represented by commercial and residential real estate loans (including acquisition and development loans and residential construction loans). The ability of our borrowers to honor their loan contracts is dependent on the real estate market and general economic conditions in those markets, as well as other factors. The majority of our commercial real estate and industrial loans are made to customers in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Mortgage Banking. Our mortgage division, Atlantic Union Home Loans, originates the majority of our residential mortgage loans to borrowers nationwide, largely with the intent to sell such loans into the secondary mortgage markets. We also originate certain mortgage loans to our customers within our branch footprint to hold for investment.

Equipment Finance. We provide equipment financing to commercial and corporate customers nationwide through Atlantic Union Equipment Finance, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank. Atlantic Union Equipment Finance provides financing for a wide array of equipment types, including marine, tractors, trailers, buses, construction, manufacturing, and medical.

Wealth Management, Trust and Insurance. We offer a wide variety of financial planning, wealth management and trust services to individuals and corporations, which allows us to reach new customers and expand product offerings to our existing loan and deposit customers. We offer financial planning, trust and investment management, and retirement planning services through our team of experienced financial advisors. Through Atlantic Union Financial Consultants, LLC, we offer brokerage services and execute securities transactions through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., an independent broker dealer.

Our insurance division, Union Insurance Group, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank that operates under an agreement with Bankers Insurance LLC, a large insurance agency owned by community banks across Virginia and managed by the Virginia Bankers Association. Union Insurance Group generates revenue through the sale of various insurance products through Bankers Insurance LLC, including long-term care insurance and business owner policies.

Deposit Products and Treasury Services. Our primary source of funds for our lending and investment activities are our deposit products. We provide both commercial and consumer customers a diverse array of deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, among others. Our deposits are primarily made to

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customers based in Virginia and portions of Maryland and North Carolina. In addition, we provide our customers a suite of products and services including, among others, credit cards (through an arrangement with Elan Financial Services), treasury management services, and capital market services.

SEGMENTS

We operate through two reportable operating segments: Wholesale Banking and Consumer Banking, with corporate support functions such as corporate treasury and others included in Corporate Other.

Our Wholesale Banking segment provides loan, leasing, and deposit services, as well as treasury management, SBA lending and capital market services to our wholesale customers primarily throughout Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These customers include commercial real estate and commercial and industrial customers. This segment also includes our equipment finance subsidiary, Atlantic Union Equipment Finance, which has nationwide exposure. The private banking and trust businesses also reside in the Wholesale Banking segment.

Our Consumer Banking segment provides loan and deposit services to consumers and small businesses throughout Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Consumer Banking includes our home loan division and our investment management and advisory services businesses.

EXPANSION AND STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS

We have expanded our market area and increased our market share through a combination of organic growth (internal growth and de novo expansion) and strategic mergers and acquisitions. To date, our strategic acquisitions have included whole bank acquisitions, branch and deposit acquisitions, purchases of existing branches from other banks, and registered investment advisory firms. Our merger and acquisition strategy has focused on institutions that are a strong cultural fit and that are consistent with our philosophy of soundness, profitability, and growth.

We expect to continue to assess future strategic opportunities based on market and other conditions, applying a number of criteria, including transactions that:

●

enhance our footprint, allowing for cost savings and economies of scale, or allow us to expand into contiguous markets, or that otherwise may be strategically compelling (such as transactions that diversify our revenue streams) or add attractive business lines, products, services or technological capabilities;

●

meet our financial criteria; and

●

are consistent with our risk appetite.

These transactions may include whole bank and non-bank mergers and acquisitions, minority investments, or strategic partner equity investments.

HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES

We continuously seek to balance our commitments to our key stakeholders: our teammates, customers, shareholders, regulators, and communities. In order to accomplish this, it is crucial that we continue to attract and retain talent who desire to enrich the lives of the people and communities that we serve. To facilitate talent attraction and retention, we strive to create an inclusive, diverse, safe, and healthy workplace, that provides opportunities for our teammates to grow and develop in their careers, supported by strong compensation, benefits, health and welfare programs.

Employee Profile

As of December 31, 2023, we had 1,804 full-time equivalent employees (who we refer to as “teammates”). None of our teammates are represented by a union or covered under a collective bargaining agreement.

As of December 31, 2023, our workforce was comprised of approximately 65% women and 22% self-identified minorities, and the average tenure of our teammates was 7.5 years.

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Our Workplace Culture

We seek to be recognized as the Premier Mid-Atlantic Bank – a high performing company that makes banking easy by providing competitive banking solutions, a highly differentiated customer and teammate experience and a great place to work. Our culture is defined by our purpose to enrich the lives of the people and the communities we serve. Our core values guide our actions to further this purpose and shape how we come together to meet our various stakeholder needs and expectations. We use the term “teammates” to describe our employees because we view the Company as one team, where everyone is valued for their contributions.

Our core values serve as the foundation for how we behave and operate as an organization and will influence our future success. Our core values include being:

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Caring. Working together toward common goals, acting with kindness, respect, and a genuine concern for others.

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Courageous. Speaking openly, honestly and accepting our challenges and mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.

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Committed. Driven to help our clients, teammates and Company succeed, doing what is right and accountable for our actions.

We embrace diversity of thought and identity to better serve our stakeholders and achieve our purpose. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming workplace where teammate and customer perspectives are valued and respected. We also seek to foster a culture of giving back to the communities where our customers live, work, and play. Charitable donations, small business lending, volunteerism, teaching financial literacy and promoting diversity and inclusion within our communities, are some of the ways we give back.

Compensation and Benefits

Our compensation programs are designed to attract, retain, and motivate high performing talent and provide market aligned pay programs in support of our business strategies. Our compensation programs are tied to both individual and corporate performances. In addition, we use the services of compensation consultants to advise us on compensation practices and to regularly benchmark our compensation and benefits program against our peers. Our compensation policies and procedures are designed to seek to ensure proper governance and acceptable levels of risk. Individual teammate total pay is influenced by the nature and scope of the job, what other employers pay for comparable jobs, experience, and individual performance. We have established minimum wage levels for all jobs through a formal salary structure that sets a defined salary range for each position. We also offer annual merit-based salary increases to eligible teammates.

Approximately 69% of our teammates are provided with an incentive opportunity under a formal incentive plan with measurable goals and metrics. All incentive programs have both upside and downside potential and are linked to both the individual’s and our performances. Teammates who are not eligible for an incentive plan are eligible to receive cash profit sharing based on our overall financial performance.

We believe that our teammates are best able to deliver a great customer experience if they feel healthy and secure. We offer a variety of benefit programs that flex to meet the needs of our diverse and multigenerational population, as we strive for a differentiated and personalized experience and to deliver what is most important to teammates throughout the various stages of their lives and careers. We share in the benefit costs with teammates in a way that supports mutual fiscal responsibility, and we seek to assist our teammates in managing health care costs through programs that focus on wellness improvement and appropriate use of health care services. Our benefits programs include healthcare and insurance benefits, various paid time off programs (inclusive of parental leave for both birth and non-birth parents), a 401(k) Plan that includes both a Company match and Company contributions to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, flexible work arrangements, Employee Assistance Programs, and tuition expense reimbursements. We also offer a holistic wellbeing program that provides opportunities for teammates to earn financial incentives by participating in wellness activities designed to build and sustain healthy habits.

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Talent Development and Training

We believe our human capital is our most important asset, and we are committed to investing in the growth and development of our teammates. We have a performance development program that encourages teammate development through informal mentoring and ongoing conversations with their supervisors to seek to align our business objectives with our teammates’ personal development and career aspirations. Our performance development program is very important to delivering business results and helps gain greater alignment between strategic goals and individual goals. This program operates on an annual basis and begins with each teammate setting their own individual goals and development plans and ends with an annual review. Teammates are encouraged to take ownership of their development and seek guidance from their managers on goals and development areas.

We also provide training opportunities to foster teammate growth and development, enhance teammate skillsets, and prepare teammates to be successful in their roles. For example, we offer specific, targeted training to all new hires. In addition to professional development, role-based, and regulatory/compliance training, we also offer training resources on the following subjects, among others: anti-bribery; anti-money-laundering; information security; leadership; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; policies/procedures; ethics; product training; technical/systems; and compensation/benefits. We also offer an enterprise development program, Emerge, intended to engage and retain high potential talent and broaden career mobility within and across lines of business. We emphasize succession planning and provide executive development initiatives designed to cultivate the capabilities of our senior-level talent. We are committed to cultivating these programs to fortify a robust talent pipeline, allow for continuous growth and support effective leadership transitions.

All teammates have access to training opportunities through a learning management system and/or learning experience platform. We offer training through multiple modalities, including e-learning, job aids, videos, instructor-led, and on-the-job practice supported by trained mentors. The majority of our training materials are regulation-based and managed through a regulatory and compliance program. In addition to job specific training, all teammates are required to complete mandatory compliance courses on a wide range of Company policies and procedures, such as our anti-discrimination policies and ethical standards and in response to regulatory requirements and changes.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

We are committed to hiring diverse talent and fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We believe that the collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our teammates invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and achievement. We strive to foster a culture and workplace that, among other things, is inclusive and welcoming, treats everyone with respect and dignity, promotes people on their merits, and promotes diversity of thoughts, ideas, perspective, and values. Our Board believes that diversity contributes to the overall effectiveness of the Board and generally conceptualizes diversity expansively to include, without limitation, concepts such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, age, work experience, professional skills, geographic location and other qualities or attributes that contribute to Board heterogeneity. We have a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Council, which we refer to as our DEIB Council, co-chaired by the Bank’s Chief Executive Officer and the Bank’s Chief Human Resources Officer and includes a cross-functional group of teammates from diverse backgrounds, that manages our efforts to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

We also have provided Employee Resource Groups, which we welcome all teammates and allies to join. Our current Employee Resource Groups include the Women’s Inclusion Network; Allies of Individuals Differently Abled; AUB Gets Vets; AUB Out & Proud; Caring for Caregivers; and Black Teammates United in Leadership and Development, all of which offer professional development opportunities such as mentoring, skill building and partnering to acquire talent and meet business goals.

COMPETITION

The financial services industry remains highly competitive and is constantly evolving. We experience strong competition in all aspects of our business. In our market areas, we compete with large national and regional financial institutions, credit unions, other independent community banks, as well as consumer finance companies, mortgage companies, loan production offices, mutual funds, life insurance companies and fintech companies. Competition for deposits and loans is

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affected by various factors including, without limitation, interest rates offered, the number and location of branches and types of products offered, digital capabilities, and the reputation of the institution. Credit unions increasingly have been allowed to expand their membership definitions, and because they enjoy a favorable tax status, they may be able to offer more attractive loan and deposit pricing. Our non-bank affiliates also operate in highly competitive environments.

In addition, non-bank competitors are increasingly offering products and services that traditionally were only offered by banks. Many of these non-bank competitors are not subject to the same extensive federal regulations that govern bank holding companies and federally insured banks, which may allow them to offer greater lending limits and certain products and services that we do not provide.

We believe our community focused banking framework and philosophy provides us with a competitive advantage, particularly with regard to larger national and regional institutions, allowing us to compete effectively. Additionally, our attention to incorporating digital technology has made it possible for us to provide our customers with electronic, mobile, and internet-based financial solutions, such as online deposit accounts and electronic payment processing. Our deposit market share in Virginia was 5.3% of total bank deposits as of June 30, 2023, making us the largest regional bank headquartered in Virginia at that time.

ECONOMY

The economies in our market areas are diverse and include local and federal government, military, agriculture, and manufacturing. Based on Virginia Employment Commission data, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.0% as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and continued to be below the national rate of 3.7% at December 31, 2023.

Our operations are affected not only by general economic conditions but also by the policies of various regulatory authorities. In an effort to curb inflation, throughout 2022 and 2023, the Federal Reserve increased the Federal Funds target rate to its current range of 5.25% to 5.50%. While inflation has eased in 2023, it remains elevated. The FOMC has noted that it will continue to assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy, and in determining future actions with respect to the target rates, the FOMC will take into account a wide range of information, including readings on labor market conditions, inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and financial and international developments. Generally, we expect to benefit from a rising rate environment given our interest rate risk profile; however, rising interest rates may have an adverse impact on the ability of our borrowers with floating rate loans to repay their loans. Additionally, rising rates may have an adverse impact on our deposit and borrowing costs. A decrease in interest rates may have an adverse impact on our net interest income if our asset yields reprice faster than our deposits or if we are not able to reduce our deposit rates in a declining rates scenario.

Our management continues to consider the current economic environment and potential future economic conditions, including the threat of an economic recession on our performance, while also seeking to address nonperforming assets, control costs, and work with borrowers to mitigate and protect against risk of loss. Our management also continues to review the pricing of our products and services, in light of current and expected costs due to inflation, to seek to mitigate the inflationary impact on our financial performance.

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

We are extensively regulated under both federal and state laws. The following description briefly describes certain aspects of those regulations that are material to us and does not purport to be a complete description of all regulations, or aspects of those regulations, that affect us. To the extent statutory or regulatory provisions or proposals are described in this Form 10-K, the description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutory or regulatory provisions or proposals. Proposals to change the laws, regulations, and policies governing the banking industry are frequently raised at both the state and federal levels. The likelihood and timing of any changes in these laws and regulations, and the impact such changes may have on us, are difficult to ascertain. In addition to laws and regulations, bank regulatory agencies may issue policy statements, interpretive letters, and similar written guidance applicable to us. A change in applicable laws, regulations, or regulatory guidance, or in the manner such laws, regulations or regulatory guidance are interpreted by regulatory agencies or courts, may have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and earnings. Supervision, regulation, and examination of banks by regulatory agencies are intended primarily for the protection of depositors and customers, the deposit insurance fund and the U.S. banking and financial system rather than shareholders.

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Both the scope of the laws and regulations and the intensity of the supervision to which we are subject have increased in recent years, initially in response to the global financial crisis of 2008, and more recently in light of other factors such as continued turmoil and stress in the financial markets, technological factors, market changes, and increased scrutiny of proposed bank mergers and acquisitions by federal and state bank regulators. As described in further detail below, we are subject to additional regulatory requirements because we have over $10 billion in consolidated assets. Regulatory enforcement and fines have also increased across the banking and financial services sector. Many of these changes have occurred as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations.

We are also subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, both as administered by the SEC, as well as the rules of the NYSE that apply to companies with securities listed on the NYSE.

The Company

General. The Company is registered as a bank holding company with the Federal Reserve under the BHCA and has elected to be a financial holding company. As a financial holding company, we are subject to comprehensive regulation, examination and supervision by the Federal Reserve and are subject to its regulatory reporting requirements. Federal law subjects financial holding companies, such as the Company, to particular restrictions and qualifications on the types of activities in which they may engage, and to a range of supervisory requirements and activities. The Company is also registered under the bank holding company laws of Virginia and is subject to supervision, regulation, and examination by the Virginia SCC.

Enacted in 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act has significantly changed the financial regulatory regime in the United States. Since the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, U.S. banks and financial services firms, such as the Company and the Bank, have been subject to enhanced regulation and oversight. Several provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act remain subject to further rulemaking, guidance, and interpretation by the federal banking agencies; moreover, certain provisions of the Act that were implemented by federal agencies have been revised or rescinded pursuant to legislative changes adopted by Congress.

Permitted Activities. The permitted activities of a bank holding company are limited to managing or controlling banks, furnishing services to or performing services for its subsidiaries, and engaging in other activities that the Federal Reserve determines by regulation or order to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. In addition, bank holding companies that qualify and elect to be financial holding companies, such as the Company, may engage in any activity, or acquire and retain the shares of a company engaged in any activity, that is either (i) financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity (as determined by the Federal Reserve in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury) or (ii) complementary to a financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally (as solely determined by the Federal Reserve), without prior approval of the Federal Reserve. Activities that are financial in nature include, but are not limited to, securities underwriting and dealing, insurance underwriting, and making merchant banking investments.

To maintain financial holding company status, a financial holding company and all of its depository institution subsidiaries must be “well capitalized” and “well managed” as defined under applicable Federal Reserve requirements. If a financial holding company ceases to meet these capital and management requirements, the Federal Reserve’s regulations provide that the financial holding company must enter into an agreement with the Federal Reserve to comply with all applicable capital and management requirements. Until the financial holding company returns to compliance, the Federal Reserve may impose limitations or conditions on the conduct of its activities, and the company may not commence any of the broader financial activities permissible for financial holding companies or acquire a company engaged in such financial activities without prior approval of the Federal Reserve. If the company does not return to compliance within 180 days, the Federal Reserve may require the financial holding company to divest its depository institution subsidiaries or to cease engaging in any activity that is financial in nature (or incident to such financial activity) or complementary to a financial activity.

In order for a financial holding company to commence any new activity permitted by the BHCA or to acquire a company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHCA, each insured depository institution subsidiary of the financial holding company must have received a rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination under the CRA. See below under “The Bank – Community Reinvestment Act.”

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Despite prior approval, the Federal Reserve may order a bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any activity or to terminate ownership or control of any subsidiary when the Federal Reserve has reasonable cause to believe that a serious risk to the financial safety, soundness, or stability of any bank subsidiary of that bank holding company may result from such an activity.

Banking Acquisitions; Changes in Control. The BHCA and related regulations require, among other things, the prior approval of the Federal Reserve in any case where a bank holding company proposes to (i) acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the outstanding voting stock of any bank or bank holding company (unless it already owns a majority of such voting shares), (ii) acquire all or substantially all of the assets of another bank or bank holding company, or (iii) merge or consolidate with any other bank holding company. In determining whether to approve a proposed bank acquisition, the Federal Reserve will consider, among other factors, the effect of the acquisition on competition, the public benefits expected to be received from the acquisition, any outstanding regulatory compliance issues of any institution that is a party to the transaction, the projected capital ratios and levels on a post-acquisition basis, the financial condition of each institution that is a party to the transaction and of the combined institution after the transaction, the parties’ managerial resources and risk management and governance processes and systems, the parties’ compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering requirements, and the acquiring institution’s performance under the CRA and its compliance with fair housing and other consumer protection laws.

On July 9, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which, among other initiatives, encouraged the review of current practices and adoption of a plan for the revitalization of merger oversight under the BHCA and the Bank Merger Act. On March 25, 2022, the FDIC published a Request for Information, seeking information and comments regarding the regulatory framework that applies to merger transactions involving one or more insured depository institution. Making any formal changes to the framework for evaluating bank mergers would require an extended process, and any such changes are uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. However, the adoption of more expansive or stringent standards may have an impact on our acquisition activity. Additionally, this Executive Order could influence the federal bank regulatory agencies’ expectations and supervisory oversight for banking acquisitions.

Subject to certain exceptions, the BHCA and the Change in Bank Control Act, together with the applicable regulations, require Federal Reserve approval (or, depending on the circumstances, no notice of disapproval) prior to any person or company’s acquiring “control” of a bank or bank holding company. A conclusive presumption of control exists if an individual or company acquires the power, directly or indirectly, to direct the management or policies of an insured depository institution or to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities of any insured depository institution. A rebuttable presumption of control may exist if a person or company acquires 10% or more but less than 25% of any class of voting securities and certain other relationships are present between the investor and the bank holding company, or if certain other ownership thresholds for voting or total equity have been exceeded.

In addition, Virginia law requires the prior approval of the Virginia SCC for (i) the acquisition by a Virginia bank holding company of more than 5% of the voting shares of a Virginia bank or a Virginia bank holding company, or (ii) the acquisition by any other person of control of a Virginia bank holding company or a Virginia bank.

Source of Strength. Federal Reserve policy and the Dodd-Frank Act require bank holding companies, such as the Company, to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to their subsidiary banks. Under this requirement, the Company is expected to commit resources to support the Bank, including times when the Company may not be in a financial position to provide such resources. Any capital loans by a bank holding company to any of its subsidiary banks are subordinate in right of payment to depositors and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary banks. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to priority of payment.

Safety and Soundness. There are a number of obligations and restrictions imposed on bank holding companies and their subsidiary banks by law and regulatory policy that are designed to minimize potential loss to the depositors of such depository institutions and the DIF in the event of a depository institution insolvency, receivership, or default. For example, under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act, to avoid receivership of an insured depository institution subsidiary, a bank holding company is required to guarantee the compliance of any subsidiary bank that may become “undercapitalized” with the terms of any capital restoration plan filed by such subsidiary with its appropriate federal bank regulatory agency up to the lesser of (i) an amount equal to 5% of the institution’s total assets at

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the time the institution became undercapitalized, or (ii) the amount that is necessary (or would have been necessary) to bring the institution into compliance with all applicable capital standards as of the time the institution fails to comply with such capital restoration plan.

Under the FDIA, the federal bank regulatory agencies have adopted guidelines prescribing safety and soundness standards. These guidelines establish general standards relating to capital management, internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, information systems, data security, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure and risk management, vendor management, corporate governance, asset growth and compensation, fees, and benefits. In general, the guidelines require, among other things, appropriate systems and practices to identify and manage the risk and exposures specified in the guidelines.

Capital Requirements. The Federal Reserve imposes certain capital requirements on bank holding companies under the BHCA, including a minimum leverage ratio and a minimum ratio of “qualifying” capital to risk-weighted assets. These requirements are described below under “The Bank – Capital Requirements.” Subject to its capital requirements and certain other restrictions, the Company is able to borrow money to make a capital contribution to the Bank, and such loans may be repaid from dividends paid by the Bank to the Company.

Limits on Dividends, Capital Distributions and Other Payments. The Company is a legal entity, separate and distinct from its subsidiaries. A significant portion of the revenues of the Company result from dividends paid to it by the Bank. There are various legal limitations applicable to the payment of dividends by the Bank to the Company to the payment of dividends by the Company to its shareholders, and to the repurchase by the Company of outstanding shares of its capital stock. Federal Reserve policy provides that bank holding companies, such as the Company, should generally pay dividends to shareholders only if (i) the organization’s net income available to common shareholders over the past year has been sufficient to fully fund the dividends; (ii) the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition; and (iii) the organization will continue to meet minimum capital adequacy ratios. In addition, the Bank is subject to various statutory and regulatory restrictions on its ability to pay dividends to the Company. Under current regulations, prior approval from the Federal Reserve is required if cash dividends declared by the Bank in any given year exceed net income for that year, plus retained net profits of the two preceding years. The payment of dividends by the Bank or the Company may be limited by other factors, such as requirements to maintain capital above regulatory guidelines. Bank regulatory agencies have the authority to prohibit the Bank or the Company from engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice in conducting its respective business. The payment of dividends or the repurchase of outstanding capital stock, depending on the financial condition of the Bank, or the Company, could be deemed to constitute such an unsafe or unsound practice.

Under the FDIA, insured depository institutions such as the Bank, are prohibited from making capital distributions, including the payment of dividends, if, after making such distributions, the institution would become “undercapitalized” (as such term is used in the statute). Based on the Bank’s current financial condition, the Company does not expect that this provision will have any impact on its ability to receive dividends from the Bank.

The Bank

General. The Bank is chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia and is supervised and regularly examined by the Virginia SCC. The Bank, as a member of the Federal Reserve System, is also supervised and regularly examined by the Federal Reserve. The Bank is also subject to regulation by the CFPB, as an institution with more than $10 billion in assets. The various laws and regulations administered by the bank regulatory agencies affect corporate practices, such as the payment of dividends, incurrence of debt, and acquisition of financial institutions and other companies; they also affect business practices, such as the payment of interest on deposits, the charging of interest on loans, types of business conducted, and location of offices. Certain of these laws and regulations are referenced above under “The Company”.

Interchange Fees. Under the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve adopted rules establishing standards for assessing whether the interchange fees that may be charged with respect to certain electronic debit transactions are “reasonable and proportional” to the costs incurred by issuers for processing such transactions.

Interchange fees, or “swipe” fees, are charges that merchants pay to the Bank and other card-issuing banks for processing electronic payment transactions. Under the final rules, which are applicable to financial institutions that have assets of $10 billion or more, the maximum permissible interchange fee is equal to the sum of 21 cents plus 5 bps of the transaction value for many types of debit interchange transactions. The rules permit an upward adjustment to an issuer’s

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debit card interchange fee of no more than one cent per transaction if the issuer develops and implements policies and procedures reasonably designed to achieve certain fraud-prevention standards. The Federal Reserve also has rules governing routing and exclusivity that require issuers to offer two unaffiliated networks for routing transactions on each debit or prepaid product.

In October 2023, the Federal Reserve issued proposed rules that would reduce the maximum permissible interchange fee cap. The proposed rules would also adopt an approach for future adjustments to the interchange fee cap, which would occur every other year based on data received by the Federal Reserve in biennial surveys of covered financial institutions.

Capital Requirements. The Federal Reserve and the other federal banking agencies have issued risk-based and leverage capital guidelines applicable to U.S. banking organizations. Those regulatory agencies may from time to time require that a banking organization maintain capital above the minimum levels because of its financial condition or actual or anticipated growth.

The Federal Reserve has adopted capital requirements and calculations of risk-weighted assets to implement the Basel III regulatory capital reforms from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act.

Under these risk-based capital requirements of the Federal Reserve, the Company and the Bank are required to maintain the following to be considered adequately capitalized: (i) a minimum ratio of total capital (which is defined as core capital and supplementary capital less certain specified deductions from total capital such as reciprocal holdings of depository institution capital instruments and equity investments) to risk-weighted assets of at least 8.0%, (ii) a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital (which consists principally of common and certain qualifying preferred shareholders’ equity (including grandfathered trust preferred securities) as well as retained earnings, less certain intangibles and other adjustments) to risk-weighted assets of at least 6.0%, and (iii) a minimum ratio of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 4.5%. These capital requirements provide that “Tier 2 capital” consists of cumulative preferred stock, long-term perpetual preferred stock, a limited amount of subordinated and other qualifying debt (including certain hybrid capital instruments), and a limited amount of the general loan loss allowance.

The Federal Reserve’s capital requirements also impose a capital conservation buffer requirement of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets. The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking institutions with a ratio of common equity Tier 1 to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but below the conservation buffer will face constraints on dividends, equity repurchases, and compensation based on the amount of the shortfall.

The combined effect of the risk-based capital requirements and the additional 2.5% capital conservation buffer is that the Company and the Bank must maintain (i) a minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 10.5%, (ii) a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 8.5%, and (iii) a minimum ratio of common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of 7.0%.

The Tier 1, common equity Tier 1, and total capital to risk-weighted asset ratios of the Company were 10.76%, 9.84% and 13.55%, respectively, as of December 31, 2023, thus exceeding the minimum requirements for “well capitalized” status. The Tier 1, common equity Tier 1, and total capital to risk-weighted asset ratios of the Bank were 12.48%, 12.48%, and 13.15%, respectively, as of December 31, 2023, also exceeding the minimum requirements for “well capitalized” status.

Each of the federal bank regulatory agencies also has established a minimum leverage capital ratio of Tier 1 capital to average adjusted assets (“Tier 1 leverage ratio”). The guidelines require a minimum Tier 1 leverage ratio of 3.0% for advanced approach banking organizations; all other banking organizations are required to maintain a minimum Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4.0%. In addition, for a depository institution to be considered “well capitalized” under the regulatory framework for PCA, its Tier 1 leverage ratio must be at least 5.0%. Banking organizations that have experienced internal growth or made acquisitions are expected to maintain strong capital positions substantially above the minimum supervisory levels without significant reliance on intangible assets. The Federal Reserve has not advised the Company or the Bank of any specific minimum leverage ratio applicable to either entity. As of December 31, 2023, the Tier 1 leverage ratios of the Company and the Bank were 9.63% and 11.16%, respectively, well above the minimum requirements.

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The Federal Reserve’s final rules prescribe a standardized approach for risk weightings for a risk-sensitive number of categories, depending on the nature of the assets, generally ranging from 0% for U.S. government and agency securities to 600% for certain equity exposures, and resulting in higher risk weights for a variety of asset classes.

The Federal Reserve’s regulatory capital rules also provide that the Company’s trust preferred securities qualify as Tier 2 capital. The Company has $143.5 million of trust preferred securities outstanding and approximately $21.2 billion in assets as of December 31, 2023.

In July 2023, the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC issued proposed rules to implement the final components of the Basel III agreement, often known as the “Basel III endgame.” These proposed rules contain provisions that apply to banks with $100 billion or more in total assets and that will significantly alter how those banks calculate risk-based assets. These proposed rules do not apply to holding companies or banks with less than $100 billion in assets, such as the Company and the Bank, but the final impacts of these rules cannot yet be predicted.

On August 26, 2020, the federal bank regulatory agencies adopted a final rule that allowed the Company to phase in the impact of adopting the CECL methodology up to two years, with a three-year transition period to phase out the cumulative benefit to regulatory capital provided during the two-year delay. The Company elected to phase in the regulatory capital impact as permitted under this final rule. The CECL transition amount is being phased out of regulatory capital over a three-year period that began in 2022 and ends in 2024. Refer to Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section “Capital Resources” of this Form 10-K for information regarding the impact of this final rule on the Company’s regulatory capital.

Deposit Insurance. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the DIF of the FDIC and are subject to deposit insurance assessments based on average total assets minus average tangible equity to maintain the DIF. The basic limit on FDIC deposit insurance coverage is $250,000 per depositor. Under the FDIA, the FDIC may terminate a bank’s deposit insurance upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations as an insured depository institution, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC, subject to administrative and potential judicial hearing and review processes.

The FDIC has adopted a large-bank pricing assessment structure, set a target “designated reserve ratio” of 2% for the DIF, and in lieu of dividends, provides for a lower assessment rate schedule, when the reserve ratio reaches 2% and 2.5%. An institution’s assessment rate is based on a statistical analysis of financial ratios that estimates the likelihood of failure over a three-year period, which considers the institution’s weighted average CAMELS composite rating, which is the rating system bank supervisory authorities use to rate financial institutions and is subject to further adjustments including related to levels of unsecured debt and brokered deposits. At December 31, 2023, total base assessment rates for institutions that have been insured for at least five years with assets of $10 billion or more range from 2.5 to 42 bps. On October 18, 2022, the FDIC adopted a final rule to increase initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules uniformly by 2 bps, beginning in the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. This increase in assessment rate schedules is intended to increase the likelihood that the reserve ratio reaches 1.35% by the statutory deadline of September 30, 2028. The new assessment rate schedules will remain in effect unless and until the reserve ratio meets or exceeds 2%. Progressively lower assessment rate schedules will take effect when the reserve ratio reaches 2%, and again when it reaches 2.5%.

In November 2023, the FDIC approved a special assessment to recover the loss to the DIF associated with the closures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in early 2023. The assessment base for the special assessment is equal to an insured depository institution’s estimated uninsured deposits reported as of December 31, 2022, adjusted to exclude the first $5 billion of uninsured deposits. The special assessment will be collected at an annual rate of approximately 13.4 basis points for an anticipated total of eight quarterly assessment periods beginning with the first quarterly assessment period in 2024, with the first payment due on June 28, 2024.

For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, we incurred deposit insurance assessment expenses of $18.0 million, $8.3 million, and $7.8 million, respectively. The 2023 expense includes the impact of the 2 bps initial base deposit insurance assessment rate increase, effective the first quarter of 2023, as well as $3.4 million attributable to the FDIC’s special assessment described above.

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Transactions with Affiliates. The authority of the Bank to engage in transactions with related parties or “affiliates,” or to make loans to insiders, is limited by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, as amended and Regulation W. Loan transactions with an affiliate generally must be collateralized and certain transactions between the Bank and its affiliates, including the sale of assets, the payment of money or the provision of services, must be on terms and conditions that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the Bank, as those prevailing for comparable nonaffiliated transactions. In addition, the Bank generally may not purchase securities issued or underwritten by affiliates.

Prompt Corrective Action. Federal banking regulators are authorized and, under certain circumstances, required to take certain actions against banks that fail to meet their capital requirements. The federal bank regulatory agencies have additional enforcement authority with respect to undercapitalized depository institutions. “Well capitalized” institutions may generally operate without additional supervisory restriction. With respect to “adequately capitalized” institutions, such banks cannot normally pay dividends or make any capital contributions that would leave it undercapitalized, they cannot pay a management fee to a controlling person if, after paying the fee, it would be undercapitalized, and they cannot accept, renew, or roll over any brokered deposit unless the bank has applied for and been granted a waiver by the FDIC.

Immediately upon becoming “undercapitalized,” a depository institution becomes subject to the provisions of Section 38 of the FDIA, which: (i) restrict payment of capital distributions and management fees; (ii) require that the appropriate federal banking agency monitor the condition of the institution and its efforts to restore its capital; (iii) require submission of a capital restoration plan; (iv) restrict the growth of the institution’s assets; and (v) require prior approval of certain expansion proposals. The appropriate federal banking agency for an undercapitalized institution also may take any number of discretionary supervisory actions if the agency determines that any of these actions is necessary to resolve the problems of the institution at the least possible long-term cost to the DIF, subject in certain cases to specified procedures. These discretionary supervisory actions include: (i) requiring the institution to raise additional capital; (ii) restricting transactions with affiliates; (iii) requiring divestiture of the institution or the sale of the institution to a willing purchaser; and (iv) any other supervisory action that the agency deems appropriate. These and additional mandatory and permissive supervisory actions may be taken with respect to significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized institutions. The Bank met the definition of being “well capitalized” as of December 31, 2023.

The “prompt corrective action” regulations pursuant to Section 38 of the FDIA require for well-capitalized status a minimum Tier 1 leverage ratio of 5.0%, a minimum common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.5%, a minimum Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.0%, and a minimum total capital ratio of 10.0%.

Community Reinvestment Act. The Bank is subject to the requirements of the CRA. The CRA imposes on financial institutions an affirmative and ongoing obligation to meet the credit needs of the local communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. If the Bank receives a rating from the Federal Reserve of less than “satisfactory” under the CRA, restrictions on operating activities would be imposed. In addition, in order for a financial holding company, like the Company, to commence any new activity permitted by the BHCA, or to acquire any company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHCA, each insured depository institution subsidiary of the financial holding company must have received a rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination under the CRA. The Bank received a “satisfactory” CRA rating in its most recent examination.

On October 24, 2023, the federal bank regulatory agencies jointly issued a final rule to modernize CRA regulations consistent with the following key goals: (i) to encourage banks to expand access to credit, investment, and banking services in low to moderate income communities; (ii) to adapt to changes in the banking industry, including internet and mobile banking and the growth of non-branch delivery systems; (iii) to provide greater clarity and consistency in the application of the CRA regulations, including adoption of a new metrics-based approach to evaluating bank retail lending and community development financing; and (iv) to tailor CRA evaluations and data collection to bank size and type, recognizing that differences in bank size and business models may impact CRA evaluations and qualifying activities. Most of the final CRA rule’s requirements will be applicable beginning January 1, 2026, with certain requirements, including the data reporting requirements, applicable as of January 1, 2027. The Bank is evaluating the expected impact of the modified CRA regulations.

FHLB. The Bank is a member of the FHLB of Atlanta, which is one of 12 regional Federal Home Loan Banks that provide funding to their members for making housing loans as well as for affordable housing and community development loans. Each Federal Home Loan Bank serves as a reserve, or central bank, for the members within its

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assigned region, and makes loans to its members in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Board of Directors of the applicable Federal Home Loan Bank. As a member, the Bank must purchase and maintain stock in the FHLB.

Confidentiality of Customer Information. We are subject to various laws and regulations that address the privacy of nonpublic personal financial information of customers. As a financial institution, we must provide to our customers information regarding our policies and procedures with respect to the handling of customers’ personal information. We must also conduct an internal risk assessment of our ability to protect customer information.

These privacy laws and regulations generally prohibit financial institutions from providing a customer’s personal financial information to unaffiliated parties without prior notice and approval from the customer.

The CFPB published its final rule to update Regulation P pursuant to the amended Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in 2018. Under this rule, certain qualifying financial institutions are not required to provide annual privacy notices to customers. To qualify, a financial institution must not share nonpublic personal information about customers except as described in certain statutory exceptions which do not trigger a customer’s statutory opt-out right. In addition, the financial institution must not have changed its disclosure policies and practices from those disclosed in its most recent privacy notice. The rule sets forth timing requirements for delivery of annual privacy notices in the event that a financial institution that qualified for the annual notice exemption later changes its policies or practices in such a way that it no longer qualifies for the exemption.

These laws and regulations impose compliance costs and create obligations and, in some cases, reporting obligations, and compliance with these laws, regulations, and obligations may require us to use significant resources.

Data privacy and data protection are areas of increasing state legislative focus. In March 2021, the Governor of Virginia signed into law the VCDPA, which went into effect on January 1, 2023. The VCDPA grants Virginia residents the right to access, correct, delete, know, and opt-out of the sale and processing for targeted advertising purposes of their personal information, similar to the protections provided by similar consumer data privacy laws in California and in Europe. The VCDPA also imposes data protection assessment requirements and authorizes the Attorney General of Virginia to enforce the VCDPA but does not provide a private right of action for consumers. The Bank is exempt from the VCDPA, but certain third-party vendors of the Company or the Bank are subject to the VCDPA, which could negatively impact the products or services that we obtain from those vendors.

Required Disclosure of Customer Information. We are also subject to various laws and regulations that attempt to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The Bank Secrecy Act requires all financial institutions to, among other things, create a system of controls designed to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and imposes recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The USA Patriot Act added additional regulations to facilitate information sharing among governmental entities and financial institutions for the purpose of combating terrorism and money laundering, impose standards for verifying customer identification at account opening, and require financial institutions to establish anti-money laundering programs. Regulations adopted under the Bank Secrecy Act impose on financial institutions customer due diligence requirements, and the federal banking regulators expect that customer due diligence programs will be integrated within a financial institution’s broader BSA/AML compliance program. The OFAC, which is a division of the Treasury, is responsible for helping to ensure that United States entities do not engage in transactions with “enemies” of the United States, as defined by various Executive Orders and Acts of Congress. If the Bank finds a name of an “enemy” of the United States on any transaction, account, or wire transfer that is on an OFAC list, it must freeze such account or place transferred funds into a blocked account and report it to OFAC.

In December 2020, Congress enacted the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021. Among its many provisions, the National Defense Authorization Act includes the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and the related Corporate Transparency Act of 2019. The Corporate Transparency Act is a significant update to federal BSA/AML regulations that aims to eliminate the use of shell companies that facilitate the laundering of criminal proceeds and, for that purpose, directs FinCEN to establish and maintain a national registry of beneficial ownership information for corporate entities. Specifically, corporations and limited liability companies (subject to certain exceptions) must disclose to FinCEN their beneficial owners – defined as an individual who, directly or indirectly, exercises substantial control over the entity or owns or controls not less than 25% of the ownership interests of the entity. Beneficial ownership must be disclosed at the time of company formation and upon a change in ownership. The national registry will be confidential; the Corporate Transparency Act contains criminal penalties for non-compliance as well as for unauthorized

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disclosure of reported information. On September 29, 2022, FinCEN issued a final rule to implement the beneficial ownership reporting requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act, which became effective January 1, 2024.

Volcker Rule. The Dodd-Frank Act prohibits insured depository institutions and their holding companies from engaging in proprietary trading except in limited circumstances and prohibits them from owning equity interests in excess of 3% of Tier 1 capital in private equity and hedge funds (known as the “Volcker Rule”). As implied by the federal bank regulatory agencies, the final rule prohibits banking entities from (i) engaging in short-term proprietary trading for their own accounts, and (ii) having certain ownership interests in and relationships with hedge funds or private equity funds. The rule also requires each regulated entity to establish an internal compliance program that is consistent with the extent to which it engages in activities covered by the Volcker Rule, which must include (for the largest entities) making regular reports about those activities to regulators. Although the final rule provides some tiering of compliance and reporting obligations based on size, the fundamental prohibitions of the Volcker Rule apply to the Company and the Bank. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act and subsequent promulgation of inter-agency final rules have aimed at simplifying and tailoring requirements related to the Volcker Rule, including by eliminating collection of certain metrics and reducing the compliance burdens associated with other metrics for banks with less than $20 billion in average trading assets and liabilities. Due to the changing regulatory landscape, we will continue to evaluate the implications of the Volcker Rule on our investments.

Consumer Financial Protection. The Bank is subject to a number of federal and state consumer protection laws that extensively govern its relationship with its customers. These laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Service Members Civil Relief Act, laws governing flood insurance, federal and state laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive business practices, foreclosure laws, garnishment and other creditor laws, and various regulations that implement some or all of the foregoing. These laws and regulations mandate certain disclosure requirements and regulate the manner in which financial institutions must deal with customers when taking deposits, making loans, collecting loans, and providing other services. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, we may be subject to various penalties or enforcement actions. Failure to comply with consumer protection requirements may also result in failure to obtain any required bank regulatory approval for our proposed merger or acquisition transactions.

The Dodd-Frank Act centralized responsibility for consumer financial protection with the CFPB, giving it responsibility for implementing, examining, and enforcing compliance with federal consumer protection laws. The CFPB focuses on (i) risks to consumers and compliance with the federal consumer financial laws, (ii) the markets in which firms operate and risks to consumers posed by activities in those markets, (iii) depository institutions that offer a wide variety of consumer financial products and services, and (iv) non-depository companies that offer one or more consumer financial products or services. The CFPB is responsible for implementing, examining and enforcing compliance with federal consumer financial laws for institutions with more than $10 billion of assets. The Company and the Bank are subject to federal consumer protection rules enacted by the CFPB and the Bank is subject to examination by the CFPB.

The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer financial laws that apply to all banks, including, among other things, the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive, or abusive” acts and practices. Abusive acts or practices are defined as those that materially interfere with a consumer’s ability to understand a term or condition of a consumer financial product or service or take unreasonable advantage of a consumer’s (i) lack of financial savvy, (ii) inability to protect himself in the selection or use of consumer financial products or services, or (iii) reasonable reliance on a covered entity to act in the consumer’s interests. On January 17, 2024, the CFPB issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would amend Regulation E and Regulation Z, which implement the Truth in Lending Act, and treat discretionary overdraft services offered by financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets as credit. As a result, in connection with such discretionary overdraft services, consumers would receive new disclosures and would be evaluated for their ability to repay the obligation. The proposed rule would exempt “courtesy” overdraft services, which are services where the overdraft fee covers only the break-even cost of the service or falls within a CFPB-prescribed break-even cost. Fees charged in excess of break-even overdraft costs would be treated as finance charges. The comment period for the proposed rule closes on April 1, 2024, and the CFPB anticipates that a final rule will take effect by October 1, 2025. We are continuing to evaluate the potential impacts of this proposal.

On October 19, 2023, the CFPB issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, which requires covered financial institutions to make consumer data about financial services and products more readily available to consumers and authorized third parties. The proposed rule adds consumer protection obligations on

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financial institutions and third parties authorized by the consumer to collect and use that data. Financial institutions would be responsible for making specified information available through an electronic interface including 24 months of transactional data available, account information (e.g., account balance, upcoming bills, basic account verification) information to initiate payment to and from accounts, and terms and conditions under which the account or card was provided. The comment period for the proposed rule closed at the end of 2023. The CFPB has not announced the timing for issuing the final rule.

On March 30, 2023, the CFPB issued the Small Business Lending Rule, which amends provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to require covered financial institutions, including the Bank, to collect and report certain data in connection with credit applications made by small businesses, including women- or minority-owned small businesses. The CFPB will create a comprehensive public database of small business lending practices (those with $5 million in gross annual revenue for the preceding year) with information aggregated from covered financial institutions. The final rule contains additional requirements beyond small business lending data collection and reporting including that financial institutions restrict access to demographic information about the principals of the small business to an employee involved in making any determination concerning the applicant’s credit application. The CFPB used staggered compliance dates for initiating data collection divided into three tiers depending on the number of covered originations with the first beginning on October 1, 2024. The compliance dates have been delayed while the Supreme Court decides a separate case determining the CFPB’s funding structure. We are working to comply with the provisions of the Small Business Lending Rule to meet the revised compliance dates pending the Supreme Court’s decision.

The CFPB can issue cease-and-desist orders against banks and other entities that violate consumer financial laws. The CFPB may also institute a civil action against an entity in violation of federal consumer financial laws in order to impose a civil penalty or injunction. Further, regulatory positions taken by the CFPB may influence how other regulatory agencies apply the consumer financial protection laws and regulations subject to such regulatory positions.

During the current administration, the CFPB also actively supports enforcement of consumer financial protection laws and regulations by individual states. For example, during 2022, the CFPB issued an interpretative rule stating, in part, that (i) states can enforce the federal Consumer Financial Protection Act, and (ii) CFPB enforcement actions do not put a halt to state enforcement actions.

Mortgage Banking Regulation. In connection with making mortgage loans, we are subject to rules and regulations that, among other things, establish standards for loan origination, prohibit discrimination, provide for inspections and appraisals of property, require credit reports on prospective borrowers, in some cases restrict certain loan features and fix maximum interest rates and fees, require the disclosure of certain basic information to mortgagors concerning credit and settlement costs, limit payment for settlement services to the reasonable value of the services rendered and require the maintenance and disclosure of information regarding the disposition of mortgage applications based on race, gender, geographical distribution and income level. We are also subject to rules and regulations that require the collection and reporting of significant amounts of information with respect to mortgage loans and borrowers.

Our mortgage origination activities are subject to Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act. Certain provisions of Regulation Z require creditors to make a reasonable and good faith determination based on verified and documented information that a consumer applying for a mortgage loan has a reasonable ability to repay the loan according to its terms. Creditors are required to determine consumers’ ability to repay in one of two ways. The first alternative requires the creditor to consider the following eight underwriting factors when making the credit decision: (i) current or reasonably expected income or assets; (ii) current employment status; (iii) the monthly payment on the covered transaction; (iv) the monthly payment on any simultaneous loan; (v) the monthly payment for mortgage-related obligations; (vi) current debt obligations, alimony, and child support; (vii) the monthly debt-to-income ratio or residual income; and (viii) credit history. Alternatively, the creditor can originate “qualified mortgages,” which are entitled to a presumption that the creditor making the loan satisfied the ability-to-repay requirements. In general, a “qualified mortgage” is a mortgage loan without negative amortization, interest-only payments, balloon payments, or terms exceeding 30 years. In addition, to be a qualified mortgage, the points and fees paid by a consumer cannot exceed 3% of the total loan amount.

Qualified mortgages that are “higher-priced” (e.g., subprime loans) garner a rebuttable presumption of compliance with the ability-to-repay rules, while qualified mortgages that are not “higher-priced” (e.g., prime loans) are given a safe harbor of compliance. To meet the mortgage credit needs of a broader customer base, we are predominantly an originator of mortgages that are intended to be in compliance with the ability-to-pay requirements.

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Brokered Deposits. Section 29 of the FDIA and FDIC regulations generally limit the ability of any bank to accept, renew or roll over any brokered deposit unless it is “well capitalized” or, with the FDIC’s approval, “adequately capitalized.” However, as a result of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, the FDIC undertook a comprehensive review of its regulatory approach to brokered deposits, including reciprocal deposits, and interest rate caps applicable to banks that are less than “well capitalized.” On December 15, 2020, the FDIC issued rules to revise brokered deposit regulations in light of modern deposit-taking methods. The rules established a new framework for certain provisions of the “deposit broker” definition and amended the FDIC’s interest rate methodology calculating rates and rate caps. The rules became effective on April 1, 2021.

Cybersecurity. The federal bank regulatory agencies have adopted guidelines for establishing information security standards and cybersecurity programs for implementing safeguards under the supervision of a financial institution’s board of directors. These guidelines, along with related regulatory materials, increasingly focus on risk management and processes related to information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial products and services. The federal bank regulatory agencies expect financial institutions to establish lines of defense and to ensure that their risk management processes address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials, and also expect financial institutions to maintain sufficient business continuity planning processes to ensure rapid recovery, resumption and maintenance of the institution’s operations after a cyberattack. If we fail to meet the expectations set forth in this regulatory guidance, we could be subject to various regulatory actions and any remediation efforts may require us to devote significant resources.

On November 18, 2021, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued a final rule to improve the sharing of information about cyber incidents that may affect the U.S. banking system. The rule requires a banking organization to notify its primary federal regulator of any significant computer-security incident as soon as possible and no later than 36 hours after the banking organization determines that a cyber incident has occurred. Notification is required for incidents that have materially affected—or are reasonably likely to materially affect—the viability of a banking organization’s operations, its ability to deliver banking products and services, or the stability of the financial sector. In addition, the rule requires a bank service provider to notify affected banking organization customers as soon as possible when the provider determines that it has experienced a computer-security incident that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect banking organization customers for four or more hours. The rule became effective May 1, 2022. With increased focus on cybersecurity, we are continuing to monitor legislative, regulatory, and supervisory developments related thereto. We had no material cybersecurity incidents in 2023.

Incentive Compensation. The Dodd-Frank Act requires the federal banking agencies and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines prohibiting incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities with at least $1 billion in total consolidated assets, that encourage inappropriate risks by providing an executive officer, employee, director, or principal shareholder with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits that could lead to material financial loss to the entity. In 2016, the SEC and the federal banking agencies proposed rules that prohibit covered financial institutions (including bank holding companies and banks) from establishing or maintaining incentive-based compensation arrangements that encourage inappropriate risk taking by providing covered persons (consisting of senior executive officers and significant risk takers, as defined in the rules) with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits that could lead to material financial loss to the financial institution. The comment period for these proposed rules has closed, and a final rule has not yet been published. If the rules are adopted as proposed, they will restrict the way executive compensation is structured.

Future Regulation

From time to time, various legislative and regulatory initiatives are introduced in Congress and state legislatures, as well as by regulatory agencies. Such initiatives may include proposals to expand or contract the powers of bank holding companies and depository institutions or proposals to substantially change the financial institution regulatory system. Such legislation could change banking statutes and our operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways. If enacted, such legislation could increase or decrease our cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities, or affect the competitive balance among banks, savings associations, credit unions, and other financial institutions. We cannot predict whether any such legislation will be enacted, and, if enacted, the effect that it, or any implementing regulations, would have on our financial condition or results of operations.

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Effect of Governmental Monetary Policies

Our operations are affected not only by general economic conditions but also by the policies of various regulatory authorities. In particular, the Federal Reserve uses monetary policy tools to impact money market and credit market conditions and interest rates to influence general economic conditions. These policies have a significant impact on our overall growth and distribution of loans, investments, and deposits; they affect market interest rates charged on loans or paid for time and savings deposits and can significantly influence employment and inflation rates. Federal Reserve monetary policies have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks, including us, in the past and are expected to do so in the future.

Filings with the SEC

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished to the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act are available at no cost on our investor relations website, http://investors.atlanticunionbank.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we file, or furnish, such documents with the SEC. The information contained on our website is not a part of this Form 10-K, nor incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K or of any other filing with the SEC. Our SEC filings are also available at no cost through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

An investment in our securities involves risks and uncertainties. In addition to the other information set forth in this Form 10-K, including the information addressed under “Forward-Looking Statements,” investors in our securities should carefully consider the risk factors discussed below. These factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, and capital position and could cause our actual results to differ materially from our historical results or the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K, in which case the trading price of our securities could decline. The risk factors discussed below highlight the risks that we believe are material to us, but do not necessarily include all risks that we may face, and an investor in our securities should not interpret the disclosure of a risk in the following risk factors to state or imply that the risk has not already materialized.

Risks Related to Our Lending Activities

Our ACL may prove to be insufficient to absorb credit losses in our loan portfolio, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our success depends significantly on the quality of our assets, particularly loans. Like all financial institutions, we are exposed to the risk that our borrowers may not repay their loans according to their terms, and the collateral securing the payment of these loans may be insufficient to fully compensate us for the outstanding balance of the loan plus the costs to dispose of the collateral.

We maintain an ACL, which includes the ALLL, at a level we believe is adequate to absorb expected losses in our loan portfolio as of the corresponding balance sheet date. The process to determine the ACL uses models and assumptions that require us to make difficult and complex judgments that are often interrelated. This includes forecasting how borrowers will perform in changing and unprecedented economic conditions. The ability of our borrowers to repay their obligations will likely be impacted by changes in future economic conditions, which in turn could impact the accuracy of our loss forecasts and allowance estimates. There is also the possibility that we have failed or will fail to accurately identify the appropriate economic indicators, to accurately estimate the timing of future changes in economic conditions, or to estimate accurately the impacts of future changes in economic conditions to our borrowers, which similarly could impact the accuracy of our loss forecasts and allowance estimates.

If the models, estimates, and assumptions we use to establish reserves or the judgments we make in extending credit to our borrowers prove inaccurate in predicting future events, we may suffer unexpected losses. The ACL is our best estimate of expected credit losses; however, there is no guarantee that it will be sufficient to address credit losses, particularly if the economic outlook deteriorates significantly and quickly. In such an event, we may increase our ACL, which would reduce our earnings. Additionally, to the extent that economic conditions worsen, impacting our consumer and commercial borrowers or underlying collateral, and credit losses are worse than expected, as may be caused by

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inflation, an economic recession or otherwise, we may increase our provision for loan losses, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate, and events that negatively impact the real estate market could hurt our business.

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate located in our core banking markets. The real estate collateral in each case provides an alternate source of repayment in the event of default by the borrower and may deteriorate in value during the time the credit is extended. A decline in local economic conditions may have a greater effect on our earnings and capital than on the earnings and capital of other financial institutions whose real estate loan portfolios are more geographically diverse. Deterioration in national real estate market conditions, or in conditions in specific local real estate markets, could cause us to adjust our opinion of the level of credit quality in our loan portfolio. Such a determination may lead to an additional increase in our ACL, which could also adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Additionally, changes in the real estate market could also affect the value of foreclosed assets, which could cause additional losses when management determines it is appropriate to sell the assets.

We have significant credit exposure in commercial real estate, which may expose us to additional credit risks, and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our commercial real estate portfolio consists primarily of non-owner-operated properties and other commercial properties. These types of loans are generally viewed as having more risk of default than residential real estate loans and depend on cash flows from the owner’s business or the property’s tenants to service the debt. The borrower’s cash flows may be affected significantly by general economic conditions, a downturn in the local economy or in occupancy rates in the market where the property is located, any of which could increase the likelihood of default. Commercial real estate loans also typically have larger loan balances, and, therefore, the deterioration of one or a few of these loans could cause a significant increase in the percentage of our non-performing loans. An increase in non-performing loans could result in a loss of earnings from these loans, an increase in the provision for loan losses, and an increase in charge-offs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The banking regulatory agencies have recently expressed concerns about weaknesses in the current commercial real estate market. Banking regulators generally give commercial real estate lending greater scrutiny and may require banks with higher levels of commercial real estate loans to implement enhanced risk management practices, including stricter underwriting, internal controls, risk management policies, more granular reporting, and portfolio stress testing, as well as possibly higher levels of allowances for losses and capital levels as a result of commercial real estate lending growth and exposures. If our banking regulators determine that our commercial real estate lending activities are particularly risky and are subject to such heightened scrutiny, we may incur significant additional costs or be required to restrict certain of our commercial real estate lending activities. Furthermore, failures in our risk management policies, procedures and controls could adversely affect our ability to manage this portfolio going forward and could result in an increased rate of delinquencies in, and increased losses from, this portfolio, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our loan portfolio contains construction and development loans, which may expose us to additional credit risks, and may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Construction and development loans are generally viewed as having more risk than residential real estate loans. Risk of loss on a construction and development loan depends largely upon whether our initial estimate of the property’s value at completion of construction equals or exceeds the cost of the property construction (including interest), the availability of permanent take-out financing and the builder’s ability to ultimately sell or rent the property. During the construction phase, a number of factors can result in delays and cost overruns. If estimates of value are inaccurate or if actual construction costs exceed estimates, the value of the property securing the loan may be insufficient to ensure full repayment when completed through a permanent loan or by seizure of collateral. Our construction and development loans are primarily secured by real estate, and we believe that, for the majority of these loans, the real estate collateral by itself may not be a sufficient source for repayment of the loan if real estate values decline. If we are required to liquidate the collateral securing a construction and development loan to satisfy the debt and such collateral is not a sufficient source of repayment, our earnings and capital may be adversely affected.

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Our commercial and industrial loans have contributed significantly to our loan growth, which may expose us to additional credit risks, and may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We make commercial and industrial loans to support our borrowers’ need for short-term or seasonal cash flow and equipment/vehicle purchases. These loans are typically based on the borrowers’ ability to repay the loans from the cash flow of their businesses. These loans may involve greater risk because the availability of funds to repay each loan depends substantially on the success of the business itself, and, therefore, these loans are more susceptible to a risk of loss during a downturn in the business cycle. In addition, the assets securing these loans may depreciate over time, may be difficult to appraise and liquidate, and may fluctuate in value based on the success of the business. This type of collateral may not yield substantial recovery in the event a default occurs, and the business is liquidated, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The loans we make through federal programs are dependent on the federal government’s continuation and support of these programs and on our compliance with program requirements.

We participate in various U.S. government agency loan guarantee programs, including programs operated by the SBA. If we fail to follow any applicable regulations, guidelines or policies associated with a particular guarantee program, these loans may lose the associated guarantee, exposing us to credit risk we would not otherwise be exposed to or have underwritten, or result in our inability to continue originating loans under such programs, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

A significant portion of our loan portfolio consists of loans secured by real estate. In considering whether to make a loan secured by real estate, we generally require an appraisal of the property. However, an appraisal is only an estimate of the value of the property at the time the appraisal is made and, as real estate values may change significantly in relatively short periods of time (especially in periods of heightened economic uncertainty), this estimate may not accurately describe the net value of the real estate after the loan is made. Independent appraisers may also make mistakes of fact or judgment that adversely affect the reliability of their appraisals. In addition, we rely on appraisals and other valuation techniques to establish the value of our other real estate owned that we acquire through foreclosure proceedings and to determine certain loan impairments. If any of these valuations are inaccurate, our consolidated financial statements may not reflect the correct value of our other real estate owned, and our ACL may not reflect accurate loan impairments. Additionally, if a default occurs on a loan secured by real estate that is less valuable than originally estimated, we may not be able to recover the outstanding balance of the loan. This could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If we fail to effectively manage credit risk, our business and financial condition will suffer.

We must effectively manage credit risk. There are risks inherent in making any loan and extending loan commitments and letters of credit, including risks with respect to the period of time over which the loan may be repaid, risks relating to proper loan underwriting and guidelines, risks resulting from changes in economic and industry conditions, risks inherent in dealing with individual borrowers and risks resulting from uncertainties as to the future value of collateral. There is no assurance that our credit risk monitoring and loan underwriting and approval procedures are or will be adequate or will reduce the inherent risks associated with lending. In order to manage credit risk successfully, we maintain disciplined and prudent underwriting standards and ensure that our lenders follow those standards. The weakening of these standards for any reason, may result in loan defaults, foreclosures and additional charge-offs and may necessitate that we significantly increase our ACL, each of which could adversely affect our net income. Any failure to manage such credit risks may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our focus on lending to small to mid-sized community-based businesses may increase our credit risk.

We make most of our commercial business and commercial real estate loans to small business or middle market customers. These businesses generally have fewer financial resources in terms of capital or borrowing capacity than larger entities, frequently have smaller market share than their competitors, may be more vulnerable to economic downturns, often need substantial additional capital to expand or compete, and may experience substantial volatility in operating results, any of which, individually or in the aggregate, may impair their ability as a borrower to repay their

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loans, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Moreover, we made some of these loans in recent years, and the borrowers may not have experienced a complete business or economic cycle. Any deterioration of the borrowers’ businesses may hinder their ability to repay their loans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Nonperforming assets take significant time to resolve and may adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our nonperforming assets adversely affect our net income in various ways. We do not record interest income on nonaccrual loans, which adversely affects our income and increases loan administration costs. When we receive collateral through foreclosures and similar proceedings, we are required to mark the related loan to the then fair market value of the collateral less estimated selling costs, which may result in a loss. An increase in the level of nonperforming assets also increases our risk profile and may affect the minimum capital levels our regulators believe are appropriate for us in light of such risks. We use various techniques such as workouts, restructurings, and loan sales to manage problem assets. Increases in or negative adjustments in the value of these problem assets, the underlying collateral, or in the borrowers’ performance or financial condition, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, the resolution of nonperforming assets requires significant commitments of time from management and staff, which can be detrimental to the performance of their other responsibilities. There can be no assurance that we will not experience increases in our nonperforming assets in the future, or that our nonperforming assets will not result in losses in the future.

We originate residential mortgage loans, largely for sale into the secondary mortgage markets, under the Atlantic Union Home Loans Division brand of the Bank, which lends to borrowers nationwide. The success of our mortgage business depends on our ability to originate loans and sell them to investors, in each case at or near current volumes. Loan production levels are sensitive to changes in the level of interest rates and changes in economic conditions. Our mortgage loan production levels decreased in 2023, compared to 2022, due to rising interest rates, which reduced our income from mortgage activities, and we may suffer further declines if we experience a continued slowdown in our housing market, tightening credit conditions or further increases in interest rates. Any sustained period of decreased activity caused by fewer refinancing transactions, higher interest rates, housing price pressure, or loan underwriting restrictions would adversely affect our mortgage originations and, consequently, could significantly reduce our income from mortgage activities. As a result, these conditions would also adversely affect our results of operations.

We may be required to repurchase mortgage loans or indemnify buyers against losses in some circumstances, which could harm our liquidity, results of operations and financial condition.

When mortgage loans are sold, whether as whole loans or pursuant to a securitization, we are required to make customary representations and warranties to purchasers, guarantors, and insurers, including the GSEs, about the mortgage loans and the manner in which they were originated. Whole loan sale agreements require repurchase or substitute mortgage loans, or indemnify buyers against losses, in the event we breach these representations or warranties. In addition, we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans as a result of early payment default of the borrower on a mortgage loan. If repurchase and indemnity demands increase and such demands are valid claims and are in excess of our provision for potential losses, our liquidity, results of operations, and financial condition may be adversely affected.

We are subject to environmental risks.

We own certain of our properties, and a significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real property. In the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties, securing certain loans. As a result, we could be subject to environmental liabilities with respect to these properties. If hazardous or toxic substances are found, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase our exposure to environmental liability. Although we have policies and procedures to obtain an environmental study during the underwriting process for certain commercial real estate loan originations and to perform an environmental review before initiating any foreclosure action on real property, these reviews may not be

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sufficient to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Business, Industry, Markets, and Market Interest Rates

Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected by the financial markets, fiscal, monetary, and regulatory policies, developments impacting the financial services industry specifically and economic conditions generally.

General economic, political, social and health conditions in the U.S. and abroad affect markets in the U.S. and our business. In particular, markets in the U.S. may be affected by the level and volatility of interest rates, availability and market conditions of financing, unexpected changes in gross domestic product, economic growth or its sustainability, inflation, supply chain disruptions, consumer spending, employment levels, labor shortages, wage stagnation, federal government shutdowns, developments related to the U.S. federal debt ceiling, energy prices, home prices, commercial property values, bankruptcies, a default by a significant market participant or class of counterparties, fluctuations or other significant changes in both debt and equity capital markets and currencies, liquidity of the global financial markets, the growth of global trade and commerce, trade policies, the availability and cost of capital and credit, disruption of communication, transportation or energy infrastructure and investor sentiment and confidence. Markets may also be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of climate change, extreme weather events or natural disasters, the emergence or continuation of widespread health emergencies or pandemics, cyberattacks or campaigns, military conflict, terrorism, or other geopolitical events. Market fluctuations may impact net interest margin and affect our business liquidity. Also, any sudden or prolonged market downturn in the U.S., as a result of the above factors or otherwise, could result in a decline in net interest income and noninterest income and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, including capital and liquidity levels. Events in the financial services industry, such as the high-profile bank failures in 2023, may also cause concern and uncertainty about the financial services industry generally, which may result in sudden deposit outflows, increased borrowing and funding costs, and increased competition for liquidity, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our financial performance generally, and in particular, the ability of borrowers to pay interest on and repay the principal of outstanding loans and the value of collateral securing those loans, as well as demand for loans and other products and services we offer and whose success we rely on to drive our growth, is also highly dependent on the business environment in the primary markets where we operate. Unlike larger financial institutions that are more geographically diversified, we are a regional bank that focuses on providing banking and financial services to customers primarily in Virginia, and in certain markets in Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The economic conditions in these markets may be different from, and in some instances worse than, the economic conditions in the United States as a whole. An economic downturn or prolonged recession can result in a deterioration of our credit quality, an increase in the number of loan delinquencies, defaults and charge-offs, foreclosures, additional provisions for loan losses, adverse asset values and a reduction in deposits and assets under management or administration. Unlike many larger institutions, we are not able to spread the risks of unfavorable local economic conditions across a large number of diversified economies. An economic downturn could, therefore, result in losses that materially and adversely affect our business.

We may not be able to maintain a strong core deposit base or access other low-cost funding sources.

We rely on bank deposits to be a low cost and stable source of funding. In addition, our future growth will largely depend on our ability to maintain and grow a strong core deposit base. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain core deposits, to obtain third party financing on favorable terms, or to have access to interbank or other liquidity sources, we may not be able to grow our assets as quickly. Deposit levels may be affected by various industry factors, including general interest rate levels, returns available to customers on alternative investments, conditions in the financial services industry specifically and general economic conditions that impact the amount of liquidity in the economy and savings levels, and also by factors that impact customers’ perception of our financial condition and capital and liquidity levels. If a large number of our depositors or depositors with a high concentration of deposits sought to withdraw their deposits suddenly, we could encounter difficulty meeting such a significant deposit outflow, which could negatively impact our profitability, reputation, and liquidity. Significant unanticipated deposit outflows have occurred at other financial institutions, and may occur in the future, compounded by advances in technology that increase the speed at which deposits can be moved from bank to bank or outside the banking system, as well as the speed and reach with which

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information, concerns, and rumors can spread through media, in each case potentially exacerbating liquidity concerns. While we believe our funding sources are adequate to meet any significant unanticipated deposit withdrawal, we may not be able to manage the risk of deposit volatility effectively, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, business, financial condition, and results of operations. We also compete with banks and other financial services companies for deposits. If our competitors raise the rates, they pay on deposits in response to interest rate changes initiated by the FOMC or for other reasons of their choice, our funding costs may increase, either because we raise our rates to retain deposits or because of deposit outflows that require us to rely on more expensive sources of funding. Higher funding costs could reduce our net interest margin and net interest income. Any decline in available funding could adversely affect our ability to continue to implement our business strategy which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We face substantial competition that could adversely affect our growth and/or operating results.

We operate in a competitive market for financial services and face intense competition from other financial institutions both in making loans and attracting deposits, which can greatly affect pricing for our products and services and could adversely affect our cost of funds. Our primary competitors include community, regional, national and internet banks, as well as credit unions and mortgage companies. Many of these financial institutions are significantly larger and have established customer bases, greater financial resources, and higher lending limits. In addition, credit unions are exempt from corporate income taxes, providing a significant competitive pricing advantage compared to banks. In addition, as customer preferences and expectations continue to evolve, technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for nonbanks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks, such as automatic transfer and automatic payment systems. In addition, many of these nonbank competitors are not subject to the same extensive federal regulations that govern bank holding companies and federally insured banks. As a result, some of our competitors have the ability to offer products and services that we are unable to offer or to offer such products and services at more competitive rates.

Consumers may increasingly decide not to use banks to complete their financial transactions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Technology and other changes are allowing parties to complete financial transactions through alternative methods that have historically involved banks. For example, consumers can now maintain funds that would have historically been held as bank deposits in brokerage accounts, mutual funds, or general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards. Consumers can also complete transactions such as paying bills and/or transferring funds directly without the assistance of banks. We face increasing competition from fintech companies, as trends toward digital financial transactions have accelerated. The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries, known as “disintermediation,” could result in the loss of fee income, as well as the loss of customer deposits and the related income generated from those deposits. The loss of these revenue streams and the higher cost of deposits as a source of funds could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Changes in interest rates could adversely affect our income and cash flows.

Our income and cash flows depend to a great extent on the difference between the interest rates earned on interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and the interest rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. These rates are highly sensitive to many factors beyond our control, including general economic conditions and the policies of the Federal Reserve and other governmental and regulatory agencies. In an effort to combat inflation, the FOMC of the Federal Reserve increased the target range for the federal funds rate throughout 2022 and 2023 to its current range of 5.25% to 5.50%. While the FOMC foreshadowed decreases to the target rates in 2024, it also noted it will continue to assess additional information and implications for monetary policy in determining future actions with respect to target rates.

Our net interest margin is the difference between the yield we earn on our assets and the interest rate we pay for deposits and our other sources of funding. We generally seek to maintain a neutral position in terms of the volume of assets and liabilities that mature or re-price during any period so that we may reasonably maintain our net interest margin; however, interest rate fluctuations, loan prepayments, loan production, deposit flows, and competitive pressures are constantly changing and influence our ability to maintain a neutral position. Generally, our earnings will be more sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates depending on the variance in volume of assets and liabilities that mature and re-price in any period. The extent and duration of the sensitivity will depend on the cumulative variance over time, the velocity and

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direction of changes in interest rates, shape and slope of the yield curve, and whether we are more asset sensitive or liability sensitive. Accordingly, our net interest margin may be adversely affected. In addition, our ability to reflect such interest rate changes in the pricing of our products is influenced by competitive pressures. We may not be able to reflect changes in interest rates in rates charged on loans or paid on deposits due to competitive pressures, which would negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

We may incur losses if asset values decline, including due to changes in interest rates and prepayment speeds.

We have a large portfolio of financial instruments, including derivative assets and liabilities, debt securities, loans and loan commitments, and certain other assets and liabilities that we measure at fair value that are subject to valuation and impairment assessments. We determine these values based on applicable accounting guidance, which, for financial instruments measured at fair value, requires an entity to base fair value on exit price and to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs in fair value measurements. The fair values of these financial instruments include adjustments for market liquidity, credit quality, funding impact on certain derivatives and other transaction-specific factors, where appropriate.

Gains or losses on these instruments can have a direct impact on our results of operations, unless we have effectively hedged our exposures. If interest rates continue to rise, then we could have continuing changes in spreads that may adversely impact the fair value of securities and, accordingly, for debt securities classified as available for sale, may adversely affect accumulated other comprehensive income and, thus, capital levels. Decreases in interest rates may increase prepayment speeds of certain assets, and, therefore, may adversely affect net interest income.

Fair values may be impacted by declining values of the underlying assets or the prices at which observable market transactions occur and the continued availability of these transactions or indices. The financial strength of counterparties, with whom we have economically hedged some of our exposure to these assets, also will affect the fair value of these assets. Sudden declines and volatility in the prices of assets may curtail or eliminate trading activities in these assets, which may make it difficult to sell, hedge or value these assets. The inability to sell or effectively hedge assets reduces our ability to limit losses in such positions, and the difficulty in valuing assets may increase our risk-weighted assets, which requires us to maintain additional capital and increases our funding costs.

Risks Related to Our Operations

A failure and/or breach of our operating or securities systems or infrastructure, or those of our third-party vendors and other service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks, could disrupt our business, result in a disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, damage our reputation, increase our costs and cause losses.

Operational risk exposures could adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, as well as cause reputational harm. The potential for operational risk exposure exists throughout our business and, as a result of our interactions with, and reliance on, third parties, is not limited to our own internal operational functions. We depend on our ability to process, record and monitor a large number of client transactions on a continuous basis. As client, public, and regulatory expectations regarding operational and information security have increased, we must continue to safeguard and monitor our operational systems and infrastructure for potential failures, disruptions, and breakdowns. Although we have information and data security, business continuity plans and other safeguards in place, our business operations may be adversely affected by significant and widespread disruption to our physical infrastructure or operating systems that support our businesses and clients.

For example, our ability to conduct business may be adversely affected by any significant disruptions to us or to third parties with whom we interact or upon whom we rely. In addition, our ability to implement backup systems and other safeguards with respect to third-party systems is more limited than with respect to our own systems. Our financial, accounting, data processing, backup or other operating or security systems and infrastructure may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors, including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control, which could adversely affect our ability to process transactions or provide services. Such events may include: sudden increases in customer transaction volume; electrical, telecommunications or other major physical infrastructure outages; natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes and floods; pandemics; and events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including wars and terrorist acts. In addition, we may need to take our systems offline if they become infected with malware or a computer virus or as a result of another form of cyber-attack.

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In the event that backup systems are used, they may not process data as quickly as our primary systems and some data might not have been saved to backup systems, potentially resulting in a temporary or permanent loss of such data. We frequently update our systems to support our operations and growth and to remain compliant with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. This updating entails significant costs and creates risks associated with implementing new systems and integrating them with existing ones, including business interruptions. Implementation and testing of controls related to our computer systems, security monitoring and retaining and training personnel required to operate our systems also entail significant costs. While we have insurance to cover our operations, it may not be adequate to compensate for losses from a major interruption.

Any failure or interruption in the operation of our communications and information systems could impair or prevent the effective operation of our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, lending or other functions. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of a failure or interruption in the operation of our information systems, there can be no assurance that any such failures or interruptions will not occur or, if they do, that they will be adequately addressed. The occurrence of any failures or interruptions impacting our information systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, and expose us to additional regulatory scrutiny, civil litigation, and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We face information security risks, including denial of service attacks, hacking, social engineering attacks targeting our employees and customers, malware intrusion or data corruption attempts, terrorist activities, and identity theft, that could result in the disclosure of confidential information, adversely affect our business or reputation, and create significant legal and financial exposure.

Our computer systems and network infrastructure and those of third parties, on which we are highly dependent, are subject to security risks and could be susceptible to cyber-attacks, such as denial of service attacks, hacking, social engineering attacks targeting our employees and customers, malware intrusion or data corruption attempts, terrorist activities or identity theft. Our business relies on the secure processing, transmission, storage and retrieval of confidential, proprietary and other information in our computer and data management systems and networks, and in the computer and data management systems and networks of third parties. In addition, to access our network, products and services, our customers and other third parties may use personal mobile devices or computing devices that are outside of our network environment and are subject to their own cybersecurity risks.

We, our customers, regulators and other third parties, including other financial services institutions and companies engaged in data processing, have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyber-attacks. These cyber-attacks include computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denial of service attacks, ransomware, improper access by employees or service providers, attacks on personal email of employees, ransom demands to not expose security vulnerabilities in our systems or the systems of third parties or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of confidential, proprietary and other information of ours, our employees, our customers or of third parties, damage our systems or otherwise materially disrupt our or our customers’ or other third parties’ network access or business operations. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or incidents. Despite efforts to ensure the integrity of our systems and implement controls, processes, policies, and other protective measures, we may not be able to anticipate all security breaches, nor may we be able to implement guaranteed preventive measures against such security breaches. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks and could be held liable for any security breach or loss.

Cybersecurity risks for banking organizations have significantly increased in recent years, in part because of the proliferation of new technologies and the use of the internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions. Cybersecurity risks have also significantly increased in recent years in part due to the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime affiliates, terrorist organizations, hostile foreign governments, disgruntled employees or service providers, activists, and other external parties, including those involved in corporate espionage. Targeted social engineering attacks and “spear phishing” attacks are becoming more sophisticated and are extremely difficult to prevent. In such an attack, an attacker will attempt to fraudulently induce employees, customers, or other users of our systems to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to its data or that of its clients. In addition, our customers access our products and services using personal devices that are necessarily external to our security control systems. There has also been a significant proliferation of consumer information available on the

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internet resulting from breaches of third-party entities, including personal information, log-in credentials, and authentication data. While we were not directly involved in these third-party breach events, the stolen information can create a threat for our customers if their Bank log-in credentials are the same as or similar to the credentials that have been compromised on other internet sites. This threat could include the risk of unauthorized account access, data loss and fraud. The use of artificial intelligence, “bots” or other automation software can increase the velocity and efficacy of these types of attacks. As our employees are currently operating under our hybrid work model, our remote interaction with service providers, partners and other third parties on systems, networks, and environments over which we have less control increases our cybersecurity risk exposure. We will likely face an increasing number of attempted cyber-attacks as we expand our mobile and other internet-based products and services, as well as our usage of mobile and cloud technologies and as we provide more of these services to a greater number of retail banking customers. Persistent attackers may succeed in penetrating defenses given enough resources, time, and motive. The techniques used by cyber criminals change frequently, may not be recognized until launched and may not be recognized until well after a breach has occurred. The risk of a security breach caused by a cyber-attack at a service provider or by unauthorized service provider access has also increased in recent years. Additionally, the existence of cyber-attacks or security breaches at third-party service providers with access to our data may not be disclosed to us in a timely manner.

We also face indirect technology, cybersecurity and operational risks relating to the customers, clients and other third parties with whom we do business or upon whom we rely to facilitate or enable our business activities, including, for example, financial counterparties, regulators, providers of critical infrastructure such as internet access and electrical power, and software providers. As a result of increasing consolidation, interdependence and complexity of financial entities and technology systems, a technology failure, cyber-attack or other information or security breach that significantly degrades, deletes, or compromises the systems or data of one or more financial entities could have a material impact on counterparties or other market participants, including us. This consolidation, interconnectivity and complexity increases the risk of operational failure, on both individual and industry-wide bases, as disparate systems need to be integrated, often on an accelerated basis. Any third-party technology failure, cyber-attack or other information or security breach, termination or constraint could, among other things, adversely affect our ability to effect transactions, service our clients, manage our exposure to risk or expand our business. In addition, we, our employees and our customers, are increasingly transitioning our and their computing infrastructure to cloud-based computing, storage, data processing, networking and other services, which may increase these security risks.

Cyber-attacks or other information or security breaches, whether directed at us or third parties, may result in a material loss or have material consequences. Furthermore, the public perception that a cyber-attack on our systems has been successful, whether or not this perception is correct, may damage our reputation with customers and third parties with whom we do business. Hacking of personal information and identity theft risks, in particular, could cause serious reputational harm. A successful penetration or circumvention of system security could cause us serious negative consequences, including our loss of customers and business opportunities, significant business disruption to our operations and business, misappropriation or destruction of our confidential information and/or that of our customers and/or other third parties, or damage to our or our customers’ and/or third parties’ computers or systems, and could result in a violation of applicable privacy laws and other laws, litigation exposure, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, loss of confidence in our security measures, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, additional remediation and/or compliance costs, increased insurance premiums and could adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition.

Although to date we have not experienced any material losses related to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses in the future.

Failure to complete our proposed merger with American National could negatively impact us.

Our merger agreement with American National is subject to a number of conditions which must be fulfilled in order to complete the merger. If the proposed merger is not completed for any reason, there may be various adverse consequences and we may experience negative reactions from the financial markets and from our customers and employees. For example, our business may have been impacted adversely by the failure to pursue other beneficial opportunities due to the focus of our management on the merger, without realizing any of the anticipated benefits of completing the merger. Additionally, if the merger agreement is terminated, the market price of our common stock could decline to the extent that current market prices reflect a market assumption that the merger will be beneficial and will be completed. We also could be subject to litigation related to any failure to complete the merger or to proceedings commenced against us to perform our obligations under the merger agreement.

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Additionally, we have incurred and will incur substantial expenses in connection with the negotiation and completion of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. If the merger is not completed, we would have to recognize these expenses without realizing the expected benefits of the merger.

Before the merger with American National and the related bank merger may be completed, various approvals, consents and non-objections must be obtained from bank regulatory authorities, including the Federal Reserve. In determining whether to grant these approvals, the regulators consider a variety of factors, including the regulatory standing of each party. These approvals could be delayed or not obtained at all, including due to an adverse development in either party’s regulatory standing or in any other factors considered by regulators in granting such approvals; governmental, political or community group inquiries, investigations or opposition; or changes in legislation or the political or regulatory environment generally.

The approvals that are granted may impose terms and conditions, limitations, obligations or costs, or place restrictions on the conduct of the combined company’s business or require changes to the terms of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that regulators will not impose any such conditions, limitations, obligations or restrictions and that such conditions, limitations, obligations or restrictions will not have the effect of delaying the completion of any of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, imposing additional material costs on or materially limiting the revenues of the combined company following the merger or otherwise reduce the anticipated benefits of the merger if the merger were consummated successfully within the expected timeframe. In addition, there can be no assurance that any such conditions, terms, obligations, or restrictions will not result in the delay or abandonment of the merger. The completion of the proposed merger is conditioned on the receipt of the requisite regulatory approvals without the imposition of any materially financially burdensome regulatory condition and the expiration of all statutory waiting periods. Additionally, the completion of the proposed merger is conditioned on the absence of certain laws, orders, injunctions, or decrees issued by any court or governmental entity of competent jurisdiction that would prevent, prohibit or make illegal the completion of the merger, the bank merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

If the consummation of the proposed merger is delayed, including by a delay in receipt of necessary regulatory approvals, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Combining the Company and American National may be more difficult, costly or time consuming than expected and we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger.

The success of our proposed merger with American National will depend, in part, on the ability to realize the anticipated cost savings from combining the businesses of the Company and American National. To realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings from the proposed merger, the Company and American National must successfully integrate and combine their businesses in a manner that permits those cost savings to be realized. If the Company and American National are not able to successfully achieve these objectives, the anticipated benefits of the merger may not be realized fully or at all or may take longer to realize than expected. In addition, the actual cost savings and anticipated benefits of the proposed merger could be less than anticipated, and integration may result in additional unforeseen expenses.

An inability to realize the full extent of the anticipated benefits of the proposed merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, as well as any delays encountered in the integration process, could have an adverse effect on the revenues, levels of expenses and operating results of the combined company following the completion of the merger, which may adversely affect the value of the common stock of the combined company following the completion of the merger.

The Company and American National have operated and, until the completion of the merger, must continue to operate, independently. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of our ongoing business or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect each company’s ability to maintain relationships with clients, customers, depositors and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger. Integration efforts may also divert management attention during this transition period

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and for an undetermined period after completion of the merger, which may have an adverse effect on the combined company.

Interest rate volatility may adversely impact the fair value adjustments of investments and loans acquired in our proposed merger with American National.

Upon the closing of our proposed merger with American National, the combined company will need to adjust the fair value of American National’s investment and loan portfolios. A continued rising interest rate environment could have the effect of increasing the magnitude of the purchase accounting marks relating to such fair value adjustments, thereby increasing initial tangible book value dilution, extending the tangible book value earn-back period, and negatively impacting the combined company’s capital ratios, after consummation of the merger.

Shareholder litigation could prevent or delay the completion of our proposed merger with American National or otherwise negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Shareholders of the Company and/or American National may file lawsuits against the Company, American National and/or the directors and officers of either company in connection with the proposed merger. One of the conditions to the closing is that no law order, injunction or decree issued by any court or governmental entity of competent jurisdiction would prevent, prohibit or make illegal the completion of the merger, the bank merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement be in effect. If any plaintiff were successful in obtaining an injunction prohibiting the Company or American National from completing the merger, the bank merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, then such injunction may delay or prevent the effectiveness of the merger and could result in significant costs to the Company, including any cost associated with the indemnification of our directors and officers. We may incur costs in connection with the defense or settlement of any shareholder lawsuits filed in connection with the merger. Shareholder lawsuits may divert management attention from management of our business or operations. Such litigation could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and could prevent or delay the completion of the merger.

Our business strategy includes continued growth, and our financial condition and results of operation could be negatively affected if we fail to grow or fail to manage our growth effectively.

We intend to continue pursuing a growth strategy for our business. Our ability to continue to grow successfully will depend on a variety of factors, including economic conditions in the markets in which we operate as well as in the U.S. and globally, continued availability of desirable business opportunities, and competitive responses from other financial and non-financial institution competitors in our market areas. In addition, our ability to manage growth successfully depends on a variety of factors, including whether we can maintain adequate capital levels, maintain cost controls, effectively manage asset quality, effectively manage increasing regulatory compliance requirements, and successfully integrate any businesses acquired into our organization, including our proposed merger with American National.

While we believe we have the management and other resources and internal systems in place to successfully manage our future growth, there can be no assurance growth opportunities will be available or growth will be successfully managed. As consolidation within the financial services industry continues, the competition for growth opportunities, including through strategic acquisition, may increase, and many of our competitors for growth opportunities will have greater financial resources than us. In addition, if we are unable to successfully manage future expansion in our operations, we may experience compliance and operational problems, have to slow the pace of growth, or have to incur additional expenses to support such growth, any of which could adversely affect our business. Particularly in light of prevailing economic and competitive conditions, we cannot assure you we will be able to expand our market presence in our existing markets or successfully enter new markets or that any such expansion will not adversely affect our results of operations. Failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, future prospects, financial condition, or results of operations, and could adversely affect our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. Also, if our growth occurs more slowly than anticipated or declines, our operating results could be materially adversely affected.

We may be adversely affected by risks associated with future mergers and acquisition, including execution risk which could disrupt our business and dilute shareholder value.

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Our business growth, profitability, and market share has been enhanced by us engaging in strategic mergers and acquisitions, such as our proposed merger with American National, either within or contiguous to our existing footprint. We expect to continue to evaluate merger and acquisition opportunities that are presented to us in our current and expected markets and conduct due diligence related to those opportunities, as well as negotiate to acquire or merge with other institutions. We may issue equity securities, including common stock and securities convertible into shares of our common stock in connection with future acquisitions. We also may issue debt to finance one or more transactions, including subordinated debt issuances, which could cause us to become more susceptible to economic downturns and competitive pressures. Generally, acquisitions of financial institutions involve the payment of a premium over book and market values, resulting in dilution of our book value and fully diluted earnings per share, as well as dilution to our existing shareholders.

Our merger and acquisition activities, including our proposed merger with American National, could involve a number of additional risks, including, among others, the risks of:

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incurring time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential merger or acquisition targets;

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our inability to obtain regulatory and other approvals necessary to consummate mergers, acquisitions or other expansion activities, or the risk that such regulatory approvals are delayed, impeded, or conditioned due to existing or new regulatory issues surrounding us, the target institution or the proposed combined entity as a result of, among other things, issues related to anti-money laundering/Bank Secrecy Act compliance, fair lending laws, fair housing laws, consumer protection laws, unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices regulations, or the Community Reinvestment Act;

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diversion of our management’s attention to the negotiation of a transaction, and the integration of the operations and personnel of the combining businesses;

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potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of the acquired or merged company;

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litigation with respect to the proposed transaction;

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potentially inaccurate estimates and judgments used by us to evaluate credit, operations, management and market risks with respect to the acquired or merged company;

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unexpected asset quality problems;

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experiencing higher operating expenses relative to operating income from the new operations;

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significant problems relating to the conversion of the financial and customer data of the entity;

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assuming businesses with internal control deficiencies; and

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the possible loss of our key employees and customers or those of the acquired or merged company.

There is no assurance that, following any future mergers or acquisitions, including our proposed merger with American National, our integration efforts will be successful or that we, after giving effect to the acquisition, will achieve the strategic objectives, operating efficiencies, increased revenues comparable to or better than our historical experience, or other benefits expected in the acquisition, and failure to realize such strategic objectives, operating efficiencies, expected revenue increases, cost savings, increases in market presence or other benefits could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets may be adversely affected.

When we complete an acquisition, goodwill and other intangible assets are often recorded on the date of acquisition as an asset. Current accounting guidance requires goodwill to be tested for impairment, in aggregate and at a reportable segment level, and we perform this impairment analysis at least annually. A significant adverse change in our expected future cash flows or a sustained adverse change in the price of our common stock, at the reportable segment level and/or the aggregate level, could require our goodwill and other intangible assets to become impaired. If impaired, we would incur a charge to earnings that would have a significant impact on our results of operations. The carrying value of our goodwill and net amortizable intangibles were approximately $925.2 million and $19.2 million, respectively, at December 31, 2023.

Our risk-management framework may not be effective in mitigating risks and/or losses.

We maintain an enterprise risk management program that is designed to identify, assess, mitigate, monitor, and report the risks that we face. These risks include: interest-rate, credit, liquidity, operational, reputation, compliance, legal, technology, and model risk. While we assess and seek to improve this program on an ongoing basis, there can be no assurance that our risk management framework and related controls will effectively mitigate all risk and limit losses in

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our business. If conditions or circumstances arise that expose flaws or gaps in our risk-management program, or if our controls break down, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. We must also develop and maintain a culture of risk management among our employees, as well as manage risks associated with third parties, and we could fail to do so effectively. If our risk management framework is not effective, we could suffer unexpected losses and become subject to litigation, negative regulatory consequences, or reputational damage among other adverse consequences, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

We use models in our business and operations, and we could be adversely affected if our design, implementation, or use of models is flawed.

The use of statistical and quantitative models and other quantitatively based analyses is central to bank decision-making and regulatory compliance processes, and the employment of such analyses is becoming increasingly widespread in our operations. We use quantitative models to price products and services, measure risk, calculate the quantitative portion of our allowance for loan losses, estimate asset and liability values, assess capital and liquidity, manage our balance sheet, create financial forecasts, and otherwise conduct our business and operations. We anticipate that model-derived insights will penetrate further into bank decision-making, and particularly risk management efforts. While these quantitative techniques and approaches improve our decision-making, they also create the possibility that faulty data or flawed quantitative approaches could yield adverse outcomes or regulatory scrutiny. Additionally, because of the complexity inherent in these approaches, misunderstanding or misuse of their outputs could similarly result in suboptimal decision-making. We also rely on model inputs that are provided by third parties. To the extent that any flawed models or inaccurate model outputs are used in reports to banking agencies or the public, we could be subjected to supervisory actions, private litigation, and other proceedings that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Failure to keep pace with technological change could adversely affect our business and ability to remain competitive, and we may experience operational challenges when implementing new technologies.

The financial services industry is continually undergoing technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services, and we anticipate that new technologies will continue to emerge. Our continued success depends, in part, on our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that satisfy customer demands and create efficiencies in our operations. Developing or acquiring access to new technologies and incorporating those technologies into our products and services, or using them to expand our products and services, may require significant investments, may take considerable time to complete, and ultimately may not be successful. If we fail to maintain or enhance our competitive position with respect to technology, whether because of a failure to anticipate customer expectations, substantially fewer resources to invest in technological improvements than our larger competitors, or because our technological developments fail to perform as desired or are not rolled out in a timely manner, we may lose market share or incur additional expense. In addition, any future implementation of technological changes and upgrades to maintain current systems may cause operational and customer challenges upon implementation and for some time afterwards. Key challenges include service interruptions, transaction processing errors and system conversion delays, which may cause us to lose customers or fail to comply with applicable laws, and may cause us to incur additional expenses, which may be substantial and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects.

The implementation of new lines of business or new products and services may subject us to additional risk.

We continuously evaluate our service offerings and, from time to time, may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as competitive alternatives and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business and/or a new product or service. Furthermore, strategic planning remains important as we adopt innovative products, services, and processes in response to the evolving demands for financial services and the entrance of new competitors, such as out-of-market banks and fintech companies. Any new line of business and/or new product or service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls, so we must responsibly innovate in a manner that is consistent with

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sound risk management and is aligned with our overall business strategies. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business and/or new products or services could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our business could be adversely affected by the operational functions of business counterparties over which we have limited or no control.

Multiple major U.S. retailers and a major consumer credit reporting agency have experienced data systems incursions in recent years reportedly resulting in the thefts of credit and debit card information, online account information, and other personal and financial data of hundreds of millions of individuals. Retailer incursions affect cards issued and deposit accounts maintained by many banks, including us. Although our systems are not breached in retailer incursions, these incursions can still cause customers to be dissatisfied with us and otherwise adversely affect our reputation. These events can also cause us to reissue a significant number of cards and take other costly steps to avoid significant theft or loss to us and our customers. In some cases, we may be required to reimburse customers for the losses they incur. Credit reporting agency intrusions affect our customers and can require these customers and us to increase account monitoring and take remedial action to prevent unauthorized account activity or access. Other possible points of intrusion or disruption not within our control include internet service providers, electronic mail portal providers, social media portals, distant-server (“cloud”) service providers, electronic data security providers, telecommunications companies, and smart phone manufacturers.

We rely on other companies to provide key components of our business infrastructure.

Third parties provide key components of our business infrastructure, such as data processing, recording, and monitoring transactions, online banking interfaces and services, core processing, internet connections, and network access. Any disruption in the services provided by these third parties or any failure of these third parties to handle current or higher volumes of use could adversely affect our ability to deliver products and services to our customers and otherwise conduct our business. Financial, technological or operational difficulties of a third-party service provider could also negatively impact our operations if those difficulties result in the interruption or discontinuation of services provided by that party. In addition, one or more of our third-party service providers may become subject to cyber-attacks or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss of destruction of our or our client’s confidential, proprietary and other information, or otherwise disrupt our or our clients’ or other third parties’ business operations. While we have processes in place to monitor our third-party service providers’ data and information security safeguards, we do not control such service providers’ day-to-day operations and a successful attack or security breach at one or more of such third-party service providers is not within our control. The occurrence of any such breaches, disruption in services provided by such third parties or other failures could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, and expose us to additional regulatory scrutiny, civil litigation, and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. We may not be insured against all types of losses as a result of third-party failures and our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all losses resulting from system failures, third-party breaches, or other disruptions. Replacing these third-party service providers could also create significant delay and expense. Accordingly, use of such third parties creates an unavoidable inherent risk to our business operations. Additionally, we are exposed to the risk that a service disruption at a common service provider to our third-party service providers could impede their ability to provide service to us. Notwithstanding any attempts to diversify our reliance on third parties, we may not be able to effectively mitigate operational risks relating to our vendors’ use of common service providers.

We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information about clients and counterparties, and our financial condition could be adversely affected if we rely on misleading information.

In deciding whether to extend credit or to enter into other transactions with clients and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished to us by or on behalf of clients and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information, which we do not independently verify. We also may rely on representations of clients and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors. For example, in deciding whether to extend credit to clients, we may assume that a customer’s audited financial statements conform to GAAP and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of the borrower. Our earnings are significantly affected by our ability to properly originate, underwrite and service loans. Our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively

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impacted to the extent we incorrectly assess the creditworthiness of borrowers due to our reliance on financial statements that do not comply with GAAP or are materially misleading.

We are subject to losses due to errors, omissions or fraud by our employees, clients, counterparties or other third parties.

We are exposed to many types of operational risk, including the risk of fraud by third parties, customers and employees, clerical recordkeeping errors, and transactional errors. While our procedures are designed to follow customary, industry-specific security precautions and while we provide employees with ongoing training and regular communications and guidance to combat fraud, our efforts might not be successful in mitigating or reducing fraudulent attempts resulting in financial losses, increased litigation risk and reputational harm.

Our business also depends on our employees, as well as third-party service providers, to process a large number of increasingly complex transactions. We could be materially and adversely affected if employees, clients, counterparties, or other third parties caused an operational breakdown or failure, either as a result of human error, fraudulent manipulation, or purposeful damage to any of our operations or systems.

Competition for talent is substantial. If we are unable to attract, retain, develop and motivate our human capital, our business, results of operations, and prospects could be adversely affected.

We are a customer-focused and relationship-driven organization, and our performance is heavily dependent on the talents and efforts of our management team and other key employees. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees. The loss of any of our senior management or key employees could materially and adversely affect our ability to build on the efforts that they have undertaken and to execute our business plan, and we may not be able to find adequate replacements. The loss of personnel with extensive customer relationships may also lead to the loss of business if the customers were to follow that employee to a competitor. Our ability to attract and retain employees could also be impacted by changing workforce concerns, expectations, practices, and preferences, including remote work and hybrid work preferences, and increasing labor shortages and competition for labor, which could increase labor costs. If we do not succeed in attracting well-qualified employees or developing, retaining and motivating our employees, our business, results of operations, and prospects could be adversely affected.

Our internal controls and procedures may fail or be circumvented, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operation.

Maintaining and adapting our internal controls over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures and effective corporate governance policies and procedures (“controls and procedures”) is expensive and requires significant management attention. Moreover, as we continue to grow, our controls and procedures may become more complex and require additional resources to ensure they remain effective amid dynamic regulatory and other guidance. Failure to implement effective controls and procedures or circumvention of our controls and procedures could, among other things, cause us to fail to meet our public reporting obligations, harm our reputation, or cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operation, and the trading price of our securities.

Our business needs and future growth may require us to raise additional capital, but that capital may not be available or may be dilutive.

We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. We may need to raise additional capital in the future to have sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet our commitments and fund our business needs and future growth, particularly if our asset quality or earnings were to deteriorate significantly, or if we develop an asset concentration that requires the support of additional capital. Our ability to raise capital, if needed, in the future to meet capital needs or otherwise will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside our control, and on our financial performance. Accordingly, there is no assurance as to our ability to raise additional capital if needed on terms acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations through internal growth and acquisitions could be materially impaired. In addition, if we decide to raise additional equity capital, our current shareholders’ interests could be diluted.

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We are or may become party from time to time to various claims and lawsuits incidental to our business. Litigation is subject to many uncertainties such that the expenses and ultimate exposure with respect to many of these matters cannot be ascertained.

From time to time, we, our directors, and our management are, or may become, the subject of various claims and legal actions by customers, employees, shareholders and others. Whether such claims and legal actions are legitimate or unfounded, if such claims and legal actions are not resolved in our favor, they may result in significant financial liability and/or adversely affect our reputation and our products and services, as well as impact customer demand for those products and services. In light of the potential cost and uncertainty involved in litigation, we have in the past and may in the future settle matters even when we believe we have a meritorious defense. Certain claims may seek injunctive relief, which could disrupt the ordinary conduct of our business and operations or increase our cost of doing business. Our insurance or indemnities may not cover all claims that may be asserted against us. In addition, we may not be able to obtain appropriate types or levels of insurance in the future or be able to obtain adequate replacement policies with acceptable terms. Any judgments or settlements in any pending litigation or future claims, litigation or investigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are or may become involved from time to time in information-gathering requests, investigations, and proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory agencies that may lead to adverse consequences.

From time to time, we are, or may become, the subject of self-regulatory agency information-gathering requests, reviews, investigations and proceedings, and other forms of regulatory inquiry, including by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC and law enforcement authorities. The results of such proceedings could lead to significant civil or criminal penalties, including monetary penalties, damages, adverse judgments, settlements, fines, injunctions, restrictions on the way we conduct our business, or reputational harm.

We may not be able to generate sufficient taxable income to fully realize our deferred tax assets.

We have net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes that relate to our deferred tax assets. Our management currently believes that it is more likely than not that we will realize our deferred tax assets, based on management’s expectation that we will generate taxable income in future years sufficient to absorb substantially all of our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes. If we are unable to generate sufficient taxable income, we may not be able to fully realize our deferred tax assets and would be required to record a valuation allowance against these assets. A valuation allowance would be recorded as income tax expense and would adversely affect our net income.

Risks Related to the Regulatory Environment

We are subject to extensive regulation that could limit or restrict our activities.

We operate in a highly regulated industry and are subject to examination, supervision, and comprehensive regulation by various federal and state agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the CFPB, the FDIC, and the Virginia SCC. In addition, because we exceed $10 billion in total assets, we are subject to additional regulatory requirements compared to financial institutions with less than $10 billion in total assets, including, among other things, potentially higher FDIC assessment rates, a cap on the interchange fees that we can charge on debit card transactions and enhanced supervision as a larger financial institution. This regulation is imposed primarily to protect depositors, the FDIC DIF, consumers, and the banking system as a whole. We also are regulated by the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which regulation is designed to protect investors.

Our compliance with these regulations is costly and potentially restricts certain of our activities, including payment of dividends, mergers and acquisitions, investments, loans, and interest rates charged, interest rates paid and deposits and locations of our offices. We are also subject to capital guidelines established by our regulators, which require us to maintain sufficient capital to support our growth. The laws and regulations applicable to the banking industry could change at any time. The extent and timing of any regulatory reform as well as any effect on our business and financial results, are uncertain. Additionally, legislation or regulation may impose unexpected or unintended consequences, the impact of which is difficult to predict. Because government regulation greatly affects the business and financial results of all commercial banks and bank holding companies, our cost of compliance could adversely affect our ability to operate profitably.

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We are subject to a number of laws concerning consumer privacy and data use and security, including information safeguard rules under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. These rules require that financial institutions develop, implement, and maintain a written, comprehensive information security program containing safeguards that are appropriate to the financial institution’s size and complexity, the nature and scope of the financial institution’s activities, and the sensitivity of any customer information at issue. The United States has experienced a heightened legislative and regulatory focus on privacy and data security, including requiring consumer notification in the event of a data breach. In addition, most states have enacted security breach legislation requiring varying levels of consumer notification in the event of certain types of security breaches, and certain states, including Virginia, have enacted significant new consumer data privacy protections that can significantly limit a company’s use of customer financial data and impose significant compliance burdens on companies that collect or use that data. Additional new regulations in these areas may increase compliance costs, which could negatively impact our earnings. In addition, failure to comply with these privacy and data use and security laws and regulations, including by reason of inadvertent disclosure of confidential information, could result in fines, sanctions, penalties, or other adverse consequences and loss of consumer confidence, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and reputation.

We are required to maintain capital to meet regulatory requirements, and if we fail to maintain sufficient capital, whether due to losses, an inability to raise capital or otherwise, our financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations, as well as our ability to maintain regulatory compliance, would be adversely affected.

The Company and the Bank each must meet regulatory capital requirements and maintain sufficient liquidity. Banking organizations experiencing growth, especially those making acquisitions, are expected to hold additional capital above regulatory minimums. From time to time, regulators implement changes to these regulatory capital adequacy guidelines. In addition, regulators may require us to maintain higher levels of regulatory capital based on our condition, risk profile, or growth plans or conditions in the banking industry or economy. In recent years, these market and regulatory expectations have increased substantially and have resulted in higher and more stringent capital requirements for the Company and the Bank.

The application of more stringent capital requirements could, among other things, result in lower returns on equity, require us to raise additional capital, and result in regulatory actions if we were unable to comply with such requirements. Our failure to remain “well capitalized” for bank regulatory purposes could affect customer confidence, our ability to grow, our costs of funds and FDIC insurance costs, our ability to pay dividends on our common and preferred stock and make distributions on our trust preferred securities, our ability to make acquisitions, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Under regulatory rules, if the Bank ceases to be a “well capitalized” institution for bank regulatory purposes, the interest rates that it pays and its ability to accept brokered deposits may be restricted.

We are subject to the CFPB’s broad regulatory and enforcement authority and new regulations, and new approaches to regulation or enforcement by the CFPB could adversely impact us.

The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over us and has broad rulemaking authority to administer and carry out the purposes and objectives of federal consumer financial protection laws. Among other things, the CFPB is authorized to issue rules identifying and prohibiting acts or practices that are unfair, deceptive, or abusive in connection with any transaction with a consumer for a consumer financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service. The CFPB has broad discretion to interpret the term “abusive” to cover a wide range of acts or practices. New regulations, or new approaches to regulation or enforcement by the CFPB could adversely impact our deposit, consumer lending, mortgage lending, loan collection or overdraft coverage programs and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

On December 7, 2023, we consented to the issuance of a Consent Order by the CFPB pursuant to which we agreed, without admitting or denying any of the facts or conclusions, to implement a redress and compliance plan to pay at least $5 million to certain current and former customers of the Bank who opted-in to the Bank’s discretionary overdraft service during a specified time period and pay a $1.2 million civil monetary penalty. We remain subject to the restrictions and obligations of the Consent Order. Although we believe we are in compliance with the requirements of

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the Consent Order, our failure to comply and to successfully implement its requirements may results in additional regulatory action, including civil monetary penalties against the Bank and its officers and directors or enforcement of the Consent Order through court proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price.

We are subject to the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations, and any deemed deficiency by the Bank with respect to these laws could result in significant liability and have a material adverse effect on our business strategy.

The Bank Secrecy Act, the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and file suspicious activity and currency transaction reports when appropriate. The Bank is also required to comply with the rules enforced by OFAC regarding, among other things, the prohibition of transacting business with, and the need to freeze assets of, certain persons and organizations identified as a threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. Bank regulatory agencies routinely examine financial institutions for compliance with these statutes and related regulations. If our policies, procedures and systems are deemed deficient or the policies, procedures and systems of the financial institutions that we may acquire in the future are deficient, we could be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, or could cause a bank regulatory agency not to approve a merger or acquisition transaction or to prohibit such a transaction even if formal approval is not required. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for us. In addition, such a failure could result in a regulatory authority imposing a formal enforcement action or civil money penalty for regulatory violations.

We are subject to numerous laws designed to protect consumers, including the Community Reinvestment Act and fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to material penalties and other sanctions.

The CRA, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Housing Act, and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. A successful regulatory challenge to an institution’s performance under the CRA or fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity, restrictions on expansion, and restrictions on entering new business lines. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects.

The Federal Reserve may require us to commit capital resources to support the Bank.

Applicable law and the Federal Reserve require a bank holding company to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to a subsidiary bank and to commit resources to support such subsidiary bank. Under the “source of strength” doctrine, the Federal Reserve may require a bank holding company to make capital injections into a troubled subsidiary bank and may charge the bank holding company with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to such a subsidiary bank. Under these requirements, in the future, we could be required to provide financial assistance to our Bank if the Bank experiences financial distress.

A capital injection may be required at times when we do not have the resources to provide it, and therefore we may be required to borrow the funds. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee will assume any commitment by the holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank. Moreover, bankruptcy law provides that claims based on any such commitment will be entitled to a priority of payment over the claims of the holding company’s general unsecured creditors, including the holders of its note obligations. Thus, any borrowing that must be done by the holding company in order to make the required capital injection becomes more difficult and expensive and will adversely impact the holding company’s cash flows, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

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Risks Related to Our Securities

Our ability to pay dividends is limited, and we may be unable to pay dividends in the future.

Our ability to pay dividends is limited by regulatory restrictions and the need to maintain sufficient consolidated capital. In addition, the Company is a financial holding company that conducts substantially all of its operations through the Bank and other subsidiaries. As a result, the Company relies on dividends from its subsidiaries, particularly the Bank, for substantially all of its revenues. The ability of the Bank to pay dividends to us is limited by its obligations to maintain sufficient capital and by other general restrictions on its dividends that are applicable to state member banks that are regulated by the Federal Reserve and the Virginia SCC. For information on these regulatory restrictions on the right of the Bank to pay dividends to us and on the right of the Company to pay dividends to its shareholders, see Part I—Item 1—“Supervision and Regulation—Limits on Dividend and Other Payments.” If we do not satisfy these regulatory requirements, or if the Bank does not have sufficient earnings to make payments to us while maintaining adequate capital levels, we will be unable to pay dividends on our common stock or depositary shares, which represent a fractional interest in the Company’s Series A preferred stock, and may be unable to service debt or pay obligations, causing our business, financial condition and results of operations to be materially adversely affected.

Any declaration and payment of dividends on our common stock will depend upon our earnings and financial condition, liquidity and capital requirements, the general economic and regulatory climate, our ability to service any equity or debt obligations senior to the common stock, including our depositary shares, and other factors deemed relevant by the board of directors. Furthermore, consistent with our business plans, growth initiatives, capital availability, projected liquidity needs, and other factors, we have made, and will continue to make, capital management decisions and policies that could adversely impact the amount of dividends, if any, paid to our shareholders. Although we currently expect to continue to pay quarterly dividends, any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made by our board of directors and will depend on a number of factors.

The trading volumes in our common stock may not provide adequate liquidity for investors.

Shares of our common stock are listed on the NYSE; however, the average trading volume is less than that of other larger financial institutions. A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends on the presence in the marketplace of a sufficient number of willing buyers and sellers of our common stock at any given time. This presence depends on the individual decisions of investors and general economic and market conditions over which we have no control. Given these factors, a shareholder may have difficulty selling shares of our common stock at an attractive price (or at all). Additionally, shareholders may not be able to sell a substantial number of our common stock shares for the same price at which shareholders could sell a smaller number of shares. Given the current daily average trading volume of our common stock, significant sales of our common stock in a brief period of time, or the expectation of these sales, could cause a significant decline in the price of our common stock.

Future capital needs could result in dilution of shareholder investment and could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and preferred stock (or depositary shares representing a fractional interest in our preferred stock).

We are generally not restricted from issuing additional shares of our common stock or preferred stock up to the number of shares authorized in our articles of incorporation. We may issue additional shares of our common stock, preferred stock (or depositary shares representing a fractional interest in our preferred stock), or securities convertible into common stock, in the future for a number of reasons, including to finance our operations and business strategy (including mergers and acquisitions), to adjust our ratio of debt to equity, to address regulatory capital concerns, or to satisfy our obligations upon the exercise of outstanding stock awards. If we choose to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock, preferred stock (or depositary shares representing a fractional interest in our preferred stock) or securities convertible into common stock for any reason, the issuance would have a dilutive effect on the holders of our common stock, preferred stock (or depositary shares representing a fractional interest in our preferred stock) and could have a material negative effect on the market price of such securities and could be dilutive to shareholders.

Holders of our indebtedness and of depositary shares related to our Series A preferred stock have rights that are senior to those of our common shareholders.

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At December 31, 2023, we had outstanding subordinated notes, trust preferred securities and accompanying subordinated debentures and preferred stock totaling $391.2 million. Payments of the principal and interest on the subordinated notes and the subordinated debentures accompanying the trust preferred securities and dividends on the preferred stock are senior to payments with respect to shares of our common stock. We also conditionally guarantee payments of the principal and interest on the trust preferred securities. As a result, we must make payments on these debt instruments (including the related trust preferred securities) and preferred shares before any dividends can be paid on our common stock and, in the event of bankruptcy, dissolution or liquidation, the holders of the debt and preferred shares must be satisfied before any distributions can be made on our common stock. We have the right to defer distributions on the subordinated debentures related to the trust preferred securities (and the related guarantee of payments on the trust preferred securities) for up to five years, during which time no dividends may be paid on our common stock. If our financial condition deteriorates or if we do not receive required regulatory approvals, we may be required to defer distributions on the subordinated debentures related to the trust preferred securities (and the related guarantee of payments on the trust preferred securities).

We may from time to time issue or acquire additional senior or subordinated indebtedness or preferred stock that would have to be repaid before our shareholders would be entitled to receive any of our assets.

Our governing documents and the provisions of Virginia law to which we are subject contain certain provisions that could have an anti-takeover affect and may delay, make more difficult or prevent an attempted acquisition of the Company that you may favor.

Our articles of incorporation and bylaws and the Virginia Stock Corporation Act contain certain provisions designed to enhance the ability of our board of directors to respond to attempts to acquire control of the Company. These provisions and the ability to set the voting rights, preferences, and other terms of any series of preferred stock that may be issued, may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may discourage takeovers (which certain shareholders may deem to be in their best interest). To the extent that such takeover attempts are discouraged, temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock resulting from actual or rumored takeover attempts may be inhibited. These provisions also could discourage or make more difficult a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest, even though you may favor such transactions, and could potentially adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Our stock price may be volatile, which could result in losses to our investors and litigation against us.

Stock price volatility may make it more difficult for you to resell your common stock or depositary shares when you want and at prices you find attractive. Our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors, some of which are unrelated to our financial performance, including, among other things:

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actual or anticipated variations in quarterly results of operations;

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changes in our coverage by securities analysts and/or changes in their estimates of our financial performance or recommendations;

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operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us;

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news reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in the financial services industry;

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perceptions in the marketplace regarding us and/or our competitors;

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new technology used, or services offered, by competitors;

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significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors;

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failure to integrate acquisitions or realize anticipated benefits from acquisitions;

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changes in government regulations; or

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geopolitical conditions such as acts or threats of terrorism, military conflicts, the effects (or perceived effects) of pandemics and trade relations.

General market fluctuations, including real or anticipated changes in the strength of the local economy; industry factors and general economic and political conditions and events, such as economic slowdowns or recessions; interest rate changes, oil price volatility or credit loss trends could also cause our stock price to decrease regardless of our operating results.

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Moreover, in the past, securities class action lawsuits have been instituted against some companies following periods of volatility in the market price of its securities. We could in the future be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our normal business.

General Risk Factors

Our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the success of our business, and the failure to do so may materially adversely affect our performance.

Our reputation is critical to the success of our business. As such, we strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. We do this, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities we serve; delivering superior service to our customers; and caring about our customers and employees. Damage to our reputation could undermine the confidence of our current and potential customers in our ability to provide financial services. Such damage could also impair the confidence of our counterparties and business partners, and ultimately affect our ability to effect transactions. Maintenance of our reputation depends not only on our success in maintaining our core values and controlling and mitigating the various risks described herein, but also on our success in identifying and appropriately addressing issues that may arise in areas such as potential conflicts of interest, anti-money laundering, client personal information and privacy issues, record-keeping, regulatory investigations and any litigation that may arise from the failure or perceived failure of us to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Additionally, whereas negative publicity once was driven primarily by adverse news coverage in traditional media, the widespread use of social media platforms by us, our employees, third parties, and others, facilitates the rapid dissemination of information or misinformation, which may increase the risk of negative publicity and potential harm to our reputation. If our reputation is negatively affected, by the actions of our employees or otherwise, our business and, therefore, our operating results may be materially adversely affected. Further, negative public opinion can expose us to litigation and regulatory action as we seek to implement our growth strategy, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in accounting standards could impact reported earnings.

The authorities that promulgate accounting standards, including the FASB, SEC, and other regulatory authorities, periodically change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. These changes are difficult to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retrospectively to financial statements for prior periods. Such changes could also require us to incur additional personnel or technology costs.

We are subject to physical and financial risks associated with climate change and other weather and natural disaster impacts.

We are subject to the growing risk of climate change. Among the risks associated with climate change are more frequent severe weather events. Severe weather events such as hurricanes, tropical storms, tornados, winter storms, freezes, flooding and other large-scale weather catastrophes in our markets subject us to significant risks and more frequent severe weather events magnify those risks. Large-scale weather catastrophes or other significant climate change effects that either damage or destroy residential or multifamily real estate underlying mortgage loans or real estate collateral, could decrease the value of our real estate collateral or increase our delinquency rates in the affected areas and thus diminish the value of our loan portfolio. In addition, the effects of climate change may have a significant effect on our geographic markets and could disrupt our operations or the operations of our customers, third party service providers, or supply chains more generally. Those disruptions could result in declines in economic conditions in our geographic markets or industries in which our borrowers operate and impact their ability to repay loans or maintain deposits. Climate change could also impact our assets or employees directly or lead to changes in customer preferences that could negatively affect our growth or business strategies. In addition, our reputation and customer relationships could be damaged due to our practices related to climate change, including our or our customers’ involvement in certain industries or projects associated with causing or exacerbating climate change. Moreover, the federal banking regulators are increasingly focused on the physical and financial risks to financial institutions associated with climate change, which may result in increased requirements regarding the disclosure and management of climate risks and related lending activities, as well as increased compliance costs.

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We are subject to ESG risks that could adversely affect our reputation, the trading price of our common stock and/or our business, operations, and earnings.

Governments, investors, customers, and the general public are increasingly focused on ESG practices and disclosures. For us and others in the financial services industry, this focus extends to the practices and disclosures of the customers, counterparties, and service providers with whom we choose to do business. Views about ESG are diverse, dynamic, and rapidly changing, and failure to adapt to or comply with regulatory requirements or investor or stakeholder expectations and standards could negatively impact our reputation, ability to attract and retain certain customers and employees, and stock price. Additionally, new government regulations could result in new or more stringent forms of ESG oversight and expanded mandatory and voluntary reporting, diligence, and disclosure. ESG-related costs, including with respect to compliance with any additional regulatory or disclosure requirements or expectations, could adversely impact our results of operations.

Some investors also have begun to consider how corporations are addressing ESG matters when making investment decisions. For example, certain investors are beginning to incorporate the business risks of climate change and the adequacy of companies’ responses to climate change and other ESG matters as part of their investment theses. Any negative publicity regarding ESG or shifts in investing priorities may result in adverse effects on the trading price of our common stock and/or our business, operations and earnings if we fail to adapt to or comply with investor, shareholder, or other stakeholders’ expectations.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

We have no unresolved staff comments to report.

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY.

Overview

The cybersecurity threat environment is volatile and dynamic, requiring a robust and dynamic framework to reduce and mitigate cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity risk includes exposure to failures or interruptions of service or security breaches resulting from malicious technological attacks that impact the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of our or third parties’ operations, systems, or data. We seek to mitigate cybersecurity risk and associated reputational and compliance risk by, among other things:

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maintaining privacy policies, management oversight, accountability structures, and technology design processes to protect private and personal data;

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actively monitoring and mitigating cybersecurity threats and risks with a three lines of defense structure to provide oversight, governance, challenge, and testing;

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using a third-party cybersecurity oversight program;

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maintaining oversight of our information security program by senior management, our board-level Risk Committee, and our Board of Directors; and

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maintaining an incident response program intended to enable us to mitigate the impact of, and recover from, any cyberattacks, and facilitate communication to internal and external stakeholders, as needed.

We had no material cybersecurity incidents in 2023.

Risk Management and Strategy

Our cybersecurity risk management strategy is integrated into our enterprise risk management framework and is embedded in each of our three lines of defense. We use a combination of management expertise and Board oversight, as discussed below, as well as outside consultants to assist us in overseeing our cybersecurity risk management program. We deploy safeguards designed to protect customer information and our own corporate information and technology. We have programs and processes in place designed to mitigate known attacks, and we use both internal and external resources to scan for vulnerabilities in our applications, systems, and platforms. We implement backup and recovery systems and require the same of our third-party service providers.

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We use independent third-party service providers to perform penetration testing of our infrastructure to help us better understand the effectiveness of our controls, improve our defenses, and conduct assessments of our program for compliance with regulatory requirements and industry guidelines. We also engage with outside risk experts and industry groups, including other peer institutions, as needed, to help us evaluate potential future threats and trends, particularly with respect to emerging information security and fraud risks. In addition, we use a Third-Party Risk Management program to help mitigate risks with our third- and fourth-party providers; however, our ability to monitor our service providers’ cybersecurity practices is limited. We generally have agreements in place with our service providers that include requirements related to cybersecurity and data privacy. We cannot guarantee, however, that such agreements will prevent a cyber incident from impacting our systems or information. Additionally, we may not be able to obtain adequate or any reimbursement from our service providers in the event we should suffer any such incidents. Due to applicable laws and regulations or contractual obligations, we may be held responsible for cyber incidents attributed to our service providers in relation to any data that we share with them.

While to date, we have not experienced a significant compromise, attack, or loss of data related to cybersecurity attacks, due to the nature of our business, we are under constant threat of an attack and could experience a significant cybersecurity event in the future. Potential risks we could face from a cybersecurity event are discussed in “Risk Factors” above.

Governance

Through established governance structures, including our problem and incident management process and cyber incident response plan, we have processes and procedures to help facilitate appropriate and effective oversight of cybersecurity risk. These processes and procedures enable our three lines of defense and management to review and manage cybersecurity risks, monitor threats, and provide for further escalation to executive management, our management-level Disclosure Committee, our board-level Risk Committee, or to the full Board, as appropriate.

Role of the Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors plays a critical role in the oversight of risk, including risks from cybersecurity threats, and has established a risk oversight structure that seeks to ensure that cybersecurity risks are identified, monitored, assessed, and mitigated appropriately. In that regard, our Board is actively engaged in the oversight of our cyber risk profile, which includes risks from cybersecurity threats, enterprise cyber strategy, and key cyber initiatives. Our Board regularly receives reports on such matters from our Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and other relevant personnel. Our Board also meets with our internal and external auditors, and federal and state regulators to review and discuss reports on risk, examination, and regulatory compliance matters.

Our board-level Risk Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in its oversight of risk, including cybersecurity threats, and for overseeing our enterprise risk management framework. The Risk Committee actively engages with our Chief Risk Officer and other members of management to discuss major risk exposures, establish risk management principles, and determine our risk appetite, and regularly reports on its activities, and makes recommendations to, the full Board. The Risk Committee receives a quarterly summary analysis of cybersecurity risks, threats, and incidents. In addition, the Risk Committee is engaged, as needed, in accordance with our Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan.

Role of Management

Our cybersecurity risk management program is built on three lines of defense, which collectively are designed to assess, identify, assess, and manage our material risks from cybersecurity threats. Our Chief Risk Officer is responsible for implementing our enterprise risk management framework and reports directly to our Chief Executive Officer.

Our Information Security department, which is our first line of defense, operates under our Chief Information Security Officer, who manages preventative and detective controls to protect against cybersecurity risks and responds to cyber incidents and data breaches At least annually, the first line conducts mandatory teammate training on information security and provides ongoing information security education and awareness for teammates, such as online training classes, mock phishing attacks and information security awareness materials. Our cybersecurity risk management program is designed to maintain and challenge our information security defense system, as well as monitor, respond, evaluate, and escalate cyber threats. We also have a business risk manager within our first line of defense whose role is

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to focus on evaluating, managing, and escalating technology risks. The escalation process includes a weekly escalation report of problem incidents, including cybersecurity threats, which allows for collaborative threat management by the first and second lines of defense.

The second line of defense independently evaluates, monitors, and challenges our risk mitigation efforts to proactively identify cybersecurity risks, including early-stage engagement and risk management with emerging threats. Second line teammates provide effective challenge to the cybersecurity risk management efforts of the first line through ongoing engagement in problem incidents, regular reviews of cybersecurity risk reporting, and inquiries into the sufficiency of risk management activities. Our second line of defense leads our management-level Technology and Operational Risk Committee, which governs our technology and operational risk tolerances, including cybersecurity and third- and fourth party provider risks. This committee includes the Chief Information Security Officer and is co-sponsored by the Chief Information Officer and the Chief Risk Officer. These individuals have relevant financial, technical, and business degrees, hold relevant certifications, and each have over 20 years of experience in their respective areas of expertise, with a minimum of 10 years in leadership roles, including multiple years at financial institutions. The Committee is responsible for escalating key risks to our Management Risk Committee, which includes all members of our Executive Leadership Team, as well as our Head of Business Risk, who operates within our first line of defense.

Internal Audit serves as the third line of defense and provides independent assurance on how effectively we are mitigating, managing, and challenging our cybersecurity risks.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.

We own or lease buildings that are used in the normal course of our business. The Company leases its corporate headquarters, located at 4300 Cox Road, Glen Allen, Virginia. At December 31, 2023, the Bank operated 109 branches throughout Virginia and in portions of Maryland and North Carolina. Our properties and branches are used by both our Wholesale Banking and Consumer Banking segments. See Note 1 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 4 “Premises and Equipment,” Note 6 “Leases,” and Note 17 “Segment Reporting and Revenue” in the “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” of this Form 10-K for information with respect to the amounts at which our premises and equipment are carried and our commitments under long-term leases.

During 2023, we executed transactions for the sale-leaseback of 28 properties, consisting of 26 branches and a drive thru and a parking lot, each adjacent to a subject branch. For additional information about this transaction, refer to the discussion under “Strategic Initiatives—Sale-Leaseback Transactions” in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

In the ordinary course of our operations, we are party to various legal proceedings. Based on the information presently available and after consultation with legal counsel, management believes that the ultimate outcome in such legal proceedings, in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

As previously disclosed, on February 9, 2022, pursuant to the CFPB’s Notice and Opportunity to Respond and Advise process, the CFPB Office of Enforcement notified the Bank that it was considering recommending that the CFPB take legal action against the Bank in connection with alleged violations of Regulation E, 12 C.F.R. § 1005.17, and the Consumer Financial Protection Act, 12 U.S.C. §§ 5531 and 5536, in connection with the Bank’s overdraft practices and policies. In March 2023, the CFPB commenced settlement discussions with us, and on December 7, 2023, the Bank entered into a Consent Order with the CFPB to resolve the matter. A copy of the Consent Order is available on the CFPB’s website. The terms of the Consent Order require, among other things, that the Bank submit a redress plan to the CFPB pursuant to which the Bank will pay restitution in an amount of at least $5.0 million to certain current and former customers of the Bank who opted-in to the Bank’s discretionary overdraft service during a specified time period and pay a $1.2 million civil monetary penalty. See Note 9, “Commitments and Contingencies” in the “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” of this Form 10-K for additional information.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

None.

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PART II

ITEM 5. - MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

Information on Common Stock, Market Prices and Dividends

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE and trades under the symbol “AUB.” There were 75,023,327 shares of our common stock outstanding held by 5,967 shareholders of record at the close of business on December 31, 2023.

During 2023, we declared three quarterly dividends per share of our common stock of $0.30 for the first three quarters of 2023 and one quarterly dividend of $0.32 for the fourth quarter of 2023 for an annual total of $1.22 per share.

Although we currently expect to continue to pay quarterly dividends, any future dividend determinations will be made by our Board of Directors and will depend on a number of factors, including (i) our historic and projected financial condition, liquidity and results of operations, (ii) our capital levels and needs, (iii) tax considerations, (iv) any acquisitions or potential acquisitions that we may examine, (v) statutory and regulatory prohibitions and other limitations, (vi) the terms of contractual arrangements that restrict our ability to pay cash dividends, (vii) general economic conditions, and (viii) other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors. We are not obligated to pay dividends on our common stock and we are subject to certain regulatory restrictions on paying dividends on our common stock.

Because we are a financial holding company and do not engage directly in business activities of a material nature, our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders depends, in large part, upon our receipt of dividends from the Bank, which is also subject to numerous limitations on the payment of dividends under federal banking laws, regulations and policies. See “Supervision and Regulation—The Company—Limits on Dividends, Capital Distributions and Other Payments.” In addition, regulatory restrictions on the ability of the Bank to transfer funds to the Company at December 31, 2023 are set forth in Note 19 “Parent Company Financial Information,” in the “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” contained in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

Stock Repurchase Programs and Other Repurchases

On December 10, 2021, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program to purchase up to $100.0 million of our common stock through December 9, 2022 in open market transactions or privately negotiated transactions, including pursuant to a trading plan in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 and /or Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act. The repurchase program permitted management to repurchase shares of our common stock from time to time at management’s discretion. The repurchase program did not obligate us to purchase any particular number of shares. As part of the repurchase program, approximately 1.3 million shares (or approximately $48.2 million) were repurchased throughout 2022.

We did not have any share repurchase programs in effect in 2023.

The following information provides details of our common stock repurchases for the three months ended December 31, 2023:


Period	Total number of shares purchased⁽¹⁾	Average price paid per share ($)	Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs	Approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs ($)
October 1 - October 31, 2023	965	28.80	—	—
November 1 - November 30, 2023	182	31.08	—	—
December 1 - December 31, 2023	2,191	34.84	—	—
Total	3,338	32.89	—

⁽¹⁾For the three months ended December 31, 2023, 3,338 shares were withheld upon the vesting of restricted shares granted to employees of the Company in order to satisfy tax withholding obligations.

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Five-Year Stock Performance Graph

The following stock performance graph compares the yearly percentage change in the cumulative shareholder return on our common stock during the five years ended December 31, 2023, with (i) the Total Return Index for the NYSE Composite, and (ii) the Total Return Index for KBW NASDAQ Regional Banking. This comparison assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2018 in our common stock and the comparison groups and assumes the reinvestment of all cash dividends prior to any tax effect and retention of all stock dividends.


	Period Ended
Index	12/31/2018		12/31/2019		12/31/2020		12/31/2021		12/31/2022		12/31/2023
Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation	$	100.00	$	136.63	$	124.48	$	145.02	$	141.21	$	152.70
NYSE Composite Index		100.00		125.51		134.28		162.04		146.89		167.12
KBW NASDAQ Regional Banking Index		100.00		123.81		113.03		154.45		143.75		143.17

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence (2024)

The stock performance and related table shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically request that such information be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporate it by reference into a filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

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ITEM 7. - MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

The following discussion and analysis provides information about the major components of our results of operations and financial condition, liquidity, and capital resources. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our “Consolidated Financial Statements” and our “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements,” which include our significant accounting policies, presented in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” contained in this Form 10-K. Amounts are rounded for presentation purposes; however, some of the percentages presented are computed based on unrounded amounts.

In management’s discussion and analysis, we provide certain financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are a supplement to GAAP, which we use to prepare our financial statements, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to non-GAAP financial measures of other companies. We use the non-GAAP financial measures discussed herein in our analysis of our performance. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide additional understanding of our ongoing operations, enhance the comparability of our results of operations with prior periods and show the effects of significant gains and charges in the periods presented without the impact of items or events that may obscure trends in our underlying performance. Non-GAAP financial measures may be identified with the symbol ⁽⁺⁾ and may be labeled as adjusted. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section within this Item 7 for more information about these non-GAAP financial measures, including a reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

We prepare our consolidated financial statements based on the application of accounting and reporting policies in accordance with GAAP and general practices within the banking industry. Our financial position and results of operations are affected by management’s application of accounting policies, which require the use of estimates, assumptions, and judgments, which may prove inaccurate or are subject to variations. Changes in underlying factors, estimates, assumptions, or judgements could result in material changes in our consolidated financial position and/or results of operations.

Certain accounting policies inherently have a greater reliance on the use of estimates, assumptions and judgments and, as such, have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported. We have identified the allowance for loan and lease losses and fair value measurements as accounting policies that require the most difficult, subjective or complex judgments and, as such, could be most subject to revision as new or additional information becomes available or circumstances change. Therefore, we evaluate these accounting policies and related critical accounting estimates on an ongoing basis and update them as needed. Management has discussed these accounting policies and the critical accounting estimates summarized below with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in detail in Note 1 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the “Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements” contained in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses

The ALLL represents the estimated balance that we consider adequate to absorb expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of the loan portfolio. We estimate our ALLL using a loan-level probability of default/loss given default methodology for all loans.

Effective September 30, 2023, we implemented certain changes to our ALLL estimation methodology. These changes did not have a significant impact on the overall ALLL estimate. For information regarding our ALLL methodology before September 30, 2023, see Note 1 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” contained in Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of our 2022 Form 10-K.

Determining the appropriateness of the ALLL is complex and requires judgment by management about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Subsequent evaluations of the then-existing loan portfolio, in light of the factors

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then prevailing, may result in significant changes in the ALLL in future periods. There are both internal factors (i.e., loan balances, credit quality, and the contractual lives of loans) and external factors (i.e., economic conditions such as trends in housing prices, interest rates, gross domestic product, inflation, and unemployment) that can impact the ALLL estimate.

We consider a number of external economic variables in developing the ALLL. Before September 30, 2023, the most significant of these external economic variables was the Virginia unemployment rate. We now consider various national economic variables in developing the ALLL, including the national unemployment rate, national gross domestic product, the national commercial real estate pricing index, the national home price index, and national retail sales. We use the national unemployment rate in all of our models regardless of the loan portfolio type, and we use a second economic variable in each cohort model depending on the loan portfolio type. The ALLL quantitative estimate is sensitive to changes in the economic variable forecasts during the two-year reasonable and supportable forecast period with a straight-line reversion over the next two years to long-term average loss factors. In determining forecasted expected losses, we use Moody’s economic variable forecasts and apply probability weights to the related economic scenarios. Because current economic conditions and forecasts can change and future events are inherently difficult to predict, the anticipated amount of estimated credit losses on loans, and therefore the appropriateness of the ALLL, could change significantly. It is difficult to estimate how potential changes in any one economic factor or input might affect the overall ALLL because we consider a wide variety of factors and inputs in estimating the ALLL and changes in those factors and inputs may not occur at the same rate and may not be consistent across all loan types. Additionally, changes in factors and inputs may be directionally inconsistent, such that an improvement in one factor may offset deterioration in others.

We review the ALLL estimation process regularly for appropriateness as the economic and internal environment are constantly changing. While the ALLL estimate represents our current estimate of expected credit losses, due to uncertainty surrounding internal and external factors, there is potential that the estimate may not be adequate over time to cover credit losses in the portfolio. While we use available information to estimate expected losses on loans, future changes in the ALLL may be necessary based on changes in portfolio composition, portfolio credit quality, economic conditions and/or other factors.

Fair Value Measurements

We measure certain assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis, including securities and derivative instruments. Fair value estimates are inherently subjective and involve significant assumptions, adjustments, and judgment including, among others, discount rates, rates of return on assets, cash flows, default rates, loss rates, terminal values and liquidation values. A significant change in assumptions may result in a significant change in fair value, which in turn, may result in a higher degree of financial statement volatility and could result in a significant impact on our results of operations, financial condition or disclosures of fair value information.

Under ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements, there is a three-level fair value hierarchy that requires the use of inputs that are observable or unobservable, when observable inputs are not available. Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs reflect our market assumptions. As such, fair value measurements, particularly in level 2 and level 3 of the hierarchy, may require us to use significant assumptions that are subject to change. A change in one assumption could have a significant impact on the fair value estimate and certain assumptions may have offsetting impacts to one another. We prepare a supportable estimate in accordance with ASC 820 but changes in significant assumptions could have a significant impact on our Balance Sheet, Statements of Income, and/or fair value disclosures. For more information on our financial instruments and fair value assessment, refer to Note 1 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and Note 13 “Fair Value Measurements” in this Form 10-K.

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RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS (ISSUED BUT NOT FULLY ADOPTED)

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07 Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires enhanced segment reporting disclosures. This guidance requires that interim disclosures align to the annual disclosure requirements and introduces additional disclosures intended to provide more insight into segment operations. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 14, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. We are evaluating the impact of ASU No. 2023-07 on our consolidated financial statements.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09 Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. This guidance requires enhanced disclosure for the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disclosures and aligns the guidance to SEC Regulation S-X disclosure requirements. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. We are evaluating the impact of ASU No. 2023-09 on our consolidated financial statements.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Industry Events

In the spring of 2023, the banking industry experienced significant volatility due to three high-profile bank failures. These bank failures resulted in significant concerns within the banking industry related to liquidity, deposit outflows, and unrealized losses on investment securities. These bank failures have reinforced the importance of maintaining access to diverse sources of funding and the benefits of a robust and stable deposit base. Volatility in the banking industry may persist if other industry participants experience similar high-profile financial challenges, if other banks are closed by federal or state banking regulators, or if other unforeseen sources of financial stress materialize.

In light of these bank closures and uncertainty in the banking industry, an uncertain interest rate environment, and the potential for recessionary conditions in the U.S. economy, we continue to actively monitor balance sheet trends, deposit flows, and liquidity needs to ensure we are able to meet the needs of our customers and maintain financial flexibility. As of December 31, 2023, we estimate that approximately 70.7% of our deposits were insured or collateralized, and that we maintained available liquidity sources to cover approximately 106% of uninsured and uncollateralized deposits. In addition, to further bolster our funding position, we augmented customer deposit growth by also increasing brokered deposits to $548.4 million at December 31, 2023.

Despite the uncertainty within the broader banking industry during 2023, our regulatory capital ratios continued to exceed the standards to be considered well-capitalized under regulatory requirements. See “Capital Resources” within this Item 7 for additional information about our regulatory capital.

We are continually monitoring the impact of various global and national events on our results of operations and financial condition, including inflation, rising interest rates and geopolitical conflicts. In an effort to combat inflation, the FOMC increased the Federal Funds target rates throughout 2022 and 2023 to its current range of 5.25% to 5.50%. While inflation has eased in 2023, it remains elevated over the FOMC’s long-run target of 2%. The FOMC has noted that it will continue to assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy, and in determining future actions with respect to the target rates, the FOMC will take into account a wide range of information, including readings on labor market conditions, inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and financial and international developments. The FOMC also left open the potential for decreases to the target rates in 2024 and confirmed the continued reduction to the Federal Reserve’s holdings of U.S. Treasury securities and agency debt and agency MBS. These actions in 2023 helped drive the meaningful increase in our deposit costs that we continue to experience. The timing and impact of inflation, market interest rates, and the competitive landscape of deposits on our business and results of operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and difficult to predict. We will continue to deploy various asset liability management strategies to seek to manage our risk related to interest rate fluctuations. Refer to “Liquidity” within this Item 7 for additional information about our liquidity and “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” in Part II, Item 7A of this Form 10-K for additional information about our interest rate sensitivity.

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Strategic Initiatives

Pending Merger with American National Bankshares Inc.

During 2023, we incurred pre-tax merger related costs of approximately $3.0 million related to the proposed merger with American National.

Cost Savings Initiatives

As previously disclosed, we initiated a series of strategic cost saving measures in the second quarter of 2023 that are expected to reduce our annual expense run rate by approximately $17 million. As a result of these measures, we incurred pre-tax expenses of $12.6 million in 2023, principally composed of severance charges related to headcount reductions, costs related to modifying certain third-party vendor contracts, and charges for exiting certain leases.

Sale-Leaseback Transactions

On September 20, 2023, we executed a sale-leaseback transaction and sold 27 properties, which consisted of 25 branches and a drive thru and parking lot, each adjacent to a sold branch, to a single purchaser for an aggregate purchase price of $45.8 million. Concurrently, we entered into absolute net lease agreements with the purchaser under which we will lease each of the properties for an initial term of 17 years with specified renewal options. The sale-leaseback transaction resulted in a pre-tax gain of approximately $27.7 million during the third quarter of 2023, after transaction-related expenses.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, we sold one branch location to the same purchaser and concurrently entered into absolute net lease agreements with substantially similar terms as those discussed above. This additional sale-leaseback transaction resulted in a pre-tax gain of approximately $1.9 million during the fourth quarter of 2023, after transaction-related expenses.

AFS Securities Sales

Concurrent with the sale-leaseback transaction on September 20, 2023, we restructured a portion of our investment portfolio by selling low yielding AFS securities with a book value of $228.3 million, resulting in a pre-tax net loss of $27.7 million. The net proceeds from the securities sale transaction were reinvested into higher yielding AFS securities at the end of the third quarter of 2023.

During the first quarter of 2023, we executed a balance sheet repositioning strategy and sold AFS securities with a total book value of $505.7 million at a pre-tax loss of $13.4 million and used the net proceeds to reduce existing high costing FHLB borrowings.

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SUMMARY OF 2023 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Executive Overview

Net Income & Performance Metrics

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For 2023, net income available to common shareholders was $190.0 million and basic and diluted EPS was $2.53, compared to net income of $222.6 million and basic and diluted EPS of $2.97 for 2022.

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Adjusted operating earnings available to common shareholders⁽⁺⁾, which excludes, net of tax, as applicable, costs related to strategic cost saving initiatives ($10.0 million in 2023), merger-related costs ($2.9 million in 2023), a legal reserve associated with our previously disclosed settlement with the CFPB ($6.8 million in 2023), a FDIC special assessment ($2.7 million in 2023), strategic branch closing and related facility consolidation costs ($4.4 million in 2022), loss on sale of securities ($32.4 million in 2023 and $2,000 in 2022), gain on sale-leaseback transactions ($23.4 million in 2023), and gain on sale of DHFB ($8.0 million in 2022), totaled $221.2 million and diluted adjusted operating EPS⁽⁺⁾ was $2.95 for 2023, compared to adjusted operating earnings available to common shareholders⁽⁺⁾of $219.0 million and diluted adjusted operating EPS⁽⁺⁾ of $2.92 for 2022.

Balance Sheet

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Total assets were $21.2 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $705.1 million or 3.4% from December 31, 2022. Total assets increased from the prior year primarily due to a $1.2 billion increase in LHFI (net of deferred fees and costs), partially offset by a $525.7 million decrease in investment securities due primarily to the sale of AFS securities in the first quarter of 2023.

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Cash and cash equivalents were $378.1 million at December 31, 2023, an increase of $58.2 million or 18.2% from December 31, 2022.

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At December 31, 2023, total investments were $3.2 billion, a decrease of $525.7 million or 14.2% from December 31, 2022. AFS securities totaled $2.2 billion at December 31, 2023, a decrease of $510.6 million from December 31, 2022. Total net unrealized losses on the AFS securities portfolio were $384.3 million at December 31, 2023, a decrease of $78.2 million from $462.5 million at December 31, 2022. Held to maturity securities are carried at cost and totaled $837.4 million at December 31, 2023, a decrease of $10.3 million from $847.7 million at December 31, 2022 with net unrealized losses of $29.3 million at December 31, 2023, a decrease of $16.5 million from $45.8 million at December 31, 2022.

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LHFI (net of deferred fees and costs) were $15.6 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $1.2 billion or 8.2% from December 31, 2022. Average LHFI (net of deferred fees and costs) totaled $14.9 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $1.3 billion or 9.4% from December 31, 2022. LHFI (net of deferred fees and costs) increased from the prior year with growth in most loan categories but primarily due to increases in our commercial and industrial and real estate portfolios.

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Total deposits at December 31, 2023 were $16.8 billion, an increase of $886.5 million or 5.6% from December 31, 2022. Average deposits during the year ended December 31, 2023 were $16.7 billion, an increase of $202.2 million or 1.2% from the year ended December 31, 2022. Total deposits increased from the prior year primarily due to increases in interest bearing customer deposits and brokered deposits, partially offset by decreases in noninterest-bearing demand deposits.

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Total borrowings at December 31, 2023 were $1.3 billion, a decrease of $396.8 million or 23.2% from December 31, 2022. Total borrowings decreased from the prior year due to paydowns of short-term borrowings.

NET INCOME

Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

Net income available to common shareholders was $190.0 million for 2023, a decrease of $32.7 million or 14.7% and represented diluted EPS of $2.53, compared to $222.6 million and $2.97, respectively, for 2022. The decrease was primarily driven by a $27.6 million decrease in noninterest income, a $26.6 million increase in noninterest expense, and a $12.6 million increase in the provision for credit losses. The increase in provision expense was due to increased uncertainty in the economic outlook, loan growth during 2023, an increase in net charge-offs, and an increase in the allowance on two individually assessed loans due to changes in borrower-specific circumstances. These changes were partially offset by a $26.8 million increase in net interest income, and a $7.4 million decrease in income tax expense.

Table of Contents

Adjusted operating earnings available to common shareholders⁽⁺⁾ totaled $221.2 million for 2023, compared to $219.0 million for 2022, and diluted adjusted operating EPS⁽⁺⁾ was $2.95 for 2023, compared to $2.92 for 2022.

Net interest income for 2023 totaled $611.0 million, an increase of $26.8 million or 4.6% from 2022. The increase in net interest income was primarily driven by higher loan yields due to rising market interest rates and loan growth. This increase was partially offset by an increase in interest expense due to increased deposit and borrowing costs because of higher short-term market interest rates, average interest bearing deposit growth, and higher average short-term borrowings.

Noninterest income decreased $27.6 million or 23.3% to $90.9 million for 2023, from $118.5 million for 2022, primarily driven by losses incurred on the sale of AFS securities, as well as decreases in fiduciary and asset management fees, mortgage banking income, and loan-related interest rate swap fees. These decreases in noninterest income were partially offset by increases in other operating income, service charges on deposit accounts, and other service charges, commissions, and fees. For additional details on noninterest income, refer to the section “Noninterest Income” included within this Item 7 of this Form 10-K.

Noninterest expense increased $26.6 million or 6.6% to $430.4 million for 2023, compared to $403.8 million for 2022, primarily driven by increases in other expenses, FDIC assessment premiums and other insurance, and salaries and benefits expense. These increases in noninterest expense were partially offset by decreases in amortization of intangible assets, professional services, loan-related expenses, technology and data processing, and occupancy expenses. For additional details on noninterest expense, refer to the section “Noninterest Expense” included within this Item 7 of this Form 10-K.

Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

Net income available to common shareholders was $222.6 million for 2022, a decrease of $29.4 million or 11.7% and represented diluted EPS of $2.97, compared to $252.0 million and $3.26 respectively, for 2021. The decrease was primarily driven by a $79.9 million increase in the provision for credit losses to $19.0 million for 2022, compared to a negative provision of $60.9 million for the prior year, reflecting the impact of a higher ACL due to changes in the macroeconomic forecast and loan growth, and a $7.3 million decrease in noninterest income. These changes were partially offset by a $33.0 million increase in net interest income, a $15.4 million decrease in noninterest expenses, and a $9.4 million decrease in income tax expense. Adjusted operating earnings available to common shareholders⁽⁺⁾ totaled $219.0 million for 2022, compared to $273.3 million for 2021, and diluted adjusted operating EPS⁽⁺⁾ was $2.92 for 2022, compared to $3.53 for 2021.

Net interest income for 2022 totaled $584.3 million, an increase of $33.0 million or 6.0% compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in overall earning asset yields of 39 bps for 2022, driven by the impact of rising market interest rates on loans and taxable investment securities yields, and growth in average loans and average investment securities. This increase was partially offset by an increase in cost of funds of 19 bps for 2022, driven by higher deposit and borrowing costs.

Noninterest income decreased $7.3 million or 5.8% to $118.5 million for 2022, from $125.8 million for 2021, primarily due to decreases in mortgage banking income as mortgage loan origination volumes and gain on sale margins declined, and fiduciary and asset management fees as assets under management decreased due to the sale of DHFB. Partially offsetting these decreases in noninterest income were increases in loan-related interest rate swap fees due to higher transaction volumes, and other operating income primarily driven by the gain on sale of DHFB, and an increase in loan syndication, SBA 7a, and foreign exchange revenues, partially offset by a decline in equity method investment income and the impact of the gain in 2021 on the sale of Visa, Inc. Class B common stock.

Noninterest expense decreased $15.4 million or 3.7% to $403.8 million for 2022, from $419.2 million for 2021, primarily due to decreases in loss on debt extinguishment and in other expenses, primarily driven by a decrease in branch closing and facility consolidation costs and a gain related to the sale and leaseback of an office building, as well as decreases in amortization of intangible assets, occupancy expenses, furniture and equipment expenses, professional services, and marketing and advertising expense. These decreases in noninterest expense were partially offset by increases in salaries and benefits, technology and data processing, and FDIC assessment premiums and other insurance.


ITEM		PAGE
PART I

Item 1.	Business	1
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	17
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	38
Item 1C.	Cybersecurity	38
Item 2.	Properties	40
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	40
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	40

PART II

Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	41
Item 6.	[Reserved]	42
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	43
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	76
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	77
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	149
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	149
Item 9B.	Other Information	150
Item 9C.	Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdiction That Prevent Inspections	150

PART III

Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	151
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	151
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	152
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	152
Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	152

PART IV

Item 15.	Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules	152
Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary	156
	Signatures	157