Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024

The disclosures set forth in this item are qualified by Item 1A. Risk Factors and the section captioned “Forward-Looking Statements and Factors that Could Affect Future Results” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this report and other cautionary statements set forth elsewhere in this report.

The Corporation

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc., a Texas business corporation incorporated in 1977, is a financial holding company and a bank holding company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas that provides, through its subsidiaries, a broad array of products and services throughout numerous Texas markets. The terms “Cullen/Frost,” “the Corporation,” “we,” “us” and “our” mean Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. and its subsidiaries, when appropriate. We offer commercial and consumer banking services, as well as trust and investment management, insurance, brokerage, mutual funds, leasing, treasury management, capital markets advisory and item processing services. At December 31, 2024, Cullen/Frost had consolidated total assets of $52.5 billion and was one of the largest independent bank holding companies headquartered in the State of Texas.

Our philosophy is to grow and prosper, building long-term relationships based on top quality service, high ethical standards, and safe, sound assets. We operate as a locally-oriented, community-based financial services organization, augmented by experienced, centralized support in select critical areas. Our local market orientation is reflected in our regional management and regional advisory boards, which are comprised of local business persons, professionals and other community representatives that assist our regional management in responding to local banking needs. Despite this local market, community-based focus, we offer many of the products available at much larger money-center financial institutions.

We serve a wide variety of industries including, among others, energy, manufacturing, services, construction, retail, telecommunications, healthcare, military and transportation. Our customer base is similarly diverse. We are not dependent upon any single industry or customer.

Our operating objectives include expansion, diversification within our markets, growth of our fee-based income, and growth internally and, to a lesser extent, through acquisitions of financial institutions, branches and financial services businesses. While we are currently focused on organic growth, we may seek merger or acquisition partners that are culturally similar and have experienced management and possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability through financial management, economies of scale and expanded services. From time to time, we evaluate merger and acquisition opportunities and conduct due diligence activities related to possible transactions with other financial institutions and financial services companies. As a result, merger or acquisition discussions and, in some cases, negotiations may take place and future mergers or acquisitions involving cash, debt or equity securities may occur. Acquisitions typically involve the payment of a premium over book and market values, and, therefore, some dilution of our tangible book value and net income per common share may occur in connection with any future transaction. Our ability to engage in certain merger or acquisition transactions, whether or not any regulatory approval is required, will be dependent upon our bank regulators’ views at the time as to the capital levels, quality of management and our overall condition and their assessment of a variety of other factors. Certain merger or acquisition transactions, including those involving the acquisition of a depository institution or the assumption of the deposits of any depository institution, require formal approval from various bank regulatory authorities, which will be subject to a variety of factors and considerations.

Although Cullen/Frost is a corporate entity, legally separate and distinct from its affiliates, bank holding companies such as Cullen/Frost are required to act as a source of financial strength for their subsidiary banks. The principal source of Cullen/Frost’s income is dividends from its subsidiaries. There are certain regulatory restrictions on the extent to which these subsidiaries can pay dividends or otherwise supply funds to Cullen/Frost. See the section captioned “Supervision and Regulation” elsewhere in this item for further discussion of these matters.

Cullen/Frost’s executive offices are located at 111 W. Houston Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205, and its telephone number is (210) 220-4011.

Subsidiaries of Cullen/Frost

Frost Bank

Frost Bank, the principal operating subsidiary and sole banking subsidiary of Cullen/Frost, is a Texas-chartered bank primarily engaged in the business of commercial and consumer banking through approximately 194 financial centers across Texas in the Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Gulf Coast, Houston, Permian Basin, and San Antonio regions. Frost Bank also operates approximately 1,766 automated-teller machines (“ATMs”) throughout the State of Texas, the majority of which are operated in connection with branding and licensing agreements with various retailers. Frost Bank was originally chartered as a national banking association in 1899, but its origin can be traced to a mercantile partnership organized in 1868. At December 31, 2024, Frost Bank had consolidated total assets of $52.6 billion and total deposits of $43.1 billion and was one of the largest commercial banks headquartered in the State of Texas.

Significant services offered by Frost Bank include:

• Commercial Banking. Frost Bank provides commercial banking services to corporations and other business clients. Loans are made for a wide variety of general corporate purposes, including financing for industrial and commercial properties and to a lesser extent, financing for interim construction related to industrial and commercial properties, financing for equipment, inventories and accounts receivable, and acquisition financing. We also originate commercial leases and offer treasury management services.
• Consumer Services. Frost Bank provides a full range of consumer banking services, including checking accounts, savings programs, ATMs, overdraft facilities, installment loans, first mortgage loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, drive-in and night deposit services, safe deposit facilities and brokerage services.
• International Banking. Frost Bank provides international banking services to customers residing in or dealing with businesses located in Mexico. These services consist of accepting deposits (generally only in U.S. dollars), making loans (generally only in U.S. dollars), issuing letters of credit, handling foreign collections, transmitting funds, and to a limited extent, dealing in foreign exchange.
• Correspondent Banking. Frost Bank acts as correspondent for approximately 179 financial institutions, which are primarily banks in Texas. These banks maintain deposits with Frost Bank, which offers them a full range of services including check clearing, transfer of funds, fixed income security services, and securities custody and clearance services.
• Trust Services. Frost Bank provides a wide range of trust, investment, agency and custodial services for individual and corporate clients. These services include the administration of estates and personal trusts, as well as the management of investment accounts for individuals, employee benefit plans and charitable foundations. At December 31, 2024, the estimated fair value of trust assets was $51.4 billion, including managed assets of $26.2 billion and custody assets of $25.2 billion.
• Capital Markets - Fixed-Income Services. Frost Bank’s Capital Markets Division supports the transaction needs of fixed-income institutional investors. Services include sales and trading, new issue underwriting, money market trading, advisory services and securities safekeeping and clearance.
• Global Trade Services. Frost Bank's Global Trade Services Division supports international business activities including foreign exchange, international letters of credit and export-import financing, among other things.

Frost Insurance Agency, Inc.

Frost Insurance Agency, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frost Bank that provides insurance brokerage services to individuals and businesses covering corporate and personal property and casualty insurance products, as well as group health and life insurance products.

Frost Brokerage Services, Inc.

Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. (“FBS”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frost Bank that provides brokerage services and performs other transactions or operations related to the sale and purchase of securities of all types. FBS is registered as a fully disclosed introducing broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and, as such, does not hold any customer accounts.

Frost Investment Advisors, LLC

Frost Investment Advisors, LLC is a registered investment advisor and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frost Bank that provides investment management services to Frost-managed mutual funds, institutions and individuals.

Frost Investment Services, LLC

Frost Investment Services, LLC is a registered investment advisor and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frost Bank that provides investment management services to individuals.

Tri–Frost Corporation

Tri-Frost Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frost Bank that primarily holds securities for investment purposes and the receipt of cash flows related to principal and interest on the securities until such time that the securities mature.

Cullen/Frost Capital Trust II

Cullen/Frost Capital Trust II (“Trust II”) is a Delaware statutory business trust formed in 2004 for the purpose of issuing $120.0 million in trust preferred securities and lending the proceeds to Cullen/Frost. Cullen/Frost guarantees, on a limited basis, payments of distributions on the trust preferred securities and payments on redemption of the trust preferred securities. Trust II is a variable interest entity for which we are not the primary beneficiary. As such, the accounts of Trust II are not included in our consolidated financial statements. See our accounting policy related to consolidation in Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data elsewhere in this report.

Although the accounts of Trust II are not included in our consolidated financial statements, the $120.0 million in trust preferred securities issued by Trust II are included in the regulatory capital of Cullen/Frost during the reported periods. See the section captioned “Supervision and Regulation - Capital Requirements” for a discussion of the regulatory capital treatment of our trust preferred securities.

Other Subsidiaries

Cullen/Frost has various other subsidiaries that are not significant to the consolidated entity.

Operating Segments

Our operations are managed along two reportable operating segments consisting of Banking and Frost Wealth Advisors. See the sections captioned “Results of Segment Operations” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 17 - Operating Segments in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data elsewhere in this report.

Competition

There is significant competition among commercial banks in our market areas. In addition, we also compete with other providers of financial services, such as savings and loan associations, credit unions, consumer finance companies, securities firms, private equity and debt funds, insurance companies, insurance agencies, commercial finance and leasing companies, full service brokerage firms, discount brokerage firms, and financial/wealth technology (“fintech/wealthtech”) firms. Some of our competitors have greater resources and, as such, may have higher lending limits and may offer other services that are not provided by us. We generally compete on the basis of customer service and responsiveness to customer needs, available loan and deposit products, the rates of interest charged on loans, the rates of interest paid for funds, and the availability and pricing of trust, brokerage and insurance services. For further discussion, see the section captioned “We Operate In A Highly Competitive Industry and Market Area” in Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Supervision and Regulation

Cullen/Frost, Frost Bank and most of its non-banking subsidiaries are subject to extensive regulation under federal and state laws. The regulatory framework is intended primarily for the protection of depositors, federal deposit insurance funds and the banking system as a whole and not for the protection of shareholders and creditors.

Significant elements of the laws and regulations applicable to Cullen/Frost and its subsidiaries are described below. The description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the statutes, regulations and policies that are described. Also, such statutes, regulations and policies are continually under review by Congress and state legislatures and federal and state regulatory agencies. A change in statutes, regulations or regulatory policies applicable to Cullen/Frost and its subsidiaries could have a material effect on our business, financial condition or our results of operations.

Regulatory Agencies

Cullen/Frost is a legal entity separate and distinct from Frost Bank and its other subsidiaries. As a financial holding company and a bank holding company, Cullen/Frost is regulated under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHC Act”), and it and its subsidiaries are subject to inspection, examination and supervision by the Federal Reserve Board. The BHC Act provides generally for “umbrella” regulation of financial holding companies such as Cullen/Frost by the Federal Reserve Board, and for functional regulation of banking activities by bank regulators, securities activities by securities regulators, and insurance activities by insurance regulators. Cullen/Frost is also under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and is subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as administered by the SEC. Cullen/Frost’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the trading symbol “CFR” and our Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of our 4.450% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B, is listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol “CFR PrB.” Accordingly, Cullen/Frost is also subject to the rules of the NYSE for listed companies.

Frost Bank is a Texas state chartered bank and a member of the Federal Reserve System. Accordingly, the Texas Department of Banking and the Federal Reserve Board are the primary regulators of Frost Bank. Deposits at Frost Bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to applicable limits.

All member banks of the Federal Reserve System, including Frost Bank, are required to hold stock in the Federal Reserve System's Reserve Banks in an amount equal to six percent of their capital stock and surplus (half paid to acquire the stock with the remainder held as a cash reserve). Member banks do not have any control over the Federal Reserve System as a result of owning the stock and the stock cannot be sold or traded. The annual dividend rate for larger member banks, including Frost Bank, is tied to 10-year U.S. Treasuries with the maximum dividend rate capped at six percent. The total amount of stock dividends that Frost Bank received from the Federal Reserve totaled $1.5 million in 2024, $1.4 million in 2023 and $1.2 million in 2022.

Most of our non-bank subsidiaries also are subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board and other federal and state agencies. Frost Brokerage Services, Inc. is regulated by the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and state securities regulators. Frost Investment Advisors, LLC and Frost Investment Services, LLC are subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as administered by the SEC. Our insurance subsidiary is subject to regulation by applicable state insurance regulatory agencies. Other non-bank subsidiaries are subject to both federal and state laws and regulations. Frost Bank and its affiliates are also subject to supervision, regulation, examination and enforcement by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) with respect to consumer protection laws and regulations.

Bank Holding Company Activities

In general, the BHC Act limits the business of bank holding companies to banking, managing or controlling banks and other activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. In addition, bank holding companies that qualify and elect to be financial holding companies 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 Board 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 Board), without prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board. Activities that are financial in nature include securities underwriting and dealing, insurance underwriting and making merchant banking investments, among others.

To maintain financial holding company status, a financial holding company and all of its depository institution subsidiaries must be “well capitalized” and “well managed.” A depository institution subsidiary is considered to be “well capitalized” if it satisfies the requirements for this status discussed in the section captioned “Prompt Corrective Action,” elsewhere in this item. A depository institution subsidiary is considered “well managed” if it received a composite rating and management rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent examination. A financial holding company’s status will also depend upon it maintaining its status as “well capitalized” and “well managed” under applicable Federal Reserve Board regulations. If a financial holding company ceases to meet these capital and management requirements, the BHC Act, and the Federal Reserve Board’s regulations provide that the financial holding company must enter into a confidential agreement with the Federal Reserve Board to comply with all applicable capital and management requirements. Until the financial holding company returns to compliance, the Federal Reserve Board 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 Board. If the company does not return to compliance within 180 days, the Federal Reserve Board may require divestiture of the holding company’s depository institutions. Bank holding companies and banks must also be both well capitalized and well managed in order to acquire banks located outside their home state.

In order for a financial holding company to commence any new activity permitted by the BHC Act or to acquire a company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHC Act, each insured depository institution subsidiary of the financial holding company must have received a rating of at least “satisfactory” in its most recent Community Reinvestment Act “CRA” performance evaluation. See the section captioned “Community Reinvestment Act” elsewhere in this item.

The Federal Reserve Board has the power to order any bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any activity or to terminate its ownership or control of any subsidiary when the Federal Reserve Board has reasonable grounds to believe that continuation of such activity or such ownership or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness, safety or stability of any bank subsidiary of the bank holding company.

The BHC Act, the Bank Merger Act, the Texas Finance Code and other federal and state statutes regulate acquisitions of commercial banks and their parent holding companies. The BHC Act requires the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board for the direct or indirect acquisition by a bank holding company of more than 5.0% of the voting shares of a commercial bank or its parent holding company. Under the Bank Merger Act, the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board or other appropriate bank regulatory authority is required for a member bank to merge with another bank or purchase substantially all of the assets or assume any deposits of another bank. In reviewing applications seeking approval of merger and acquisition transactions, the bank regulatory authorities will consider, among other things, the competitive effect and public benefits of the transactions, the applicant's managerial and financial resources, the capital position of the combined organization, the risks to the stability of the U.S. banking or financial system (e.g., systemic risk), the applicant’s performance record under the CRA (see the section captioned “Community Reinvestment Act” elsewhere in this item) and its compliance with law, including fair lending, fair housing and other consumer protection laws, and the effectiveness of the subject organizations in combating money laundering activities.

Dividends and Stock Repurchases

The principal source of Cullen/Frost’s liquidity is dividends from Frost Bank. The prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board is required if the total of all dividends declared by a state-chartered member bank in any calendar year would exceed the sum of the bank’s net profits for that year and its retained net profits for the preceding two calendar years, less any required transfers to surplus or to fund the retirement of preferred stock. Federal law also prohibits a state-chartered, member bank from paying dividends that would be greater than the bank’s undivided profits. Frost Bank is also subject to limitations under Texas state law regarding the level of dividends that may be paid. Under the foregoing dividend restrictions, and while maintaining its “well capitalized” status, Frost Bank could pay aggregate dividends of approximately $1.2 billion to Cullen/Frost, without obtaining affirmative governmental approvals, at December 31, 2024. This amount is not necessarily indicative of amounts that may be paid or available to be paid in future periods.

In addition, Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank are subject to other regulatory policies and requirements relating to the payment of dividends, including requirements to maintain adequate capital above regulatory minimums. The appropriate federal regulatory authority is authorized to determine under certain circumstances relating to the financial condition of a bank holding company or a bank that the payment of dividends would be an unsafe or unsound practice and to prohibit payment thereof. Additionally, it is Federal Reserve policy that bank holding companies generally should pay dividends on common stock only out of net income available to common shareholders over the past year and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with the organization’s current and expected future capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. Federal Reserve policy also provides that a bank holding company should inform the Federal Reserve reasonably in advance of declaring or paying a dividend that exceeds earnings for the period for which the dividend is being paid or that could result in a material adverse change to the bank holding company’s capital structure.

In certain circumstances, Cullen/Frost’s repurchases of its common stock may be subject to a prior approval or notice requirement under other regulations, policies or supervisory expectations of the Federal Reserve Board. Any redemption or repurchase of preferred stock or subordinated debt remains subject to the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board.

In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”) was enacted. Among other things, the IRA imposes a 1% excise tax on the fair market value of stock repurchased after December 31, 2022 by publicly traded U.S. corporations. With certain exceptions, the value of stock repurchased is determined net of stock issued in the year, including shares issued pursuant to compensatory arrangements.

Transactions with Affiliates

Transactions between Frost Bank and its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Cullen/Frost or any other subsidiary, on the other hand, are regulated under federal banking law. The Federal Reserve Act imposes quantitative and qualitative requirements and collateral requirements on covered transactions by Frost Bank with, or for the benefit of, its affiliates, and generally requires those transactions to be on terms at least as favorable to Frost Bank as if the transaction were conducted with an unaffiliated third party. Covered transactions are defined by statute to include a loan or extension of credit, as well as a purchase of securities issued by an affiliate, a purchase of assets (unless otherwise exempted by the Federal Reserve Board) from the affiliate, certain derivative transactions that create a credit exposure to an affiliate, the acceptance of securities issued by the affiliate as collateral for a loan, and the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance or letter of credit on behalf of an affiliate. In general, any such transaction by Frost Bank or its subsidiaries must be limited to certain thresholds on an individual and aggregate basis and, for credit transactions with any affiliate, must be secured by designated amounts of specified collateral.

Federal law also limits a bank’s authority to extend credit to its directors, executive officers and 10% stockholders, as well as to entities controlled by such persons. Among other things, extensions of credit to insiders are required to be made on terms that are substantially the same as, and follow credit underwriting procedures that are not less stringent than, those prevailing for comparable transactions with unaffiliated persons. Also, the terms of such extensions of credit may not involve more than the normal risk of non-repayment or present other unfavorable features and may not exceed certain limitations on the amount of credit extended to such persons individually and in the aggregate.

Source of Strength Doctrine

Federal Reserve Board policy and federal law require bank holding companies to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to their subsidiary banks. Under this requirement, Cullen/Frost is expected to commit resources to support Frost Bank, including at times when Cullen/Frost 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.

Capital Requirements

Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank are each required to comply with applicable capital adequacy standards adopted by the Federal Reserve Board (the “Basel III Capital Rules”). The Basel III Capital Rules require Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank to maintain the following:

• A minimum ratio of Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) to risk-weighted assets of at least 4.5%, plus a 2.5% “capital conservation buffer” that is composed entirely of CET1 capital (resulting in a minimum ratio of CET1 to risk-weighted assets of 7.0%);
• A minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 6.0%, plus the capital conservation buffer (resulting in a minimum Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.5%);
• A minimum ratio of total capital (Tier 1 capital plus Tier 2 capital) to risk-weighted assets of at least 8.0%, plus the capital conservation buffer (resulting in a minimum total capital ratio of 10.5%); and
• A minimum leverage ratio of 4.0%, calculated as the ratio of Tier 1 capital to average consolidated assets as reported on consolidated financial statements (known as the “leverage ratio”).

Banking institutions that fail to meet the effective minimum ratios once the capital conservation buffer is taken into account, as detailed above, will be subject to constraints on capital distributions, including dividends and share repurchases, and certain discretionary executive compensation. The severity of the constraints depends on the amount of the shortfall and the institution’s “eligible retained income” (that is, the greater of (i) net income for the preceding four quarters, net of distributions and associated tax effects not reflected in net income and (ii) average net income over the preceding four quarters).

The Basel III Capital Rules also provide for a number of deductions from and adjustments to CET1. These include, for example, the requirement that certain deferred tax assets and significant investments in non-consolidated financial entities be deducted from CET1 to the extent that any one such category exceeds 25% of CET1.

In addition, under the general risk-based capital rules, the effects of accumulated other comprehensive income items included in capital were excluded for the purposes of determining regulatory capital ratios. Under the Basel III Capital Rules, the effects of certain accumulated other comprehensive income items are not excluded; however, non-advanced approaches banking organizations, including Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank, were able to make a one-time permanent election to continue to exclude these items. Both Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank made this election in order to avoid significant variations in the level of capital depending upon the impact of interest rate fluctuations on the fair value of their available-for-sale securities portfolio. Under the Basel III Capital Rules, trust preferred securities no longer included in our Tier 1 capital may nonetheless be included as a component of Tier 2 capital on a permanent basis without phase-out.

In February 2019, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued a final rule (the “2019 CECL Rule”) that revised certain capital regulations to account for changes to credit loss accounting under U.S. GAAP. The 2019 CECL Rule included a transition option that allows banking organizations to phase in, over a three-year period, the day-one adverse effects of adopting a new accounting standard related to the measurement of current expected credit losses (“CECL”) on their regulatory capital ratios (three-year transition option). In March 2020, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued an interim final rule that maintains the three-year transition option of the 2019 CECL Rule and also provided banking organizations that were required under U.S. GAAP (as of January 2020) to implement CECL before the end of 2020 the option to delay for two years an estimate of the effect of CECL on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology’s effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period (five-year transition option). We elected to adopt the five-year transition option. Accordingly, CECL transitional amounts have been added back to CET1 totaling $15.4 million and $30.8 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

The Basel III Capital Rules prescribe a standardized approach for risk weightings that expanded the risk-weighting categories from the general risk-based capital rules to a much larger and more 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 higher percentages for certain other types of interests), and resulting in higher risk weights for a variety of asset categories.

In December 2017, the Basel Committee published standards that it described as the finalization of the Basel III post-crisis regulatory reforms. Among other things, these standards revised the Basel Committee’s standardized approach for credit risk (including the recalibration of risk weights and the introduction of new capital requirements for certain “unconditionally cancellable commitments,” such as unused credit card lines of credit) and provided a new standardized approach for operational risk capital. Under the current U.S. capital rules, operational risk capital requirements and a capital floor apply only to advanced approaches banking organizations, and therefore not to Cullen/Frost or Frost Bank.

In July 2023, the federal banking regulators proposed revisions to the Basel III Capital Rules to implement the Basel Committee’s 2017 standards and make other changes to the Basel III Capital Rules. The proposal introduced revised credit risk, equity risk, operational risk, credit valuation adjustment risk and market risk requirements, among other changes, which would substantially increase the levels of required capital. Nonetheless, these revised capital requirements would not apply to Cullen/Frost or Frost Bank because they each have less than $100 billion in total consolidated assets and trading assets and liabilities below the threshold for market risk requirements. The Federal Reserve has indicated that it expects to work with the other federal banking regulators in 2025 on a revised proposal.

Liquidity Requirements

The Basel III liquidity framework and regulations of the Federal Reserve require that certain banks and bank holding companies measure their liquidity against specific liquidity tests. One test, referred to as the liquidity coverage ratio (“LCR”), is designed to ensure that the banking entity maintains an adequate level of unencumbered high-quality liquid assets equal to the entity’s expected net cash outflow for a 30-day time horizon (or, if greater, 25% of its expected total cash outflow) under an acute liquidity stress scenario. The other test, referred to as the net stable funding ratio (“NSFR”), is designed to promote more medium- and long-term funding of the assets and activities of banking entities over a one-year time horizon. Rules applicable to certain large banking organizations have been implemented for LCR and for NSFR; however, based on our asset size, these rules do not currently apply to Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank.

Prompt Corrective Action

The Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended (the “FDIA”) requires among other things, the federal banking agencies to take “prompt corrective action” in respect of depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. The FDIA includes the following five capital tiers: “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” and “critically undercapitalized.”

A bank will be (i) “well capitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0% or greater, a CET1 capital ratio of 6.5% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, and a leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater, and is not subject to any order or written directive by any such regulatory authority to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure; (ii) “adequately capitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater, a CET1 capital ratio of 4.5% or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0% or greater, and a leverage ratio of 4.0% or greater and is not “well capitalized”; (iii) “undercapitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio that is less than 8.0%, a CET1 capital ratio less than 4.5%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0% or a leverage ratio of less than 4.0%; (iv) “significantly undercapitalized” if the institution has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0%, a CET1 capital ratio less than 3.0%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0% or a leverage ratio of less than 3.0%; and (v) “critically undercapitalized” if the institution’s tangible equity is equal to or less than 2.0% of average quarterly tangible assets. An institution may be downgraded to, or deemed to be in, a capital category that is lower than indicated by its capital ratios if it is determined to be in an unsafe or unsound condition or if it receives an unsatisfactory examination rating with respect to certain matters. A bank’s capital category is determined solely for the purpose of applying prompt corrective action regulations, and the capital category may not constitute an accurate representation of the bank’s overall financial condition or prospects for other purposes.

The FDIA prohibits an insured depository institution from accepting brokered deposits or offering interest rates on any deposits significantly higher than the prevailing rate in the bank’s normal market area or nationally (depending upon where the deposits are solicited), unless it is (i) well capitalized, or (ii) adequately capitalized and receives a waiver from the FDIC.

Additionally, the FDIA generally prohibits a depository institution from making any capital distributions (including payment of a dividend) or paying any management fee to its parent holding company if the depository institution would thereafter be “undercapitalized.” “Undercapitalized” institutions are subject to growth limitations and are required to submit a capital restoration plan. The agencies may not accept such a plan without determining, among other things, that the plan is based on realistic assumptions and is likely to succeed in restoring the depository institution’s capital. In addition, for a capital restoration plan to be acceptable, the depository institution’s parent holding company must guarantee that the institution will comply with such capital restoration plan. The bank holding company must also provide appropriate assurances of performance. The aggregate liability of the parent holding company is limited to the lesser of (i) an amount equal to 5.0% of the depository institution’s total assets at the time it became undercapitalized and (ii) the amount which is necessary (or would have been necessary) to bring the institution into compliance with all capital standards applicable with respect to such institution as of the time it fails to comply with the plan. If a depository institution fails to submit an acceptable plan, it is treated as if it is “significantly undercapitalized.”

“Significantly undercapitalized” depository institutions may be subject to a number of requirements and restrictions, including orders to sell sufficient voting stock to become “adequately capitalized,” requirements to reduce total assets, and cessation of receipt of deposits from correspondent banks. “Critically undercapitalized” institutions are subject to the appointment of a receiver or conservator.

The appropriate federal banking agency may, under certain circumstances, reclassify a well capitalized insured depository institution as adequately capitalized. The FDIA provides that an institution may be reclassified if the appropriate federal banking agency determines (after notice and opportunity for hearing) that the institution is in an unsafe or unsound condition or deems the institution to be engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice. The appropriate agency is also permitted to require an adequately capitalized or undercapitalized institution to comply with the supervisory provisions as if the institution were in the next lower category (but not treat a significantly undercapitalized institution as critically undercapitalized) based on supervisory information other than the capital levels of the institution.

As of December 31, 2024, Frost Bank, was “well capitalized” based on the aforementioned ratios. For further information regarding the capital ratios and leverage ratio of Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank see the discussion under the section captioned “Capital and Liquidity” included in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, elsewhere in this report.

The prompt corrective action regulations do not apply to bank holding companies. However, the Federal Reserve Board is authorized to take appropriate action at the bank holding company level, based upon the undercapitalized status of the bank holding company’s depository institution subsidiaries.

Safety and Soundness Standards

The FDIA requires the federal bank regulatory agencies to prescribe standards, by regulations or guidelines, relating to internal controls, information systems and internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate risk exposure, asset growth, asset quality, earnings, stock valuation and compensation, fees and benefits, and such other operational and managerial standards as the agencies deem appropriate. Guidelines adopted by the federal bank regulatory agencies establish general standards relating to internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, 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. The guidelines prohibit excessive compensation as an unsafe and unsound practice and describe compensation as excessive when the amounts paid are unreasonable or disproportionate to the services performed by an executive officer, employee, director or principal stockholder. In addition, the agencies adopted regulations that authorize, but do not require, an agency to order an institution that has been given notice by an agency that it is not satisfying any of such safety and soundness standards to submit a compliance plan. If, after being so notified, an institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan or fails in any material respect to implement an acceptable compliance plan, the agency must issue an order directing action to correct the deficiency and may issue an order directing other actions of the types to which an undercapitalized institution is subject under the “prompt corrective action” provisions of the

FDIA. See “Prompt Corrective Action” above. If an institution fails to comply with such an order, the agency may seek to enforce such order in judicial proceedings and to impose civil money penalties and cease and desist orders.

Deposit Insurance

Deposits at Frost Bank are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”) of the FDIC and Frost Bank is subject to deposit insurance assessments to maintain the DIF. Deposit insurance assessments are based on average total assets minus average tangible equity. For larger institutions, such as Frost Bank, the FDIC uses a performance score and a loss-severity score that are used to calculate an initial assessment rate. In calculating these scores, the FDIC uses a bank’s capital level and supervisory ratings and certain financial measures to assess an institution’s ability to withstand asset-related stress and funding-related stress. The FDIC has the ability to make discretionary adjustments to the total score based upon significant risk factors that are not adequately captured in the calculations.

Under the FDIA, the FDIC may terminate deposit insurance upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe and unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC. In addition, the FDIC is authorized to conduct examinations of and require reporting by FDIC-insured institutions.

In October 2022, the FDIC adopted a final rule that increased the initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules uniformly by 2 basis points beginning with the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. The increased assessment was expected to improve the likelihood that the DIF reserve ratio would reach the statutory minimum of 1.35% by the statutory deadline prescribed under the FDIC’s amended restoration plan.

In November 2023, the FDIC issued a final rule to implement a special assessment to recover losses to the DIF incurred as a result of bank failures earlier that year and the FDIC’s use of the systemic risk exception to cover certain deposits that were otherwise uninsured. The special assessment was based on estimated uninsured deposits as of December 31, 2022 (excluding the first $5.0 billion) and was assessed at a quarterly rate of 3.36 basis points, over eight quarterly assessment periods, that began in the first quarter of 2024. In June 2024, due to the increased estimate of losses, the FDIC announced that it projects that the special assessment will be collected for an additional two quarters beyond the initial eight-quarter collection period, at a lower rate. This updated assessment was made under the FDIC’s final rule whereby the estimated loss pursuant to the systemic risk determination can be periodically adjusted. The FDIC has also retained the ability to cease collection early, extend the special assessment collection period and impose a final shortfall special assessment. The special assessments are tax deductible. The extent to which any such additional future assessments will impact our future deposit insurance expense is currently uncertain.

Enhanced Prudential Standards

The Federal Reserve Board is required to monitor emerging risks to financial stability and enact enhanced supervision and prudential standards applicable to large bank holding companies and certain non-bank covered companies designated as systemically important by the Financial Stability Oversight Council. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) mandates that certain regulatory requirements applicable to these systemically important financial institutions be more stringent than those applicable to other financial institutions. The enhanced prudential standards rules, as amended in 2019, require a bank holding company to establish a risk committee that approves and periodically reviews its risk-management policies and oversees its risk-management framework beginning on the first day of the ninth quarter following the date on which the bank holding company’s average total consolidated assets equal or exceed $50 billion. Cullen/Frost’s total consolidated assets surpassed $50 billion this year but it already maintains a risk committee that performs these functions.

Resolution Planning

The FDIC requires certain insured depository institutions (“IDIs”) with more than $50 billion in total consolidated assets to submit to the FDIC periodic plans for resolution in the event of the institution’s failure. In June 2024, the FDIC finalized amendments to the resolution planning requirements for IDIs with $50 billion or more in total assets. The amendments require IDIs with between $50 billion and $100 billion in assets, which includes Frost Bank, to submit informational filings on a three-year cycle, with an interim supplement updating key information submitted in the off years. The final rule became effective October 1, 2024.

The Volcker Rule

The so-called Volcker Rule under the Dodd-Frank Act restricts banks and their affiliates from engaging in proprietary trading and investing in and sponsoring hedge funds and private equity funds. The Volcker Rule does not significantly impact the operations of Cullen/Frost and its subsidiaries as we do not have any significant engagement in the businesses prohibited by the Volcker Rule.

Depositor Preference

The FDIA provides that, in the event of the “liquidation or other resolution” of an insured depository institution, the claims of depositors of the institution, including the claims of the FDIC as subrogee of insured depositors, and certain claims for administrative expenses of the FDIC as a receiver, will have priority over other general unsecured claims against the institution. If an insured depository institution fails, insured and uninsured depositors, along with the FDIC, will have priority in payment ahead of unsecured, non-deposit creditors, including depositors whose deposits are payable only outside of the United States and the parent bank holding company, with respect to any extensions of credit they have made to such insured depository institution.

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 us and other card-issuing banks for processing electronic payment transactions. Federal Reserve Board rules applicable to financial institutions that have assets of $10 billion or more provide that the maximum permissible interchange fee for an electronic debit transaction is the sum of 21 cents per transaction and 5 basis points multiplied by the value of the transaction. An upward adjustment of no more than 1 cent to an issuer’s debit card interchange fee is allowed if the card issuer develops and implements policies and procedures reasonably designed to achieve certain fraud-prevention standards. The Federal Reserve Board 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 a proposal under which the maximum permissible interchange fee for an electronic debit transaction would be the sum of 14.4 cents per transaction and 4 basis points multiplied by the value of the transaction. Furthermore, the fraud-prevention adjustment would increase from a maximum of 1 cent to 1.3 cents per debit card transaction. The proposal would adopt an approach for future adjustments to the interchange fee cap, which would occur every other year based on issuer cost data gathered by the Federal Reserve from large debit card issuers. The comment period for this proposal ended in May 2024. The extent to which any such proposed changes in permissible interchange fees will impact our future revenues is currently uncertain.

Consumer Financial Protection

We are subject to a number of federal and state consumer protection laws that extensively govern our relationship with our 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 Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Service Members Civil Relief Act and these laws’ respective state-law counterparts, as well as state usury laws and laws regarding unfair and deceptive acts and practices. These and other federal laws, among other things, require disclosures of the cost of credit and terms of deposit accounts, provide substantive consumer rights, prohibit discrimination in credit transactions, regulate the use of credit report information, provide financial privacy protections, prohibit unfair, deceptive and abusive practices, restrict our ability to raise interest rates and subject us to substantial regulatory oversight. Violations of applicable consumer protection laws can result in significant potential liability from litigation brought by customers, including actual damages, restitution and attorneys’ fees. Federal bank regulators, state attorneys general and state and local consumer protection agencies may also seek to enforce consumer protection requirements and obtain these and other remedies, including regulatory sanctions, customer rescission rights, action by the state and local attorneys general in each jurisdiction in which we operate and civil money penalties. Failure to comply with consumer protection requirements may also result in our failure to obtain any required bank regulatory approval for merger or acquisition transactions we may wish to pursue or our prohibition from engaging in such transactions even if approval is not required.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) is a federal agency responsible for implementing, examining and enforcing compliance with federal consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority for a wide range of consumer financial laws that apply to all banks, including, among other things, laws relating to fair lending and 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 self-protect 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. 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 law in order to impose a civil penalty or injunction. The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over all banks with more than $10 billion in assets, as well as their affiliates. Banking regulators take into account compliance with consumer protection laws when considering approval of a proposed transaction.

In October 2024, the CFPB issued a final rule that requires a provider of payment accounts or products, such as a bank, to make data available to consumers, free upon request, regarding the products or services they obtain from the provider. Any such data provider is also required to make such data available to third parties, with the consumer’s express authorization and through an interface that satisfies formatting, performance, and security standards, for the purpose of such third parties providing the consumer with financial products or services requested by the consumer. Data required to be made available under the rule includes transaction information, account balance, account and routing numbers, terms and conditions, upcoming bill information, and certain account verification data. The final rule is intended to give consumers control over their financial data, including with whom it is shared, and encourage competition in the provision of consumer financial products or services. Banks with over $10 billion and less than $250 billion in total assets, including Frost Bank, must comply with the new requirements by April 1, 2027.

In December 2024, the CFPB issued a final rule that, among other things, amends Regulation Z (otherwise known as the “Truth In Lending Act”) and impacts extensions of overdraft credit offered by financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets. The final rule defines overdraft credit as generally including consumer credit extended by a financial institution to pay a transaction from a checking or other transaction account (other than a prepaid account) held at the financial institution when the consumer has insufficient or unavailable funds in that account. The final rule requires that extensions of overdraft credit adhere to consumer protections required of similarly situated products, unless the overdraft fee is at or below the institution's costs and losses as determined by (i) calculating its own costs and losses using a standard set forth in the rule; or (ii) relying on a benchmark flat fee of five dollars. An overdraft that incurs charges that exceed costs and losses will become a covered overdraft credit and subject to Regulation Z which requires that lenders disclose borrowing costs, interest rates and fees upfront and in clear language so consumers can understand all the terms and make informed decisions. Furthermore, covered overdraft credit extensions must be put in a credit account and may not be structured as a negative balance on a checking or other transaction account. The provisions of the final rule become effective on October 1, 2025.

Community Reinvestment Act

The CRA requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under the CRA, each depository institution is required to help meet the credit needs of its market areas by, among other things, providing credit to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities. Depository institutions are periodically examined for compliance with the CRA and are assigned ratings. In order for a financial holding company to commence any new activity permitted by the BHC Act, or to acquire any company engaged in any new activity permitted by the BHC Act, 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. Furthermore, banking regulators take into account CRA ratings when considering a request for an approval of a proposed transaction. Frost Bank received a rating of “satisfactory” in its most recent CRA performance evaluations.

In October 2023, the OCC, together with the Federal Reserve and FDIC, issued a joint final rule to modernize the CRA regulatory framework. The final rule is intended, among other things, to adapt to changes in the banking industry, including the expanded role of mobile and online banking, and to tailor performance standards to account for differences in bank size and business models. The final rule introduces new tests under which the performance of banks with over $2 billion in assets will be assessed. The new rule also includes data collection and reporting requirements, some of which are applicable only to banks with over $10 billion in assets, such as Frost Bank. Most provisions of the final rule will become effective on January 1, 2026, and the data reporting requirements will become effective on January 1, 2027. The final rule is currently enjoined as to the plaintiff trade associations while a federal court considers a lawsuit challenging the rule.

Financial Privacy

The federal banking regulators have adopted rules under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 that limit the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to nonaffiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to a nonaffiliated third party. These regulations affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors.

Anti-Money Laundering and the USA Patriot Act

A major focus of governmental policy on financial institutions has been aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The U.S. Bank Secrecy Act (the “BSA”) and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “USA Patriot Act”) require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent them from being used for, and to detect and deter, money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities. The USA Patriot Act substantially broadened the scope of United States anti-money laundering laws and regulations by imposing significant new compliance and due diligence obligations, creating new crimes and penalties and expanding the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Financial institutions are also prohibited from entering into specified financial transactions and account relationships and must use enhanced due diligence procedures in their dealings with certain types of high-risk customers and implement a written customer identification program. Financial institutions must take certain steps to assist government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering and report certain types of suspicious transactions. Regulatory authorities routinely examine financial institutions for compliance with these obligations, and failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with all of the relevant laws or regulations, could have serious financial, legal and reputational consequences for the institution, including causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required. Regulatory authorities have imposed cease and desist orders and civil money penalties against institutions found to be violating these obligations.

In August 2024, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), which drafts regulations implementing the U.S. Patriot Act, BSA and other anti-money laundering legislation, adopted a rule extending anti-money laundering obligations, including maintenance of an anti-money laundering program and filing certain reports with FinCEN, to registered investment advisers, like certain of Cullen/Frost’s subsidiaries. Compliance with these requirements is required beginning on January 1, 2026.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries and regimes, under authority of various laws, including designated foreign countries, nationals and others. OFAC publishes lists of specially designated targets and countries. These sanctions include: (i) restrictions on trade with or investment in a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from and exports to a sanctioned country and prohibitions on “U.S. persons” engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country, and (ii) blocking assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the sanctioned country have an interest by prohibiting transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons). We are responsible for, among other things, blocking accounts of, and transactions with, such targets and countries, prohibiting unlicensed trade and financial transactions with them and reporting blocked transactions after their occurrence. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious financial, legal and reputational consequences, including the imposition of civil money penalties or causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required.

Incentive Compensation

The Federal Reserve Board reviews, as part of its regular, risk-focused examination process, the incentive compensation arrangements of banking organizations, such as Cullen/Frost, that are not “large, complex banking organizations.” These reviews are tailored to each organization based on the scope and complexity of the organization’s activities and the prevalence of incentive compensation arrangements. Deficiencies will be incorporated into the organization’s supervisory ratings, which can affect the organization’s ability to make acquisitions and take other actions. Enforcement actions may be taken against a banking organization if its incentive compensation arrangements, or related risk-management control or governance processes, pose a risk to the organization’s safety and soundness and the organization is not taking prompt and effective measures to correct the deficiencies.

Under regulatory guidance applicable to all banking organizations, incentive compensation policies must be consistent with safety and soundness principles. The guidance, which covers all employees that have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of an organization, either individually or as part of a group, is based upon the key principles that a banking organization’s incentive compensation arrangements should (i) provide incentives that do not encourage risk-taking beyond the organization’s ability to effectively identify and manage risks, (ii) be compatible with effective internal controls and risk management, and (iii) be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the organization’s board of directors.

In 2016, the U.S. financial regulators, including the Federal Reserve Board and the SEC, proposed revised rules on incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities having at least $1 billion in total assets (including Cullen/Frost and Frost Bank), but these proposed rules have not been finalized.

In October 2022, the SEC adopted a final rule directing national securities exchanges and associations, including the NYSE, to implement listing standards that require listed companies to adopt policies mandating the recovery or “clawback” of excess incentive-based compensation earned by a current or former executive officer during the three fiscal years preceding the date the listed company is required to prepare an accounting restatement, including to correct an error that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period. The NYSE’s listing standards pursuant to the SEC’s rule became effective on October 2, 2023. We adopted a compensation recovery policy pursuant to the NYSE listing standards on October 25, 2023. The policy is included as Exhibit 97.1 to this Form 10-K.

Cybersecurity

The federal banking regulators regularly issue new guidance and standards, and update existing guidance and standards, regarding cybersecurity intended to enhance cyber risk management among financial institutions. Financial institutions are expected to comply with such guidance and standards and to accordingly develop appropriate security controls and risk management processes. If we fail to observe such regulatory guidance or standards, we could be subject to various regulatory sanctions, including financial penalties. In 2023, the SEC issued a final rule that requires disclosure of material cybersecurity incidents, as well as cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance. Under this rule, banking organizations that are SEC registrants must generally disclose information about a material cybersecurity incident within four business days of determining it is material with periodic updates as to the status of the incident in subsequent filings, as necessary.

Banking organizations are required to notify their primary banking regulator within 36 hours of determining that a “computer-security incident” has materially disrupted or degraded, or is reasonably likely to materially disrupt or degrade, the banking organization’s ability to carry out banking operations or deliver banking products and services to a material portion of its customer base, its businesses and operations that would result in material loss, or its operations that would impact the stability of the United States.

State regulators have also been increasingly active in implementing privacy and cybersecurity standards and regulations. Recently, several states have adopted regulations requiring certain financial institutions to implement cybersecurity programs and many states, including Texas, have also recently implemented or modified their data breach notification, information security and data privacy requirements. We expect this trend of state-level activity in those areas to continue and are continually monitoring developments in the states in which our customers are located.

Risks and exposures related to cybersecurity attacks, including litigation and enforcement risks, are expected to be elevated for the foreseeable future due to the rapidly evolving nature and sophistication of these threats, as well as due to the expanding use of Internet banking, mobile banking and other technology-based products and services by us and our customers.

In May 2024, the SEC finalized amendments to Regulation S-P to require broker-dealers, investment companies and investment advisers registered with the SEC to adopt written policies and procedures for incident response programs to address unauthorized access to or use of customer information. The amended Regulation S-P also requires covered entities to notify, within 30 days, individuals affected by an incident involving sensitive customer information and provide them with details about the incident and other information intended to help affected individuals respond appropriately.

See Item 1A. Risk Factors for a further discussion of risks related to cybersecurity and Item 1C. Cybersecurity for a further discussion of risk management strategies and governance processes related to cybersecurity.

Climate-Related and Other ESG Developments

In recent years, federal, state and international lawmakers and regulators have increased their focus on financial institutions' and other companies' risk oversight, disclosures and practices in connection with climate change and other environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters. In addition, several states, including Texas, have enacted or proposed statutes or regulations addressing climate change and other ESG issues, including “anti-ESG” statutes or regulations.

Future Legislation and Regulation

Congress may enact legislation from time to time that affects the regulation of the financial services industry, and state legislatures may enact legislation from time to time affecting the regulation of financial institutions chartered by or operating in those states. Federal and state regulatory agencies also periodically propose and adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. The substance or impact of pending or future legislation or regulation, or the application thereof, cannot be predicted, although any change could impact the regulatory structure under which we or our competitors operate and may significantly increase costs, impede the efficiency of internal business processes, require an increase in regulatory capital, require modifications to our business strategy, and limit our ability to pursue business opportunities in an efficient manner. It could also affect our competitors differently than us, including in a manner that would make them more competitive. A change in statutes, regulations or regulatory policies applicable to Cullen/Frost or any of its subsidiaries could have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Human Capital Resources

At December 31, 2024, we employed 5,854 full-time equivalent employees. At that date, the average tenure of all of our full-time employees was approximately 9.3 years while the average tenure of our executive officers was approximately 30.4 years. None of our employees are represented by collective bargaining agreements. We believe our employee relations to be good.

Oversight of our corporate culture is an important element of our board of director’s oversight of risk because our people are critical to the success of our corporate strategy. Our board sets the “tone at the top,” and holds senior management accountable for embodying, maintaining, and communicating our culture to employees. In that regard, our culture is designed to promote our commitment to making people's lives better and to uphold that principle in everything we do. That commitment has been a central pillar in our approach to our employees, our planet and the communities we have proudly served for over 150 years. Our culture is designed to adhere to the timeless values of integrity, caring and excellence. In keeping with that culture, we expect our people to treat each other and our customers with the highest level of honesty and respect and go out of their way to do the right thing, and we strive to be a force for good in everyday life. We dedicate resources to promote a safe workplace; attract, develop and retain talented employees; promote a culture of integrity, caring and excellence; and reward and recognize employees for both the results they deliver and, importantly, how they deliver them. We also seek to design careers that are fulfilling ones, with competitive compensation and benefits alongside a positive work-life balance. We also dedicate resources to fostering professional and personal growth with continuing education, on-the-job training and development programs. This commitment to our people has earned us a spot on Forbes magazine's Best Employers list in 2024.

Our employees are key to our success as an organization. We are committed to providing equal opportunity to and avoiding unlawful discrimination against all applicants and employees and attracting, retaining and promoting top quality talent regardless of personal aspects such as sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, national origin and age. We are dedicated to providing a workplace for our employees that is supportive, and free of any form of unlawful discrimination or harassment; rewarding and recognizing our employees based on their individual results and performance as well as that of their department and the company overall; and recognizing and respecting all of the characteristics and differences that make each of our employees unique.

By promoting and fostering a workforce that we believe is reflective of the values of our customers and communities, we seek to better understand the financial needs of our prospects and customers and provide them with relevant financial service products. This enables us to better serve our customers and communities, enhancing our success as an organization. Understanding and supporting our community has always been a priority to us. We have established a voluntary, employee-led and staffed team that is committed to touching and improving the lives of people that live and work in our community. Additionally, we provide employees the opportunity to use paid time off to perform community service activities in their choice of ways. In 2024, this amounted to over 24,000 hours of community service performed by our employees. Our efforts are designed to enrich the lives of not only those that are in need but also the lives of our employees who participate in these meaningful and rewarding opportunities.

Information About Our Executive Officers

The names, ages, recent business experience and positions or offices held by each of the executive officers of Cullen/Frost are as follows:

There are no arrangements or understandings between any executive officer of Cullen/Frost and any other person pursuant to which such executive officer was or is to be selected as an officer.

Available Information

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, we are required to file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The SEC maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. We file electronically with the SEC.

We make available, free of charge through our website, our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, and amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with or furnished to the SEC. Additionally, we have adopted and posted on our website a code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Our website also includes our corporate governance guidelines and the charters for our audit committee, our compensation and benefits committee, our risk committee, our corporate governance and nominating committee and our technology committee. The address for our website is http://www.frostbank.com. We will provide a printed copy of any of the aforementioned documents to any requesting shareholder.

An investment in our common stock is subject to risks inherent to our business. The material risks and uncertainties that management believes affect us are described below. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this report. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties that management is not aware of or focused on or that management currently deems immaterial may also impair our business operations. This report is qualified in its entirety by these risk factors. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. If this were to happen, the market price of our common stock and preferred stock could decline significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related To Our Business

Interest Rate Risks

We Are Subject To Interest Rate Risk

Our earnings and cash flows are largely dependent upon our net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on interest-earning assets such as loans and securities and interest expense paid on interest-bearing liabilities such as deposits and borrowed funds. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions, inflationary trends, changes in government spending and debt issuances and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the Federal Open Market Committee. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence not only the interest we receive on loans and securities and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings, but such changes could also affect (i) our ability to originate loans and obtain deposits, (ii) the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities, and (iii) the average duration of our mortgage-backed securities portfolio. If the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings increase at a faster rate than the interest rates received on loans and other investments, our net interest income, and therefore earnings, could be adversely affected. Earnings could also be adversely affected if the interest rates received on loans and other investments fall more quickly than the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings. Any substantial, unexpected, or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under the section captioned “Net Interest Income” and Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk elsewhere in this report for further discussion related to interest rate sensitivity and our management of interest rate risk.

Credit and Lending Risks

We Are Subject To Lending Risk and Lending Concentration Risk

There are inherent risks associated with our lending activities. These risks include, among other things, the impact of changes in interest rates and changes in the economic conditions in the markets where we operate as well as those across the State of Texas and the United States. Increases in interest rates and/or weakening economic conditions could adversely impact the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans or the value of the collateral securing these loans.

As of December 31, 2024, approximately 82.9% of our loan portfolio consisted of commercial and industrial, energy, construction and commercial real estate mortgage loans. These types of loans are generally viewed as having more risk of default and are typically larger than residential real estate loans or consumer loans. Because our loan portfolio contains a significant number of commercial and industrial, energy, construction and commercial real estate loans with relatively large balances, the deterioration of one or a few of these loans could cause a significant increase in non-performing loans. Increases in non-performing loans have resulted in a net loss of earnings from particular loans, an increase in credit loss expense and an increase in loan charge-offs, and these and future instances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Certain of our credit exposures are concentrated in industries that may be more susceptible to the long-term risks of climate change, natural disasters or global pandemics. To the extent that these risks may have a negative impact on the financial condition of borrowers, it could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See the section captioned “Loans” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations elsewhere in this report for further discussion related to commercial and industrial, energy, construction and commercial real estate loans.

Our Allowance For Credit Losses May Be Insufficient

We maintain allowances for credit losses on loans, securities and off-balance sheet credit exposures. In the case of loans and securities, allowances for credit losses are contra-asset valuation accounts that are deducted from the amortized cost basis of these assets to present the net amount expected to be collected. In the case of off-balance-sheet credit exposures, the allowance for credit losses is a liability account reported as a component of accrued interest payable and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. The amount of each allowance account represents management's best estimate of current expected credit losses on these financial instruments considering available information, from internal and external sources, relevant to assessing exposure to credit loss over the contractual term of the instrument. Relevant available information includes historical credit loss experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. As a result, the determination of the appropriate level of allowance for credit losses inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates related to current and expected future credit risks and trends, all of which may undergo material changes. Changes in economic conditions; inflation; interest rate volatility; new information regarding existing loans, credit commitments and securities holdings; the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or other global pandemics; natural disasters and risks related to climate change; and identification of additional problem loans, ratings down-grades and other factors, both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in the allowances for credit losses on loans, securities and off-balance sheet credit exposures. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review our allowance for credit losses and may require an increase in credit loss expense or the recognition of further loan charge-offs, based on judgments different than those of management. Furthermore, if any charge-offs related to loans, securities or off-balance sheet credit exposures in future periods exceed our allowances for credit losses on loans, securities or off-balance sheet credit exposures, we will need to recognize additional credit loss expense to increase the applicable allowance. Any increase in the allowance for credit losses on loans, securities and/or off-balance sheet credit exposures will result in a decrease in net income and, possibly, capital, and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See the section captioned “Allowance for Credit Losses” in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations elsewhere in this report for further discussion related to our process for determining the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses.

We Are Subject to Risk Arising From Conditions In The Commercial Real Estate Market

As of December 31, 2024, commercial real estate mortgage loans comprised approximately 34.5% of our loan portfolio. Commercial real estate mortgage loans generally involve a greater degree of credit risk than residential real estate mortgage loans because the collateral securing these loans may not be sold as easily as residential real estate and because they typically have larger balances and are more affected by adverse conditions in the economy. Because payments on loans secured by commercial real estate often depend upon the successful operation and management of the properties and the businesses which operate from within them, repayment of such loans may be affected by factors outside the borrower’s control, such as adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy or changes in government regulations. In recent years, commercial real estate markets have been particularly impacted by the economic disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has also been a catalyst for the evolution of various remote work options which have impacted the long-term performance of some types of office properties within our commercial real estate portfolio. Accordingly, the federal banking regulatory agencies have expressed concerns about weaknesses in the current commercial real estate market. 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, accordingly, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We Are Subject To Volatility Risk In Crude Oil Prices

As of December 31, 2024, we had $1.1 billion of energy loans which comprised approximately 5.4% of our loan portfolio at that date. Furthermore, energy production and related industries represent a large part of the economies in some of our primary markets. The energy industry and market prices for oil and gas have historically been cyclical. Global wars, military conflicts, terrorism, governmental and social responses to environmental issues and climate change, or other geopolitical events as well as actions by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) can impact global crude oil and gas production levels and lead to significant volatility in global oil and gas supplies and market prices. Prolonged periods of low oil and gas commodity prices could negatively impact our borrowers' ability to pay, particularly those that utilize higher-cost production technologies such as hydraulic fracking and horizontal drilling, as well as oilfield service providers, energy equipment manufacturers and transportation suppliers, among others. The price per barrel of crude oil was approximately $72 at both December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023. While losses in our energy portfolio have not been significant in recent years, we have experienced increased losses within our energy portfolio in years that were impacted by significant oil price volatility. Future oil price volatility could have negative impacts on the U.S. economy, in particular, the economies of energy-dominant states such as Texas, and our borrowers and customers. Such negative impacts could result in an increased rate of loan delinquencies and credit losses which, accordingly, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We Are Subject To Environmental Liability Risk Associated With Lending Activities

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, we foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. There is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on 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 ability to sell the affected property. Environmental reviews of real property before initiating foreclosure actions may not be 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.

Liquidity Risk

We Are Subject To Liquidity Risk

We require liquidity to meet our deposit and debt obligations as they come due. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities or on terms that are acceptable to us could be impaired by factors that affect us specifically or the financial services industry or economy generally. Factors that could reduce our access to liquidity sources include a downturn in the Texas economy, difficult credit markets or adverse regulatory actions against us. Our access to deposits may also be affected by the liquidity needs of our depositors. A substantial majority of our liabilities are demand, savings, interest checking and money market deposits, which are payable on demand or upon several days’ notice, while by comparison, a substantial portion of our assets are loans, which cannot be called or sold in the same time frame. We may not be able to replace maturing deposits and advances as necessary in the future, especially if a large number of our depositors sought to withdraw their accounts, regardless of the reason. Our access to deposits may be negatively impacted by, among other factors, periods of low interest rates or higher interest rates which could promote increased competition for deposits, including from new financial technology competitors, or provide customers with alternative investment options. Additionally, negative news about us or the banking industry in general could negatively impact market or customer perceptions of our company, which could lead to a loss of depositor confidence and an increase in deposit withdrawals, particularly among those with uninsured deposits. Furthermore, as we and other regional banking organizations experienced in 2023, the failure of other financial institutions may cause deposit outflows as customers spread deposits among several different banks so as to maximize their amount of FDIC insurance, move deposits to banks deemed "too big to fail" or remove deposits from the banking system entirely. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 54% of our deposits were uninsured and we rely on these deposits for liquidity. A failure to maintain adequate liquidity could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may also need to raise additional capital and liquidity through the issuance of stock to comply with regulatory mandates, which could dilute the ownership of existing stockholders, or reduce or even eliminate common stock dividends or share repurchases to preserve capital and liquidity.

Unrealized Losses in Our Securities Portfolio Could Affect Liquidity.

We have experienced significant unrealized losses on our available-for sale-securities portfolio as a result of increases in market interest rates. Unrealized losses related to available-for-sale securities are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income in our consolidated balance sheets and reduce the level of our book capital and tangible common equity. However, such unrealized losses do not affect our regulatory capital ratios. We actively monitor our available-for-securities portfolio and we do not currently anticipate the need to realize material losses from the sale of securities for liquidity purposes. Furthermore, we believe it is unlikely that we would be required to sell any such securities before recovery of their amortized cost bases, which may be at maturity. Nonetheless, our access to liquidity sources could be affected by unrealized losses if securities must be sold at a loss; tangible capital ratios continue to decline from an increase in unrealized losses or realized credit losses; the FHLB or other funding sources reduce capacity; or bank regulators impose restrictions on us that impact the level of interest rates we may pay on deposits or our ability to access brokered deposits. Additionally, significant unrealized losses could negatively impact market and/or customer perceptions of our company, which could lead to a loss of depositor confidence and an increase in deposit withdrawals, particularly among those with uninsured deposits.

Operational Risks

Our Accounting Estimates and Risk Management Processes Rely On Analytical and Forecasting Models

The processes we use to estimate our expected credit losses and to measure the fair value of financial instruments, as well as the processes used to estimate the effects of changing interest rates and other market measures on our financial condition and results of operations, depends upon the use of analytical and forecasting models. These models reflect assumptions that may not be accurate, particularly in times of market stress or other unforeseen circumstances. Even if these assumptions are adequate, the models may prove to be inadequate or inaccurate because of other flaws in their design or their implementation, including flaws caused by failures in controls, data management, human error or from the reliance on technology. If the models we use for interest rate risk and asset-liability management are inadequate, we may incur increased or unexpected losses upon changes in market interest rates or other market measures. If the models we use for estimating our expected credit losses are inadequate, the allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to support future charge-offs. If the models we use to measure the fair value of financial instruments are inadequate, the fair value of such financial instruments may fluctuate unexpectedly or may not accurately reflect what we could realize upon sale or settlement of such financial instruments. Any such failure in our analytical or forecasting models could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We Are Subject To Risk Arising From Failure Or Circumvention Of Our Controls and Procedures

Our internal controls, including fraud detection and controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance procedures are based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the controls and procedures are met. Any failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures; failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures; or failure to comply with our corporate governance procedures could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations, including subjecting us to litigation, regulatory fines, penalties or other sanctions. Furthermore, notwithstanding the proliferation of technology and technology-based risk and control systems, our businesses ultimately rely on people as our greatest resource, and we are subject to the risk that they make mistakes or engage in violations of applicable policies, laws, rules or procedures that in the past have not, and in the future may not always be prevented by our technological processes or by our controls and other procedures intended to prevent and detect such errors or violations. Human errors, malfeasance and other misconduct, even if promptly discovered and remediated, can result in reputational damage or legal risk and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

New Lines Of Business, Products Or Services and Technological Advancements May Subject Us To Additional Risks

From time to time, we implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business. For instance, we recently implemented a new residential mortgage product offering. 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 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 compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business or a new product or service.

The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. In addition, our implementation of certain new technologies, such as those related to artificial intelligence, automation and algorithms, in our business processes may have unintended consequences due to their limitations or our failure to use them effectively. In addition, cloud technologies are also critical to the operation of our systems, and our reliance on cloud technologies is growing. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Furthermore, any new line of business, new product or service and/or new technology could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business, new products or services and/or new technologies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Reputation and Our Business Are Subject to Negative Publicity Risk

Reputation risk, or the risk to our earnings, liquidity, and capital from negative public opinion, is inherent in our business. Negative public opinion could adversely affect our ability to keep and attract customers and expose us to adverse legal and regulatory consequences. Negative public opinion could result from our actual or alleged conduct in any number of activities, including (i) lending practices, (ii) branching strategy, (iii) product and service offerings, (iv) corporate governance, (v) regulatory compliance, (vi) mergers and acquisitions, (vii) disclosure, (viii) sharing or inadequate protection of customer information, (ix) successful or attempted cyber-attacks against us, our customers or our third-party partners or vendors and (x) failure to discharge any publicly announced commitments to employees or ESG initiatives or to respond adequately to social and sustainability concerns from the viewpoint of our stakeholders from actions taken by government regulators and community organizations in response to our conduct. There has been an increased focus by investors and other stakeholders on topics related to corporate policies and approaches regarding ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion matters. Due to divergent stakeholder views on these matters, we are at increased risk that any action, or lack thereof, concerning these matters will be perceived negatively by some stakeholders, which could negatively affect our business and reputation. Negative public opinion could also result from adverse news or publicity that impairs the reputation of the financial services industry generally or from the actions of our employees, customers, affiliates or third parties with whom we do business.

In addition, our reputation or future prospects may be significantly damaged by adverse publicity or negative information regarding us, whether or not true, that may be posted on social media, non-mainstream news services or other parts of the internet, and this risk is magnified by the speed and pervasiveness with which information is disseminated through those channels. Because we conduct most of our business under the “Frost” brand, negative public opinion about one business could affect our other businesses.

Events that result in damage to our reputation may also increase our litigation risk, increase regulatory scrutiny, affect our ability to attract and retain customers and employees and have other consequences that we may not be able to predict.

Our Business, Financial Condition and Results Of Operations Are Subject To Risk From Changes in Customer Behavior

Individual, economic, political, industry-specific conditions and other factors outside of our control, such as fuel prices, energy costs, real estate values, inflation, taxes or other factors that affect customer income levels, could alter anticipated customer behavior, including borrowing, repayment, investment and deposit practices. Such a change in these practices could materially adversely affect our ability to anticipate business needs and meet regulatory requirements. Further, difficult economic conditions may negatively affect consumer confidence levels. A decrease in consumer confidence levels would likely aggravate the adverse effects of these difficult market conditions on us, our customers and others in the financial institutions industry.

Cullen/Frost Relies On Dividends From Its Subsidiaries For Most Of Its Revenue

Cullen/Frost is a separate and distinct legal entity from its subsidiaries. It receives substantially all of its revenue from dividends from its subsidiaries. These dividends are the principal source of funds to pay dividends on Cullen/Frost’s common stock and preferred stock and interest and principal on Cullen/Frost’s debt. Various federal and state laws and regulations limit the amount of dividends that Frost Bank and certain non-bank subsidiaries may pay to Cullen/Frost. Also, Cullen/Frost’s right to participate in a distribution of assets upon a subsidiary’s liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of the subsidiary’s creditors and depositors. In the event Frost Bank is unable to pay dividends to Cullen/Frost, Cullen/Frost may not be able to service debt, pay obligations or pay dividends on our common stock or our preferred stock. The inability to receive dividends from Frost Bank could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See the section captioned “Supervision and Regulation” in Item 1. Business and Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data elsewhere in this report.

Our Information Systems May Experience Failure, Interruption Or Breach In Security

In the ordinary course of business, we rely on electronic communications and information systems to conduct our operations and to store sensitive data. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in significant disruption to our operations. Information security breaches and cybersecurity-related incidents include, but are not limited to, attempts to access information, including customer and company information, malicious code, computer viruses and denial of service attacks that could result in unauthorized access, theft, misuse, loss, release or destruction of data (including confidential customer information), account takeovers, unavailability of service or other events. These types of threats may derive from human error, fraud or malice on the part of external or internal parties or may result from accidental technological failure. Our technologies, systems, networks and software have been and continue to be subject to cybersecurity threats and attacks, which range from uncoordinated individual attempts to sophisticated and targeted measures directed at us. Any failures related to upgrades and maintenance of our technology and information systems could further increase our information and system security risk. Our increased use of cloud and other technologies, such as remote work technologies, and the increased connectivity of third parties and electronic devices to our systems also increases our risk of being subject to a cyber-attack. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attack or cyber-intrusion, has increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased.

Our customers, employees and third parties that we do business with have been, and will continue to be, targeted by parties using fraudulent e-mails and other communications in attempts to misappropriate passwords, bank account information or other personal information or to introduce viruses or other malware programs to our information systems, the information systems of merchants or third-party service providers and/or our customers' personal devices, which are beyond our security control systems. Though we endeavor to mitigate these threats through product improvements, use of encryption and authentication technology and customer and employee education, such cyber-attacks against us, merchants, our third-party service providers and our customers remain a serious issue and have been successful in the past.

Although we make significant efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our information systems and have implemented various measures to manage the risks of a security breach or disruption, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. It is possible that employees, merchants or our third-party vendors may not follow our cybersecurity policies and procedures, which may expose us to a cyber-attack. Furthermore, even well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable to attempted security breaches or disruptions because the techniques used in such attempts are constantly evolving, including as a result of artificial intelligence, and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not to be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is virtually impossible for us to entirely mitigate this risk. In the event of a cyber-attack, we may be delayed in identifying or responding to the attack, which could increase the negative impact of the cyber-attack on our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we maintain specific “cyber” insurance coverage, which would apply in the event of various breach scenarios, the amount of coverage may not be adequate in any particular case. Furthermore, because cyber threat scenarios are inherently difficult to predict and can take many forms, some breaches may not be covered under our cyber insurance coverage. A security breach or other significant disruption of our information systems or those related to our customers, merchants or our third-party vendors, including as a result of cyber-attacks, could (i) disrupt the proper functioning of our networks and systems and therefore our operations and/or those of our customers; (ii) result in the unauthorized access to, and destruction, loss, theft, misappropriation or release of confidential, sensitive or otherwise valuable information of ours or our customers; (iii) result in a violation of applicable privacy, data breach and other laws, subjecting us to additional regulatory scrutiny and exposing us to civil litigation, enforcement actions, governmental fines and possible financial liability; (iv) require significant management attention and resources to remedy the damages that result; or (v) harm our reputation or cause a decrease in the number of customers that choose to do business with us. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Operations Rely On Certain External Vendors

We rely on certain external vendors to provide products and services necessary to maintain our day-to-day operations. These third-party vendors are sources of operational, cybersecurity, and informational security risk to us, including risks associated with operational errors, coding errors, information system failures, interruptions or breaches and unauthorized disclosures of sensitive or confidential client or customer information. If these vendors encounter any of these issues, or if we have difficulty communicating with them regarding such issues, we could be exposed to disruption of operations, loss of service or connectivity to customers, reputational damage, and litigation risk that could have a material adverse effect on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, our operations are exposed to risk that these vendors will not perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements. Although we have selected these external vendors carefully, we do not control their actions. The failure of an external vendor to perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements, because of changes in the vendor’s organizational structure, financial condition, support for existing products and services or strategic focus or for any other reason, could be disruptive to our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations. Replacing these external vendors could also entail significant delay and expense.

We Are Subject To Litigation Risk Pertaining To Fiduciary Responsibility

From time to time, customers make claims and take legal action pertaining to our performance of our fiduciary responsibilities. Whether customer claims and legal action related to our performance of our fiduciary responsibilities are founded or unfounded, if such claims and legal actions are not resolved in a manner favorable to us they may result in significant financial liability and/or adversely affect the market perception of us and our products and services as well as impact customer demand for those products and services. Any financial liability or reputational damage could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We Are Subject To Litigation Risk Pertaining To Intellectual Property

Banking and other financial services companies, including us, rely on technology companies to provide information technology products and services necessary to support day-to-day operations. Technology companies frequently enter into litigation based on allegations of patent infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. In addition, patent holding companies seek to monetize patents they have purchased or otherwise obtained. Competitors of our vendors, or other individuals or companies, have from time to time claimed to hold intellectual property sold to us by our vendors or in use by us and we are, and may in the future be, named as defendants in various related legal claims. Such claims may increase in the future as the financial services sector becomes more reliant on information technology vendors. The plaintiffs in these actions frequently seek injunctions and substantial damages and may also seek to enter into licensing agreements with us to obtain ongoing fees.

Regardless of the scope or validity of such patents or other intellectual property rights, or the merits of any claims by potential or actual litigants, we may have to engage in protracted litigation. Such litigation is often expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to our operations and distracting to management. If we are found to infringe upon one or more patents or other intellectual property rights, we may be required to pay substantial damages or royalties to a third-party. In certain cases, we have entered, and in the future may consider entering, into licensing agreements for disputed intellectual property, although no assurance can be given that such licenses can be obtained on acceptable terms or that litigation will not occur. These licenses may also significantly increase our operating expenses. If legal matters related to intellectual property claims were resolved against us or settled, we could be required to make payments in amounts that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Financial Services Companies Depend On The Accuracy and Completeness Of Information About Customers and Counterparties

In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions, we rely on information furnished by or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial statements, credit reports and other financial information. We also rely on representations of those customers, counterparties or other third parties, such as independent auditors, as to the accuracy and completeness of that information. Reliance on inaccurate or misleading financial statements, credit reports or other financial information could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

External and Market-Related Risks

Our Profitability Depends Significantly On Economic Conditions In The State Of Texas

Our success depends substantially on the general economic conditions of the State of Texas and the specific local markets in which we operate. Unlike larger national or other regional banks that are more geographically diversified, we provide banking and financial services primarily to customers across Texas through financial centers in the Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Gulf Coast, Houston, Permian Basin, and San Antonio regions. The local economic conditions in these areas have a significant impact on the demand for our products and services as well as the ability of our customers to repay loans, the value of the collateral securing loans and the stability of our deposit funding sources. Moreover, all of the securities in our municipal bond portfolio were issued by political subdivisions or agencies within the State of Texas. A significant decline in general economic conditions in Texas, whether caused by recession, inflation, unemployment, changes or prolonged stagnation in oil prices, changes in securities markets, acts of terrorism, pandemics, natural disasters, climate change, outbreak of hostilities or other international or domestic occurrences or other factors could impact these local economic conditions and, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We Are Subject to Risk Arising From The Soundness Of Other Financial Institutions and Counterparties

Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including commercial banks, brokers and dealers, investment banks, and other institutional clients. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of a default by a counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral held by us cannot be realized upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the credit or derivative exposure due to us. Increased interconnectivity amongst financial institutions also increases the risk of cyber-attacks and information system failures for financial institutions. Any such losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We Operate In A Highly Competitive Industry and Market Area

We face substantial competition in all areas of our operations from a variety of different competitors, many of which are larger and may have more financial resources than us. Such competitors primarily include national, regional, and community banks within the various markets where we operate. Recent regulation has reduced the regulatory burden of large bank holding companies, and raised the asset thresholds at which more onerous requirements apply, which could cause certain large bank holding companies with less than $250 billion in total consolidated assets, which were previously subject to more stringent enhanced prudential standards, to become more competitive or to pursue expansion more aggressively.

We also face competition from many other types of financial institutions, including, without limitation, savings and loans, credit unions, finance companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies and other financial intermediaries. The financial services industry could become even more competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and continued consolidation.

Also, technology and other changes have lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for non-banks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks. In particular, the activity of fintechs/wealthtechs has grown significantly over recent years and is expected to continue to grow. Some fintechs/wealthtechs are not subject to the same regulation as we are, which may allow them to be more competitive. Fintechs/wealthtechs have and may continue to offer bank or bank-like products and a number of such organizations have applied for bank or industrial loan charters while others have partnered with existing banks to allow them to offer deposit products to their customers. Increased competition from fintechs/wealthtechs and the growth of digital banking may also lead to pricing pressures as competitors offer more low-fee and no-fee products.

Additionally, consumers can maintain funds that would have historically been held as bank deposits in brokerage accounts or mutual funds. Consumers can also complete transactions such as paying bills and/or transferring funds directly without the assistance of banks. In addition, the emergence, adoption and evolution of new technologies that do not require intermediation, including distributed ledgers such as digital assets and blockchain, as well as advances in robotic process automation, could significantly affect the competition for financial services. 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. Further, many of our competitors have fewer regulatory constraints and may have lower cost structures than us. Additionally, due to their size, many competitors may be able to achieve economies of scale and, as a result, may offer a broader range of products and services as well as better pricing for those products and services than we can. Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors, including, among other things, (i) the ability to develop, maintain and build long-term customer relationships based on top quality service, high ethical standards and safe, sound assets; (ii) the ability to expand within our marketplace and with our market position; (iii) the scope, relevance and pricing of products and services offered to meet customer needs and demands; (iv) the rate at which we introduce new products and services relative to our competitors; (v) customer satisfaction with our level of service; and (vi) industry and general economic trends. Failure to perform in any of these areas could significantly weaken our competitive position, which could adversely affect our growth and profitability, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Compliance and Regulatory Risks

We Are Subject To Extensive Government Regulation and Supervision and Related Enforcement Powers and Other Legal Remedies

We, primarily through Cullen/Frost, Frost Bank and certain non-bank subsidiaries, are subject to extensive federal and state regulation and supervision, which vests a significant amount of discretion in the various regulatory authorities. Banking regulations are primarily intended to protect depositors’ funds, federal deposit insurance funds and the banking system as a whole, not shareholders. These regulations and supervisory guidance affect our lending practices, capital structure, investment practices, dividend policy, the fees we can charge for certain products or transactions, and growth, among other things. Congress and federal regulatory agencies continually review banking laws, regulations and policies for possible changes. Changes to statutes, regulations or regulatory policies or supervisory guidance, including changes in interpretation or implementation of statutes, regulations, policies or supervisory guidance, have and could continue to affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways. Such changes have and could continue to subject us to additional costs, limit the types of financial services and products we may offer, limit our ability to return capital to shareholders or conduct certain activities, and/or increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products, among other things. Failure to comply with laws, regulations, policies or supervisory guidance could result in enforcement and other legal actions by Federal or state authorities, including criminal and civil penalties, the loss of FDIC insurance, the revocation of a banking charter, enforcement actions or sanctions by regulatory agencies, significant fines and civil money penalties and/or reputational damage. In this regard, government authorities, including the bank regulatory agencies, are pursuing aggressive enforcement actions with respect to compliance and other legal matters involving financial activities, which heightens the risks associated with actual and perceived compliance failures. Directives issued to enforce such actions may be confidential and thus, in some instances, we are not permitted to publicly disclose these actions. Litigation challenging actions or regulations by Federal or state authorities could, depending on the outcome, significantly affect the regulatory and supervisory framework affecting our operations. For example, there is litigation pending to challenge the Federal Reserve’s regulation on permissible interchange fees on the ground that the regulation allows higher interchange fees than permitted by statute, which, if successful, could significantly and adversely affect the fees banks can charge on debit card transactions. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, we face significant regulatory scrutiny, in the course of routine examinations and otherwise, and new regulations in response to negative developments in the banking industry, which may increase our cost of doing business and reduce our profitability. Among other things, there may be increased focus by both regulators and investors on deposit composition, the level of uninsured deposits, brokered deposits, unrealized losses in securities portfolios, liquidity, commercial real estate loan composition and concentrations, and capital as well as general oversight and control of the foregoing. We could face increased scrutiny or be viewed as higher risk by regulators and/or the investor community, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

See the sections captioned “Supervision and Regulation” included in Item 1. Business and Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data elsewhere in this report.

The Repeal Of Federal Prohibitions On Payment Of Interest On Demand Deposits Could Increase Our Interest Expense

All federal prohibitions on the ability of financial institutions to pay interest on demand deposit accounts were repealed as part of the Dodd-Frank Act beginning in 2011. As a result, some financial institutions offer interest on demand deposits to compete for customers. Our interest expense will increase, and our net interest margin will decrease, if we begin offering interest on demand deposits to attract additional customers or maintain current customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We Are Subject To Government Regulation and Oversight Relating to Data and Privacy Protection

Our business requires the collection and retention of large volumes of customer data, including personally identifiable information in various information systems that we maintain and in those maintained by third parties with whom we contract to provide data services. We also maintain important internal company data such as personally identifiable information about our employees and information relating to our operations. The integrity and protection of that customer and company data is important to us. Our collection of such customer and company data is subject to extensive regulation and oversight.

We are subject to laws and regulations relating to the privacy of the information of our customers, employees and others, and any failure to comply with these laws and regulations could expose us to liability and/or reputational damage. As new privacy-related laws and regulations are implemented, the time and resources needed for us to comply with such laws and regulations, as well as our potential liability for non-compliance and reporting obligations in the case of data breaches, may significantly increase.

Risks Related to Acquisition Activity

Potential Acquisitions May Disrupt Our Business and Dilute Shareholder Value

We generally seek merger or acquisition partners that are culturally similar and have experienced management and possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability through financial management, economies of scale or expanded services. Acquiring other banks, businesses, or branches involves various risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including, among other things, (i) potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities of the target company; (ii) exposure to potential asset quality issues of the target company; (iii) potential disruption to our business; (iv) potential diversion of our management’s time and attention; (v) the possible loss of key employees and customers of the target company; (vi) difficulty in estimating the value of the target company; and (vii) potential changes in banking or tax laws or regulations that may affect the target company.

Acquisitions typically involve the payment of a premium over book and market values, and, therefore, some dilution of our tangible book value and net income per common share may occur in connection with any future transaction. Acquisitions may also result in potential dilution to existing shareholders of our earnings per share if we issue common stock in connection with the acquisition. Furthermore, failure to realize the expected revenue increases, cost savings, increases in geographic or product presence, and/or other projected benefits from an acquisition could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Acquisitions May Be Delayed, Impeded, Or Prohibited Due To Regulatory Issues

Acquisitions by financial institutions, including us, are subject to approval by a variety of federal and state regulatory agencies (collectively, “regulatory approvals”). The process for obtaining these required regulatory approvals has become substantially more difficult since the global financial crisis, and our ability to engage in certain merger or acquisition transactions depends on the bank regulators' views at the time as to our capital levels, quality of management, and overall condition, in addition to their assessment of a variety of other factors, including our compliance with law. Regulatory approvals could be delayed, impeded, restrictively conditioned or denied due to existing or new regulatory issues we have, or may have, with regulatory agencies, including, without limitation, issues related to BSA compliance, CRA issues, fair lending laws, fair housing laws, consumer protection laws, unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices regulations and other laws and regulations. We may fail to pursue, evaluate or complete strategic and competitively significant acquisition opportunities as a result of our inability, or perceived or anticipated inability, to obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner, under reasonable conditions or at all. Difficulties associated with potential acquisitions that may result from these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Associated With Our Common Stock and Preferred Stock

The Trading Volumes In Our Common Stock and Preferred Stock Are Less Than That Of Other Larger Financial Services Companies

Although our common stock and preferred stock are listed for trading on the NYSE, the trading volume in our common stock is less than that of other, larger financial services companies. A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends on the presence in the marketplace of willing buyers and sellers of our common stock and preferred 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 the lower trading volumes of our common stock and preferred stock, significant sales of our common stock or our preferred stock, or the expectation of these sales, could cause our stock prices to fall.

Cullen/Frost May Not Continue To Pay Dividends On Its Common Stock In The Future

Holders of Cullen/Frost common stock are only entitled to receive such dividends as its board of directors may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Although Cullen/Frost has historically declared cash dividends on its common stock, it is not required to do so and may reduce or eliminate its common stock dividend in the future. This could adversely affect the market price of Cullen/Frost’s common stock. Also, Cullen/Frost is a bank holding company, and its ability to declare and pay dividends is dependent on certain federal regulatory considerations, including the guidelines of the Federal Reserve Board regarding capital adequacy and dividends.

As more fully discussed in Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data elsewhere in this report, our ability to declare or pay dividends on our common stock may also be subject to certain restrictions in the event that we elect to defer the payment of interest on our junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures or do not declare and pay dividends on our Series B Preferred Stock.

An Investment In Our Common Stock or Preferred Stock Is Not An Insured Deposit

Our common stock and preferred stock are not bank deposits and, therefore, are not insured against loss by the FDIC, any other deposit insurance fund or by any other public or private entity. Investment in our common stock or preferred stock is inherently risky for the reasons described in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this report and is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock or preferred stock in any company. As a result, if you acquire our common stock or preferred stock, you could lose some or all of your investment.

Certain Banking Laws May Have An Anti-Takeover Effect

Provisions of federal banking laws, including regulatory approval requirements, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so would be perceived to be beneficial to our shareholders. These provisions effectively inhibit a non-negotiated merger or other business combination, which, in turn, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

General Risk Factors

We are Subject To Risk From Fluctuating Conditions In The Financial Markets and Economic and Political Conditions Generally

Our success depends, to a certain extent, upon local, national and global economic and political conditions, as well as governmental monetary policies. Our financial performance generally, and in particular the ability of borrowers to pay interest on and repay 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, is highly dependent upon the business environment in the markets where we operate, in the State of Texas and in the United States as a whole. A favorable business environment is generally characterized by, among other factors, economic growth, efficient capital markets, low inflation, low unemployment, high business and investor confidence, and strong business earnings. Unfavorable or uncertain economic and market conditions can be caused by a decline in economic growth both in the U.S. and internationally; declines in business activity or investor or business confidence; limitations on the availability of or increases in the cost of credit and capital; increases in inflation or interest rates; high unemployment; oil price volatility; natural disasters; trade policies and tariffs; or a combination of these or other factors. In addition, financial markets and global supply chains may be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of global wars/military conflicts, terrorism or other geopolitical events. Current economic conditions are being heavily impacted by recent inflationary conditions and higher interest rates, the effects of which may impact our profitability by negatively impacting our fixed costs and expenses. Economic and inflationary pressure on consumers and uncertainty regarding economic improvement could result in changes in consumer and business spending, borrowing and savings habits. Such conditions could have a material adverse effect on the credit quality of our loans and our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Federal budget deficit concerns and the potential for political conflict over legislation to fund U.S. government operations and raise the U.S. government's debt limit may increase the possibility of a default by the U.S. government on its debt obligations, related credit-rating downgrades, or an economic recession in the United States. Many of our investment securities are issued by the U.S. government and government agencies and sponsored entities. As a result of uncertain domestic political conditions, including potential future federal government shutdowns, the possibility of the federal government defaulting on its obligations for a period of time due to debt ceiling limitations or other unresolved political issues, investments in financial instruments issued or guaranteed by the federal government pose liquidity risks. In connection with prior political disputes over U.S. fiscal and budgetary issues leading to the U.S. government shutdown in 2023, Fitch lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. from AAA to AA+. A further downgrade, or downgrades by other rating agencies, as well as sovereign debt issues facing the governments of other countries, could have a material adverse impact on financial markets and economic conditions in the U.S. and worldwide.

Furthermore, evolving responses from federal and state governments and other regulators, and our customers or our third-party partners or vendors, to challenges such as climate change have impacted and could continue to impact the economic and political conditions under which we operate which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes In The Federal, State Or Local Tax Laws May Negatively Impact Our Financial Performance and We Are Subject To Examinations and Challenges By Tax Authorities

We are subject to federal and applicable state tax laws and regulations. Changes in these tax laws and regulations, some of which may be retroactive to previous periods, could increase our effective tax rates and, as a result, could negatively affect our current and future financial performance. Furthermore, tax laws and regulations are often complex and require interpretation. In the normal course of business, we are routinely subject to examinations and challenges from federal and applicable state tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due in connection with investments we have made and the businesses in which we have engaged. Federal and state taxing authorities have been aggressive in challenging tax positions taken by financial institutions. These tax positions may relate to tax compliance, sales and use, franchise, gross receipts, payroll, property and income tax issues, including tax base, apportionment and tax credit planning. The challenges made by tax authorities may result in adjustments to the timing or amount of taxable income or deductions or the allocation of income among tax jurisdictions. If any such challenges are made and are not resolved in our favor, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We May Need To Raise Additional Capital In The Future, and Such Capital May Not Be Available When Needed Or At All

We may need to raise additional capital in the future to provide us with sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet our commitments and business needs, particularly if our asset quality or earnings were to deteriorate significantly. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on, among other things, conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and our financial condition. Economic conditions and the loss of confidence in financial institutions may increase our cost of funding and limit access to certain customary sources of capital, including inter-bank borrowings, repurchase agreements and borrowings from the discount window of the Federal Reserve.

We cannot assure that such capital will be available on acceptable terms or at all. Any occurrence that may limit our access to the capital markets, such as a decline in the confidence of debt purchasers, depositors of Frost Bank or counterparties participating in the capital markets, or a downgrade of Cullen/Frost’s or Frost Bank’s debt ratings, may adversely affect our capital costs and our ability to raise capital and, in turn, our liquidity. Moreover, if we need to raise capital in the future, we may have to do so when many other financial institutions are also seeking to raise capital and would have to compete with those institutions for investors. An inability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms when needed could have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Stock Price Can Be Volatile

Stock price volatility may make it more difficult for you to resell your common stock when you want and at prices you find attractive. Our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors including, among other things, (i) actual or anticipated variations in quarterly results of operations; (ii) recommendations by securities analysts; (iii) operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us; (iv) news reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in the financial services industry; (v) perceptions in the marketplace regarding us and/or our competitors; (vi) new technology used, or services offered, by competitors; (vii) the issuance by us of additional securities, including common stock and securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, common stock; (viii) sales of a large block of shares of our common stock or similar securities in the market after an equity offering, or the perception that such sales could occur; (ix) significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors; (x) failure to integrate acquisitions or realize anticipated benefits from acquisitions; (xi) changes in government regulations; and (xii) geopolitical conditions such as acts or threats of terrorism or military conflicts.

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

Changes In Accounting Standards Could Materially Impact Our Financial Statements

From time to time, accounting standards setters change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. These changes can be 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 retroactively, resulting in changes to previously reported financial results or a cumulative charge to retained earnings. See Note 19 - Accounting Standards Updates in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data elsewhere in this report for further information regarding pending accounting standards updates.

We May Not Be Able To Attract and Retain Skilled People

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best people in many activities engaged in by us is intense including with respect to compensation and emerging workplace practices, accommodations and remote work options, and we may not be able to hire people or to retain them. We do not currently have employment agreements or non-competition agreements with any of our senior officers. The unexpected loss of services of key personnel could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations because of their customer relationships, skills, knowledge of our market, years of industry experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel. In addition, the scope and content of U.S. banking regulators' policies on incentive compensation, as well as changes to these policies, could adversely affect our ability to hire, retain and motivate our key employees.

Severe Weather, Natural Disasters, Acts Of War Or Terrorism and Other Adverse External Events Could Significantly Impact Our Business and Our Customers

Severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business. In addition, such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in loss of revenue and/or cause us to incur additional expenses. Furthermore, the occurrence of any such event in the future could have a material adverse effect on our business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Climate Change Could Have a Material Negative Impact on Us and Our Customers

Our business, as well as the operations and activities of our customers, could be negatively impacted by climate change. Climate change presents both immediate and long-term risks to us and our customers and these risks are expected to increase over time. Climate change presents multi-faceted risks, including (i) operational risk from the physical effects of climate events on our facilities and other assets as well as those of our customers; (ii) credit risk from borrowers with significant exposure to climate risk; (iii) legal, regulatory and compliance risks arising from the policy, legal and regulatory changes associated with the transition to a less carbon-dependent economy; and (iv) reputational risk from stakeholder concerns about our practices related to climate change, our carbon footprint and our business relationships with customers who operate in carbon-intensive industries, and from negative public opinion related to any of our actions or inaction in response to climate change and our climate change strategy. The risks associated with climate change are rapidly changing and evolving in an escalating fashion, making them difficult to assess due to limited data. Our business, reputation and ability to attract and retain employees may also be harmed if our response to climate change is perceived to be ineffective or insufficient.

Climate change exposes us and our customers to physical risk as its effects may lead to more frequent and more extreme weather events, such as prolonged droughts or flooding, tornados, hurricanes, wildfires and extreme seasonal weather; and longer-term shifts, such as increasing average temperatures, ozone depletion and rising sea levels. Such events and long-term shifts may damage, destroy or otherwise impact the value or productivity of our properties and other assets; increase the premiums for and reduce the availability of insurance; and/or disrupt our operations and other activities through prolonged outages. Such events and long-term shifts may also have a significant impact on our customers, which could amplify credit risk by diminishing borrowers’ repayment capacity or collateral values, and other businesses and counterparties with whom we transact, which could have a broader impact on the economy, supply chains and distribution networks.

Climate change also exposes us and our customers to transition risks associated with the transition to a less carbon-dependent economy. Transition risks may result from changes in policies; laws and regulations; technologies; and/or market preferences to address climate change. Such changes could materially, negatively impact our business, results of operations, financial condition and/or our reputation, in addition to having a similar impact on our customers. We have customers who operate in carbon-intensive industries like oil and gas that are exposed to climate risks, such as those risks related to the transition to a less carbon-dependent economy, as well as customers who operate in low-carbon industries that may be subject to risks associated with new technologies. Federal and state banking regulators and supervisory authorities, investors and other stakeholders have increasingly viewed financial institutions as important in helping to address the risks related to climate change both directly and with respect to their customers, which may result in financial institutions coming under increased pressure regarding the disclosure and management of their climate risks and related lending and investment activities. Given that climate change could impose systemic risks upon the financial sector, either via disruptions in economic activity resulting from the physical impacts of climate change or changes in policies as the economy transitions to a less carbon-intensive environment, we face regulatory risk of increasing focus on our resilience to climate-related risks, including in the context of stress testing for various climate stress scenarios. Ongoing legislative or regulatory uncertainties and changes regarding climate risk management and practices may result in higher regulatory, compliance, credit and reputational risks and costs, and may subject us to different and potentially conflicting requirements.

Risk Management and Strategy

Our risk management program is designed to identify, assess, and mitigate risks across various aspects of our company, including financial, operational, regulatory, reputational, and legal. Cybersecurity is a critical component of this program, given the increasing reliance on technology and potential of cyber threats. Our Chief Information Security Officer is primarily responsible for this cybersecurity component and is a key member of the risk management organization, reporting directly to the Chief Risk Officer and, as discussed below, periodically to the Technology Committee of our board of directors.

Our objective for managing cybersecurity risk is to avoid or minimize the impacts of external threat events or other efforts to penetrate, disrupt or misuse our systems or information. The structure of our information security program is designed around the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Cybersecurity Framework, regulatory guidance, and other industry standards. In addition, we leverage certain industry and government associations, third-party benchmarking, audits, and threat intelligence feeds to facilitate and promote program effectiveness. Our Chief Information Security Officer and our Chief Information Officer, who reports directly to our Chief Consumer Banking Officer, along with key members of their teams, regularly collaborate with peer banks, industry groups, and policymakers to discuss cybersecurity trends and issues and identify best practices. The information security program is periodically reviewed by such personnel with the goal of addressing changing threats and conditions.

We employ an in-depth, layered, defensive strategy that embraces a “security by design” philosophy when designing new products, services, and technology. We leverage people, processes, and technology as part of our efforts to manage and maintain cybersecurity controls. We also employ a variety of preventative and detective tools designed to monitor, block, and provide alerts regarding suspicious activity, as well as to report on suspected advanced persistent threats. We have established processes and systems designed to mitigate cyber risk, including regular and on-going education and training for employees, preparedness simulations and tabletop exercises, and recovery and resilience tests. We engage in regular assessments of our infrastructure, software systems, and network architecture, using internal cybersecurity experts and third-party specialists. We also maintain a third-party risk management program designed to identify, assess, and manage risks, including cybersecurity risks, associated with external service providers and our supply chain. We also actively monitor our email gateways for malicious phishing email campaigns and monitor remote connections as a significant portion of our workforce has the option to work remotely. We leverage internal and external auditors and independent external partners to periodically review our processes, systems, and controls, including with respect to our information security program, to assess their design and operating effectiveness and make recommendations to strengthen our risk management program.

We maintain an Incident Response Plan that provides a documented framework for responding to actual or potential cybersecurity incidents, including timely notification of and escalation to the appropriate Board-approved management committees, as discussed further below, to the Technology Committee of our board of directors, and external agencies. The Incident Response Plan is coordinated through the Chief Information Security Officer and key members of management are embedded into the Plan by its design. The Incident Response Plan facilitates coordination across multiple parts of our organization and is evaluated at least annually.

Notwithstanding our defensive measures and processes, the threat posed by cyber-attacks is severe. Our internal systems, processes, and controls are designed to mitigate loss from cyber-attacks and, while we have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past, to date, cybersecurity incidents and risks from cybersecurity threats have not materially affected our company. For further discussion of risks from cybersecurity threats, see the section captioned “Our Information Systems May Experience Failure, Interruption Or Breach In Security” in Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Governance

Our Chief Information Security Officer is responsible for managing our enterprise information security department and delivering our information security program. The responsibilities of this department include cybersecurity risk assessment, defense operations, incident response, vulnerability assessment, threat intelligence, identity access governance, third-party risk management, information governance risk and compliance, and business resilience. The foregoing responsibilities are covered on a day-to-day basis by a first line of defense function, and our second line of defense function, including the Chief Information Security Officer, provides guidance, oversight, monitoring and challenge of the first line’s activities. The second line of defense function is separated from the first line of defense function through organizational structure and ultimately reports directly to the Chief Risk Officer. The department, as a whole, consists of information security professionals with varying degrees of education and experience. Individuals within the department are generally subject to professional education and certification requirements. In particular, our Chief Information Security Officer has substantial relevant expertise and formal training in the areas of information security and cybersecurity risk management.

Our board of directors has approved management committees including the Information Technology Risk Committee, which focuses on technology impact, and the Information Security Oversight Committee, which focuses on business impact. These committees provide oversight and governance of the technology program and the information security program. These committees are chaired by managers within the enterprise information security department and include the Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Information Officer as well as their direct reports and other key departmental managers from throughout the entire company. These committees generally meet monthly (in the case of the Information Technology Risk Committee) and quarterly (in the case of the Information Security Oversight Committee) to provide oversight of the risk management strategy, standards, policies, practices, controls, and mitigation and prevention efforts employed to manage security risks. More frequent meetings occur from time to time in accordance with the Incident Response Plan in order to facilitate timely informing and monitoring efforts. The Chief Information Security Officer reports summaries of key issues, including significant cybersecurity and/or privacy incidents, discussed at committee meetings and the actions taken to the Technology Committee of our board of directors on a quarterly basis (or more frequently as may be required by the Incident Response Plan).

The Technology Committee of our board of directors meets quarterly and is responsible for overseeing our information security and technology programs, including management’s actions to identify, assess, mitigate, and remediate or prevent material cybersecurity issues and risks. Our Chief Information Security Officer and our Chief Information Officer provide quarterly reports to the Technology Committee of our board of directors regarding the information security program and the technology program, key enterprise cybersecurity initiatives, and other matters relating to cybersecurity processes. The Technology Committee of our board of directors reviews and approves our information security and technology budgets and strategies annually. Additionally, the Risk Committee of our board of directors reviews our cyber security risk profile on a quarterly basis. The Technology Committee and Risk Committee of our board of directors each provide a report of their activities to the full board of directors at each board meeting.

Our headquarters is located in downtown San Antonio, Texas. This facility, which we lease, houses our executive and primary administrative offices, as well as the principal banking headquarters of Frost Bank. We also own or lease other facilities within our primary market areas in the regions of Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Gulf Coast, Houston, Permian Basin, and San Antonio. We consider our properties to be suitable and adequate for our present needs.

We are subject to various claims and legal actions that have arisen in the course of conducting business. Management does not expect the ultimate disposition of these matters to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Forward-Looking Statements and Factors that Could Affect Future Results

Certain statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”), notwithstanding that such statements are not specifically identified as such. In addition, certain statements may be contained in our future filings with the SEC, in press releases, and in oral and written statements made by us or with our approval that are not statements of historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) projections of revenues, expenses, income or loss, earnings or loss per share, the payment or nonpayment of dividends, capital structure and other financial items; (ii) statements of plans, objectives and expectations of Cullen/Frost or its management or Board of Directors, including those relating to products, services or operations; (iii) statements of future economic performance; and (iv) statements of assumptions underlying such statements. Words such as “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “targeted”, “continue”, “remain”, “will”, “should”, “may” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

• The effects of and changes in trade and monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board.
• Inflation, interest rate, securities market, and monetary fluctuations.
• Local, regional, national, and international economic conditions and the impact they may have on us and our customers and our assessment of that impact.
• Changes in the financial performance and/or condition of our borrowers.
• Changes in the mix of loan geographies, sectors and types or the level of non-performing assets and charge-offs.
• Changes in estimates of future credit loss reserve requirements based upon the periodic review thereof under relevant regulatory and accounting requirements.
• Changes in our liquidity position.
• Impairment of our goodwill or other intangible assets.
• The timely development and acceptance of new products and services and perceived overall value of these products and services by users.
• Changes in consumer spending, borrowing, and saving habits.
• Greater than expected costs or difficulties related to the integration of new products and lines of business.
• Technological changes.
• The cost and effects of cyber incidents or other failures, interruptions, or security breaches of our systems or those of our customers or third-party providers.
• Acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses.
• Changes in the reliability of our vendors, internal control systems or information systems.
• Our ability to increase market share and control expenses.
• Our ability to attract and retain qualified employees.
• Changes in our organization, compensation, and benefit plans.
• The soundness of other financial institutions.
• Volatility and disruption in national and international financial and commodity markets.
• Changes in the competitive environment in our markets and among banking organizations and other financial service providers.
• Government intervention in the U.S. financial system.
• Political or economic instability.
• Acts of God or of war or terrorism.
• The potential impact of climate change.
• The impact of pandemics, epidemics, or any other health-related crisis.
• The costs and effects of legal and regulatory developments, the resolution of legal proceedings or regulatory or other governmental inquiries, the results of regulatory examinations or reviews and the ability to obtain required regulatory approvals.
• The effect of changes in laws and regulations (including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities, and insurance) and their application with which we and our subsidiaries must comply.
• The effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and other accounting standard setters.
• Our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing items.

In addition, financial markets and global supply chains may continue to be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of global wars/military conflicts, terrorism, or other geopolitical events.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Application of Critical Accounting Policies and Accounting Estimates

We follow accounting and reporting policies that conform, in all material respects, to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and to general practices within the financial services industry. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. While we base estimates on historical experience, current information and other factors deemed to be relevant, actual results could differ from those estimates.

We consider accounting estimates to be critical to reported financial results if (i) the accounting estimate requires management to make assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain and (ii) different estimates that management reasonably could have used for the accounting estimate in the current period, or changes in the accounting estimate that are reasonably likely to occur from period to period, could have a material impact on our financial statements.

Accounting policies related to the allowance for credit losses on financial instruments including loans and off-balance-sheet credit exposures are considered to be critical as these policies involve considerable subjective judgment and estimation by management. These policies are in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 326 (“ASC 326”) Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. In the case of loans, the allowance for credit losses is a contra-asset valuation account, calculated in accordance with ASC 326, that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of loans to present the net amount expected to be collected. In the case of off-balance-sheet credit exposures, the allowance for credit losses is a liability account, calculated in accordance with ASC 326, reported as a component of accrued interest payable and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. The amount of each allowance account represents management's best estimate of current expected credit losses on these financial instruments considering available information, from internal and external sources, relevant to assessing exposure to credit loss over the contractual term of the instrument. Relevant available information includes historical credit loss experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. While historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses, adjustments to historical loss information may be made for differences in current portfolio-specific risk characteristics, environmental conditions or other relevant factors. While management utilizes its best judgment and information available, the ultimate adequacy of our allowance accounts is dependent upon a variety of factors beyond our control, including the performance of our portfolios, the economy, changes in interest rates and the view of the regulatory authorities toward classification of assets. See the section captioned “Allowance for Credit Losses” elsewhere in this discussion as well as Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 3 - Loans in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data elsewhere in this report for further details of the risk factors considered by management in estimating the necessary level of the allowance for credit losses.

Overview

The following discussion and analysis presents the more significant factors that affected our financial condition as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 and results of operations for each of the years then ended. Refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 6, 2024 (the “2023 Form 10-K”) for a discussion and analysis of the more significant factors that affected periods prior to 2023.

Certain reclassifications have been made to make prior periods comparable. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, notes thereto and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this report.

Taxable-equivalent adjustments are the result of increasing income from tax-free loans and investments by an amount equal to the taxes that would be paid if the income were fully taxable, thus making tax-exempt yields comparable to taxable asset yields. Taxable equivalent adjustments were based upon a 21% income tax rate.

Dollar amounts in tables are stated in thousands, except for per share amounts.

Results of Operations

Net income available to common shareholders totaled $575.9 million, or $8.87 diluted per common share, in 2024 compared to $591.3 million, or $9.10 diluted per common share, in 2023 and $572.5 million, or $8.81 diluted per common share, in 2022.

Selected income statement data, returns on average assets and average equity and dividends per share for the comparable periods were as follows:

Net income available to common shareholders decreased $15.4 million for 2024 compared to 2023.

The decrease was primarily the result of a $74.1 million increase in non-interest expense and a $18.8 million increase in credit loss expense partly offset by a $45.9 million increase in net interest income, a $30.6 million increase in non-interest income, and a $975 thousand decrease in income tax expense.

Details of the changes in the various components of net income are further discussed below.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is the difference between interest income on earning assets, such as loans and securities, and interest expense on liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings, which are used to fund those assets. Net interest income is our largest source of revenue, representing 77.8% of total revenue during 2024. Net interest margin is the ratio of taxable-equivalent net interest income to average earning assets for the period. The level of interest rates and the volume and mix of earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities impact net interest income and net interest margin.

The Federal Reserve influences the general market rates of interest, including the deposit and loan rates offered by many financial institutions. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 40.6% of our loans had a fixed interest rate, while the remaining loans had floating interest rates that were primarily tied to a benchmark developed by the American Financial Exchange, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) (approximately 33.5%); the prime interest rate (approximately 21.0%); or the American Interbank Offered Rate (“AMERIBOR”) (approximately 4.8%). Certain other loans are tied to other indices; however, such loans do not make up a significant portion of our loan portfolio as of December 31, 2024.

Select average market rates for the periods indicated are presented in the table below.

(1) AMERIBOR Term-30 and AMERIBOR Term-90 are published by the American Financial Exchange.

(2) 1-Month Term SOFR and 3-Month Term SOFR market data are the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Inc. or its licensors as applicable. All rights reserved, or otherwise licensed by Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Inc.

(3) 1-Month and 3-Month LIBOR ceased to be published effective June 30, 2023. Accordingly, average rates reflect through that date.

As of December 31, 2024, the target range for the federal funds rate was 4.25% to 4.50%. In December 2024, the Federal Reserve released projections whereby the midpoint of the projected appropriate target range for the federal funds rate would fall to 3.9% by the end of 2025 and subsequently decrease to 3.4% by the end of 2026. While there can be no such assurance that any such decreases in the federal funds rate will occur, these projections imply up to a 50 basis point decrease in the federal funds rate during 2025, followed by a 50 basis point decrease in 2026.

We are primarily funded by core deposits, with non-interest-bearing demand deposits historically being a significant source of funds. This lower-cost funding base is expected to have a positive impact on our net interest income and net interest margin in a rising interest rate environment. Nonetheless, our access to and pricing of deposits may be negatively impacted by, among other factors, periods of higher interest rates which could promote increased competition for deposits, including from new financial technology competitors, or provide customers with alternative investment options. See Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk elsewhere in this report for information about our sensitivity to interest rates. Further analysis of the components of our net interest margin is presented below.

The following table presents an analysis of net interest income and net interest spread for the periods indicated, including average outstanding balances for each major category of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, the interest earned or paid on such amounts, and the average rate earned or paid on such assets or liabilities, respectively. The table also sets forth the net interest margin on average total interest-earning assets for the same periods. For these computations: (i) average balances are presented on a daily average basis, (ii) information is shown on a taxable-equivalent basis assuming a 21% tax rate, (iii) average loans include loans on non-accrual status, and (iv) average securities include unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale, while yields are based on average amortized cost.

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The following table presents the changes in taxable-equivalent net interest income and identifies the changes due to differences in the average volume of earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the changes due to changes in the average interest rate on those assets and liabilities. The changes in net interest income due to changes in both average volume and average interest rate have been allocated to the average volume change or the average interest rate change in proportion to the absolute amounts of the change in each.

Taxable-equivalent net interest income for 2024 increased $36.2 million, or 2.2%, compared to 2023. Taxable-equivalent net interest income in 2024 included 366 days compared to 365 days in 2023 as a result of the leap year. The additional day added approximately $3.0 million to taxable-equivalent net interest income during 2024. Excluding the impact of the additional day results in an effective increase in taxable-equivalent net interest income of $33.2 million during 2024.

The increase in taxable-equivalent net interest income during 2024 was primarily related to increases in the average volume of and yield on loans and increases in the average yields on taxable securities, interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve), and to a lesser extent, tax-exempt securities, combined with an increase in the average volume of interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve), among other things. The impact of these items was partly offset by increases in the average volume of and cost on time deposit accounts, decreases in the average volumes of taxable and tax-exempt securities, and increases in the average costs of repurchase agreements and money market deposit accounts, among other things. As a result of the aforementioned fluctuations, the taxable-equivalent net interest margin increased 8 basis points from 3.45% during 2023 to 3.53% during 2024.

The average volume of interest-earning assets for 2024 increased $89.1 million, or 0.2%, compared to 2023. The increase in the average volume of interest-earning assets during 2024 was primarily related to a $1.9 billion increase in average loans and a $208.0 million increase in average interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve) partly offset by a $1.2 billion decrease in average taxable securities, a $766.5 million decrease in average tax-exempt securities, a $31.0 million decrease in average resell agreements and a $20.7 million decrease in average federal funds sold.

The average yield on interest-earning assets increased 36 basis points from 4.82% during 2023 to 5.18% during 2024 while the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities increased 33 basis points from 2.19% in 2023 to 2.52% in 2024. The average taxable-equivalent yields on interest-earning assets during the comparable periods was impacted by changes in market interest rates (as noted in the table above) and changes in the volume and relative mix of interest-earning assets.

The average taxable-equivalent yield on loans increased 30 basis points from 6.69% during 2023 to 6.99% during 2024. The average taxable-equivalent yield on loans during 2024 was partly impacted by changes in market interest rates (as noted in the table above). The average volume of loans increased $1.9 billion, or 10.7%, in 2024 compared to 2023. Loans made up approximately 42.8% of average interest-earning assets during 2024 compared to 38.7% during 2023.

The average taxable-equivalent yield on securities was 3.38% during 2024, increasing 14 basis points compared to 3.24% during 2023. The average yield on taxable securities was 2.92% during 2024 compared to 2.72% during 2023, increasing 20 basis points, while the average yield on tax exempt securities was 4.31% during 2024 compared to 4.26% during 2023, increasing 5 basis points. Tax exempt securities made up approximately 35.2% of total average securities during 2024, compared to 35.5% during 2023. The average volume of total securities decreased $2.0 billion, or 9.5%, during 2024 compared to 2023. Securities made up approximately 40.8% of average interest-earning assets in 2024 compared to 45.1% in 2023. The decrease during 2024 was primarily related to the use of funds provided by maturities, calls and principal repayments of these securities to support the origination of loans.

Average interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve), during 2024 increased $208.0 million, or 2.8%, compared to 2023. Interest-bearing deposits made up approximately 16.3% of average interest-earning assets during 2024 compared to approximately 15.9% in 2023. The increase during 2024 was partly related to funds provided by maturities, calls and principal repayments of securities. The average yield on interest-bearing deposits was 5.27% during 2024 and 5.13% during 2023. The average yield on interest-bearing deposits during 2024 was impacted by a higher average interest rate paid on reserves held at the Federal Reserve, compared to 2023.

Average resell agreements during 2024 decreased $31.0 million, or 36.0%, compared to 2023, while federal funds sold during 2024 decreased $20.7 million, or 81.4%, compared to 2023. Federal funds sold and resell agreements were not a significant component of interest-earning assets during the comparable periods. The average yields on federal funds sold and resell agreements were 5.72% and 5.63%, respectively, during 2024 compared to 5.07% and 5.36%, respectively, during 2023. The average yields on federal funds sold and resell agreements were positively impacted by higher average market interest rates during 2024 compared to 2023.

The average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities was 2.52% during 2024, increasing 33 basis points from 2.19% during 2023. Average deposits decreased $472.8 million, or 1.1%, in 2024 compared to 2023. Average interest-bearing deposits increased $1.0 billion in 2024 compared to 2023, while average non-interest-bearing deposits decreased $1.5 billion in 2024 compared to 2023. The ratio of average interest-bearing deposits to total average deposits was 66.2% in 2024 compared to 63.0% in 2023. The average cost of deposits is primarily impacted by changes in market interest rates as well as changes in the volume and relative mix of interest-bearing deposits. The average rates paid on interest-bearing deposits and total deposits were 2.32% and 1.54%, respectively, in 2024 compared to 1.95% and 1.23%, respectively, in 2023. The average cost of deposits during 2024 was impacted by an increase in the interest rates we pay on our interest-bearing deposit products as a result of an increase in market interest rates.

Our taxable-equivalent net interest spread, which represents the difference between the average rate earned on earning assets and the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities, was 2.66% in 2024 compared to 2.63% in 2023. The net interest spread, as well as the net interest margin, will be impacted by future changes in short-term and long-term interest rate levels, as well as the impact from the competitive environment. A discussion of the effects of changing interest rates on net interest income is set forth in Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk elsewhere in this report.

Our hedging policies permit the use of various derivative financial instruments, including interest rate swaps, swaptions, caps and floors, to manage exposure to changes in interest rates. Details of our derivatives and hedging activities are set forth in Note 14 - Derivative Financial Instruments in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this report. Information regarding the impact of fluctuations in interest rates on our derivative financial instruments is set forth in Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk elsewhere in this report.

Credit Loss Expense

Credit loss expense is determined by management as the amount to be added to the allowance for credit loss accounts for various types of financial instruments including loans, securities and off-balance-sheet credit exposure after net charge-offs have been deducted to bring the allowance to a level which, in management’s best estimate, is necessary to absorb expected credit losses over the lives of the respective financial instruments.

The components of credit loss expense were as follows.

See the section captioned “Allowance for Credit Losses” elsewhere in this discussion for further analysis of credit loss expense related to loans and off-balance-sheet credit exposures.

Non-Interest Income

Total non-interest income for 2024 increased $30.6 million, or 7.1%, compared to 2023. Changes in the various components of non-interest income are discussed in more detail below.

Trust and Investment Management Fees. Trust and investment management fee income for 2024 increased $12.0 million, or 7.8%, compared to 2023. Investment management fees are the most significant component of trust and investment management fees, making up approximately 81.3% and 79.3% of total trust and investment management fees in 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase in trust and investment management fees during 2024 was primarily related to increases in investment management fees (up $12.8 million) and oil and gas fees (up $1.5 million), partly offset by decreases in estate fees (down $2.3 million) and real estate fees (down $637 thousand). Investment management fees are generally based on the market value of assets within an account and are thus impacted by price changes within the equity and bond markets. The increase in investment management fees during 2024 were primarily related to increases in the average value of assets maintained in accounts. The increases in the average value of assets were partly related to higher equity valuations during 2024 relative to 2023. The increase in oil and gas fees was primarily related to increased royalties received, in part due to new accounts added in 2023, and, to a lesser extent, an increase in new lease bonuses. The decreases in estate fees and real estate fees were primarily related to decreased transaction volumes relative to 2023.

At December 31, 2024, trust assets, including both managed assets and custody assets, were primarily composed of equity securities (42.2% of trust assets), fixed income securities (32.5% of trust assets), alternative investments (9.5% of assets) and cash equivalents (9.0% of trust assets). The estimated fair value of trust assets was $51.4 billion (including managed assets of $26.2 billion and custody assets of $25.2 billion) at December 31, 2024 compared to $47.2 billion (including managed assets of $23.8 billion and custody assets of $23.5 billion) at December 31, 2023.

Service Charges on Deposit Accounts. Service charges on deposit accounts for 2024 increased $12.7 million, or 13.6%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in commercial service charges (up $5.5 million) and overdraft charges on consumer and commercial accounts (up $5.5 million and $2.0 million, respectively). The increase in commercial service charges during 2024 was partly related to an increase in billable services related to analyzed treasury management accounts partly offset by the effect of a higher average earnings credit rate applied to deposits maintained by treasury management customers which resulted in customers paying for less of their services through fees rather than with earnings credits applied to their deposit balances. The increase in commercial service charges was also partly related, to a lesser extent, to an increase in service fees on non-analyzed accounts. Overdraft charges totaled $51.9 million ($39.1 million consumer and $12.8 million commercial) during 2024 compared to $44.4 million ($33.6 million consumer and $10.8 million commercial) during 2023. The increase in overdraft charges during 2024 was impacted by an increase in the volume of fee assessed overdrafts relative to 2023, in part due to growth in the number of accounts.

In December 2024, the CFPB issued a final rule that modifies or eliminates several long-standing exclusions from requirements generally applicable to consumer credit that previously exempted certain overdraft practices from such requirements and requires banks to restructure many overdraft fees, overdraft lines of credit, and other overdraft practices as separate consumer credit accounts that have become subject to those requirements. This rule applies to banks with over $10 billion in total assets, including Frost Bank, starting in October 2025. Compliance with the new requirements could result in Frost Bank, among other things, facing higher compliance costs in charging overdraft fees, experiencing a decreased ability to recover amounts extended as overdraft protection, reducing the availability of overdraft protection, and/or charging lower overdraft fees. Refer to Part I, Item 1. Business in the section captioned “Supervision and Regulation” elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K for additional information.

Insurance Commissions and Fees. Insurance commissions and fees for 2024 increased $3.0 million, or 5.1%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily the result of increases in commercial lines property and casualty commissions (up $3.5 million) and contingent commissions (up $332 thousand), partly offset by a decrease in life insurance commissions (down $1.0 million). The increase in commercial lines property and casualty commissions was primarily related to an increase in the underlying exposure base, an increase in rates, and an increase in business volumes. The decrease in life insurance commissions was primarily due to a decrease in business volumes mostly due to a significant transaction in 2023.

Contingent income totaled $5.0 million in 2024 and $4.6 million in 2023. Contingent income primarily consists of amounts received from various property and casualty insurance carriers related to the loss performance of insurance policies previously placed. These performance related contingent payments are seasonal in nature and are mostly received during the first quarter of each year. This performance related contingent income totaled $3.4 million in 2024 and $3.3 million in 2023. While total performance related contingent income remained relatively flat during the comparable years, performance related contingent income related to commercial lines insurance policies decreased during 2024 due to a deterioration of the loss performance of commercial lines insurance policies previously placed and lower growth within the commercial lines portfolio, partly due to a tightening of underwriting standards. This decrease was offset by an increase in performance related contingent income related to our personal lines portfolio due to improved loss performance. Contingent income also includes amounts received from various benefit plan insurance companies related to the volume of business generated and/or the subsequent retention of such business. This benefit plan related contingent income totaled $1.6 million in 2024 and $1.3 million in 2023.

Interchange and Card Transaction Fees. Interchange fees, or “swipe” fees, are charges that merchants pay to us and other card-issuing banks for processing electronic payment transactions. Interchange and card transaction fees consist of income from check-card usage, point of sale income from PIN-based debit card transactions and ATM service fees. Interchange and card transaction fees are reported net of related network costs.

Net revenues from interchange and card transaction fees for 2024 increased $1.6 million, or 8.2%, compared to 2023 primarily due to an increase in transaction volumes partly offset by an increase in network costs. A comparison of gross and net interchange and card transaction fees for the reported periods is presented in the table below.

Federal Reserve rules applicable to financial institutions that have assets of $10 billion or more provide that the maximum permissible interchange fee for an electronic debit transaction is the sum of 21 cents per transaction and 5 basis points multiplied by the value of the transaction. An upward adjustment of no more than 1 cent to an issuer's debit card interchange fee is allowed if the card 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 a proposal under which the maximum permissible interchange fee for an electronic debit transaction would be the sum of 14.4 cents per transaction and 4 basis points multiplied by the value of the transaction. Furthermore, the fraud-prevention adjustment would increase from a maximum of 1 cent to 1.3 cents. The proposal would adopt an approach for future adjustments to the interchange fee cap, which would occur every other year based on issuer cost data gathered by the Federal Reserve from large debit card issuers. Had the proposed maximum interchange fees been in effect during the reported periods, interchange and debit card transaction fees would have been approximately 30% lower. The comment period for this proposal ended in May 2024. The extent to which any such proposed changes in permissible interchange fees will impact our future revenues is currently uncertain.

Other Charges, Commissions and Fees. Other charges, commissions and fees for 2024 increased $4.3 million, or 8.8%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in income from the placement of annuities (up $1.7 million) and money market accounts (up $1.4 million); letter of credit fees (up $933 thousand); and merchant services rebates/bonuses (up $888 thousand); among other things, partly offset by decreases in capital markets advisory fees (down $985 thousand) and other service charges (down $908 thousand), among other things.

Net Gain/Loss on Securities Transactions. During 2024, we sold certain available-for-sale securities with amortized costs totaling $123.3 million and realized a net loss of $96 thousand.

During 2023, we sold certain available-for-sale securities with amortized costs totaling $1.9 billion and realized a net gain of $66 thousand. Market conditions provided us an opportunity to sell certain lower-yielding securities. The proceeds from these sales enhanced our liquidity position and provided us the flexibility to be more opportunistic with the reinvestment of these funds in the future.

Other Non-Interest Income. Other non-interest income for 2024 decreased $2.9 million, or 5.2%, compared to 2023. The decrease was primarily related to decreases in sundry and other miscellaneous income (down $6.9 million) and income from customer derivative and foreign exchange transactions (down $2.0 million), among other things, partly offset by increases in public finance underwriting fees (up $4.9 million), income from customer securities trading activities (up $957 thousand), and earnings on the cash surrender value of life insurance (up $802 thousand), among other things. Sundry and other miscellaneous income during 2024 included $4.6 million in card related incentives and $1.9 million related to the recovery of prior write-offs, among other things, while sundry and other miscellaneous income during 2023 included $5.6 million related to the recovery of prior write-offs, $4.4 million in card related incentives, and $1.5 million related to distributions received from a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) fund investment, among other things. The fluctuations in public finance underwriting fees and income from customer derivative, foreign exchange and securities trading transactions were primarily related to variations in transaction volumes. The increase in earnings on the cash surrender value of life insurance was related to an increase in market interest rates.

Non-Interest Expense

Total non-interest expense for 2024 increased $74.1 million, or 6.0%, compared to 2023. This amount included $9.0 million and $51.5 million, during 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to a special FDIC deposit insurance assessment discussed below. Excluding the impact of the special assessment, total non-interest expense would have increased $116.7 million, or 9.9%. Changes in the various components of non-interest expense are discussed below.

Salaries and Wages. Salaries and wages increased $73.7 million, or 13.5%, in 2024 compared to 2023. The increase in salaries and wages was primarily related to an increase in salaries due to annual merit and market increases and an increase in the number of employees. The increase in the number of employees was partly related to our investment in organic expansion in various markets. Salaries and wages was also impacted, to a lesser extent, by increases in incentive compensation and commissions and a decrease in stock-based compensation. We are continuing to experience a competitive labor market which has resulted in and could continue to result in an increase in our staffing costs.

Employee Benefits. Employee benefits expense for 2024 increased $7.1 million, or 6.2%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in medical/dental benefits expense (up $5.5 million) and payroll taxes (up $5.1 million), among other things, partly offset by a decrease in 401(k)/profit sharing plan expense (down $3.2 million), primarily related to discretionary profit sharing contributions, and an increase in the net periodic benefit related to our defined benefit retirement plan (up $828 thousand), among other things.

Our defined benefit retirement and restoration plans were frozen in 2001 which has helped to reduce the volatility in retirement plan expense. We nonetheless still have funding obligations related to these plans and could recognize additional expense related to these plans in future years, which would be dependent on the return earned on plan assets, the level of interest rates and employee turnover. See Note 10 - Employee Benefit Plans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this report for additional information related to our net periodic pension benefit/cost.

Net Occupancy. Net occupancy expense for 2024 increased $4.4 million, or 3.5%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in depreciation on buildings and leasehold improvements (together up $3.6 million) and repairs/maintenance/service contracts expense (up $2.7 million), among other things, partly offset by decreases in utilities expense (down $876 thousand) and property taxes (down $622 thousand), among other things. The increases in the aforementioned components of net occupancy expense were impacted, in part, by our expansion efforts.

Technology, Furniture and Equipment. Technology, furniture and equipment expense for 2024 increased $13.2 million, or 9.8%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in cloud services expense (up $9.2 million), service contracts expense (up $3.4 million), software amortization (up $1.2 million), and software maintenance expense (up $1.2 million), among other things. The increase from these items was partly offset by a decrease in depreciation on furniture and equipment (down $2.3 million), among other things.

Deposit Insurance. Deposit insurance expense totaled $37.3 million in 2024 compared to $76.6 million in 2023. Deposit insurance expense include accruals totaling $9.0 million ($7.1 million after tax) in 2024 and $51.5 million ($40.7 million after tax) in 2023 related to a special deposit insurance assessment discussed below. Excluding these amounts related to the special assessment, deposit insurance expense would have increased $3.2 million in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to an increase in the assessment rate.

In November 2023, the FDIC issued a final rule to implement a special assessment to recover losses to the DIF incurred as a result of bank failures earlier that year and the FDIC's use of the systemic risk exception to cover certain deposits that were otherwise uninsured. The special assessment was based on estimated uninsured deposits as of December 31, 2022 (excluding the first $5.0 billion) and was assessed at a quarterly rate of 3.36 basis points, over eight quarterly assessment periods, beginning in the first quarter of 2024. As a result of this final rule, we accrued $51.5 million ($40.7 million after tax) related to this assessment in the fourth quarter of 2023. This amount was based on our estimate of the full amount of the assessment at that time. In February 2024, the FDIC notified insured depository institutions that their loss estimate related to the aforementioned bank failures had increased. As a result, we accrued an additional $7.7 million ($6.1 million after tax), related to an expected update of the special assessment during the first quarter of 2024. Upon receipt of the update during the second quarter of 2024, we accrued an additional $1.2 million ($984 thousand after tax) related to the special assessment. In June 2024, due to the increased estimate of losses, the FDIC announced that it projects that the special assessment will be collected for an additional two quarters beyond the initial eight-quarter collection period, at a lower rate. This updated assessment was made under the FDIC's final rule whereby the estimated loss pursuant to the systemic risk determination can be periodically adjusted. The FDIC has also retained the ability to cease collection early, extend the special assessment collection period and impose a final shortfall special assessment. The extent to which any such additional future assessments will impact our future deposit insurance expense is currently uncertain.

Other Non-Interest Expense. Other non-interest expense for 2024 increased $15.0 million, or 6.6%, compared to 2023. The increase included increases in advertising/promotions expense (up $2.8 million); professional services expense (up $2.5 million), which was primarily related to information technology services; travel, meals and entertainment (up $2.0 million); research and platform fees (up $1.5 million); stationery/printing expense (up $1.3 million); postage expense (up $1.1 million); and business development expense (up $991 thousand), among other things. The increase from these items was partly offset by a decrease in donations expense (down $2.6 million) and a decrease in sundry and other miscellaneous expense (down $1.3 thousand), in part due to certain operational losses and write-offs recognized in 2023, among other things.

Results of Segment Operations

We are managed under a matrix organizational structure whereby our two primary operating segments, Banking and Frost Wealth Advisors, overlap a regional reporting structure. A third operating segment, Non-Banks, is for the most part the parent holding company, as well as certain other insignificant non-bank subsidiaries of the parent that, for the most part, have little or no activity. A description of each business and the methodologies used to measure financial performance is described in Note 17 - Operating Segments in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this report. Details of net income (loss) by operating segment are discussed in more detail below.

Banking

Net income for 2024 decreased $17.5 million, or 3.0%, compared to 2023. The decrease was primarily the result of a $61.0 million increase in non-interest expense and an $18.8 million increase in credit loss expense partly offset by a $48.2 million increase in net interest income and a $13.5 million increase in non-interest income.

Net interest income for 2024 increased $48.2 million, or 3.1%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in the average volume of and yield on loans and increases in the average yields on taxable securities, interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve), and to a lesser extent, tax-exempt securities, combined with an increase in the average volume of interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve), among other things. The impact of these items was partly offset by increases in the average volume of and cost on time deposit accounts, decreases in the average volumes of taxable and tax-exempt securities, and increases in the average costs of repurchase agreements and money market deposit accounts, among other things. See the analysis of net interest income included in the section captioned “Net Interest Income” included elsewhere in this discussion.

Credit loss expense for 2024 totaled $65.0 million compared to $46.2 million in 2023. See the sections captioned “Credit Loss Expense” and “Allowance for Credit Losses” elsewhere in this discussion for further analysis of credit loss expense related to loans and off-balance-sheet commitments.

Non-interest income for 2024 increased $13.5 million, or 5.4%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in service charges on deposit accounts; insurance commissions and fees; and interchange and card transaction fees partly offset by a decrease in other non-interest income.

The increase in service charges on deposit accounts was primarily related to increases in commercial service charges and overdraft charges on consumer and commercial accounts The increase in commercial service charges during 2024 was partly related to an increase in billable services partly offset by the effect of a higher average earnings credit rate applied to deposits maintained by treasury management customers. The increase in commercial service charges was also partly related, to a lesser extent, to an increase in service fees on non-analyzed accounts. The increase in overdraft charges was impacted by an increase in the volume of fee assessed overdrafts in part due to growth in the number of accounts. The increases in insurance commissions and fees were primarily related to increases in commercial lines property and casualty commissions and contingent commissions partly offset by decreases in life insurance commissions. The increase in interchange and card transaction fees was primarily due to an increase in transaction volumes partly offset by an increase in network costs. The decrease in other non-interest income was primarily related to decreases in sundry and other miscellaneous income and income from customer derivative and foreign exchange transactions, among other things, partly offset by increases in public finance underwriting fees and earnings on the cash surrender value of life insurance, among other things. See the analysis of these categories of non-interest income included in the section captioned “Non-Interest Income” included elsewhere in this discussion.

Non-interest expense for 2024 increased $61.0 million, or 5.7%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in salaries and wages; technology, furniture, and equipment expense; other non-interest expense; employee benefit expense; and net occupancy expense, partly offset by a decrease in deposit insurance expense. The increase in salaries and wages was primarily related to an increase in salaries due to annual merit and market increases and an increase in the number of employees. Salaries and wages were also impacted, to a lesser extent, by increases in incentive compensation and commissions and a decrease in stock-based compensation. The increase in technology, furniture, and equipment expense was primarily related to increases in cloud services expense, service contracts expense, software amortization, and software maintenance expense, among other things. The increase in other non-interest expense included increases in advertising/promotions expense; professional services expense, which was primarily related to information technology services; travel, meals and entertainment; stationery/printing expense; postage expense; and business development expense, among other things. The increase from these items was partly offset by a decrease in donations expense and a decrease in sundry and other miscellaneous expense, in part due to certain operational losses and write-offs recognized in 2023, among other things. The increase in employee benefits expense was primarily related to increases in medical/dental benefits expense and payroll taxes, among other things, partly offset by a decrease in 401(k)/profit sharing plan expense and an increase in the net periodic benefit related to our defined benefit retirement plan, among other things. Deposit insurance expense include accruals totaling $9.0 million ($7.1 million after tax) in 2024 and $51.5 million ($40.7 million after tax) in 2023 related to a special deposit insurance assessment. Excluding these amounts related to the special assessment, deposit insurance expense would have increased $3.2 million in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to an increase in the assessment rate. See the analysis of these categories of non-interest expense included in the section captioned “Non-Interest Expense” included elsewhere in this discussion.

Frost Wealth Advisors

Net income for 2024 increased $3.6 million, or 11.0%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily due to a $17.3 million increase in non-interest income partly offset by a $12.6 million increase in non-interest expense, and a $968 thousand increase in income tax expense.

Non-interest income for 2024 increased $17.3 million, or 9.7%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily due to increases in trust and investment management fees; other charges, commissions, and fees; and other non-interest income. Trust and investment management fee income is the most significant income component for Frost Wealth Advisors. Investment management fees are the most significant component of trust and investment management fees, making up approximately 81.3% and 79.3% of total trust and investment management fees for 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase in trust and investment management fees was primarily due increases in investment management fees and oil and gas fees, partly offset by decreases in estate fees and real estate fees. The increase in investment management fees was primarily related to an increase in the average value of assets maintained in accounts. The increase in the average value of assets was partly related to higher average equity valuations during 2024 relative to 2023. The increase in oil and gas fees was primarily related to increased royalties received, in part due to new accounts added in 2023, and, to a lesser extent, an increase in new lease bonuses. The decreases in estate fees and real estate fees were primarily related to decreased transaction volumes relative to 2023. The increase in other charges, commissions, and fees was primarily related to increases in income from the placement of annuities and money market accounts, among other things. The increase in other non-interest income was primarily related to an increase in income from customer securities trading transactions, among other things. See the analysis of trust and investment management fees, other non-interest income and other charges, commissions, and fees included in the section captioned “Non-Interest Income” included elsewhere in this discussion.

Non-interest expense for 2024 increased $12.6 million, or 8.7%, compared to 2023. The increase was primarily due to increases in salaries and wages; other non-interest expense; and employee benefits expense. The increase in salaries and wages was primarily due to an increase in salaries, due to annual merit and market increases, as well as increases in commissions and incentive compensation, among other things. The increase in other non-interest expense was primarily related to an increase in research and platform fees, among other things, partly offset by a decrease in the corporate overhead expense allocation, among other things. The increase in employee benefits was primarily related to increases in payroll taxes, medical/dental benefits expense, and 401(k) plan expense, among other things.

Non-Banks

The Non-Banks operating segment had a net loss of $15.4 million for 2024 compared to a net loss of $13.9 million in 2023. The increase in net loss was primarily due to an increase in net interest expense due to an increase in the average rates paid on our long-term borrowings.

Income Taxes

We recognized income tax expense of $113.4 million, for an effective tax rate of 16.3%, in 2024 compared to $114.4 million, for an effective tax rate of 16.1%, in 2023. The effective income tax rates differed from the U.S. statutory federal income tax rate of 21% during 2024 and 2023 primarily due to the effect of tax-exempt income from securities, loans and life insurance policies and the income tax effects associated with stock-based compensation, among other things, and their relative proportion to total pre-tax net income. The decrease in income tax expense during 2024 was primarily due to a decrease in pre-tax net income and an increase in tax benefits associated with stock compensation, among other things. The increase in the effective tax rate during 2024 was primarily related to a decrease in tax-exempt income from securities and an increase in disallowed deposit insurance premiums, among other things. See Note 12 - Income Taxes in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Sources and Uses of Funds

The following table illustrates, during the years presented, the mix of our funding sources and the assets in which those funds are invested as a percentage of our average total assets for the period indicated. Average assets totaled $49.7 billion in 2024 compared to $49.6 billion in 2023.

Deposits continue to be our primary source of funding. Average deposits decreased $472.8 million, or 1.1%, in 2024 compared to 2023. Non-interest-bearing deposits remain a significant source of funding, which has been a key factor in maintaining our relatively low cost of funds. Average non-interest-bearing deposits totaled 33.8% of total average deposits in 2024 compared to 37.0% in 2023.

We primarily invest funds in loans, securities and interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve). Average loans increased $1.9 billion, or 10.7%, in 2024 compared to 2023 while average securities decreased $2.0 billion, or 9.5%, in 2024 compared to 2023. Average interest-bearing deposits (primarily amounts held by us in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve) increased $208.0 million, or 2.8%, in 2024 compared to 2023.

Loans

Overview. Details of our loan portfolio are presented in Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report. Year-end total loans increased $1.9 billion, or 10.3%, during 2024 compared to 2023. The majority of our loan portfolio is comprised of commercial and industrial loans, energy loans and real estate loans. Commercial and industrial loans made up 29.5% and 31.7% of total loans at December 31, 2024 and 2023 while energy loans made up 5.4% and 5.0% of total loans at December 31, 2024 and 2023 and real estate loans made up 63.0% and 60.8% of total loans at December 31, 2024 and 2023. Energy loans include commercial and industrial loans, leases and real estate loans to borrowers in the energy industry. Real estate loans include both commercial and consumer balances.

Loan Origination/Risk Management. We have certain lending policies and procedures in place that are designed to maximize loan income within an acceptable level of risk. Management reviews and approves these policies and procedures on a regular basis. A reporting system supplements the review process by providing management with frequent reports related to loan production, loan quality, concentrations of credit, loan delinquencies and non-performing and potential problem loans. Diversification in the loan portfolio is a means of managing risk associated with fluctuations in economic conditions. We continue to explore the credit and reputational risks associated with climate change and their potential impact on the foregoing, while closely monitoring regulatory developments on climate risk.

Commercial and industrial loans are underwritten after evaluating and understanding the borrower’s ability to operate profitably and prudently expand its business. Underwriting standards are designed to promote relationship banking rather than transactional banking. Once it is determined that the borrower’s management possesses sound ethics and solid business acumen, our management examines current and projected cash flows to determine the ability of the borrower to repay their obligations as agreed. Commercial and industrial loans are primarily made based on the identified cash flows of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. The cash flows of borrowers, however, may not be as expected and the collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. Most commercial and industrial loans are secured by the assets being financed or other business assets such as accounts receivable or inventory and may incorporate a personal guarantee; however, some short-term loans may be made on an unsecured basis. In the case of loans secured by accounts receivable, the availability of funds for the repayment of these loans may be substantially dependent on the ability of the borrower to collect amounts due from its customers.

Our energy loan portfolio includes loans for production, energy services and other energy loans, which includes private clients, transportation and equipment providers, manufacturers, refiners and traders. The origination process for energy loans is similar to that of commercial and industrial loans. Because, however, of the average loan size, the significance of the portfolio and the specialized nature of the energy industry, our energy lending requires a highly prescriptive underwriting policy. Production loans are secured by proven, developed and producing reserves. Loan proceeds for these types of loans are typically used for the development and drilling of additional wells, the acquisition of additional production, and/or the acquisition of additional properties to be developed and drilled. Our customers in this sector are generally large, independent, private owner-producers or large corporate producers. These borrowers typically have large capital requirements for drilling and acquisitions, and as such, loans in this portfolio are generally greater than $10 million. Production loans are collateralized by the oil and gas interests of the borrower. Collateral values are determined by the risk-adjusted and limited discounted future net revenue of the reserves. Our valuations take into consideration geographic and reservoir differentials as well as cost structures associated with each borrower. Collateral value is calculated at least semi-annually using third-party engineer-prepared reserve studies. These reserve studies are conducted using a discount factor and base case assumptions for the current and future value of oil and gas. To qualify as collateral, typically reserves must be proven, developed and producing. For certain borrowers, collateral may include up to 20% proven, non-producing reserves. Loan commitments are limited to 65% of estimated reserve value. Cash flows must be sufficient to amortize the loan commitment within 120% of the half-life of the underlying reserves. Loan commitments generally must also be 100% covered by the risk-adjusted and limited discounted future net revenue of the reserves when stressed at 75% of our base case price assumptions. In addition, the ratio of the borrower's debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) should generally not exceed 350%. We generally require production borrowers to maintain an active hedging program to manage risk and to have at least 50% of their production hedged for two years.

Oil and gas service, transportation, and equipment providers are economically aligned due to their reliance on drilling and active oil and gas development. Income for these borrowers is highly dependent on the level of drilling activity and rig utilization, both of which are driven by the current and future outlook for the price of oil and gas. We mitigate the credit risk in this sector through conservative concentration limits and guidelines on the profile of eligible borrowers. Guidelines require that the companies have extensive experience through several industry cycles, and that they be supported by financially competent and committed guarantors who provide a significant secondary source of repayment. Borrowers in this sector are typically privately-owned, middle-market companies with annual sales of less than $100 million. The services provided by companies in this sector are highly diversified, and include down-hole testing and maintenance, providing and threading drilling pipe, hydraulic fracturing services or equipment, seismic testing and equipment and other direct or indirect providers to the oil and gas production sector.

We also have a small portfolio of loans to energy trading companies that serve as intermediaries that buy and sell oil, gas, other petrochemicals, and ethanol. These companies are not dependent on drilling or development. As a general policy, we do not lend to energy traders; however, we have made an exception to this policy for certain customers based upon their underlying business models which minimize risk as commodities are bought only to fill existing orders (back-to-back trading). As such, the commodity price risk and sale risk are eliminated.

Commercial real estate loans are subject to underwriting standards and processes similar to commercial and industrial loans, in addition to those of real estate loans. These loans are viewed primarily as cash flow loans and secondarily as loans secured by real estate. Commercial real estate lending typically involves higher loan principal amounts and the repayment of these loans is generally largely dependent on the successful operation of the property securing the loan or the business conducted on the property securing the loan. Commercial real estate loans may be more adversely affected by conditions in the real estate markets or in the general economy. The properties securing our commercial real estate portfolio are diverse in terms of type and geographic location. This diversity helps reduce our exposure to adverse economic events that affect any single market or industry. Management monitors and evaluates commercial real estate loans based on collateral, geography and risk grade criteria. As a general rule, we avoid financing single-purpose projects unless other underwriting factors are present to help mitigate risk. We also utilize third-party experts to provide insight and guidance about economic conditions and trends affecting market areas we serve. In addition, management tracks the level of owner-occupied commercial real estate loans versus non-owner occupied loans. At December 31, 2024, approximately half of the outstanding principal balance of our commercial real estate loans (excluding construction) were secured by owner-occupied properties.

With respect to loans to developers and builders that are secured by non-owner occupied properties that we may originate from time to time, we generally require the borrower to have had an existing relationship with us and have a proven record of success. Construction loans are underwritten utilizing feasibility studies, independent appraisal reviews, sensitivity analysis of absorption and lease rates and financial analysis of the developers and property owners. Construction loans are generally based upon estimates of costs and value associated with the completed project. These estimates may be inaccurate. Construction loans often involve the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment substantially dependent on the success of the ultimate project. Sources of repayment for these types of loans may be pre-committed permanent loans from approved long-term lenders, sales of developed property or an interim loan commitment from us until permanent financing is obtained. These loans are closely monitored by on-site inspections and are considered to have higher risks than other real estate loans due to their ultimate repayment being sensitive to interest rate changes, construction completion risk, governmental regulation of real property, general economic conditions and the availability of long-term financing.

We originate consumer loans utilizing an underwriting process that assesses, among other things, an applicant's (i) stability of residence and employment, (ii) credit and bill paying history, (iii) financial capacity, (iv) sources of repayment, and (v) debt-to-income ratio, which incorporates information obtained from third-party credit bureaus. To monitor and manage consumer loan risk, policies and procedures are developed and modified, as needed, jointly by line and staff personnel. This activity, coupled with relatively small loan amounts that are spread across many individual borrowers, minimizes risk. Additionally, trend and outlook reports are reviewed by management on a regular basis. Underwriting standards for home equity loans are heavily influenced by statutory requirements, which include, but are not limited to, loan-to-value limitations, collection remedies, the number of such loans a borrower can have at one time and documentation requirements.

We maintain an independent loan review department that reviews and validates the credit risk program on a periodic basis. Results of these reviews are presented to management and the appropriate committees of our board of directors. The loan review process complements and reinforces the risk identification and assessment decisions made by lenders and credit personnel, as well as our policies and procedures.

Commercial and Industrial. Commercial and industrial loans increased $142.4 million, or 2.4%, during 2024 compared to 2023. Our commercial and industrial loans are a diverse group of loans to small, medium and large businesses. The purpose of these loans varies from supporting seasonal working capital needs to term financing of equipment. While some short-term loans may be made on an unsecured basis, most are secured by the assets being financed with collateral margins that are consistent with our loan policy guidelines. The commercial and industrial loan portfolio also includes the commercial lease and purchased shared national credits.

Energy. Energy loans include loans to entities and individuals that are engaged in various energy-related activities including (i) the development and production of oil or natural gas, (ii) providing oil and gas field servicing, (iii) providing energy-related transportation services (iv) providing equipment to support oil and gas drilling (v) refining petrochemicals, or (vi) trading oil, gas and related commodities. Energy loans increased $192.2 million, or 20.5%, during 2024 compared to 2023. The average loan size, the significance of the portfolio and the specialized nature of the energy industry requires a highly prescriptive underwriting policy. Exceptions to this policy are rarely granted. Due to the large borrowing requirements of this customer base, the energy loan portfolio includes participations and purchased shared national credits.

Industry Concentrations. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no concentrations of loans related to any single industry, as segregated by Standard Industrial Classification code (“SIC code”), in excess of 10% of total loans. The SIC code system is a federally designed standard industrial numbering system used by us to categorize loans by the borrower’s type of business. The following table summarizes the industry concentrations of our loan portfolio, as segregated by SIC code, stated as a percentage of year-end total loans as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

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Large Credit Relationships. The market areas served by us include five of the top fifteen most populated cities in the United States. These market areas are also home to a significant number of Fortune 500 companies. As a result, we originate and maintain large credit relationships with numerous commercial customers in the ordinary course of business. We consider large credit relationships to be those with commitments equal to or in excess of $50.0 million, excluding treasury management lines exposure, prior to any portion being sold. Large relationships also include loan participations purchased if the credit relationship with the agent is equal to or in excess of $50.0 million. In addition to our normal policies and procedures related to the origination of large credits, one of our Regional Credit Committees must approve all new credit facilities and renewals of such credit facilities with exposures between $20.0 million and $30.0 million. Our Central Credit Committee must approve all new credit facilities which are part of large credit relationships and renewals of such credit facilities with exposures that exceed $30.0 million. The Regional and Central Credit Committees meet regularly to review large credit relationship activity and discuss the current pipeline, among other things.

The following table provides additional information on our large credit relationships with committed amounts in excess of $50.0 million as of year-end.

Purchased Shared National Credits (“SNCs”). Purchased SNCs are participations purchased from upstream financial organizations and tend to be larger in size than our originated portfolio. Our purchased SNC portfolio totaled $1.0 billion at December 31, 2024 increasing $205.4 million, or 25.7%, from $799.5 million at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024, 35.5% of outstanding purchased SNCs were related to the construction industry and 10.9% were related to the real estate management industry. The remaining purchased SNCs were diversified throughout various other industries, with no other single industry exceeding 10% of the total purchased SNC portfolio. Additionally, almost all of the outstanding balance of purchased SNCs was included in the energy and commercial and industrial portfolios, with the remainder included in the real estate categories. SNC participations are originated in the normal course of business to meet the needs of our customers. As a matter of policy, we generally only participate in SNCs for companies headquartered in or which have significant operations within our market areas. In addition, we must have direct access to the company’s management, an existing banking relationship or the expectation of broadening the relationship with other banking products and services within the following 12 to 24 months. SNCs are reviewed at least quarterly for credit quality and business development successes.

The following table provides additional information about certain credits within our purchased SNCs portfolio with committed amounts in excess of $50.0 million as of year-end.

Real Estate Loans. Real estate loans increased $1.6 billion, or 14.2%, during 2024 compared to 2023. Real estate loans include both commercial and consumer balances. Commercial real estate loans totaled $10.0 billion, or 76.3% of total real estate loans, at December 31, 2024 and $9.0 billion, or 78.5% of total real estate loans, at December 31, 2023. The majority of this portfolio consists of commercial real estate mortgages, which includes both permanent and intermediate term loans. Loans secured by owner-occupied properties make up a significant portion of our commercial real estate portfolio. These loans are viewed primarily as cash flow loans and secondarily as loans secured by real estate. Consequently, these loans must undergo the analysis and underwriting process of a commercial and industrial loan, as well as that of a real estate loan.

The following tables summarize our commercial real estate loan portfolio, including commercial real estate loans reported as a component of our energy loan portfolio segment, as segregated by (i) the type of property securing the credit and (ii) the geographic region in which the property securing the credit is located. Property type concentrations are stated as a percentage of year-end total commercial real estate loans as of December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Consumer Loans. The consumer loan portfolio at December 31, 2024 increased $610.2 million, or 20.8%, from December 31, 2023. As the following table illustrates, the consumer loan portfolio has two distinct segments, including consumer real estate and consumer and other.

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Consumer real estate loans at December 31, 2024 increased $642.7 million, or 26.1%, from December 31, 2023. Combined, home equity loans and lines of credit made up 58.8% and 60.5% of the consumer real estate loan total at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We offer home equity loans up to 80% of the estimated value of the personal residence of the borrower, less the value of existing mortgages and home improvement loans. Prior to 2023, we did not generally originate 1-4 family mortgage loans; however, from time to time, we did invest in such loans to meet the needs of our customers or for other regulatory compliance purposes. We began offering 1-4 family mortgage loans to our employees during the first quarter of 2023 and gradually expanded our production of 1-4 family mortgage loans for customers throughout the year. Our 1-4 family mortgage loan production is intended to be for portfolio investment purposes. The consumer and other loan portfolio at December 31, 2024 decreased $32.5 million, or 6.8%, from December 31, 2023. This portfolio primarily consists of automobile loans, unsecured revolving credit products, personal loans secured by cash and cash equivalents, and other similar types of credit facilities.

Foreign Loans. We make U.S. dollar-denominated loans and commitments to borrowers in Mexico. The outstanding balance of these loans and the unfunded amounts available under these commitments were not significant at December 31, 2024 or 2023.

Maturities and Sensitivities of Loans to Changes in Interest Rates. The following table presents the maturity distribution of our loan portfolio at December 31, 2024. The table also presents the portion of loans that have fixed interest rates or variable interest rates that fluctuate over the life of the loans in accordance with changes in an interest rate index.

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We generally structure commercial loans with shorter-term maturities in order to match our funding sources and to enable us to effectively manage the loan portfolio by providing the flexibility to respond to liquidity needs, changes in interest rates and changes in underwriting standards and loan structures, among other things. Due to the shorter-term nature of such loans, from time to time in the ordinary course of business and without any contractual obligation on our part, we will renew/extend maturing lines of credit or refinance existing loans at their maturity dates. Some loans may renew multiple times in a given year as a result of general customer practice and need. These renewals, extensions and refinancings are made in the ordinary course of business for customers that meet our normal level of credit standards. Such borrowers typically request renewals to support their on-going working capital needs to finance their operations. Such borrowers are not experiencing financial difficulties and generally could obtain similar financing from another financial institution. In connection with each renewal, extension or refinancing, we may require a principal reduction, adjust the rate of interest and/or modify the structure and other terms to reflect the current market pricing/structuring for such loans or to maintain competitiveness with other financial institutions. In such cases, we do not generally grant concessions, and, except for those reported in Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report, any such renewals, extensions or refinancings that occurred during the reported periods were not deemed to be troubled loan modifications pursuant to applicable accounting guidance. Loans exceeding $1.0 million undergo a complete underwriting process at each renewal.

Accruing Past Due Loans. Accruing past due loans are presented in the following table. Also see Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Accruing past due loans at December 31, 2024 increased $27.1 million compared to December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in past due commercial real estate - buildings, land, and other loans (up $18.6 million), past due commercial and industrial loans (up $11.3 million) and past due consumer real estate loans (up $7.6 million) partly offset by decreases in past due commercial real estate - construction loans (down $7.5 million) and past due energy loans (down $3.3 million). Accruing past due commercial real estate loans - building, land and other at December 31, 2024 included $6.2 million related to owner occupied properties and $32.1 million related to non-owner occupied properties.

Non-Accrual Loans. Non-accrual loans are presented in the tables below. Also see Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Non-accrual loans at December 31, 2024 increased $18.0 million from December 31, 2023 primarily due to increases in non-accrual commercial and industrial loans partly offset by a decrease in non-accrual energy loans. Non-accrual commercial real estate loans - building, land and other at December 31, 2024 included $19.8 million related to owner occupied properties and $2.1 million related to non-owner occupied properties.

Generally, loans are placed on non-accrual status if principal or interest payments become 90 days past due and/or management deems the collectibility of the principal and/or interest to be in question, as well as when required by regulatory requirements. Once interest accruals are discontinued, accrued but uncollected interest is charged to current year operations. Subsequent receipts on non-accrual loans are recorded as a reduction of principal, and interest income is recorded only after principal recovery is reasonably assured. Classification of a loan as non-accrual does not preclude the ultimate collection of loan principal or interest.

Non-accrual commercial and industrial loans included two credit relationships in excess of $5.0 million totaling $28.7 million at December 31, 2024. One of these credit relationships was reported as non-accrual at December 31, 2023 and totaled $13.8 million at that date. Principal payments received during 2024 reduced the outstanding balance of this credit relationship to $9.0 million at December 31, 2024. Non-accrual energy loans included one credit relationship in excess of $5.0 million totaling $5.9 million at December 31, 2023. This loan was subsequently paid-off during 2024. Non-accrual commercial real estate loans included one credit relationship in excess of $5.0 million totaling $7.5 million (owner occupied) at December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2023, non-accrual commercial real estate loans included one credit relationship in excess of $5.0 million totaling $17.4 million (non-owner occupied). We recognized a charge-off totaling $3.8 million related to this credit during 2024. Another credit relationship had an aggregate balance of $5.1 million at December 31, 2024 of which $4.6 million was included with non-accrual commercial real estate loans and $586 thousand was included with non-accrual commercial and industrial loans. We recognized charged-offs totaling $2.4 million on commercial and industrial loans associated with this credit relationship during 2024.

Allowance For Credit Losses

Our allowance for credit losses on loans is calculated in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 326 (“ASC 326”) Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. In the case of off-balance-sheet credit exposures, the allowance for credit losses is a liability account, calculated in accordance with ASC 326, reported as a component of accrued interest payable and other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. The amount of each allowance account represents management's best estimate of current expected credit losses (“CECL”) on these financial instruments considering available information, from internal and external sources, relevant to assessing exposure to credit loss over the contractual term of the instrument. Relevant available information includes historical credit loss experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. While historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses, adjustments to historical loss information may be made for differences in current portfolio-specific risk characteristics, environmental conditions or other relevant factors. While management utilizes its best judgment and information available, the ultimate adequacy of our allowance accounts is dependent upon a variety of factors beyond our control, including the performance of our portfolios, the economy, changes in interest rates and the view of the regulatory authorities toward classification of assets. For additional information regarding our accounting policies related to credit losses, refer to Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Allowance for Credit Losses - Loans. The table below provides an allocation of the year-end allowance for credit losses on loans by loan portfolio segment; however, allocation of a portion of the allowance to one segment does not preclude its availability to absorb losses in other segments.

The allowance allocated to commercial and industrial loans totaled $87.6 million, or 1.43% of total commercial and industrial loans, at December 31, 2024 increasing $13.6 million, or 18.3%, compared to $74.0 million, or 1.24% of total commercial and industrial loans at December 31, 2023. Specific allocations for commercial and industrial loans that were evaluated for expected credit losses on an individual basis increased $10.8 million from $2.4 million at December 31, 2023 to $13.3 million at December 31, 2024. The increase in specific allocations for commercial and industrial loans was primarily related to new specific allocations for new individually assessed loans. Qualitative factor (“Q-Factor”) and other qualitative adjustments related to commercial and industrial loans increased $2.0 million while modeled expected credit losses increased $710 thousand.

The allowance allocated to energy loans totaled $10.0 million, or 0.89% of total energy loans, at December 31, 2024 decreasing $7.8 million, or 43.9%, compared to $17.8 million, or 1.90% of total energy loans, at December 31, 2023. Q-Factor and other qualitative adjustments related to energy loans decreased $4.0 million, primarily related to the overlay for credit concentrations, while modeled expected credit losses decreased $3.9 million.

The allowance allocated to commercial real estate loans totaled $143.2 million, or 1.44% of total commercial real estate loans, at December 31, 2024 increasing $12.6 million, or 9.7%, compared to $130.6 million, or 1.45% of total commercial real estate loans at December 31, 2023. Q-Factor and other qualitative adjustments related to commercial real estate loans increased $12.5 million, primarily related to increased model overlays, while modeled expected credit losses related to commercial real estate loans increased $2.1 million. Specific allocations for commercial real estate loans that were evaluated for expected credit losses on an individual basis decreased from $2.7 million at December 31, 2023 to $625 thousand at December 31, 2024 due to the recognition of a charge-off.

Additional information related to the allowance allocated to commercial real estate loans at December 31, 2024 is included in the following table:

The allowance allocated to consumer real estate loans totaled $19.1 million, or 0.62% of total consumer real estate loans, at December 31, 2024 increasing $5.6 million, or 41.1%, compared to $13.5 million, or 0.55% of total consumer real estate loans at December 31, 2023 primarily due to a $5.4 million increase in modeled expected credit losses.

The allowance allocated to consumer and other loans totaled $10.3 million, or 2.31% of total consumer and other loans, at December 31, 2024 increasing $239 thousand, or 2.4%, compared to $10.0 million, or 2.10% of total consumer loans at December 31, 2023. Modeled expected credit losses related to consumer and other loans increased $1.1 million while specific allocations for consumer loans that were evaluated for expected credit losses on an individual basis increased $165 thousand. Q-Factor and other qualitative adjustments related to consumer and other loans decreased $1.0 million, which was primarily due to a decrease in the consumer overlay, which is further discussed below.

As more fully described in Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report, we measure expected credit losses over the life of each loan utilizing a combination of models which measure probability of default and loss given default, among other things. The measurement of expected credit losses is impacted by loan/borrower attributes and certain macroeconomic variables. Models are adjusted to reflect the current impact of certain macroeconomic variables as well as their expected changes over a reasonable and supportable forecast period.

In estimating expected credit losses as of December 31, 2024, we utilized the Moody’s Analytics December 2024 Consensus Scenario (the “December 2024 Consensus Scenario”) to forecast the macroeconomic variables used in our models. The December 2024 Consensus Scenario was based on the review of a variety of surveys of baseline forecasts of the U.S. economy. The December 2024 Consensus Scenario projections included, among other things, (i) U.S. Nominal Gross Domestic Product average annualized quarterly growth rates of 3.50% in 2025 and 4.43% in 2026; (ii) average annualized U.S. unemployment rate of 4.36% during 2025 and 4.19% in 2026; (iii) average annualized Texas unemployment rate of 4.21% during 2025 and 3.99% during 2026; (iv) projected average 10 year Treasury rate of 4.23% during 2025 and 4.12% during 2026; and (v) average oil price of $70.88 per barrel during 2025 and $69.96 per barrel during 2026.

In estimating expected credit losses as of December 31, 2023, we utilized the Moody’s Analytics December 2023 Consensus Scenario (the “December 2023 Consensus Scenario”) to forecast the macroeconomic variables used in our models. The December 2023 Consensus Scenario was based on the review of a variety of surveys of baseline forecasts of the U.S. economy. The December 2023 Consensus Scenario projections included, among other things, (i) U.S. Nominal Gross Domestic Product average annualized quarterly growth rate of 2.86% during 2024 and 4.24% during 2025; (ii) average annualized U.S. unemployment rate of 4.33% during 2024 and 4.18% in 2025; (iii) average annualized Texas unemployment rate of 4.30% during 2024 and 4.00% during 2025; (iv) projected average 10 year Treasury rate of 4.24% during 2024 and 4.04% during 2025; and (v) average oil price of $83.02 per barrel during 2024 and $78.13 per barrel during 2025.

The overall loan portfolio as of December 31, 2024 increased $1.9 billion, or 10.3%, compared to December 31, 2023. This increase included a $985.9 million, or 11.0%, increase in commercial real estate loans; a $642.7 million, or 26.1%, increase in consumer real estate loans; a $192.2 million, or 20.5%, increase in energy loans; and a $142.4 million, or 2.4%, increase in commercial and industrial loans; partly offset by a $32.5 million, or 6.8%, decrease in consumer and other loans.

The weighted average risk grade for commercial and industrial loans increased to 6.64 at December 31, 2024 from 6.60 at December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily related to a $59.6 million increase in higher-risk grade classified loans. Classified loans consist of loans having a risk grade of 11, 12 or 13. The impact of the increase in classified loans was partly offset by a decrease in the weighted-average risk grade of pass grade commercial and industrial loans, which decreased to 6.30 at December 31, 2024 from 6.32 at December 31, 2023. The weighted-average risk grade for energy loans decreased to 5.58 at December 31, 2024 from 6.05 at December 31, 2023. Pass-grade energy loans increased $240.1 million while the weighted-average risk grade of such loans decreased from 5.73 at December 31, 2023 to 5.51 at December 31, 2024. The decrease in the weighted-average risk grade on energy loans was also partly the result of a $30.7 million decrease in classified energy loans. The weighted average risk grade for commercial real estate loans increased to 7.35 at December 31, 2024 from 7.24 at December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily related to increases in commercial real estate loans graded as “watch” and “special mention” (together up $374.7 million) and an increase in classified commercial real estate loans (up $69.1 million).

As noted above our credit loss models utilized the economic forecasts in the December 2024 Consensus Scenario for our estimated expected credit losses as of December 31, 2024 and the December 2023 Consensus Scenario for our estimate of expected credit losses as of December 31, 2023. We qualitatively adjusted the model results based on these scenarios for various risk factors that are not considered within our modeling processes but are nonetheless relevant in assessing the expected credit losses within our loan pools. These Q-Factor and other qualitative adjustments are discussed below.

Q-Factor adjustments are based upon management judgment and current assessment as to the impact of risks related to changes in lending policies and procedures; economic and business conditions; loan portfolio attributes and credit concentrations; and external factors, among other things, that are not already captured within the modeling inputs, assumptions and other processes. Management assesses the potential impact of such items within a range of severely negative impact to positive impact and adjusts the modeled expected credit loss by an aggregate adjustment percentage based upon the assessment. As a result of this assessment as of December 31, 2024, modeled expected credit losses were adjusted upwards by a weighted-average Q-Factor adjustment of approximately 4.1%, resulting in a $3.8 million total adjustment, compared to approximately 4.4% at December 31, 2023, which resulted in a $3.9 million total adjustment.

We have also provided additional qualitative adjustments, or management overlays, as of December 31, 2024 as management believes there are still significant risks impacting certain categories of our loan portfolio. Q-Factor and other qualitative adjustments as of December 31, 2024 are detailed in the following table.

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Model overlays are qualitative adjustments to address the effects of risks not captured within our commercial real estate credit loss models. These adjustments are determined based upon minimum reserve ratios for our commercial real estate loans. In the case of our commercial real estate - owner occupied loan portfolio, we determined a minimum reserve ratio is appropriate to address the effect of the model's over-sensitivity to positive changes in certain economic variables. After analysis and benchmarking against peer bank data, we believe the modeled results may be overly optimistic and not appropriately capturing downside risk. As such, we determined that the appropriate forecasted loss rate for our owner-occupied commercial real estate loan portfolio should be more closely aligned with that of our commercial and industrial loan portfolio. In the case of our commercial real estate - non-owner occupied and commercial real estate - construction loan portfolios, we determined minimum reserve ratios are appropriate as we believe the modeled results are not appropriately capturing the downside risk associated with our borrowers' ability to access the capital markets for the sale or refinancing of investor real estate and assets currently under construction. We believe access to capital may be impaired for a significant amount of time. Accordingly, this would require secondary sources of liquidity and capital to support completed projects that may take considerably longer to stabilize than originally underwritten. Furthermore, most of our non-owner occupied and construction loans are originated with floating interest rates. As a result, these borrowers have been significantly impacted by the most recent cycle of rising interest rates. While there has been a slight decrease in market interest rates in the latter part 2024, market expectations for short-term rates now forecast that future reductions will come at a slower pace than previously thought while longer-term rates are increasing as investors have begun to demand term and risk premiums at the long end of the yield curve.

Office building overlays are qualitative adjustments to address longer-term concerns over the utilization of commercial office space which could impact the long-term performance of some types of office properties within our commercial real estate loan portfolio. These adjustments are determined based upon minimum reserve ratios for loans within our commercial real estate - non-owner occupied and commercial real estate - construction loan portfolios that have risk grades of 8 or worse.

The down-side scenario overlay is a qualitative adjustment for our commercial and industrial loan portfolio to address the significant risk of economic recession as a result of inflation; elevated interest rates; labor shortages; disruption in financial markets and global supply chains; further oil price volatility; and the current or anticipated impact of global wars/military conflicts, terrorism, or other geopolitical events. Factors such as these are outside of our control but nonetheless affect customer income levels and could alter anticipated customer behavior, including borrowing, repayment, investment, and deposit practices. To determine this qualitative adjustment, we use an alternative, more pessimistic economic scenario to forecast the macroeconomic variables used in our models. As of December 31, 2024, we used the Moody’s Analytics S3 Alternative Scenario Downside - 90th Percentile. In modeling expected credit losses using this scenario, we also assume each non-classified loan within our modeled loan pools is downgraded by one risk grade level. The qualitative adjustment is based upon the amount by which the alternative scenario modeling results exceed those of the primary scenario used in estimating credit loss expense, adjusted based upon management's assessment of the probability that this more pessimistic economic scenario will occur.

Credit concentration overlays are qualitative adjustments based upon statistical analysis to address relationship exposure concentrations within our loan portfolio. Variations in loan portfolio concentrations over time cause expected credit losses within our existing portfolio to differ from historical loss experience. Given that the allowance for credit losses on loans reflects expected credit losses within our loan portfolio and the fact that these expected credit losses are uncertain as to nature, timing and amount, management believes that segments with higher concentration risk are more likely to experience a high loss event. Due to the fact that a significant portion of our loan portfolio is concentrated in large credit relationships and because of large, concentrated credit losses in recent years, management made the qualitative adjustments detailed in the table above to address the risk associated with such a relationship deteriorating to a loss event.

The consumer overlay is a qualitative adjustment for our consumer and other loan portfolio to address the risk associated with the level of unsecured loans within this portfolio and other risk factors. Unsecured consumer loans have an elevated risk of loss in times of economic stress as these loans lack a secondary source of repayment in the form of hard collateral. This adjustment was determined by analyzing our consumer loan charge-off trends as well as those of the general banking industry. Management deemed it appropriate to consider an additional overlay to the modeled forecasted losses for the unsecured consumer portfolio.

As of December 31, 2023, we provided qualitative adjustments, as detailed in the table below. Further information regarding these qualitative adjustments is provided in our 2023 Form 10-K.

Additional information related to credit loss expense and net (charge-offs) recoveries is presented in the tables below. Also see Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

We recorded a net credit loss expense related to loans totaling $64.8 million in 2024 and $52.9 million in 2023 and a net credit loss benefit of $5.3 million in 2022. Net credit loss expense/benefit for each portfolio segment reflects the amount needed to adjust the allowance for credit losses allocated to that segment to the level of expected credit losses determined under our allowance methodology after net charge-offs have been recognized. The net credit loss expense related to loans during 2024 primarily reflects an increase in expected credit losses associated with commercial and industrial loans; commercial real estate loans; and consumer real estate loans. The increases in expected credit losses were primarily related to increases in qualitative adjustments for commercial real estate loans and commercial and industrial loans; specific allocations for commercial and industrial loans; and modeled expected credit losses, primarily related to consumer real estate and, to a lesser extent, commercial real estate. The net credit loss expense related to loans during 2024 also reflects charge-off trends related to consumer and other loans

(primarily overdrafts) and commercial and industrial loans and, to a lesser extent, both commercial and consumer real estate loans. The impact of these items was partly offset by a decrease in expected credit losses associated with energy loans; primarily related to decreases in modeled expected losses and the overlay for credit concentrations; a decrease in specific allocations related to commercial real estate loans; and a decrease in the consumer overlay, primarily associated with the model updates discussed in Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

The ratio of the allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans was 1.30% at December 31, 2024 compared to 1.31% at December 31, 2023. Management believes the recorded amount of the allowance for credit losses on loans is appropriate based upon management’s best estimate of current expected credit losses within the existing portfolio of loans. Should any of the factors considered by management in making this estimate change, our estimate of current expected credit losses could also change, which could affect the level of future credit loss expense related to loans.

Allowance for Credit Losses - Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposures. The allowance for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures totaled $51.9 million at December 31, 2024 and $51.8 million at December 31, 2023. The level of the allowance for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures depends upon the volume of outstanding commitments, underlying risk grades, the expected utilization of available funds and forecasted economic conditions impacting our loan portfolio. The allowance for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures at December 31, 2024 was also impacted by a $4.3 million specific allocation related to certain unfunded letters of credit for a commercial and industrial borrower that was evaluated for expected credit losses on an individual basis. We also recognized specific allocations for funded loans to this borrower totaling $7.2 million at December 31, 2024, which were included in the increase of specific allocations for commercial and industrial loans discussed above. We recognized a net credit loss expense related to off-balance-sheet credit exposures totaling $153 thousand in 2024 compared to net credit loss benefit of $6.8 million during 2023 and a net credit loss expense of $8.3 million during 2022. Further information regarding our policies and methodology used to estimate the allowance for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures is presented in Note 7 - Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements, Commitments, Guarantees and Contingencies in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report. Our methodology used to estimate the allowance for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures was also impacted by the model updates during the first quarter of 2024 described in Note 3 - Loans in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements elsewhere in this report. The overall approximate impact of model updates during the first quarter of 2024 was a $1.8 million increase in modeled expected credit losses for off-balance-sheet credit exposures.

Securities

The following tables summarize the maturity distribution schedule with corresponding weighted-average yields of securities held to maturity and securities available for sale as of December 31, 2024. Weighted-average yields have been computed on a fully taxable-equivalent basis using a tax rate of 21%. Mortgage-backed securities are included in maturity categories based on their stated maturity date. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations. Other securities classified as available for sale include stock in the Federal Reserve Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank, which have no maturity date. These securities have been included in the total column only. Held-to-maturity securities are presented at amortized cost before any allowance for credit losses.

All mortgage-backed securities included in the above tables were issued by U.S. government agencies and corporations. At December 31, 2024, all of the securities in our municipal bond portfolio were issued by the State of Texas or political subdivisions or agencies within the State of Texas, of which approximately 68.8% are either guaranteed by the Texas Permanent School Fund, which has a “triple-A” insurer financial strength rating, or secured by U.S. Treasury securities via defeasance of the debt by the issuers.

The average taxable-equivalent yield on the securities portfolio based on a 21% tax rate was 3.38% in 2024 compared to 3.24% in 2023. Tax-exempt municipal securities totaled 35.2% of average securities in 2024 compared to 35.5% in 2023. The average yield on taxable securities was 2.92% in 2024 compared to 2.72% in 2023, while the average taxable-equivalent yield on tax-exempt securities was 4.31% in 2024 compared to 4.26% in 2023. See the section captioned “Net Interest Income” elsewhere in this discussion.

Deposits

The table below presents the daily average balances of deposits by type and weighted-average rates paid thereon during the years presented:

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Average deposits decreased $472.8 million, or 1.1%, in 2024 compared to 2023. The decrease was primarily related to non-interest-bearing demand deposits which decreased $1.5 billion, or 9.8%. Interest-bearing deposits increased $1.0 billion, or 3.9%, primarily due to an increase in time deposits partly offset by decreases in savings, interest checking and money market accounts. The decrease in non-interest-bearing deposits; savings and interest checking; and money market accounts and the increase in time deposits was primarily driven by increases in market interest rates as customers sought higher yields through time deposits and other alternatives. The ratio of average interest-bearing deposits to total average deposits was 66.2% in 2024 compared to 63.0% in 2023. The average rates paid on interest-bearing deposits and total deposits were 2.32% and 1.54%, respectively, during 2024 compared to 1.95% and 1.23%, respectively, during 2023. The average rate paid on interest-bearing deposits during 2024 was impacted by an increase in the interest rates we pay on most of our interest-bearing deposit products as a result of higher average market interest rates.

Geographic Concentrations. The following table summarizes our average total deposit portfolio, as segregated by the geographic region from which the deposit accounts were originated. Certain accounts, such as correspondent bank deposits and deposits allocated to certain statewide operational units, are recorded at the statewide level.

Foreign Deposits. Mexico has historically been considered a part of the natural trade territory of our banking offices. Accordingly, U.S. dollar-denominated foreign deposits from sources within Mexico have traditionally been a significant source of funding. Average deposits from foreign sources, primarily Mexico, totaled $1.1 billion in both 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Brokered Deposits. From time to time, we have obtained interest-bearing deposits through brokered transactions including participation in the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”). Brokered deposits were not significant during the reported periods.

Capital and Liquidity

Capital. Shareholders’ equity totaled $3.9 billion at December 31, 2024 and $3.7 billion at December 31, 2023. In addition to net income of $582.5 million, other sources of capital during 2024 included $22.6 million in proceeds from stock option exercises and $19.8 million related to stock-based compensation. Uses of capital during 2024 included $249.1 million of dividends paid on preferred and common stock; other comprehensive loss, net of tax, of $132.8 million; and $60.9 million of treasury stock purchases.

The accumulated other comprehensive income/loss component of shareholders’ equity totaled a net, after-tax, unrealized loss of $1.3 billion at December 31, 2024 compared to a net, after-tax, unrealized loss of $1.1 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in the net, after-tax, unrealized loss was primarily due to a $135.5 million net, after-tax, decrease in the fair value of securities available for sale.

Under the Basel III Capital Rules, we elected to opt-out of the requirement to include most components of accumulated other comprehensive income in regulatory capital. Accordingly, amounts reported as accumulated other comprehensive income/loss related to securities available for sale, effective cash flow hedges and defined benefit post-retirement benefit plans do not increase or reduce regulatory capital and are not included in the calculation of risk-based capital and leverage ratios. In connection with the adoption of ASC 326 on January 1, 2020, we also elected to exclude, for a transitional period, the effects of credit loss accounting under CECL in the calculation of our regulatory capital and regulatory capital ratios. Regulatory agencies for banks and bank holding companies utilize capital guidelines designed to measure capital and take into consideration the risk inherent in both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet items. See Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

We paid quarterly dividends of $0.92, $0.92, $0.95 and $0.95 per common share during the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2024, respectively, and quarterly dividends of $0.87, $0.87, $0.92 and $0.92 per common share during the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2023, respectively. This equates to a dividend payout ratio of 42.1% in 2024 and 39.3% in 2023. The amount of dividend, if any, we may pay may be limited as more fully discussed in Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Preferred Stock. On November 19, 2020 we issued 150,000 shares, or $150.0 million in aggregate liquidation preference, of our 4.450% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B, par value $0.01 and liquidation preference $1,000 per share (“Series B Preferred Stock”). Each share of Series B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding is represented by 40 depositary shares, each representing a 1/40th ownership interest in a share of the Series B Preferred Stock (equivalent to a liquidation preference of $25 per share). Additional details about our preferred stock are included in Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Purchases of Equity Securities. From time to time, our board of directors has authorized stock repurchase plans. On January 24, 2024, our board of directors authorized a $150.0 million stock repurchase plan (the “2024 Repurchase Plan”), allowing us to repurchase shares of our common stock over a one-year period expiring on January 24, 2025. The 2024 Repurchase Plan was publicly announced in a current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 25, 2024. Shares repurchased under stock repurchase plans may be repurchased from time to time through a variety of methods, which may include open market purchases, in privately negotiated transactions, block trades, accelerated share repurchase transactions, and/or through other legally permissible means. The timing and amount of any share repurchases is determined by management at its discretion and based on market conditions and other considerations. Share repurchase plans may be suspended or discontinued at any time at our discretion and we are not obligated to purchase any amount of common stock. Stock repurchase plans allow us to proactively manage our capital position and provide management the ability to repurchase shares of our common stock opportunistically in instances where management believes the market price undervalues our company. Such plans also provide us with the ability to repurchase shares of common stock that can be used to satisfy obligations related to stock compensation awards in order to mitigate the dilutive effect of such awards. Under the 2024 Repurchase Plan, we repurchased 489,862 shares at a total cost of $50.0 million during 2024. During 2024, we also repurchased 87,775 shares at a total cost of $10.9 million in connection with the vesting of certain share awards. Repurchases made in connection with the vesting of share awards are not associated with any publicly announced stock repurchase plan.

Under a prior publicly announced stock repurchase plan, we repurchased 400,868 shares at a total cost of $39.0 million during 2023. No shares were repurchased under a publicly announced stock repurchase plan during 2022. Shares repurchased in connection with the vesting of certain share awards totaled 35,897 at a total cost of $3.5 million in 2023 and 31,351 at a total cost of $4.4 million in 2022.

On January 29, 2025, our board of directors authorized a $150.0 million stock repurchase plan (the “2025 Repurchase Plan”), allowing us to repurchase shares of our common stock over a one-year period expiring on January 28, 2026. This repurchase plan was publicly announced in a current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 30, 2025.

Liquidity. Liquidity measures the ability to meet current and future cash flow needs as they become due. The liquidity of a financial institution reflects its ability to meet loan requests, to accommodate possible outflows in deposits and to take advantage of interest rate market opportunities. The ability of a financial institution to meet its current financial obligations is a function of its balance sheet structure, its ability to liquidate assets and its access to alternative sources of funds. The objective of our liquidity management is to manage cash flow and liquidity reserves so that they are adequate to fund our operations and to meet obligations and other commitments on a timely basis and at a reasonable cost. We seek to achieve this objective and ensure that funding needs are met by maintaining an appropriate level of liquid funds through asset/liability management, which includes managing the mix and time to maturity of financial assets and financial liabilities on our balance sheet. Our liquidity position is enhanced by our ability to raise additional funds as needed in the wholesale markets.

Asset liquidity is provided by liquid assets which are readily marketable or pledgeable or which will mature in the near future. Liquid assets include cash, interest-bearing deposits in banks, securities available for sale, maturities and cash flow from securities held to maturity, and federal funds sold and resell agreements. Liability liquidity is provided by access to funding sources which include core deposits and correspondent banks in our natural trade area that maintain accounts with and sell federal funds to Frost Bank, as well as federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements from upstream banks and deposits obtained through financial intermediaries.

Our liquidity position is continuously monitored and adjustments are made to the balance between sources and uses of funds as deemed appropriate. Liquidity risk management is an important element in our asset/liability management process. We regularly model liquidity stress scenarios to assess potential liquidity outflows or funding problems resulting from economic disruptions, volatility in the financial markets, unexpected credit events or other significant occurrences deemed problematic by management. These scenarios are incorporated into our contingency funding plan, which provides the basis for the identification of our liquidity needs. Our principal source of funding has been our customer deposits, supplemented by our short-term and long-term borrowings as well as maturities of securities and loan amortization. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $9.5 billion held in an interest-bearing account at the Federal Reserve. We also have the ability to borrow funds as a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”). As of December 31, 2024, based upon available, pledgeable collateral, our total borrowing capacity with the FHLB was approximately $6.3 billion. Furthermore, at December 31, 2024, we had approximately $7.4 billion in securities that were unencumbered by a pledge and could be used to support additional borrowings through repurchase agreements or the Federal Reserve discount window, as needed. As of December 31, 2024, management is not aware of any events that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, capital resources or operations. In addition, management is not aware of any regulatory recommendations regarding liquidity that would have a material adverse effect on us.

In the ordinary course of business, we have entered into contractual obligations and have made other commitments to make future payments. Refer to the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for the expected timing of such payments as of December 31, 2024. These include payments related to (i) long-term borrowings (Note 6 - Borrowed Funds), (ii) operating leases (Note 4 - Premises and Equipment and Lease Commitments), (iii) time deposits with stated maturity dates (Note 5 - Deposits) and (iv) commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit (Note 7 - Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements, Commitments, Guarantees and Contingencies).

Since Cullen/Frost is a holding company and does not conduct operations, its primary sources of liquidity are dividends upstreamed from Frost Bank and borrowings from outside sources. Banking regulations may limit the amount of dividends that may be paid by Frost Bank. See Note 8 - Capital and Regulatory Matters in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report regarding such dividends. At December 31, 2024, Cullen/Frost had liquid assets, including cash and resell agreements, totaling $334.5 million.

Regulatory and Economic Policies

Our business and earnings are affected by general and local economic conditions and by the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, its agencies and various other governmental regulatory authorities, among other things. The Federal Reserve Board regulates the supply of money in order to influence general economic conditions. Among the instruments of monetary policy historically available to the Federal Reserve Board are (i) conducting open market operations in United States government obligations, (ii) changing the discount rate on financial institution borrowings, (iii) imposing or changing reserve requirements against financial institution deposits, and (iv) restricting certain borrowings and imposing or changing reserve requirements against certain borrowings by financial institutions and their affiliates. These methods are used in varying degrees and combinations to affect directly the availability of bank loans and deposits, as well as the interest rates charged on loans and paid on deposits. For that reason alone, the policies of the Federal Reserve Board have a material effect on our earnings.

Governmental policies have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future; however, we cannot accurately predict the nature, timing or extent of any effect such policies may have on our future business and earnings.

Accounting Standards Updates

See Note 19 - Accounting Standards Updates in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for details of recently issued accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our financial statements.

The disclosures set forth in this item are qualified by Item 1A. Risk Factors and the section captioned “Forward-Looking Statements and Factors that Could Affect Future Results” included in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, of this report, and other cautionary statements set forth elsewhere in this report.

Market risk refers to the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, and other relevant market rates and prices, such as equity prices. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows, and future earnings. Due to the nature of our operations, we are primarily exposed to interest rate risk and, to a lesser extent, liquidity risk.

Interest rate risk on our balance sheets consists of reprice, option, and basis risks. Reprice risk results from differences in the maturity, or repricing, of asset and liability portfolios. Option risk arises from “embedded options” present in many financial instruments such as loan prepayment options, deposit early withdrawal options and interest rate options. These options allow customers opportunities to benefit when market interest rates change, which typically results in higher costs or lower revenue for us. Basis risk refers to the potential for changes in the underlying relationship between market rates and indices, which subsequently result in a narrowing of the profit spread on an earning asset or liability. Basis risk is also present in administered rate liabilities, such as savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, and money market accounts where historical pricing relationships to market rates may change due to the level or directional change in market interest rates.

We seek to avoid fluctuations in our net interest margin and to maximize net interest income within acceptable levels of risk through periods of changing interest rates. Accordingly, our interest rate sensitivity and liquidity are monitored on an ongoing basis by our Asset and Liability Committee (“ALCO”), which oversees market risk management and establishes risk measures, limits and policy guidelines for managing the amount of interest rate risk and its effect on net interest income and capital. A variety of measures are used to provide for a comprehensive view of the magnitude of interest rate risk, the distribution of risk, the level of risk over time and the exposure to changes in certain interest rate relationships.

We utilize an earnings simulation model as the primary quantitative tool in measuring the amount of interest rate risk associated with changing market rates. The model quantifies the effects of various interest rate scenarios on projected net interest income and net income over the next 12 months. The model measures the impact on net interest income relative to a flat-rate case scenario of hypothetical fluctuations in interest rates over the next 12 months. These simulations incorporate assumptions regarding balance sheet growth and mix, pricing and the repricing and maturity characteristics of the existing and projected balance sheet. The impact of interest rate derivatives, such as interest rate swaps, caps and floors, is also included in the model. Other interest rate-related risks such as prepayment, basis and option risk are also considered.

ALCO continuously monitors and manages the balance between interest rate-sensitive assets and liabilities. The objective is to manage the impact of fluctuating market rates on net interest income within acceptable levels. In order to meet this objective, management may lengthen or shorten the duration of assets or liabilities or enter into derivative contracts to mitigate potential market risk.

For modeling purposes, as of December 31, 2024, the model simulations projected that 100 and 200 basis point ratable increases in interest rates would result in positive variances in net interest income of 1.5% and 2.8%, respectively, relative to the flat-rate case over the next 12 months, while 100 and 200 basis point ratable decreases in interest rates would result in a negative variances in net interest income of 1.1% and 2.2%, respectively, relative to the flat-rate case over the next 12 months. These model simulations indicate that our balance sheet as of December 31, 2024 is slightly less asset sensitive in comparison to our balance sheet as of December 31, 2023. For modeling purposes, as of December 31, 2023, the model simulations projected that 100 and 200 basis point ratable increases in interest rates would result in positive variances in net interest income of 1.7% and 3.5%, respectively, relative to the flat-rate case over the next 12 months, while 100 and 200 basis point ratable decreases in interest rates would result in a negative variances in net interest income of 1.3% and 3.0%, respectively, relative to the flat-rate case over the next 12 months.

We do not currently pay interest on a significant portion of our commercial demand deposits. Any interest rate that would ultimately be paid on these commercial demand deposits would likely depend upon a variety of factors, some of which are beyond our control. Our December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 model simulations did not assume any payment of interest on commercial demand deposits (those not already receiving an earnings credit). Management believes, based on our experience during the last interest rate cycle, that it is less likely we will pay interest on these deposits as rates increase.

As of December 31, 2024, the effects of a 200 basis point increase and a 200 basis point decrease in interest rates on our derivative holdings would not result in a significant variance in our net interest income.

The effects of hypothetical fluctuations in interest rates on our securities classified as “trading” under ASC Topic 320, “Investments - Debt and Equity Securities” are not significant, and, as such, separate quantitative disclosure is not presented.

As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, an evaluation was carried out by our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report. No changes were made to our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) during the last fiscal quarter that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The management of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

As of December 31, 2024, management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting established in “Internal Control - Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (“COSO”) of the Treadway Commission (“2013 framework”). Based on the assessment, management determined that we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on those criteria.

Ernst & Young LLP, San Antonio, Texas, (U.S. PCAOB Auditor Firm I.D.: 42), the independent registered public accounting firm that audited our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. The report, which expresses an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, is included in this Item under the heading “Attestation Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”

Attestation Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We have audited Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes and our report dated February 6, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

San Antonio, Texas

February 6, 2025