v3.26.1
Derivative Financial Instruments
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Derivative Financial Instruments  
Derivative Financial Instruments

Note 11:    Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company uses non-hedging designated derivative financial instruments to help manage exposure to interest rate risk and the effects that changes in interest rates may have on net income and the fair value of assets and liabilities.

Internal Interest Rate Risk Management

The Company enters into interest rate lock commitments with potential borrowers to fund specific mortgage loans that will be sold into the secondary market and enters into forward contracts for the future delivery of mortgage loans to third party investors. The forward contracts are entered into in order to economically hedge the effect of changes in interest rates resulting from the Company’s commitment to fund the loans. Forward contracts and interest rate lock agreements are accounted for as derivatives at fair value with changes in fair value reflected in other noninterest income on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income.

Interest rate swaps may also be used by the Company to reduce the risk that significant increases in interest rates may have on the value of certain fixed-rate loans and the respective loan payments received from borrowers. All changes in the fair market value of these interest rate swaps and associated loans have been included in gain on sale of loans. Any difference between the fixed and floating interest rate components of these transactions have also been included in gain on sale of loans.

The Company entered into a contract containing put options and interest rate floors on securities it acquired from a warehouse customer. These provide protection and offset losses in value of certain securities accounted for under the fair value option. The gain (loss) on the put options is substantially equal and offsetting to the fair market value adjustment of securities available for sale, resulting in an inconsequential net gain or loss in other noninterest income. This helps mitigate interest rate risk and minimizes impacts of market fluctuations on the securities available for sale that the Company elected to account for under the fair value option with changes in fair value reflected in earnings. The Company also entered into interest rate floor contracts with two warehouse loan customers to minimize interest rate risk. All changes in the fair market value of these options and floors have been included in other noninterest income.

Credit Risk Management

In 2025 and 2024, the Company entered into contracts as the buyer of credit protection through the credit default swap market. These contracts were purchased to manage credit risk associated with specific multi-family and healthcare mortgage loans. Under the terms of the contract, the Company will be compensated for certain credit-related losses on pools of covered loans. As of March 31, 2026, the protection sellers have posted aggregate collateral of $127.2 million related to their obligations under the contract. The collateral is not included on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets.

A CDS is considered a derivative, but is not designated as an accounting hedge, and is recorded at fair value, with changes in fair value reflected in credit risk transfer premium expense on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income. The fair value of derivative instruments with a positive fair value are reported in other assets while derivative instruments with a negative fair value are reported in other liabilities on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The following table presents the notional amount and fair value of interest rate locks, forward contracts, interest rate swaps, put options, interest rate floors, and credit defaults swaps utilized by the Company at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. These tables exclude the fair market value adjustment on loans commonly hedged with these derivatives.

Notional

Fair Value

Amount

 

Balance Sheet Location

 

Asset

 

Liability

(In thousands)

March 31, 2026

Interest rate lock commitments

$

195,628

Other assets/liabilities

$

142

$

1,174

Forward contracts

304,907

Other assets/liabilities

1,023

121

Interest rate swaps

49,323

Other assets

2,565

Put options

595,701

Other assets

45,494

Interest rate floors

1,055,586

Other assets

 

12,236

Credit default swaps

123,959

Other liabilities

69

$

61,460

$

1,364

Notional

Fair Value

Amount

 

Balance Sheet Location

 

Asset

 

Liability

(In thousands)

December 31, 2025

Interest rate lock commitments

$

142,540

Other assets/liabilities

$

227

$

107

Forward contracts

146,452

Other assets/liabilities

2

467

Interest rate swaps

49,480

Other assets

2,354

Put options

608,885

Other assets

37,570

Interest rate floors

1,089,679

Other assets

9,540

Credit default swaps

123,222

$

49,693

$

574

The following table summarizes the periodic changes in the fair value of the above derivative financial instruments on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.

Three Months Ended

March 31, 

  ​ ​ ​

2026

  ​ ​ ​

2025

(In thousands)

Derivative (loss) gain included in gain on sale of loans:

Interest rate lock commitments

$

(1,152)

$

184

Forward contracts (includes pair-off settlements)

1,335

(350)

Interest rate swaps

(842)

Net gain (loss)

$

183

$

(1,008)

Derivative (loss) gain included in other income:

Put options (1)

7,923

(6,245)

Interest rate floors

2,696

(2,258)

Interest rate swaps

348

Net gain (loss)

$

10,967

$

(8,503)

Derivative (loss) gain included in credit risk transfer premium expense:

Credit default swaps

(69)

Net (loss) gain

$

(69)

$

(1)The put option gain (loss) reflects an adjustment to the fair value of the derivative that is substantially equal and offset by an adjustment to the fair value of its related securities available for sale for which the Company elected to account for under the fair value option with changes in fair value reflected in earnings. The combination of these adjustments is designed to result in an inconsequential net gain or loss in other noninterest income.

Derivatives on Behalf of Customers

The Company offers derivative contracts to some customers in connection with their Interest Rate Risk Management (“IRRM”) needs. These derivatives include back-to-back interest rate swap, cap, and floor arrangements. The Company manages the risk associated with these contracts by entering into an equal and offsetting derivative with a third-party dealer. These derivatives generally work together as an economically neutral interest rate position to assist the customer, but the Company does not designate them for hedge accounting treatment. Consequently, changes in fair value of the corresponding derivative financial asset or liability were recorded as either a charge or credit to current earnings during the period in which the changes occurred, typically resulting in no net earnings impact.

The fair values of IRRM derivative assets and liabilities related to back-to-back derivatives on behalf of customers with back-to-back interest rate swap, cap or floor arrangements were recorded on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as follows:

Notional

Fair Value

Amount

 

Balance Sheet Location

 

Asset

 

Liability

(In thousands)

March 31, 2026

$

1,274,996

Other assets/liabilities

$

4,847

$

4,847

December 31, 2025

$

1,178,034

Other assets/liabilities

$

7,289

$

7,289

The gross gains and losses on these derivative assets and liabilities were recorded in other noninterest income and other noninterest expense in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income as follows:

Three Months Ended

March 31, 

  ​ ​ ​

2026

  ​ ​ ​

2025

(In thousands)

Gross IRRM derivative gains

$

2,442

$

4,544

Gross IRRM derivative losses

2,442

4,544

Net IRRM derivative gains

$

$

The Company pledged $10.0 million in collateral to secure its obligations under IRRM contracts at both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025.