General
Developments relating to individual aspects of the business of BOK Financial Corporation (“BOK Financial” or “the Company”) are described below. Additional discussion of the Company’s activities during the current year appears within Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Description of Business
BOK Financial is a financial holding company incorporated in the state of Oklahoma in 1990 whose activities are limited by the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (“BHCA”), as amended by the Financial Services Modernization Act or Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. BOK Financial offers full service banking in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Northwest Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, and Kansas/Missouri.
On October 6, 2010, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) approved the affiliated merger of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary banks, Bank of Texas, N.A., Bank of Albuquerque, N.A., Bank of Arkansas, N.A., Colorado State Bank and Trust, N.A., Bank of Arizona, N.A., and Bank of Kansas City, N.A. into Bank of Oklahoma, N.A. (“the Banks”). The resulting subsidiary bank is named BOKF, NA. The Company effected the merger on January 1, 2011. The Banks will continue to operate as distinct geographical regions using the trade names of the former charters. The merger will allow us to more efficiently utilize capital of the Banks. Other subsidiaries of BOK Financial include BOSC, Inc., a broker/dealer that engages in retail and institutional securities sale
s and municipal bond underwriting. Other non-bank subsidiary operations do not have a significant effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Our overall strategic objective is to emphasize growth in long-term value by building on our leadership position in Oklahoma through expansion into other high-growth markets in contiguous states. We operate primarily in the metropolitan areas of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona, and Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri. Our acquisition strategy targets quality organizations that have demonstrated solid growth in their business lines. We provide additional growth opportunities by hiring talent to enhance competitiveness, adding locations and broadening product offerings. Our operating philosophy embraces local decision-making in each of our geographic markets while adhering to common Company standards.
60; We also consider acquisitions of distressed financial institutions in our existing markets when attractive opportunities become available.
Our primary focus is to provide a comprehensive range of nationally competitive financial products and services in a personalized and responsive manner. Products and services include loans and deposits, cash management services, fiduciary services, mortgage banking and brokerage and trading services to middle-market businesses, financial institutions and consumers. Commercial banking represents a significant part of our business. Our credit culture emphasizes building relationships by making high quality loans and providing a full range of financial products and services to our customers. Our energy financing expertise enables us to offer commodity derivatives for customers to use in their risk management and positioning. Our diversified base of revenue sources is designed to generate
returns in a range of economic situations. Historically, fees and commissions provide 40 to 45% of our total revenue. Approximately 42% of our revenue came from fees and commission in 2010.
BOK Financial’s corporate headquarters is located at Bank of Oklahoma Tower, P.O. Box 2300, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74192.
The Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports are available on the Company’s website at www.bokf.com as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files such material with or furnishes it to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Operating Segments
BOK Financial operates three principal lines of business: commercial banking, consumer banking and wealth management. Commercial banking includes lending, treasury and cash management services and customer risk management products for small businesses, middle market and larger commercial customers. Commercial banking also includes the TransFund electronic funds network. Consumer banking includes retail lending and deposit services and all mortgage banking activities. Wealth management provides fiduciary services, brokerage and trading, private bank services and investment advisory services in all markets. Discussion of these principal lines of business appears within the Lines of Business section of “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Oper
ations” and within Note 17 of the Company’s Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, both of which appear elsewhere herein.
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Competition
BOK Financial and its operating segments face competition from other banks, thrifts, credit unions and other non-bank financial institutions, such as investment banking firms, investment advisory firms, brokerage firms, investment companies, government agencies, mortgage brokers and insurance companies. The Company competes largely on the basis of customer services, interest rates on loans and deposits, lending limits and customer convenience. Some operating segments face competition from institutions that are not as closely regulated as banks, and therefore are not limited by the same capital requirements and other restrictions. All market share information presented below is based upon share of deposits in specified areas according to SNL DataSource as of December 31, 2010.
We are the largest financial institution in the state of Oklahoma with 12% of the state’s total deposits. The Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas have 28% and 9% of the market share, respectively. We compete with two banks that have operations nationwide and have greater access to funds at lower costs, higher lending limits, and greater access to technology resources and also compete with regional and locally-owned banks in both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas, as well as in every other community in which we do business throughout the state.
Bank of Texas competes against numerous financial institutions, including some of the largest in the United States, and has a market share of approximately 2% in the Dallas, Fort Worth area and 1% in the Houston area. Bank of Albuquerque has a number four market share position with 10% of deposits in the Albuquerque area and competes with two large national banks, some regional banks and several locally-owned smaller community banks. Colorado State Bank and Trust has a market share of approximately 2% in the Denver area. Bank of Arizona operates as a community bank with locations in Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale. Bank of Arkansas serves Benton and Washington counties in Arkansas, and Ban
k of Kansas City serves the Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri market. The Company’s ability to expand into additional states remains subject to various federal and state laws.
Employees
As of December 31, 2010, BOK Financial and its subsidiaries employed 4,432 full-time equivalent employees. None of the Company’s employees are represented by collective bargaining agreements. Management considers its employee relations to be good.
Supervision and Regulation
BOK Financial and its subsidiaries are subject to extensive regulations under federal and state laws. These regulations are designed to protect depositors, the Bank Insurance Fund and the banking system as a whole and not necessarily to protect shareholders and creditors. As detailed below, these regulations may restrict the Company’s ability to diversify, to acquire other institutions and to pay dividends on its capital stock. They also may require the Company to provide financial support to its subsidiaries and maintain certain capital balances.
On July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“the Dodd-Frank Act”) was signed into law, giving federal banking agencies authority to increase the minimum deposit ratio, increase regulatory capital requirements, impose additional rules and regulations over consumer financial products and services and limit the amount of interchange fee that may be charged in an electronic debit transaction. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act makes permanent the $250,000 limit for federal deposit insurance and provides unlimited federal deposit insurance until January 1, 2013 for non-interest bearing demand deposit accounts. It also repeals prohibitions on payment of interest on demand deposits, which could impact how interest is paid on business transaction and other accounts. We
continue to assess the potential impact of the complex provisions that the Dodd-Frank Act will have in the coming months or years. The effect of this legislation on fee income and operating expenses could be significant but cannot be accurately quantified at this time.
The following information summarizes certain existing laws and regulations that affect the Company’s operations. It does not discuss all provisions of these laws and regulations and it does not summarize all laws and regulations that affect the Company presently or in the future.
As a financial holding company, BOK Financial is regulated under the BHCA and is subject to regular inspection, examination and supervision by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”). Under the BHCA, BOK Financial files quarterly reports and other information with the Federal Reserve Board.
The Banks are organized as a national banking association under the National Banking Act, and are subject to regulation, supervision and examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the Federal Reserve Board and other federal and state regulatory agencies. The OCC has primary supervisory responsibility for national banks and must approve certain corporate or structural changes, including changes in capitalization, payment of dividends, change of place of business, and establishment of a branch or operating subsidiary. The OCC performs its functions through national bank examiners who provide the OCC with information
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concerning the soundness of a national bank, the quality of management and directors, and compliance with applicable regulations. The National Banking Act authorizes the OCC to examine every national bank as often as necessary.
A financial holding company, and the companies under its control, are permitted to engage in activities considered “financial in nature” as defined by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and Federal Reserve Board interpretations, and therefore may engage in a broader range of activities than permitted for bank holding companies and their subsidiaries. Activities that are “financial in nature” include securities underwriting and dealing, insurance underwriting, operating a mortgage company, credit card company or factoring company, performing certain data processing operations, servicing loans and other extensions of credit, providing investment and financial advice, owning and operating savings and loan associations, and leasing personal property on a full pay-out, non-operating basis. In order for a f
inancial holding company to commence 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 Community Reinvestment Act. A financial holding company is required to notify the Federal Reserve Board within thirty days of engaging in new activities determined to be “financial in nature.” BOK Financial is engaged in some of these activities and has notified the Federal Reserve Board.
The BHCA requires the Federal Reserve Board’s prior approval for the direct or indirect acquisition of more than five percent of any class of voting stock of any non-affiliated bank. Under the Federal Bank Merger Act, the prior approval of the OCC is required for a national bank to merge with another bank or purchase the assets or assume the deposits of another bank. In reviewing applications seeking approval of merger and acquisition transactions, the bank regulatory authorities consider, among other things, the competitive effect and public benefits of the transactions, the capital position of the combined organization, the applicant’s performance record under the Community Reinvestment Act and fair housing laws and the effectiveness of the subject organizations in combating money laundering activities.
A financial holding company and its subsidiaries are prohibited under the BHCA from engaging in certain tie-in arrangements in connection with the provision of any credit, property or services. Thus, a subsidiary of a financial holding company may not extend credit, lease or sell property, furnish any services or fix or vary the consideration for these activities on the condition that (1) the customer obtain or provide additional credit, property or services from or to the financial holding company or any subsidiary thereof, or (2) the customer may not obtain some other credit, property or services from a competitor, except to the extent reasonable conditions are imposed to insure the soundness of credit extended.
The Banks and other non-bank subsidiaries are also subject to other federal and state laws and regulations. For example, BOSC, Inc., the Company’s broker/dealer subsidiary that engages in retail and institutional securities sales and municipal bond underwriting, is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Federal Reserve Board, and state securities regulators. As another example, Bank of Arkansas is subject to certain consumer-protection laws incorporated in the Arkansas Constitution, which, among other restrictions, limit the maximum interest rate on general loans to five percent above the Federal Reserve Discount Rate and limit the rate on consumer loans to the lower of five percent above the discount rate or seventeen percent.
Capital Adequacy and Prompt Corrective Action
The Federal Reserve Board, the OCC and the FDIC have issued substantially similar risk-based and leverage capital guidelines applicable to United States banking organizations to ensure capital adequacy based upon the risk levels of assets and off-balance sheet financial instruments. In addition, these regulatory agencies may from time to time require that a banking organization maintain capital above the minimum levels, whether because of its financial condition or actual or anticipated growth. Capital adequacy guidelines and prompt corrective action regulations involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance sheet items calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators regarding components, risk weighting and other factors.
The Federal Reserve Board risk-based guidelines define a three-tier capital framework. Core capital (Tier 1) includes common shareholders’ equity and qualifying preferred stock, less goodwill, most intangible assets and other adjustments. Supplementary capital (Tier 2) consists of preferred stock not qualifying as Tier 1 capital, qualifying mandatory convertible debt securities, limited amounts of subordinated debt, other qualifying term debt and allowances for credit losses, subject to limitations. Market risk capital (Tier 3) includes qualifying unsecured subordinated debt. Assets and off-balance sheet exposures are assigned to one of four categories of risk-weights, based primarily upon relative credit risk. Risk-based capital ratios are calculated by dividing Tier 1 and total capital by risk-weighted assets. For a depository institution to
be considered well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the institution’s Tier 1 and total capital ratios must be at least 6% and 10% on a risk-adjusted basis, respectively. As of December 31, 2010, BOK Financial’s Tier 1 and total capital ratios under these guidelines were 12.69% and 16.20%, respectively.
The leverage ratio is determined by dividing Tier 1 capital by adjusted average total assets. Banking organizations are required to maintain a ratio of at least 5% to be classified as well capitalized. BOK Financial’s leverage ratio at December 31, 2010 was 8.74%.
The leverage ratio is determined by dividing Tier 1 capital by adjusted average total assets. Banking organizations are required to maintain a ratio of at least 5% to be classified as well capitalized. BOK Financial’s leverage ratio at December 31, 2010 was 8.74%.