Civista Bancshares, Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2023

General Development of Business

CIVISTA BANCSHARES, INC. (“CBI”) was organized under the laws of the State of Ohio on February 19, 1987 and is a registered financial holding company under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, as amended (the “GLBA”). CBI’s office is located at 100 East Water Street, Sandusky, Ohio. CBI and its subsidiaries are sometimes referred to together as the “Company”. The Company had total consolidated assets of $3,861,418 at December 31, 2023.

CIVISTA BANK (“Civista”), owned by the Company since 1987, opened for business in 1884 as The Citizens National Bank. In 1898, Civista was reorganized under Ohio banking law and was known as The Citizens Bank and Trust Company. In 1908, Civista surrendered its trust charter and began operation as The Citizens Banking Company. The name Civista Bank was introduced during the first quarter of 2015 to solidify our dual Citizens/Champaign brand and distinguish ourselves from the many other banks using the “Citizens” name in our existing and prospective markets. Civista maintains its main office at 100 East Water Street, Sandusky, Ohio and operates branch banking offices in the following Ohio communities: Sandusky (2), Norwalk (2), Berlin Heights, Huron, Port Clinton, Castalia, New Washington, Shelby (2), Willard, Greenwich, Plymouth, Shiloh, Akron, Dublin, Plain City, Russells Point, Urbana (2), West Liberty, Quincy, Dayton (3), Beachwood, Gahanna, Napoleon (3), Malinta, Liberty Center, Holgate, Bowling Green, and in the following Indiana communities: Lawrenceburg (3), Aurora, West Harrison, Milan, Osgood and Versailles. Civista also operates loan production offices in Westlake, Ohio and Fort Mitchell, Kentucky and a leasing company office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Civista and its consolidated subsidiaries as discussed below, accounted for 99.5% of the Company’s consolidated assets at December 31, 2023.

FIRST CITIZENS INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. (“FCIA”) was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of CBI to allow the Company to participate in commission revenue generated through its third party insurance agreement. Assets of FCIA were not significant as of December 31, 2023.

WATER STREET PROPERTIES, INC. (“WSP”) was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of CBI to hold properties repossessed by CBI subsidiaries. Assets of WSP were not significant as of December 31, 2023.

FIRST CITIZENS INVESTMENTS, INC. (“FCI”) was formed in 2007 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Civista to hold and manage its securities portfolio. The operations of FCI are located in Wilmington, Delaware.

FIRST CITIZENS CAPITAL LLC (“FCC”) was also formed in 2007 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Civista to hold inter-company debt that is eliminated in consolidation. The operations of FCC were discontinued December 31, 2021 as a result of inactivity.

CIVISTA LEASING & FINANCING (“CLF”) formerly known as Vision Financial Group, Inc. ("VFG") was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2022 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Civista. Effective as of August 31, 2023, VFG was merged with and into Civista, and CLF is now operated as a full-service general equipment leasing and financing division of Civista. The operations of CLF are located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

CIVB RISK MANAGEMENT, INC. (“CRMI”), a wholly owned subsidiary of CBI which was formed and began operations on December 26, 2017, is a Delaware-based captive insurance company which insures against certain risks unique to the operations of the Company and for which insurance may not be currently available or economically feasible in today’s insurance marketplace. CRMI pools resources with several other similar insurance company subsidiaries of financial institutions to spread a limited amount of risk among themselves. CRMI is subject to regulations of the State of Delaware and undergoes periodic examinations by the Delaware Division of Insurance.

Acquisition of Comunibanc Corp.

On July 1, 2022, CBI completed the acquisition by merger of Comunibanc Corp. in a stock and cash transaction for aggregate consideration of approximately $46,090. Immediately following the merger, Comunibanc Corp.’s banking subsidiary, The Henry County Bank, was merged into Civista. At the time of the merger, Comunibanc Corp. had total consolidated assets of $315,083, including $175,500 in loans, and $271,081 in deposits. As a result of the merger, we acquired seven offices of Comunibanc Corp. in the Ohio communities of Napoleon (3), Malinta, Holgate, Liberty Center, and Bowling Green.

Acquisition of Vision Financial Group

On October 3, 2022, CBI and Civista completed the acquisition by Civista of all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of VFG for aggregate cash and stock consideration of approximately $46,544. Prior to the acquisition, VFG was a privately held, independent, full-service equipment leasing and financing company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the time of the acquisition, VFG had total assets of $93,870, including $62,712 in loans and leases. As a result of the acquisition, VFG became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Civista. Effective as of August 31, 2023, VFG was merged with and into Civista, and is now operated as the CLF division of Civista.

CBI is a financial holding company. Through its subsidiaries, including Civista, the Company is primarily engaged in the business of community banking, which accounts for substantially all of its revenue, operating income and assets. Refer to the Consolidated Financial Statements on pages 26 through 31 of the 2023 Annual Report for additional information.

Narrative Description of Business

General

The Company’s primary business is incidental to the subsidiary bank and its subsidiaries. Civista, through its locations in the Ohio counties of Erie, Crawford, Champaign, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Huron, Logan, Madison, Montgomery, Ottawa, Richland, Henry, Wood and Summit, in the Indiana counties of Dearborn and Ripley and in the Kentucky county of Kenton, conducts a general banking business that involves collecting customer deposits, making loans, purchasing securities, and offering Trust services. Civista also engages in a general equipment leasing and financing business through its, CLF division, which was acquired in October 2022.

Interest and fees on loans accounted for 73% of total revenue for 2023, 69% of total revenue for 2022, and 69% of total revenue for 2021. The Company’s primary focus of lending continues to be real estate loans, both residential and commercial in nature. Commercial real estate loans comprised 54% of the total loan portfolio in 2023, 55% of the total loan portfolio in 2022, and 56% of the total loan portfolio in 2021. Residential real estate mortgage loans comprised 23% of the total loan portfolio in 2023, 22% of the total loan portfolio in 2022 and 22% of the total loan portfolio in 2021. Commercial and agriculture loans comprised 11% of the total loan portfolio in 2023, 11% in 2022, and 12% in 2021. Civista’s loan portfolio does not include any foreign-based loans, loans to lesser-developed countries or loans to CBI or its other subsidiaries.

On a parent company only basis, CBI’s primary source of funds is the receipt of dividends paid by its subsidiaries, principally Civista. The ability of Civista to pay dividends is subject to limitations under various laws and regulations and to prudent and sound banking principles. Generally, subject to certain minimum capital requirements, Civista may declare a dividend without the approval of the State of Ohio Division of Financial Institutions (the “ODFI”) unless the total of the dividends in a calendar year exceeds the total net profits of the bank for the year combined with the retained profits of the bank for the two preceding years. At December 31, 2023, Civista had $56,886 of accumulated net profits available to pay dividends to CBI without approval of the ODFI.

The Company’s business is not seasonal, nor is it dependent on a single or small group of customers.

Business Strategy

The Company’s strategy is to compete for business by providing high quality, personal service to customers, enhanced local presence and customer access to our decision-makers, rapid decision-making, and competitive interest rates and fees. We develop and maintain business relationships by taking on leadership roles in our communities through the involvement of our experienced commercial and retail bankers, management team and Board of Directors. We believe we will continue to drive growth and increase profitability, while maintaining our high level of asset quality, by doing the following:

Expand Relationships in Our Communities

We emphasize relationship banking by maintaining and growing our customers and contacts with personal interaction by our bankers and management teams in the communities that we serve. We strive to do this by offering a full suite of competitive banking products through efficient and varied delivery channels tailored to the needs of our customers and potential customers. Civista, through its Civista Wealth Management division, also offers investment and advisory solutions. Our approach is personalized and focused on what our clients need. We provide individuals, families, business and non-profits with personalized investment management, 401-(k) advisory services for employers, financial planning, trust services, and tailored lending.

Core Deposit Growth

We plan to continue to focus on growing our core, commercial operating and retail, non-maturity deposit base with an emphasis on relationship banking. Our business model focuses on gaining the majority of our customers’ banking relationships by implementing many best practices for community banks, including personalized service and technology. We believe that these generate “stickier” deposit accounts with larger average balances than might be attracted otherwise. From time to time we also use pricing techniques in our efforts to attract banking relationships having larger than average balances.

Leverage Our Residential Mortgage Banking Infrastructure

We seek to leverage our mortgage banking infrastructure to support the origination of residential mortgage loans for sale into the secondary market. Mortgage loan originations and sales activity are strategies utilized to support growth in our non-interest income, while also serving to help manage the Company’s exposure to interest rate risk through the sale of longer-duration, fixed-rate loans into the secondary market.

Improve Our Operating Efficiency

Expense discipline is a key strategy to improve operating efficiency and contribute to earnings growth. We also strive to operate more efficiently by incorporating technology into our client offerings.

Maintain Robust Capital and Liquidity Levels

The Company’s capital position provides a source of strength and continues to significantly exceed all regulatory capital guidelines as demonstrated by the December 31, 2023 Tier 1 Leverage ratios of the Company and Civista of 8.8 percent and 10.0 percent, respectively. We plan to continue to maintain robust capital reserves.

In addition to our robust capital levels, we maintain significant sources of both on- and off-balance sheet liquidity and plan to continue to do so. At December 31, 2023, our liquid assets included $60.4 million of short-term cash and equivalents supplemented by $618.3 million of investment securities classified as available for sale which can be readily sold or pledged as collateral, if necessary. In addition, we had the capacity to borrow additional funds totaling $426.8 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati at December 31, 2023.

Ensure the Adequacy of Our Allowance for Credit Losses

Despite the economic implications and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic on our business over the past four years, our reserve levels have remained adequate with total allowance amounting to $37.2 million at December 31, 2023.

Market Area and Competition

At December 31, 2023, our primary market area consisted of the counties in which we currently operate branches, and loan production offices, including Erie, Crawford, Champaign, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Huron, Logan, Madison, Montgomery, Ottawa, Richland, Henry, Wood and Summit Counties in Ohio, Dearborn and Ripley Counties in Indiana and Kenton County in Kentucky. Our lending is concentrated in these markets and our predominant sources of deposits are the communities in which our offices are located as well as the neighboring communities.

The banking business is highly competitive. We face substantial competition both in attracting deposits and in originating loans and commercial equipment leasing. We compete with numerous financial institutions, including large regional financial institutions, community banks, thrifts and credit unions operating without our market area. Nontraditional sources of competition for loan and deposit dollars come from captive auto finance companies, mortgage banking companies, internet banks, brokerage companies, insurance companies, business leasing and finance companies and direct mutual funds. As a result of their size, resources and ability to achieve economies of scale, certain of our competitors offer a broader range of products and services than we offer, as well as higher lending limits, which may adversely affect the ability of Civista to compete.

Products and Services

We offer a broad range of deposit and loan products and other banking services. These include personal and commercial checking accounts, retirement accounts, money market accounts, time and savings accounts, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, access to automated teller services, internet banking, ACH origination, telephone banking, and mobile/digital banking. Civista also offers remote deposit capture banking for both retail and business customers, providing the ability to electronically scan and transmit checks for deposit.

Time deposits consist of certificates of deposit, including those held in IRA accounts. Reciprocal deposits are offered through Civista’s participation in the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service® (CDARS) and Insured Cash Sweep (ICS) programs offered through IntraFi, LLC. Customers who are Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance sensitive are able to place large dollar deposits with Civista and Civista uses either outlet to place those funds into certificates of deposit or money markets issued by other banks in the IntraFi Network. This occurs in increments of less than the FDIC insurance limits so that both the principal and interest are eligible for complete FDIC insurance coverage. The FDIC currently considers these funds as brokered deposits.

We offer commercial and personal loans on a secured and unsecured basis, revolving lines of credit, commercial mortgage loans, and residential mortgage loans on both primary and secondary residences, home equity loans, bridge loans and other personal purpose loans. However, we are not and have not historically been a participant in the sub-prime lending market.

Commercial loans are loans made for business purposes and are primarily secured by collateral such as cash balances with Civista, business assets including accounts receivable, inventory and equipment, and liens on commercial real estate.

Construction loans are loans to finance the construction of commercial or residential properties secured by first liens on such properties. Commercial real estate loans include loans secured by first liens on completed commercial properties, including multi-family properties, to purchase or refinance such properties. Residential mortgages include loans secured by first liens on residential real estate to purchase or refinance primary and secondary residences. Home equity loans and lines of credit include loans secured by first or second liens on residential real estate for primary or secondary residences.

Consumer loans are made to individuals who qualify for auto loans, cash reserve, and installment loans. Our consumer loan portfolio includes unsecured overdraft lines of credit and personal loans as well as loans secured by savings accounts and certificates of deposit with Civista.

Our portfolio lending activities include the origination of one- to four-family first mortgage loans, primarily in our designated market area. The fixed-rate residential mortgage loans that we originate for portfolio generally meet the secondary mortgage market standards. As a complement to our residential one- to four-family portfolio lending activities, we operate a mortgage banking platform which supports the origination of one- to four-family mortgage loans that generally meet the secondary mortgage market standards. Such loans are generally originated by and sourced from the same resources and markets as those loans originated and held in our portfolio.

Through our equipment leasing and financing business operated by our CLF division, which was acquired as a who1ly-owned subsidiary of Civista in October 2022, we offer commercial equipment leasing services for businesses nationwide.

Through our Civista Wealth Management division we offer investment advisory services to individuals, families, businesses and non-profits with personalized investment management, 401(k) advisory services for employers, financial planning, and trust services.

Human Capital Resources

Our employees are vital to our success in the financial services industry. As a human-capital intensive business, the long-term success of our Company depends on our people. Our goal is to ensure that we have the right talent, in the right place, at the right time. We do that through our commitment to attracting, developing and retaining our employees.

We strive to attract individuals who are people-focused and share our values. We have a comprehensive program dedicated to selecting new talent and enhancing the skills of our employees. In our recruiting efforts, we strive to have a diverse group of candidates to consider for our roles. To that end, we have strong relationships with a variety of industry associations that represent diverse professionals and partner with schools in the communities we serve to offer internship opportunities to students interested in the financial industry.

We have designed a compensation structure that we believe is attractive to our current and prospective employees. We also offer our employees the opportunity to participate in a variety of professional and leadership development programs. Our programs include a variety of industry, product, technical, professional, business development, leadership and regulatory topics. These programs are available online and in-person. In addition, we encourage all employees to be involved in the communities we serve through various volunteer activities.

We seek to retain our employees by using their feedback to create and continually enhance programs that support their needs. We use company-wide surveys to solicit feedback from our employees. We have a formal annual goal setting and performance review process for our employees. We promote a values-based culture, an important factor in retaining our employees. Our training, to share and communicate our culture to all employees, plays an important part in this process. We are committed to having a diverse workforce, and an inclusive work environment is a natural extension of our culture. We are committed to ensuring that all our employees feel welcomed, valued, respected and heard so that they can fully contribute their unique talents for the benefit of our customers, their careers, our Company and our communities. We have established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council (“DEI Council”). This Company-wide diversity and inclusion advisory council stewards the Company’s efforts and provides guidance on priorities. The DEI Council is composed of employees from all areas of our Company and locations where we operate.

We monitor and evaluate various turnover and attrition metrics throughout our organization. Our annualized voluntary turnover is relatively low, as is the case for turnover of our top performers, a record which we attribute to our strong values-based culture, commitment to career development, and attractive compensation and benefit programs.

Civista employs approximately 532 full-time equivalent employees to whom a variety of benefits are provided. CBI has no employees. CBI and its subsidiaries are not parties to any collective bargaining agreements. Management considers its relationship with its employees to be good.

Supervision and Regulation

CBI and its subsidiaries are subject to extensive supervision and regulation by federal and state agencies. The regulation of financial holding companies and their subsidiaries is intended primarily for the protection of consumers, depositors, borrowers, the Deposit Insurance Fund (the “DIF”) and the banking system as a whole, and not for the protection of shareholders. Applicable laws and regulations restrict permissible activities and investments and require actions to protect loan, deposit, brokerage, fiduciary and other customers, as well as the DIF. These laws and regulations also may restrict the ability of CBI to pay dividends to its shareholders, to repurchase its common shares or to receive dividends from Civista, and impose capital adequacy and liquidity requirements.

The following is a summary of the regulatory agencies that supervise and regulate CBI and Civista and the statutes and regulations that have, or could have, a material impact on the Company’s business. This discussion is qualified in its entirety by reference to such statutes and regulations. The statutes and regulations applicable to the Company are continually under review by the United States Congress and state legislatures and federal and state regulatory agencies, and a change in statutes, regulations or regulatory policies applicable to the Company could have a material effect on the Company’s business.

The Bank Holding Company Act: As a financial holding company, CBI is subject to regulation under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”), and the examination and reporting requirements of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”). Under the BHCA, CBI is subject to periodic examination by the Federal Reserve Board and is required to file periodic reports regarding its operations and any additional information that the Federal Reserve Board may require. The Federal Reserve Board also has extensive enforcement authority over financial and bank holding companies, including the ability to assess civil money penalties, issue cease and desist and removal orders, and require that a financial or bank holding company divest subsidiaries, including its subsidiary banks.

Under applicable law and Federal Reserve Board policy, a financial or bank holding company is expected to act as a source of strength to each of its subsidiary banks. The Federal Reserve Board may require a financial or bank holding company to contribute additional capital to an undercapitalized subsidiary bank and may disapprove of the payment of dividends to shareholders if the Federal Reserve Board believes the payment of such dividends would be an unsafe or unsound practice.

The BHCA generally limits the activities of a bank holding company to banking, managing or controlling banks, furnishing services to or performing services for its subsidiaries and engaging in any other activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined to be so closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident to those activities. In addition, the BHCA requires every bank holding company to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board prior to acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of any bank or another financial or bank holding company, acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any bank not already majority-owned by it, or merging or consolidating with another financial or bank holding company.

In April 2020, the Federal Reserve Board adopted a final rule to revise its regulations related to determinations of whether a company has the ability to exercise a controlling influence over another company for purposes of the BHCA. The final rule expands and codifies the presumptions for use in such determinations. By codifying the presumptions, the final rule provides greater transparency on the types of relationships that the Federal Reserve Board generally views as supporting a facts-and-circumstances determination that one company controls another company. The Federal Reserve Board’s final rule applies to questions of control under the BHCA, but does not extend to the Change in Bank Control Act.

Federal Reserve System: The Federal Reserve Board requires all depository institutions to maintain reserves at specified levels against their transaction accounts, primarily checking accounts. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve Board reduced reserve requirement rations to 0% effective on March 26, 2020, to support lending to households and businesses. The reserve requirement ratio remained at 0% as of December 31, 2023.

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA)”: The GLBA permits qualifying bank holding companies to elect to become financial holding companies and thereby affiliate with securities firms and insurance companies and engage in other activities that are financial in nature if (i) the holding company is well capitalized and well managed and (ii) each of the holding company’s subsidiary banks is well capitalized under the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Corporation Act of 1991 prompt corrective action provisions, is well managed, and has at least a satisfactory rating under the Community Reinvestment Act (the “CRA”). In March, 2000, CBI became a financial holding company. No regulatory approval is required for a financial holding company to acquire a company, other than a bank or a savings association, engaged in activities that are financial in nature or incidental to activities that are financial in nature, as determined by the Federal Reserve Board.

The GLBA defines “financial in nature” to include:

• securities underwriting, dealing and market making;
• sponsoring mutual funds and investment companies;
• insurance underwriting and agency;
• merchant banking; and
• activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined to be closely related to banking.

If a financial holding company or a subsidiary bank fails to maintain all requirements for the holding company to maintain financial holding company status, material restrictions may be placed on the activities of the financial holding company and its subsidiaries and on the ability of the holding company to enter into certain transactions and obtain regulatory approvals for new activities and transactions. The financial holding company could also be required to divest of subsidiaries that engage in activities that are not permitted for bank holding companies that are not financial holding companies. If restrictions are imposed on the activities of a financial holding company, the existence of such restrictions may not be made publicly available pursuant to confidentiality regulations of the bank regulatory agencies.

Transactions with Affiliates, Directors, Executive Officers and Shareholders: Transactions between Civista and its affiliates, including CBI, are subject to Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act, and Federal Reserve Board Regulation W, which generally limit the extent to which Civista may engage in “covered transactions” with affiliates and require that the terms of such transactions be the same, or at least as favorable, to Civista as the terms provided in a similar transaction between Civista and an unrelated party. The term “covered transaction” includes the making of loans to an affiliate, the purchase of assets from an affiliate, the issuance of a guarantee on behalf of an affiliate, the purchase of securities issued by an affiliate and other similar types of transactions.

A bank’s authority to extend credit to executive officers, directors and greater than 10% shareholders, as well as entities such persons control, is subject to Sections 22(g) and 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation O promulgated thereunder by the Federal Reserve Board. Among other things, these loans must be made on terms (including interest rates charged and collateral required) substantially similar to those offered to unaffiliated individuals or be made as part of a benefit or compensation program and on terms widely available to employees, and must not involve a greater than normal risk of repayment. In addition, the amount of loans a bank may make to these affiliated persons is based, in part, on the bank’s capital position, and specified approval procedures must be followed in making loans which exceed specified amounts.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”): The FDIC is an independent federal agency which insures the deposits of federally-insured banks and savings associations up to certain prescribed limits and safeguards the safety and soundness of financial institutions. The general insurance limit is $250,000 per separately insured depositor. This insurance is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.

As insurer, the FDIC is authorized to conduct examinations of and to require reporting by insured institutions, including Civista, to prohibit any insured institution from engaging in any activity the FDIC determines to pose a threat to the DIF, and to take enforcement actions against insured institutions. The FDIC may terminate insurance of deposits of any institution if the FDIC finds that the institution has engaged in unsafe and unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC or other regulatory agency.

The FDIC assesses a quarterly deposit insurance premium on each insured institution based on risk characteristics of the insured institution to the DIF, with institutions deemed less risky paying lower rates. Currently, assessments for institutions with less than $10 billion of total assets are based on financial measures and supervisory ratings derived from statistical models that estimate the probability of failure within three years. The FDIC may increase or decrease the range of assessments uniformly, except that no adjustments can deviate more than two basis points from the base assessment without notice and comment rule making. The FDIC may also impose special assessments in emergency situations. The premiums fund the DIF. Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), the FDIC has established 2.0% as the designated reserve ratio (“DRR”), which is the amount in the DIF as a percentage of all DIF insured deposits. In March 2016, the FDIC adopted final rules designed to meet the statutory minimum DRR of 1.35% by September 30, 2020, the deadline imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act requires the FDIC to offset the effect on insured institutions with assets of less than $10 billion of the increase in the statutory minimum DRR to 1.35% from the former statutory minimum of 1.15%. Although the FDIC's rules reduced assessment rates on all banks, they imposed a surcharge on banks with assets of $10 billion or more to be paid until the DRR reached 1.35%. The DRR met the statutory minimum of 1.35% on September 30, 2018. As a result, the previous surcharge imposed on banks with assets of $10 billion or more was lifted. In addition, preliminary assessment credits have been determined by the FDIC for banks with assets of less than $10 billion, which had previously contributed to the increase of the DRR to 1.35%. On June 30, 2019, the DRR reached 1.40%, and the FDIC applied credits for banks with assets of less than $10 billion ("small bank credits") beginning September 30, 2019. As of June 30, 2020, the DRR fell below the minimum DRR to 1.30%. As a result, the FDIC adopted a restoration plan requiring the restoration of the DRR to 1.35% within eight years (September 30, 2028). The FDIC rules further changed the method of determining risk-based assessment rates for established banks with less than $10 billion in assets to better ensure that banks taking on greater risks pay more for deposit insurance than banks that take on less risk. In the FDIC's most recent semiannual update for the Amended Restoration Plan in November 2023, the FDIC noted that increased loss provisions associated with the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank in 2023 that reduced the DIF balance, coupled with strong growth in insured deposits, resulted in the reserve ratio declining 15 basis points from 1.25% as of December 31, 2022 to 1.10% as of June 30, 2023. Despite the decline in the reserve ratio, the FDIC staff projected that the reserve ratio remains on track to reach the statutory minimum of 1.35% ahead of the deadline of September 30, 2028. As a result, the FDIC staff recommended no changes to the Amended Restoration Plan and all scheduled assessment rates were maintained.

On November 16, 2023, the FDIC adopted a final rule implementing a special assessment to recover the loss to the DIF arising from the protection of uninsured depositors following the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The assessment base for the special assessment is equal to an insured depository institution's estimated uninsured deposits reported for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, adjusted to exclude the first $5 billion in estimated uninsured deposits. The FDIC will collect the special assessment at an annual rate of approximately 133.4 basis points, over eight quarterly assessment periods, beginning with the first quarter of 2024. Because Civista's uninsured deposits were less than $5 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, Civista will not be subject to this special assessment.

The FDIC is authorized to prohibit any insured institution from engaging in any activity that poses a serious threat to the insurance fund and may initiate enforcement actions against a bank, after first giving the institution’s primary regulatory authority an opportunity to take such action. The FDIC may also terminate the deposit insurance of any institution that has engaged in or is engaging in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, order or condition imposed by the FDIC.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: The Dodd-Frank Act established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), which regulates consumer financial products and services and certain financial services providers. The CFPB is authorized to prevent unfair, deceptive and abusive acts or practices and seeks to ensure consistent enforcement of laws so that consumers have access to fair, transparent and competitive markets for consumer financial products and services. Since it was established the CFPB has exercised extensive rulemaking and interpretive authority.

Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations: Banks are subject to regular examination to ensure compliance with federal consumer protection statutes and regulations, including, but not limited to, the following:

• The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (prohibiting discrimination in any credit transaction on the basis of any of various criteria);
• The Truth in Lending Act (requiring that credit terms are disclosed in a manner that permits a consumer to understand and compare credit terms more readily and knowledgeably);
• The Fair Housing Act (making it unlawful for a lender to discriminate in its housing-related lending activities against any person on the basis of certain criteria);
• The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (requiring financial institutions to collect data that enables regulatory agencies to determine whether financial institutions are serving the housing credit needs of the communities in which they are located); and
• The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (requiring that lenders provide borrowers with disclosures regarding the nature and cost of real estate settlements and prohibits abusive practices that increase borrowers’ costs).

The banking regulators also use their authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act to take supervisory or enforcement action with respect to unfair or deceptive acts or practices by banks that may not necessarily fall within the scope of a specific banking or consumer finance law.

Community Reinvestment Act: The CRA requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas, including low- and moderate-income areas, consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under this Act, each institution is required to adopt a statement for each of its market areas describing the depository institution’s efforts to assist in its community’s credit needs. Depository institutions are periodically examined for compliance and assigned one of four ratings: outstanding, satisfactory, needs improvement, or substantial noncompliance. The rating assigned to a financial institution is considered in connection with various applications submitted by a financial institution or its holding company to its banking regulators, including applications to acquire another financial institution or to open a new branch office. In addition, all subsidiary banks of a financial holding company must maintain a satisfactory or outstanding rating in order for the financial holding company to avoid limitations on its activities. Civista received a rating of “satisfactory in its most recent CRA examination.

On October 24, 2023, the federal banking agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board, issued a final rule designed to strengthen and modernize the regulations implementing the CRA. The changes are designed to encourage banks to expand access to credit, investment and banking services in low-and moderate-income communities, adapt to changes in the banking industry, including mobile and internet banking, provide greater clarity and consistency in the application of the CRA regulations, and tailor CRA evaluations and data collection to bank size and type. The applicability date for the majority of the changes to the CRA regulations is January 1, 2026, and additional requirements will be applicable on January 1, 2027. The Company cannot predict the impact the changes to the CRA will have on its operations at this time.

Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act: On May 25, 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (the "Regulatory Relief Act") was enacted, which repealed or modified certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and eased restrictions on all but the largest banks (those with consolidated assets in excess of $250 billion). Bank holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $100 billion, including CBI, are no longer subject to enhanced prudential standards. The Regulatory Relief Act also relieves bank holding companies and banks with consolidated assets of less than $100 billion, including CBI and Civista, from certain record-keeping, reporting and disclosure requirements. Certain other regulatory requirements applied only to banks with consolidated assets in excess of $50 billion and so did not apply to CBI or Civista even before the enactment of the Regulatory Relief Act.

Patriot Act and Anti-Money Laundering: The Uniting and Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “Patriot Act”) gives the United States government powers to address terrorist threats through enhanced domestic security measures, expanded surveillance powers, increased information sharing and broadened anti-money laundering requirements. Title III of the Patriot Act encourages information sharing among bank regulatory agencies and law enforcement bodies. Further, certain provisions of Title III impose affirmative obligations on a broad range of financial institutions. Among other requirements, Title III and related regulations require regulated financial institutions to establish a program specifying procedures for obtaining identifying information from customers seeking to open new accounts and establish enhanced due diligence policies, procedures and controls designed to detect and report suspicious activity. Civista has established policies and procedures that Civista believes comply with the requirements of the Patriot Act.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (the “AMLA”), which amends the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (the “BSA”), was enacted in January 2021. The AMLA is intended to be a comprehensive reform and modernization to U.S. bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws. Among other things, it codifies a risk-based approach to anti-money laundering compliance for financial institutions; requires the development of standards for evaluating technology and internal processes for BSA compliance; expands enforcement-related and investigation-related authority, including increasing available sanctions for certain BSA violations and instituting BSA whistleblower initiatives and protections.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“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. Civista is 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 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.

Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq"): CBI is also under the jurisdiction of the SEC and certain state securities commissions for matters relating to the offering and sale of its securities. CBI is subject to the registration, disclosure, reporting and regulatory requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and the regulations promulgated under each of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as administered by the SEC. CBI’s common shares are listed with Nasdaq under the symbol "CIVB" and CBI is subject to the rules for Nasdaq listed companies.

Corporate Governance: As mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC has adopted rules and regulations governing, among other matters, corporate governance, auditing and accounting, executive compensation and enhanced and timely disclosure of corporate information. Nasdaq has also adopted corporate governance rules. The Board of Directors of the Company has taken a series of actions to strengthen and improve the Company’s governance practices in light of the rules of the SEC and Nasdaq. The Board of Directors has adopted charters for the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the the Nominating Committee and the Board Risk Committee, as well as a Code of Conduct (Ethics) applicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company. Copies of the Code of Conduct and the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating Committee charters can be found on the Company’s website at www.civb.com (http://www.civb.com) by first clicking “Corporate Overview” and then “Governance Documents”. In addition, in accordance with Section 302(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, written certifications by CBI’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are required. These certifications attest that CBI’s quarterly and annual reports filed with the SEC do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact. See Item 9A “Controls and Procedures” in Part II of this Form 10-K for CBI’s evaluation of its disclosure controls and procedures.

Regulation of Bank Subsidiary: As an Ohio chartered bank, Civista is subject to supervision and regulation by the ODFI. In addition, Civista is a member of the Federal Reserve System and, therefore, is subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Reserve Board. Civista is subject to periodic examinations by both ODFI and the Federal

Reserve Board. These examinations are designed primarily for the protection of the depositors of the bank and not shareholders.

Banking subsidiaries of financial and bank holding companies are also subject to federal regulation regarding such matters as reserves, limitations on the nature and amount of loans and investments, issuance or retirement of its own securities, limitations on the payment of dividends and other aspects of banking operations.

Regulatory Capital Requirements: The Federal Reserve Board has adopted risk-based guidelines for financial holding companies and other bank holding companies as well as state member banks, and the FDIC has adopted risk-based capital guidelines for state non-member banks. The guidelines provide a systematic analytical framework which makes regulatory capital requirements sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banking organizations, takes off-balance sheet exposures expressly into account in evaluating capital adequacy, and minimizes disincentives to holding liquid, low-risk assets. Capital levels as measured by these standards are also used to categorize financial institutions for purposes of certain prompt corrective action regulatory provisions.

In July 2013, the United States banking regulators issued new capital rules applicable to smaller banking organizations which also implement certain of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act (the “Basel III Capital Rules”). Community banking organizations, including CBI and Civista, began transitioning to the new rules on January 1, 2015. The new minimum capital requirements became effective on January 1, 2015, whereas a new capital conservation buffer and deductions from common equity capital phased in from January 1, 2016 through January 1, 2019, and most deductions from common equity tier 1 capital phased in from January 1, 2015 through January 1, 2019.

The Basel III Capital Rules include (a) a minimum common equity tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%, (b) a minimum Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.0%, (c) a minimum total capital ratio of 8.0%, and (d) a minimum leverage ratio of 4.0%.

Common equity for the common equity tier 1 capital ratio generally includes common stock (plus related surplus), retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive income (unless an institution elects to exclude such income from regulatory capital), and limited amounts of minority interests in the form of common stock, subject to applicable regulatory adjustments and deductions.

Tier 1 capital generally includes common equity as defined for the common equity tier 1 capital ratio, plus certain non-cumulative preferred stock and related surplus, cumulative preferred stock and related surplus, trust preferred securities that have been grandfathered (but which are not permitted going forward), and limited amounts of minority interests in the form of additional Tier 1 capital instruments, less certain deductions.

Tier 2 capital, which can be included in the total capital ratio, generally consists of other preferred stock and subordinated debt meeting certain conditions plus limited amounts of the allowance for loan and lease losses, subject to specified eligibility criteria, less applicable deductions.

The deductions from common equity tier 1 capital include goodwill and other intangibles, certain deferred tax assets, mortgage-servicing assets above certain levels, gains on sale in connection with a securitization, investments in a banking organization’s own capital instruments and investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions (above certain levels).

Under the guidelines, capital is compared to the relative risk related to the balance sheet. To derive the risk included in the balance sheet, one of several risk weights is applied to different balance sheet and off-balance sheet assets, primarily based on the relative credit risk of the counterparty. The capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings and other factors.

The Basel III Capital Rules also place restrictions on the payment of capital distributions, including dividends, and certain discretionary bonus payments to executive officers if the banking organization does not hold a capital conservation buffer of greater than 2.5 percent composed of common equity tier 1 capital above its minimum risk-based capital requirements, or if its eligible retained income is negative in that quarter and its capital conservation buffer ratio was less than 2.5 percent at the beginning of the quarter.

In September 2019, the Federal Reserve Board, along with other federal bank regulatory agencies, issued a final rule, effective January 1, 2020, that gave community banks, including the Company, the option to calculate a simple leverage ratio to measure capital adequacy if the community banks met certain requirements. Under the rule, a community bank is eligible to elect the Community Bank Leverage Ratio ("CBLR") framework if it had less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets, limited amounts of certain assets and off-balance sheet exposures, and a leverage ratio greater than 9.0%. Qualifying institutions that elected to use the CBLR framework (each, a “CBLR Bank”) and that maintain a leverage ratio of greater than 9.0% will be considered to have satisfied the risk-based and leverage capital requirements in the regulatory agencies' generally applicable capital rules and to have met the well-capitalized ratio requirements. No CBLR Bank was required to calculate or report risk-based capital, and each CBLR Bank could opt out of the framework at any time, without restriction, by reverting to the generally applicable risk-based capital rule. Pursuant to the CARES Act, on August 26, 2020, the federal banking agencies adopted a final rule that temporarily lowered the CBLR threshold and provided a gradual transition back to the prior level. Specifically, the CBLR threshold was reduced to 8.0% for the remainder of 2020, increased to 8.5% for 2021, and returned to 9.0% on January 1, 2022. This final rule became effective on October 1, 2020. The Company did not utilize the CBLR in assessing capital adequacy and, instead, continued to follow existing capital rules. The adoption of CECL resulted in an increase to our total allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) on loans held for investment of $4.3 million, an increase in allowance for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments of $3.4 million, a reclassification of PCI discount from loans to the ACL of $1.7 million, and an increase in deferred tax asset of $1.6 million. The Company also recorded a net reduction of retained earnings of $6.1 million upon adoption.

In December 2018, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule to address regulatory capital treatment of credit loss allowances under the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model (accounting standard). The rule revises the federal banking agencies’ regulatory capital rules to identify which credit loss allowances under the CECL model are eligible for inclusion in regulatory capital and to provide banking organizations the option to phase in over three years the day-one adverse effects on regulatory capital that may result from the adoption of the CECL model.

At December 31, 2023, both CBI and Civista were in compliance with all of the regulatory capital requirements to which they are subject. For CBI’s and Civista’s capital ratios, see Note 19 to the Company’s 2022 Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Federal Reserve Board has adopted regulations governing prompt corrective action to resolve the problems of capital deficient and otherwise troubled state-chartered member banks. At each successively lower defined capital category, a bank is subject to more restrictive and numerous mandatory or discretionary regulatory actions or limits, and the Federal Reserve Board has less flexibility in determining how to resolve the problems of the institution. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board generally can downgrade a bank’s capital category, notwithstanding its capital level, if, after notice and opportunity for hearings, the bank is deemed to be engaged in an unsafe or unsound practice, because it has not corrected deficiencies that resulted in it receiving a less than satisfactory examination rating on matters other than capital or it is deemed to be in an unsafe or unsound condition. Civista’s capital at December 31, 2023, met the standards for the highest capital category, a “well-capitalized” bank.

Federal Reserve Board regulations also limit the payment of dividends by Civista to CBI. Civista may not pay a dividend if it would cause Civista not to meet its capital requirements. In addition, the dividends that Civista may pay to CBI without prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board is limited to net income for the year plus its retained net income for the preceding two years.

Volcker Rule

In December 2013, five federal agencies adopted a final regulation implementing the Volcker Rule provision of the Dodd-Frank Act (the "Volcker Rule"). The Volcker Rule places limits on the trading activity of insured depository institutions and entities affiliated with a depository institution, subject to certain exceptions. The trading activity includes a purchase or sale as principal of a security, derivative, commodity future or option on any such instruments in order to benefit from short-term price movements or to realize short-term profits. The Volcker Rule exempted specified U.S. Government, agency and/or municipal obligations, and it excepts trading conducted in certain capacities, including as a broker or other agent, through a deferred compensation or pension plan, as a fiduciary on behalf of customers, to satisfy a debt previously contracted, repurchase and securities lending agreements and risk-mitigating hedging activities.

The Volcker Rule also prohibits a banking entity from having an ownership interest in, or substantial relationships with, a hedge fund or private equity fund, also known as “covered funds,” with a number of exceptions. To the extent that Civista engages in any of the trading activities or has any ownership interest in or relationship with any of the types of funds regulated by the Volcker Rule, Civista believes that its activities and relationships fall within the scope of one or more of the exceptions provided in the Volcker Rule.

In July 2019, the five federal bank regulatory agencies that adopted the Volcker Rule adopted a final rule to exempt certain community banks, including Civista, from the Volcker Rule, consistent with the Regulatory Relief Act. Under the final rule, community banks with $10 billion or less in total consolidated assets and total trading assets and liabilities of 5.0% or less of total consolidated assets were excluded from the restrictions of the Volcker Rule. On June 25, 2020, the federal bank regulatory agencies also finalized a rule modifying the Volcker Rule’s prohibition on banking entities investing in or sponsoring covered funds. Such rule permits certain banking entities to offer financial services and engage in other activities that do not raise concerns that the Volcker Rule was originally intended to address.

Non-Banking Subsidiaries. The Company’s non-banking subsidiaries are also subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board and other applicable federal and state agencies. FCIA, as a licensed insurance agency, is subject to regulation by the Ohio Department of Insurance and the state insurance regulatory agencies of those states where it conducts business. CRMI, as a Delaware-chartered captive insurance company, is subject to the laws and regulations of the State of Delaware and undergoes periodic examinations by the Delaware Division of Insurance.

Executive and Incentive Compensation

The Dodd-Frank Act requires that the federal banking agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC, issue a rule related to incentive-based compensation. No final rule implementing this provision of the Dodd-Frank Act has, as of the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, been adopted, but a proposed rule was published in 2016 that expanded upon a prior proposed rule published in 2011. The proposed rule is intended to: (i) prohibit incentive-based payment arrangements that the banking agencies determine could encourage certain financial institutions to take inappropriate risks by providing excessive compensation or that could lead to material financial loss; (ii) require the board of directors of those financial institutions to take certain oversight actions related to incentive-based compensation; and (iii) require those financial institutions to disclose information concerning incentive-based compensation arrangements to the appropriate federal regulator. Although a final rule has not been issued, the Company has undertaken efforts to ensure that the Company’s incentive compensation plans do not encourage inappropriate risks, consistent with the principles identified above.

In June 2010, the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller (the "OCC") and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC") issued comprehensive final guidance on incentive compensation policies intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of banking organizations do not undermine the safety and soundness of such organizations by encouraging excessive risk-taking. 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. These three principles are incorporated into the proposed joint compensation regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act, described above.

The Federal Reserve Board reviews, as part of its respective regular, risk-focused examination process, the incentive compensation arrangements of banking organizations, such as CBI and Civista, 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.

Public company compensation committee members must meet heightened independence requirements and consider the independence of compensation consultants, legal counsel and other advisors to the compensation committee. A compensation committee must have the authority to hire advisors and to have the public company fund reasonable compensation of such advisors.

Following the adoption of additional listing requirements in 2023 to comply with the Dodd-Frank Act and rules adopted by the SEC in October 2022, public companies will be required, once stock exchanges impose additional listing requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act and rules adopted by the SEC in October 2022, to adopt and implement "clawback" policies for incentive compensation payments and to disclose the details of the procedures which allow recovery of incentive compensation that was paid on the basis of erroneous financial information necessitating a restatement due to material noncompliance with financial reporting requirements. This clawback policy is intended to apply to compensation paid within the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date the issuer is required to prepare a restatement and would cover all executives who received incentive awards. The Company has implemented a clawback policy and it is posted under the “Corporate Overview” tab on the “Governance Documents” page of CBI’s Internet website.

SEC regulations require public companies such as CBI to provide various disclosures about executive compensation in annual reports and proxy statements and to present to their shareholders a non-binding vote on the approval of executive compensation.

Financial Privacy Provisions: Federal and state regulations limit the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to non-affiliated 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 non-affiliated third party. These regulations affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors.

Civista is also subject to regulatory guidelines establishing standards for safeguarding customer information. These guidelines describe the federal bank regulatory agencies' expectations for the creation, implementation and maintenance of an information security program, which would include administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to the size and complexity of the institution and the nature and scope of its activities. The standards set forth in the guidelines are intended to ensure the security and confidentiality of customer records and information, protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such records and protect against unauthorized access to or use of such records or information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any customer.

Cybersecurity

In March 2015, federal regulators issued two related statements regarding cybersecurity. One statement indicates that financial institutions should design multiple layers of security controls to establish several lines of defense and to ensure that their risk management processes also address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials, including security measures to reliably authenticate customers accessing Internet-based services of the financial institution. The other statement indicates that a financial institution’s management is expected to maintain sufficient business continuity planning processes to ensure the rapid recovery, resumption and maintenance of the financial institution’s operations after a cyber-attack involving destructive malware. A financial institution is also expected to develop appropriate processes to enable recovery of data and business operations and address rebuilding network capabilities and restoring data if the financial institution or its critical service providers fall victim to this type of cyber-attack. If Civista fails to observe the regulatory guidance, it could be subject to various regulatory sanctions, including financial penalties.

In February 2018, the SEC published interpretive guidance to assist public companies in preparing disclosures about cybersecurity risks and incidents. These SEC guidelines, and any other regulatory guidance, are in addition to notification and disclosure requirements under state and federal banking law and regulations.

In November 2021, the OCC, the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC issued a final rule which became effective in May 2022, requiring banking organizations that experience a computer-security incident to notify certain entities. A computer-security incident occurs when actual or potential harm to the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an information system or the information occurs, or there is a violation or imminent threat of a violation to banking security policies and procedures. The affected bank must notify its respective federal regulator of the computer-security incident that rises to the level of a notification incident has occurred. These notifications are intended to promote early awareness of threats to banking organizations and will help banks react to those threats before they manifest into larger incidents. This rule also requires bank service providers to notify their bank organization customers of a computer-security incident that has caused, or is reasonably likely to cause, a material service disruption or degradation for four or more hours.

Furthermore, the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, enacted in March 2022, will require, once administrative rules are adopted, certain covered entities, including those in the financial services industry, to report a covered cyber incident to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) within 72 hours after it reasonably believes an incident has occurred. Separate reporting to CISA will also be required within 24 hours if a ransom payment is made as a result of a ransomware attack.

On July 26, 2023, the SEC adopted final rules that require public companies to promptly disclose material cybersecurity incidents in a Current Report on Form 8-K and detailed information regarding their cybersecurity risk management, strategy, and governance on an annual basis in an Annual Report on Form 10-K. Companies are required to report on Form 8-K any cybersecurity incident they determine to be material within four business days of making that determination. See Item 1C "Cybersecurity" in Part 1 of this Form 10-K. These SEC rules, and any other regulatory guidance, are in addition to notification and disclosure requirements under state and federal banking law and regulations.

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 providing detailed requirements with respect to these programs, including data encryption requirements. Many states have also recently implemented or modified their data breach notification and data privacy requirements. The Company expects this trend of state-level activity in those areas to continue, and is continually monitoring developments in the states in which our customers are located.

In the ordinary course of business, the Company relies on electronic communications and information systems to conduct its operations and to store sensitive data. The Company employs an in-depth, layered, defensive approach that leverages people, processes and technology to manage and maintain cybersecurity controls. The Company employs a variety of preventative and detective tools to monitor, block, and provide alerts regarding suspicious activity, as well as to report on any suspected advanced persistent threats. Notwithstanding the strength of the Company’s defensive measures, the threat from cyber-attacks is severe, attacks are sophisticated and increasing in volume, and attackers respond rapidly to changes in defensive measures. While to date, the Company has not detected a significant compromise, significant data loss or any material financial losses related to cybersecurity attacks, the Company’s systems and those of its customers and third-party service providers are under constant threat and it is possible that the Company could experience a significant event in the future. Risks and exposures related to cybersecurity attacks are expected to remain high 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.

Effect of Environmental Regulation

Compliance with federal, state and local provisions regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, has not had a material effect upon the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company. In the opinion of management, the Company does not have exposure to material costs associated with compliance with environmental laws and regulations or material expenditures related to environmental hazardous waste mitigation or cleanup.

The Company believes its primary exposure to environmental risk is through the lending activities of Civista. In cases where management believes environmental risk potentially exists, Civista mitigates its environmental risk exposure by requiring environmental site assessments at the time of loan origination to confirm collateral quality as to commercial real estate parcels posing higher than normal potential for environmental impact, as determined by reference to present and past uses of the subject property and adjacent sites. In addition, environmental assessments are typically required prior to any foreclosure activity involving non-residential real estate collateral.

Effects of Government Monetary Policy

The earnings of the Company are affected by general and local economic conditions and by the policies of various governmental regulatory authorities. In particular, the Federal Reserve Board regulates money and credit conditions and interest rates to influence general economic conditions, primarily through open market acquisitions or dispositions of United States Government securities, varying the discount rate on member bank borrowings and setting reserve requirements against member and nonmember bank deposits. Federal Reserve Board monetary policies have had a significant effect on the interest income and interest expense of commercial banks, including Civista, and are expected to continue to do so in the future.

Available Information

CBI maintains an Internet website at www.civb.com (http://www.civb.com) (this uniform resource locator, or URL, is an inactive textual reference only and is not intended to incorporate CBI’s website into this Annual Report on Form 10-K). CBI makes available free of charge on or through its Internet website its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as well as CBI’s definitive proxy statements filed pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after CBI electronically files such material with, or furnishes it to, the SEC. Copies of documents filed by CBI with the SEC are also available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov).

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), relating to such matters as financial condition, anticipated operating results, cash flows, business line results, credit quality expectations, prospects for new lines of business, economic trends (including interest rates) and similar matters. Forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events. These statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as “believe,” “belief,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “may,” “could,” “intend,” “intent,” “estimate,” “plan,” “foresee,” “likely,” “will,” “should” or other similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements, and the purpose of this section is to secure the use of the safe harbor provisions.

Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements because of various factors and possible events, including those factors and events identified in the risk factors set forth below. There is also the risk that the Company’s management or Board of Directors incorrectly analyzes these risks and uncertainties or that the strategies the Company develops to address them are unsuccessful. The forward-looking statements included in this report are only made as of the date of this report, and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on the Company’s behalf are qualified in their entirety by the following cautionary statements.

RISK FACTORS

The following sets forth certain risk factors that we are believe are relevant to the Company and its business. These risk factors are not presented in any particular order and do not constitute all of the risks that may affect our business. Additional risks that are not presently known or that we currently deem to be immaterial could also have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RISKS

CHANGES IN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR EARNINGS THROUGH DECLINES IN DEPOSITS, LOAN DEMAND, THE ABILITY OF OUR CUSTOMERS TO REPAY LOANS AND THE VALUE OF THE COLLATERAL SECURING OUR LOANS.

Our success depends to a significant extent upon local and national economic and political conditions, as well as governmental fiscal and monetary policies. Conditions such as inflation, recession, unemployment, changes in interest rates, fiscal and monetary policy, an increasing federal government budget deficit, the failure of the federal government to raise the federal debt ceiling and/or possible future U.S. government shutdowns over budget disagreements, slowing gross domestic product, tariffs, a U.S. withdrawal from or significant renegotiation of trade agreements, trade wars, and other factors beyond our control may adversely affect Civista’s deposit levels and composition, the quality of investment securities available for purchase, demand for loans, the ability of Civista’s borrowers to repay their loans, and the value of the collateral securing loans made by Civista. Disruptions in U.S. and global financial markets, and changes in oil production in the Middle East also affect the economy and stock prices in the U.S., which can affect our earnings capital, as well as the ability of Civista’s customers to repay loans. Because we have a significant amount of real estate loans, decreases in real estate values could adversely affect the value of property used as collateral and our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure. Adverse changes in the economy may also have a negative effect on the ability of our borrowers to make timely repayments of their loans, which would have an adverse impact on our earnings and cash flows.

ADVERSE CHANGES IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET COULD CAUSE INCREASES IN DELINQUENCIES AND NON-PERFORMING ASSETS, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL LOAN CHARGE-OFFS, AND COULD DEPRESS OUR INCOME, EARNINGS AND CAPITAL.

At December 31, 2023, approximately 23.1% and 53.8%, respectively, of our loan portfolio was comprised of residential and commercial real estate loans. Adverse changes in economic conditions both nationally and in the communities we serve may cause deterioration to the value of real estate Civista uses to secure its loans. Adverse changes in the economy, deterioration of our real estate portfolio, a decrease in real estate values, an increase in unemployment, decreased or nonexistent housing price appreciation or increases in interest rates could reduce our earnings and consequently our financial condition because borrowers may not be able to repay their loans. The value of the collateral securing our loans and the quality of our loan portfolio may decline and customers may not want or need our products and services.

Any of these scenarios could cause us to make fewer loans, increase delinquencies and non-performing assets, require us to charge off a higher percentage of our loans or result in additional increases to our provision for credit losses in future periods, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

CHANGES IN INTEREST RATES COULD HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR NET INTEREST INCOME.

Our results of operations are affected principally by net interest income, which is the difference between interest earned on loans and investments and interest expense paid on deposits and other borrowings. We cannot predict or control changes in interest rates. National, regional and local economic conditions and the policies of regulatory authorities, including monetary policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, affect the movement of interest rates and our interest income and interest expense. If the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowed funds 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 borrowed funds.

In addition, certain assets and liabilities may react in different degrees to changes in market interest rates. For example, interest rates on some types of assets and liabilities may fluctuate prior to changes in broader market interest rates, while interest rates on other types may lag behind. Some of our assets, such as adjustable rate mortgages, have features that restrict changes in their interest rates, including rate caps.

We believe that the impact on our cost of funds from a rise in interest rates will depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to, the competitive environment in the banking sector for deposit pricing, opportunities for clients to invest in other markets such as fixed income and equity markets, and the propensity of customers to invest in their businesses. The effect on our net interest income from an increase in interest rates will ultimately depend on the extent to which the aggregate impact of loan re-pricings exceeds the impact of increases in our cost of funds.

Changes in interest rates may affect the level of voluntary prepayments on our loans and may also affect the level of financing or refinancing by customers. Changes in interest rates may also negatively affect the ability of the Company’s borrowers to repay their loans, particularly as interest rates rise and adjustable rate loans become more expensive.

Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control. Some of these factors include:

• inflation;
• recession;
• unemployment;
• money supply;
• international disorders; and
• instability in domestic and foreign financial markets.

The Company’s management uses various measures to monitor interest rate risk and believes it has implemented effective asset and liability management strategies to reduce the potential adverse effects of changes in interest rates on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Management also periodically adjusts the mix of assets and liabilities to manage interest rate risk. However, any significant, unexpected, prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

See the discussion under "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” on pages 17 through 18 of the Annual Report for additional information related to the Company’s interest rate risk.

A transition away from LIBOR as a reference rate for financial contracts could negatively IMPACT our income and expenses and the value of various financial contracts.

LIBOR was used extensively in the United States and globally for many years as a benchmark for various commercial and financial contracts, including adjustable rate mortgages, corporate debt, interest rate swaps and other derivatives. LIBOR is set based on interest rate information reported by certain banks. In the U.S., as a result of efforts to identify a set of alternative U.S. dollar reference interest rates the Alternative Reference Rate Committee (“ARRC”) recommended the use of a Secured Overnight Funding Rate (“SOFR”) as the set of alternative U.S. dollar reference interest rates. SOFR is different from LIBOR in that it is a backward looking secured rate rather than a forward looking unsecured rate.

These differences could lead to a greater disconnect between our costs to raise funds for SOFR as compared to LIBOR. For cash products and loans, ARRC has also recommended Term SOFR, which is a forward looking SOFR based on SOFR futures and may in part reduce differences between SOFR and LIBOR. There are operational issues which may create a delay in the transition to SOFR or other substitute indices, leading to uncertainty across the industry. These consequences cannot be entirely predicted and could have an adverse impact on the market value for or value of LIBOR-linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit.

The Company’s primary exposure to LIBOR was related to its promissory notes with borrowers, swap contracts with clients and offsetting swap contracts with third parties related to the swap contracts with clients. As of July 2023, all promissory notes and swap contracts were transitioned to SOFR.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS

WE ARE EXPOSED TO OPERATIONAL RISK.

We are exposed to many types of operational risk, including reputational risk, legal and compliance risk, cybersecurity risk, the risk of fraud or theft by employees or outsiders, unauthorized transactions by employees or operational errors, including clerical or record-keeping errors or those resulting from faulty or disabled computer or telecommunications systems.

We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan and other systems.

We may be subject to disruptions of our operating systems arising from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control, which may include, for example, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, spikes in transaction volume and/or customer activity, electrical or telecommunications outages, or natural disasters. Although we have programs in place related to business continuity, disaster recovery and information security to maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems, business applications and customer information, such disruptions may give rise to interruptions in service to customers, loss of data privacy and loss or liability to us. Any failure or interruption in our operations or information systems, or any security or data breach, could cause reputational damage, jeopardize the confidentiality of customer information, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to regulatory intervention or expose us to civil litigation and financial loss or liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Given the volume of transactions we process, certain errors may be repeated or compounded before they are discovered and successfully rectified. Our necessary dependence upon automated systems to record and process our transaction volume may further increase the risk that technical system flaws or employee tampering or manipulation of those systems will result in losses that are difficult to detect. We may also be subject to disruptions of our operating systems arising from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control (for example, computer viruses or electrical or telecommunications outages), which may give rise to disruption of service to customers and to financial loss or liability. We are further exposed to the risk that our external vendors may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations (or will be subject to the same risk of fraud or operational errors by their respective employees as we are) and to the risk that our (or our vendors’) consumer compliance, business continuity and data security systems prove to be inadequate.

Negative public opinion can result from our actual or alleged conduct in any number of activities, including lending practices, corporate governance and acquisitions, social media and other marketing activities, the implementation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, and from actions taken by governmental regulators and community organizations in response to any of the foregoing activities. Negative public opinion could adversely affect our ability to attract and keep customers, could expose us to potential litigation and regulatory action, and could have a material adverse effect on the price of our common shares or result in heightened volatility of our stock price.

UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF SENSITIVE OR CONFIDENTIAL CLIENT INFORMATION OR BREACHES IN SECURITY OF OUR SYSTEMS, COULD SEVERELY HARM OUR BUSINESS.

As part of our financial institution business, we collect, process and store sensitive consumer data by utilizing computer systems and telecommunications networks operated by both us and third-party service providers. Our necessary dependence upon automated systems to record and process transactions poses the risk that technical system flaws, employee errors, tampering or manipulation of those systems, or attacks by third parties will result in losses and may be difficult to detect. We have security and backup and recovery systems in place, as well as a business continuity plan, to ensure the computer systems will not be inoperable, to the extent possible. The Company also routinely reviews documentation of such controls and backups related to third-party service providers. Our inability to use or access these information systems at critical points in time could unfavorably impact the timeliness and efficiency of our business operations. In recent years, some banks have experienced denial of service attacks in which individuals or organizations flood the bank's website with extraordinarily high volumes of traffic, with the goal and effect of disrupting the ability of the bank to process transactions. Other businesses have been victims of ransomware attacks in which the business becomes unable to access its own information and is presented with a demand to pay a ransom in order to once again have access to its information.

We could be adversely affected if one of our employees or a third-party service provider causes a significant operational break-down or failure, either as a result of human error or where an individual purposefully sabotages or fraudulently manipulates our operations or systems. We are further exposed to the risk that our third-party service providers may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations (or will be subject to the same risks as faced by us). These disruptions may interfere with service to our customers, cause additional regulatory scrutiny and result in a financial loss or liability. We are also at risk of the impact of natural disasters, terrorism and international hostilities on our systems and effects of outages or other failures involving power or communications systems operated by others.

Misconduct by employees could include fraudulent, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of clients or improper use of confidential information. We may not be able to prevent employee errors or misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect this type of activity might not be effective in all cases. Employee errors or misconduct could subject us to civil claims for negligence or regulatory enforcement actions, including fines and restrictions on our business.

In addition, there have been instances where financial institutions have been victims of fraudulent activity in which criminals pose as customers to initiate wire and automated clearinghouse transactions out of customer accounts. Although we have policies and procedures in place to verify the authenticity of our customers, we cannot assure that such policies and procedures will prevent all fraudulent transfers. Such activity can result in financial liability and harm to our reputation.

We have implemented security controls to prevent unauthorized access to the computer systems, and we require our third-party service providers to maintain similar controls. However, we cannot be certain that these measures will be successful. A security breach of our computer systems and loss of confidential information, such as customer account numbers and related information, could result in a loss of customers’ confidence and, thus, loss of business. While Civista maintains 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.

Further, we may be impacted by data breaches at retailers and other third parties who participate in data interchanges with us and our customers that involve the theft of customer credit and debit card data, which may include the theft of our debit card personal identification numbers (PINs) and commercial card information used to make purchases at such retailers and other third parties. Such data breaches could result in us incurring significant expenses to reissue debit cards and cover losses, which could result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

There can be no assurance that we will not suffer such cyber-attacks or other information security breaches or attempted breaches, incur resulting losses in the future. Our risk and exposure to these matters remains heightened because of, among other things, the evolving nature of these threats, and our plans to continue to implement internet and mobile banking capabilities to meet customer demand. As cyber and other data security threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify and enhance its protective measures or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities.

Our assets at risk for cyber-attacks include financial assets and non-public information belonging to customers. We use several third-party vendors who have access to our assets via electronic media. Certain cyber security risks arise due to this access, including cyber espionage, blackmail, ransom, and theft.

All of the types of cyber incidents discussed above could result in damage to our reputation, loss of customer business, costs of incentives to customers or business partners in order to maintain their relationships, litigation, increased regulatory scrutiny and potential enforcement actions, repairs of system damage, increased investments in cybersecurity (such as obtaining additional technology, making organizational changes, deploying additional personnel, training personnel and engaging consultants), increased insurance premiums, and loss of investor confidence and a reduction in the price of our common shares, all of which could result in financial loss and material adverse effects on our results of operations and financial condition.

Noncompliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations could cause a material financial loss.

The BSA and the Patriot Act contain anti-money laundering and financial transparency provisions intended to detect and prevent the use of the U.S. financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. The BSA, as amended by the Patriot Act and the AMLA, requires depository institutions and their holding companies to undertake activities including maintaining an anti-money laundering program, verifying the identity of clients, monitoring for and reporting suspicious transactions, reporting on cash transactions exceeding specified thresholds, and responding to requests for information by regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (also known as FinCEN), a unit of the Treasury Department that administers the BSA, is authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and has recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts with the federal bank regulatory agencies, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Internal Revenue Service. The AMLA is intended to be a comprehensive reform and modernization to U.S. bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws, which includes a codified risk-based approach to anti-money laundering compliance for financial institutions; requires the development of standards for evaluating technology and internal processes for BSA compliance; expands enforcement-related and investigation-related authority, including increasing available sanctions for certain BSA violations and instituting BSA whistleblower incentives and protections.

There is also increased scrutiny of compliance with the rules enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (also known as OFAC). If the Company’s policies, procedures, and systems are deemed deficient, or if the policies, procedures, and systems of the financial institutions that the Company has already acquired or may acquire in the future are deficient, the Company may be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on the Company’s ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain planned business activities, including acquisition plans, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for the Company.

Our business could be adversely affected through third parties who perform significant operational services on our behalf.

The third parties performing operational services for the Company are subject to risks similar to those faced by the Company relating to cybersecurity, breakdowns or failures of their own systems, or misconduct of their employees. Like many other community banks, Civista also relies, in significant part, on a single vendor for the systems which allow Civista to provide banking services to Civista’s customers, for which the systems are maintained on Civista’s behalf by this single vendor.

One or more of the third parties utilized by us may experience a cybersecurity event or operational disruption and, if any such event does occur, it may not be adequately addressed, either operationally or financially, by such third party. Certain of these third parties may have limited indemnification obligations to us in the event of a cybersecurity event or operational disruption, or may not have the financial capacity to satisfy their indemnification obligations.

Financial or operational difficulties of a third party provider could also impair our operations if those difficulties interfere with such third party’s ability to serve the Company. If a critical third-party provider is unable to meet the needs of the Company in a timely manner, or if the services or products provided by such third party are terminated or otherwise delayed and if the Company is not able to develop alternative sources for these services and products quickly and cost-effectively, our business could be materially adversely effected.

Additionally, regulatory guidance adopted by federal banking regulators addressing how banks select, engage and manage their third-party relationships, affects the circumstances and conditions under which we work with third parties and the cost of managing such relationships.

STRONG COMPETITION WITHIN OUR MARKET AREA MAY REDUCE OUR ABILITY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN DEPOSITS AND ORIGINATE LOANS.

We face competition both in originating loans and in attracting deposits within our market area, which includes North Central, West Central and South Western Ohio, South Eastern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. We compete for clients by offering personal service and competitive rates on our loans and deposit products. The type of institutions we compete with include large regional financial institutions, community banks, thrifts and credit unions operating within our market areas. Nontraditional sources of competition for loan and deposit dollars come from captive auto finance companies, mortgage banking companies, internet banks, brokerage companies, insurance companies and direct mutual funds. As a result of their size and ability to achieve economies of scale, certain of our competitors offer a broader range of products and services than we offer. We expect competition to remain intense in the future as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and the continuing trend of consolidation in the financial services industry. In addition, to stay competitive in our markets we may need to adjust the interest rates on our products to match the rates offered by our competitors, which could adversely affect our net interest margin. As a result, our profitability depends upon our continued ability to successfully compete in our market areas while achieving our investment objectives.

OUR ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES MAY PROVE TO BE INSUFFICIENT TO ABSORB POTENTIAL LOSSES IN OUR LOAN PORTFOLIO.

We maintain an allowance for credit losses that we believe is a reasonable estimate of known and inherent losses within the loan portfolio. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of loans. Through a periodic review and consideration of the loan portfolio, management determines the amount of the allowance for credit losses by considering general market conditions, the credit quality of the loan portfolio, the collateral supporting the loans and the performance of customers relative to their financial obligations with us. However, every loan we make carries a risk of non-payment. This risk is affected by, among other things, cash flow of the borrower and/or the project being financed, changes and uncertainties as to the future value of the collateral securing such loan, the credit history of the particular borrower, changes in economic and industry conditions, and the duration of the loan.

The amount of future losses is also susceptible to changes in economic, operating and other conditions, including changes in interest rates, which may be beyond our control, and these losses may exceed current estimates. We cannot fully predict the amount or timing of losses or whether the allowance for credit losses will be adequate in the future. If our assumptions prove to be incorrect, our allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, resulting in additions to the allowance, which would adversely affect our earnings. Excessive loan losses and significant additions to our allowance for credit losses could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, bank regulators periodically review our allowance for credit losses and may require us to increase our allowance for credit losses or recognize further loan charge-offs. Moreover, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") has changed its requirements for establishing the allowance for credit losses.

On June 16, 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") 2016-13 "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses", which replaces the incurred loss model with an expected loss model, and is referred to as the current expected credit loss ("CECL") model. Under the incurred loss model, loans are recognized as impaired when there is no longer an assumption that future cash flows will be collected in full under the originally contracted terms. Under the CECL model, financial institutions are required to use historical information, current conditions and reasonable forecasts to estimate the expected loss over the life of the loan. The transition to the CECL model requires significantly greater data requirements and changes to methodologies to accurately account for expected losses under the new parameters. If the methodologies and assumptions that we use in the CECL model are proven to be incorrect, or inadequate, the allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient, resulting in the need for additional allowance for credit losses to be established, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. The new CECL accounting guidance is effective for annual reporting periods and interim reporting periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2019. However, the FASB deferred the effective date for this ASU for smaller reporting companies, such as the Company, at the time, to annual reporting periods and interim reporting periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 effective January 1, 2023 and, upon adoption, recognized a one-time cumulative effect adjustment (increase) to the retained earnings upon adoption in the first quarter of 2023 of $6,069.

If real estate markets or the economy in general deteriorate, Civista may experience increased delinquencies and credit losses. The allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to cover actual loan-related losses. Additionally, banking regulators may require Civista to increase its allowance for credit losses in the future, which could have a negative effect on Civista’s financial condition and results of operations. Additions to the allowance for credit losses will result in a decrease in net earnings and capital and could hinder our ability to grow our assets.

Any increase in our allowance for credit losses or loan charge-offs as required by these regulatory authorities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

THE SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESSES THAT WE LEND TO MAY HAVE FEWER RESOURCES TO WEATHER ADVERSE BUSINESS CONDITIONS, WHICH MAY IMPAIR THEIR ABILITY TO REPAY LOANS, AND SUCH IMPAIRMENT COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.

Our business development and marketing strategies primarily result in us serving the banking and financial services needs of small to medium-sized businesses. These businesses generally have fewer financial resources in terms of capital or borrowing capacity than larger entities, frequently have smaller market shares than their competition, may be more vulnerable to economic downturns, often need substantial additional capital to expand or compete and may experience substantial volatility in operating results, any of which may impair a borrower’s ability to repay a loan. In addition, the success of a small to medium-sized business often depends on the management skills, talents and efforts of one or two people or a small group of people, and the death, disability or resignation of one or more of these people could have a material adverse impact on the business and its ability to repay its loans. If general economic conditions negatively impact Ohio, Indiana or the specific markets in these states in which we operate and small to medium-sized businesses are adversely affected or our borrowers are otherwise affected by adverse business conditions, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

OUR BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CREDITWORTHINESS OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND COUNTERPARTIES.

Credit risk is inherent in the financial services business and results from, among other things, extending credit to customers, purchasing securities, and entering into financial derivative transactions and certain guarantee contracts. Credit risk is one of our most significant risks, particularly given the high percentage of our assets represented directly or indirectly by loans, and the importance of lending to our overall business. We manage credit risk by assessing and monitoring the creditworthiness of our customers and counterparties and by diversifying our loan portfolio. Many factors impact credit risk.

A borrower’s ability to repay a loan can be adversely affected by individual factors, such as business performance, job losses or health issues. A weak or deteriorating economy and changes in the United States or global markets also could adversely impact the ability of our borrowers to repay outstanding loans. Any decrease in our borrowers’ ability to repay loans would result in higher levels of nonperforming loans, net charge-offs, and provision for loan losses.

Despite maintaining a diversified loan portfolio, in the ordinary course of business, we may have concentrated credit exposure to a particular person or entity, industry, region or counterparty. Events adversely affecting specific customers, industries, regions or markets, a decrease in the credit quality of a customer base or an adverse change in the risk profile of a market, industry, or group of customers could adversely affect us.

Our credit risk may be exacerbated when collateral held by us to secure obligations to us cannot be realized upon or is liquidated at prices that are not sufficient to recover the full amount of the loan or derivative exposure due us.

Due in part to improvement in local and general economic conditions, as well as actions we have taken to manage our loan portfolio, our provision for credit losses has declined since the end of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. However, if we experience higher levels of provision for loan losses in the future, our net income could be negatively affected.

WE RELY HEAVILY ON OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND THE UNEXPECTED LOSS OF KEY MANAGEMENT MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR OPERATIONS.

Our success to date has been strongly influenced by our ability to attract and to retain senior management experienced in banking in the markets we serve. Our ability to retain executive officers and the current management teams will continue to be important to successful implementation of our strategies. The unexpected loss of services of any key management personnel, or the inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel in the future, could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.

WE DEPEND UPON THE ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF INFORMATION ABOUT CUSTOMERS AND OTHER PARTIES.

In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with customers and counterparties, we may rely on information provided to us by customers and other parties, including financial statements and other financial information. We may also rely on representations of customers and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors. For example, in deciding whether to extend credit to a business, we may assume that the customer’s audited financial statements conform with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the customer. We may also rely on the audit report covering those financial statements. Our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted to the extent we rely on financial statements that do not comply with generally accepted accounting principles or that are materially misleading, or on other financial information that is incomplete or materially misleading.

ACQUISITIONS OR OTHER EXPANSION MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULT OF OPERATIONS.

In the future, we may acquire other financial institutions or branches or assets of other financial institutions. We may also open new branches, enter into new lines of business, or offer new products or services. Any future acquisition or expansion of our business, will involve a number of expenses and risks, which may include some or all of the following:

• the time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions or expansions;
• the potential inaccuracy of estimates and judgments used to evaluate credit, operations, management and market risk with respect to target institutions;
• the time and costs of evaluating new markets, hiring local management and opening new offices, and the delay between commencing these activities and the generation of profits from the expansion;
• any financing required in connection with an acquisition or expansion;
• the diversion of management’s attention to the negotiation of a transaction and the integration of the operations and personnel of the combining businesses;
• entry into unfamiliar markets and the introduction of new products and services into our existing business;
• the possible impairment of goodwill associated with an acquisition and possible adverse short-term effects on our results of operations; and
• the risk of loss of key employees and customers.

We may incur substantial costs to expand, and we can give no assurance that such expansion will result in the levels of profits we expect. Neither can we assure that integration efforts for any future acquisitions will be successful. We may issue equity securities in connection with acquisitions, which could dilute the economic and voting interests of our existing shareholders.

LEGISLATIVE, LEGAL AND REGULATORY RISKS

LEGISLATIVE OR REGULATORY CHANGES OR ACTIONS COULD ADVERSELY IMPACT OUR BUSINESS.

The financial services industry is extensively regulated. We are subject to extensive state and federal regulation, supervision and legislation that govern almost all aspects of our operations. These laws and regulations are primarily intended for the protection of consumers, depositors, borrowers and the deposit insurance fund, not to benefit our shareholders.

Regulations affecting banks and financial services businesses are undergoing continuous change and management cannot predict the effect of those changes. While such changes are generally intended to lessen the regulatory burden on financial institutions, the impact of any changes to laws and regulations or other actions by regulatory agencies could adversely affect our business. Regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the ability to impose restrictions on the operation of an institution and the ability to determine the adequacy of an institution’s allowance for loan losses. Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations and policies could result in sanctions being imposed by the regulatory agencies, including the imposition of civil money penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. Even the reduction of regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on us if such lessening of restrictions increases competition within our industry or market areas.

DEPOSIT INSURANCE PREMIUMS MAY INCREASE AND HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE COMPANY’S RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

The DIF maintained by the FDIC to resolve bank failures is funded by fees assessed on insured depository institutions. The costs of resolving bank failures increased for a period of time and decreased the DIF. The FDIC collected a special assessment in 2009 to replenish the DIF and also required a prepayment of an estimated amount of future deposit insurance premiums. If the costs of future bank failures increase, the deposit insurance premiums required to be paid by Civista may also increase. The FDIC recently adopted rules revising its assessments in a manner benefitting banks with assets totaling less than $10 billion. There can be no assurance, however, that assessments will not be changed in the future.

We are subject to examinations and challenges by tax authorities.

In the normal course of business, we are routinely subject to examinations and challenges from federal and state tax authorities regarding positions taken regarding their respective tax returns. State tax authorities have become increasingly aggressive in challenging tax positions taken by financial institutions, especially those positions relating to tax compliance and calculation of taxes subject to apportionment. Any challenge or examination by a tax authority may result in adjustments to the timing or amount of taxable net worth or taxable income, or deductions or the allocation of income among tax jurisdictions.

Management believes it has taken appropriate positions with respect to all tax returns and does not anticipate that any examination would have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. However, the outcome of such examinations and ultimate resolution of any resulting assessments are inherently difficult to predict. Thus, no assurance can be given that our tax liability for any tax year open to examination will be as reflected in our current and historical Consolidated Financial Statements.

Accounting changes could impact our reported financial condition or results of operations.

The accounting standard setters, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB), the SEC and other regulatory bodies, periodically change the financial accounting and reporting guidance that governs the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. The pace of change continues to accelerate and changes in accounting standards can be hard to predict and could materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply new or revised guidance retroactively, resulting in the restatement of prior period financial statements.

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") requires management to make significant estimates that affect the financial statements. Due to the inherent nature of these estimates, actual results may vary materially from management’s estimates. In June 2016, FASB issued a new accounting standard for recognizing current expected credit losses, commonly referred to as CECL. CECL will result in earlier recognition of credit losses and requires consideration of not only past and current events but also reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect collectability. The Company adopted CECL effective January 1, 2023. Upon adoption of CECL, credit loss allowances have increased, which have decreased retained earnings and regulatory capital. While the federal banking regulators adopted rules that allow banks to phase in the day-one impact of CECL on regulatory capital over three years, Civista Bank did not choose to phase in the impact. ASU 2016-13 implementation poses operational risk, including the failure to properly transition internal processes or systems, which could lead to call report errors, financial misstatements, or operational losses.

WE MAY BE THE SUBJECT OF LITIGATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN LEGAL LIABILITY AND DAMAGE TO OUR BUSINESS AND REPUTATION.

From time to time, we may be subject to claims or legal action from customers, employees or others. Financial institutions like CBI and Civista are facing a growing number of significant class actions, including those based on the manner of calculation of interest on loans and the assessment of overdraft fees. Future litigation could include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. We are also involved from time to time in other reviews, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental and other agencies regarding our business. These matters also could result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. Like other large financial institutions, we are also subject to risk from potential employee misconduct, including non-compliance with policies and improper use or disclosure of confidential information. Substantial legal liability or significant regulatory action against us could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations and/or cause significant reputational harm to our business.

WE COULD FACE LEGAL AND REGULATORY RISK ARISING OUT OF OUR RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE BUSINESS.

Numerous federal and state governmental, legislative and regulatory authorities are investigating practices in the business of mortgage and home equity loan lending and servicing and in the mortgage-related insurance and reinsurance industries. We could face the risk of class actions, other litigation and claims from: the owners of or purchasers of such loans originated or serviced by us, homeowners involved in foreclosure proceedings or various mortgage-related insurance programs, downstream purchasers of homes sold after foreclosure, title insurers, and other potential claimants. Included among these claims are claims from purchasers of mortgage and home equity loans seeking the repurchase of loans where the loans allegedly breached origination covenants and representations and warranties made to the purchasers in the purchase and sale agreements. The CFPB has issued new rules for mortgage origination and mortgage servicing. Both the origination and servicing rules create new private rights of action for consumers against lenders and servicers in the event of certain violations.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR CAPITAL AND STOCK

WE MAY ELECT OR NEED TO RAISE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL IN THE FUTURE, BUT CAPITAL MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE WHEN IT IS NEEDED.

We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. In addition, federal banking agencies have recently finalized extensive changes to their capital requirements, including the adoption of the final “Basel III” rules as discussed above, which result in higher capital requirements and more restrictive leverage and liquidity ratios than those previously in place. If we experience significant credit losses, addition capital may need to be infused. In addition, we may elect to raise additional capital to support business growth and/or to finance acquisitions, if any, or we may otherwise elect or be required to raise additional capital. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets, economic conditions and a number of other factors, many of which are outside our control, and are based on our financial performance. Accordingly, we cannot be assured of our ability to raise additional capital if needed or on terms acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, it may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

WE ARE A HOLDING COMPANY AND DEPEND ON OUR SUBSIDIARY BANK FOR DIVIDENDS.

As a financial holding company, we are a legal entity separate and distinct from our subsidiaries and affiliates. Our principal source of funds to support our operations, pay dividends on our common shares and service our debt is dividends from our subsidiary bank, Civista. In the event that Civista is unable to pay dividends to us, we may not be able to service our debt, pay our other obligations or pay dividends on our common shares. Accordingly, our inability to receive dividends from Civista could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Various federal and state statutory provisions and regulations limit the amount of dividends that Civista may pay to us without regulatory approval. Generally, subject to certain minimum capital requirements, Civista may declare a dividend without the approval of the ODFI so long as the total amount of the dividends in a calendar year does not exceed Civista’s total net income for that year combined with its retained net income for the two preceding years. In addition, the Federal Reserve has issued policy statements that provide that insured banks and bank holding companies should generally only pay dividends out of current operating earnings. Thus, the ability of Civista to pay dividends in the future is currently influenced, and could be further influenced, by bank regulatory policies and capital guidelines and may restrict our ability to declare and pay dividends on our common shares.

THE MARKET PRICE OF OUR COMMON SHARES MAY BE SUBJECT TO FLUCTUATIONS AND VOLATILITY.

The market price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly due to, among other things, changes in market sentiment regarding our operations or business prospects, the banking industry generally or the macroeconomic outlook. Factors that could impact our trading price include:

• our operating and financial results, including how those results vary from the expectations of management, securities analysts and investors;
• developments in our business or operations or in the financial sector generally;
• future offerings by us of debt or preferred shares, which would be senior to our common shares upon liquidation and for purposes of dividend distributions;
• legislative or regulatory changes affecting our industry generally or our business and operations specifically;
• the operating and stock price performance of companies that investors consider to be comparable to us;
• announcements of strategic developments, acquisitions and other material events by us or our competitors;
• actions by our current shareholders, including future sales of common shares by existing shareholders, including our directors and executive officers; and
• other changes in U.S. or global financial markets, global economies and general market conditions, such as interest or foreign exchange rates, stock, commodity, credit or asset valuations or volatility.

Equity markets in general and our common shares in particular have experienced considerable volatility over the past few years. The market price of our common shares may continue to be subject to volatility unrelated to our operating performance or business prospects. Increased volatility could result in a decline in the market price of our common shares.

THE SALE OF SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF OUR COMMON SHARES OR SECURITIES CONVERTIBLE INTO OUR COMMON SHARES IN THE PUBLIC MARKET COULD DEPRESS THE PRICE OF OUR COMMON SHARES.

In recent years, the stock market has experienced a high level of price and volume volatility, and market prices for the stock of many companies have experienced wide fluctuations that have not necessarily been related to their operating performance. Therefore, our shareholders may not be able to sell their shares at the volumes, prices, or times that they desire. We cannot predict the effect, if any, that future sales of our common shares or securities convertible into our common shares in the market, or availability of shares of our common shares or securities convertible into our common shares for sale in the market, will have on the market price of our common shares. We can give no assurance that sales of substantial amounts of our common shares or securities convertible into our common shares in the market, or the potential for large amounts of sales in the market, would not cause the price of our securities to decline or impair our ability to raise capital through sales of our common shares.

GENERAL RISK FACTORS

ADVERSE CHANGES IN FINANCIAL MARKETS AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS MAY ADVERSELY IMPACT OUR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

Although we primarily invest in securities issued by United States government agencies and sponsored entities and United States state and local governments with limited credit risk, certain of our investment securities possess higher credit risk since they represent beneficial interests in structured investments collateralized by residential mortgages, debt obligations and other similar assets. Even securities issued by United States government agencies and sponsored entities may entail risk depending on political and economic changes. Regardless of the level of credit risk, all investment securities are subject to changes in market value due to changing interest rates, implied credit spreads and credit ratings.

We may experience increasing scrutiny and evolving expectations from customers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders with respect to the Company’s environmental, social and governance practices.

Financial institutions are facing increasing scrutiny from customers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders related to their environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) practices and disclosure. Investor advocacy groups, investment funds, and influential investors are also increasingly focused on these practices, especially as they relate to the environment, health and safety, diversity, labor conditions, and human rights. Increased ESG-related compliance costs for the Company as well as among our suppliers, vendors and various other parties within our supply chain could result in increases to our overall operational costs. Failure to adapt to or comply with regulatory requirements or investor or stakeholder expectations and standards could negatively impact our reputation, ability to do business with certain partners, access to capital, and the price of our common shares. New government regulations could also result in new or more stringent forms of ESG oversight and expanding mandatory and voluntary reporting, diligence, and disclosure.

CHANGES IN TAX LAWS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR PERFORMANCE

We are subject to extensive federal, state and local taxes, including income, excise, sales/use, payroll, franchise, withholding and ad valorem taxes. Changes to tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, fair values of net deferred tax assets and obligations of states and political subdivisions held in our investment securities portfolio. In addition, our customers are subject to a wide variety of federal, state and local taxes. Changes in taxes paid by our customers may adversely affect their ability to purchase homes or consumer products, which could adversely affect their demand for our loans and deposit products. In addition, such negative effects on our customers could result in defaults on the loans we have made and decrease the value of mortgage-backed securities in which we have invested.

WE NEED TO CONSTANTLY UPDATE OUR TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO COMPETE AND MEET CUSTOMER DEMANDS.

The financial services market, including banking services, is undergoing rapid technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition to better serving customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and may enable us to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to use technology to provide products and services that provide convenience to customers and to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Some 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. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological changes affecting the financial services industry could negatively affect our growth, revenue and profit.

WE ARE SUBJECT TO ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITY RISK ASSOCIATED WITH CIVISTA’S LENDING ACTIVITIES.

A significant portion of Civista’s loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, Civista forecloses on and takes title to properties securing certain loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous or toxic substances are found, Civista may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws and evolving regulation may require Civista to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit Civista’s ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws and regulations or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws or regulations may increase Civista’s exposure to environmental liability. 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.

Climate change, severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism and other external events could significantly impact our business.

Natural disasters, including severe weather events of increasing strength and frequency due to climate change, acts of war or terrorism, and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business or upon third parties who perform operational services for us or our customers. 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 lost revenue or cause us to incur additional expenses.

The Corporation understands the security of our banking operations is critical to protecting our customers, maintaining our reputation and preserving the value of the Corporation. The Corporation is focused on addressing cybersecurity risks on confidentiality, integrity, and the availability of the information the Corporation collects, transmits and stores by identifying, preventing, and mitigating cybersecurity risks. The Board of Directors, through the Board Risk and Audit Committees, and Enterprise Risk Management Committee, provide direction and oversight of the enterprise-wide risk management program of the Corporation, which includes the Information Security Program. The Chief Information Officer and the Chief Risk Officer oversee these programs to accomplish the following:

• assure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our information and information systems;
• protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the confidentiality, integrity or availability of such information and information systems; and
• protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information or information systems that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to us, our clients and the value of the Corporation.

These programs establish policies (including vendor management), procedures, risk assessments, systems, monitoring, reporting, strategies, and training to effectively manage cybersecurity risks. Specifically, the Corporation deploys multiple layers of controls, including embedding security into our technology investments, designed to identify, protect, detect, respond to and recover from information security and cybersecurity incidents. The Corporation also performs simulations and drills to further ensure our readiness and preparedness for potential threats. In addition, the Corporation employs a nationally recognized firm with information security experts to annually perform audits that extensively test our program and controls, which are reviewed by the Board Audit Committee. These programs and controls align with Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council guidelines and standards.

While we do not believe that our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition have been materially adversely affected by any cybersecurity incidents, cybersecurity threats are present and similar to other financial institutions. The Corporation, as well as our customers, colleagues, regulators, service providers and other third parties, have seen an increase in information security and cybersecurity risk in recent years. We continue to assess the risks and threats in the cyber environment, invest in enhancements to our cybersecurity capabilities, and engage in industry and government forums to promote advancements in our cybersecurity collaboration and capabilities.

CBI neither owns nor leases any properties. Civista owns its main office at 100 East Water Street, Sandusky, Ohio, which is also the office of CBI. Civista also owns branch banking offices in the following Ohio and Indiana communities: Sandusky (2), Norwalk (2), Berlin Heights, Willard, Castalia, Port Clinton, New Washington, Shelby (2), Greenwich, Plymouth, Shiloh, Dublin, Plain City, Russells Point, Urbana (2), Dayton (2), Quincy, Napoleon (3), Malinta, Holgate, Liberty Center, Lawrenceburg (3), Aurora, West Harrison, Milan, Osgood and Versailles. Civista leases branch banking offices in the Ohio communities of Akron, Huron, West Liberty, Dayton, Bowling Green and Beachwood. Civista also leases loan production offices in Westlake, Ohio and Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. The CLF division of Civista offices for its equipment leasing and financing business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Franklin, Tennessee and Dover, New Hampshire.

In the ordinary course of their respective businesses, the Company or its properties may be named or otherwise subject as a plaintiff, defendant or other party to various pending and threatened legal proceedings and various actual and potential claims. In view of the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of such matters, the Company cannot state what the eventual outcome of any such matters will be. However, based on current knowledge and after consultation with legal counsel, management believes that any damages or other amounts related to pending legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity of the Company.

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

General

The following paragraphs more fully discuss the significant highlights, changes and trends as they relate to the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and during the three-year period ended December 31, 2023. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, which are included elsewhere in this report.

Financial Condition

At December 31, 2023, the Company’s total assets were $3,861,418, compared to $3,639,445 at December 31, 2022. Net loans and securities available for sale increased $204,798 and $2,870, respectively, cash and due from financial institutions increased $17,045 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. Other factors contributing to the change in assets are discussed in the following sections.

Loans held for sale increased $1,042, or 152.6%, from $683 at December 31, 2022 to $1,725 at December 31, 2023. The increase is due to higher balances of held loans. At December 31, 2023, nine loans totaling $1,725 were held for sale as compared to seven loans totaling $683 at December 31, 2022.

At December 31, 2023, the Company’s net loans totaled $2,824,568 and increased by 7.8% from $2,619,770 at December 31, 2022. The increase in net loans was spread across most segments. Commercial & Agriculture loans increased $29,643, Commercial Real Estate – Owner Occupied loans increased $6,173, Commercial Real Estate - Non-Owner Occupied loans increased $143,158, Residential Real Estate loans increased $107,060, Real Estate Construction loans increased $17,282, Lease financing receivables increased $17,845 and Farm Real Estate loans increased $63. The increases in the foregoing loan segments were offset by a decrease in Consumer and Other loans of $2,718.

Maturities and Sensitivities of Loans to Changes in Interest Rates

The following table shows the amount of Commercial and Agriculture, Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, Real Estate Construction, Farm Real Estate and Consumer and Other Loans and Lease financing receivables outstanding as of December 31, 2023, which, based on the contract terms for repayments of principal, are due in the periods indicated. In addition, the amounts due after one year are classified according to their sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

(Dollars in thousands)

32

(Dollars in thousands)

The preceding maturity information is based on contract terms at December 31, 2023 and does not include any possible “rollover” at maturity date. In the normal course of business, Civista considers and acts on the borrowers’ requests for renewal of loans at maturity. Evaluation of such requests includes a review of the borrower’s credit history, the collateral securing the loan and the purpose for such request.

Analysis of the Allowance for Credit Losses

The following table shows the daily average loan balances and changes in the allowance for credit losses for the years indicated.

(Dollars in thousands)

The amount of net charge-offs fluctuates from year to year due to factors relating to the condition of the general economy, decline in market values of collateral and deterioration of specific businesses.

The determination of the balance of the allowance for credit losses is based on the CECL methodology and utilizes a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for the recognition of credit losses for loans, held-to-maturity securities and other receivables at the time the financial asset is originated or acquired. The expected credit losses are adjusted each period for changes in expected lifetime credit losses. The methodology replaces the multiple existing impairment methods under prior GAAP, which generally require that a loss be incurred before it is recognized. In management’s judgment, the CECL methodology produces a result that is adequate to provide for probable credit losses.

Allocation of Allowance for Loan Losses

The following tables allocate the allowance for loan losses at December 31 to each loan category. The allowance has been allocated according to the amount deemed to be reasonably necessary to provide for expected lifetime credit losses. within the following categories of loans at the dates indicated.

(Dollars in thousands)

(Dollars in thousands)

Civista measures the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses by using the CECL methodology and utilizes a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for the recognition of credit losses for loans, held-to-maturity securities and other receivables at the time the financial asset is originated or acquired. The allowance for credit losses to total loans increased from 1.12% in 2022 to 1.30% in 2023. The unallocated reserve of Civista decreased to $19 in 2023 from $541 in 2022. Management considers both the decrease in the unallocated reserve and the end-of-period reserve number to be insignificant and within the loan policy guidelines.

Securities available for sale increased by $2,870, or 0.5%, from $615,402 at December 31, 2022 to $618,272 at December 31, 2023. U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies increased $6,629, or 1.1% from $61,029 at December 31, 2022 to $67,658 at December 31, 2023. Obligations of states and political subdivisions available for sale increased by $21,351 from 2022 to 2023. Mortgage-backed securities decreased by $25,110 to total $212,015 at December 31, 2023. The Company continues to utilize letters of credit from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) to replace maturing securities that were pledged for public entities. As of December 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with all applicable pledging requirements.

Mortgage-backed securities totaled $212,015 at December 31, 2023 and none were considered unusual or “high risk” securities as defined by regulatory authorities. Of this total, $210,108 consisted of pass-through securities issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), and Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), and the remaining $1,907 of these securities were collateralized by mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by FNMA, FHLMC, or GNMA. The average interest rate of the mortgage-backed securities portfolio at December 31, 2023 was 2.56%. The average maturity at December 31, 2022 was approximately 14.8 years.

Securities available for sale had a fair value at December 31, 2023 of $618,272. This fair value includes unrealized gains of approximately $3,059 and unrealized losses of approximately $57,679. Net unrealized losses totaled $54,620 on December 31, 2023 compared to net unrealized losses of $66,949 on December 31, 2022. The change in unrealized gains is primarily due to changes in market interest rates. Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements provides additional information on unrealized gains and losses.

The following table sets forth the maturities of securities at December 31, 2023 and the weighted average yields of such debt securities. Maturities are reported based on stated maturities and do not reflect principal prepayment assumptions.

(Dollars in thousands)

(1) Weighted average yields on nontaxable obligations have been computed based on actual yields stated on the security.

(2) The weighted average yield has been computed using the historical amortized cost for available-for-sale securities.

Premises and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, decreased $7,249 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. The decrease is the result of new purchases of $3,218, offset by depreciation of $10,760.

Goodwill decreased by $175, from $125,695 at December 31, 2022 to $125,520 at December 31, 2023. The decrease is due to an adjustment of goodwill related to the acquisition of VFG in October 2022. Other intangible assets decreased $1,251 from year-end 2022. The decrease includes $1,580 of core deposit intangibles offset by an increase of $329 of mortgage servicing rights.

Swap assets decreased $4,098 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. The decrease is primarily the result of decreases in the fair value of swap assets as compared to December 31, 2022.

Bank owned life insurance (BOLI) increased $7,850 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. An additional $7 of BOLI was purchased in December 2023. The remaining difference is the result of increases in the cash surrender value of the underlying insurance policies.

Deferred taxes decreased $92 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023.

Year-end deposit balances totaled $2,985,028 in 2023 compared to $2,619,984 in 2022, an increase of $365,044, or 13.9%. This increase in deposits at December 31, 2023 compared to December 31, 2022 included increases in certificate of deposit accounts of $585,401, or 214%, offset by decreases in noninterest bearing demand deposits of $124,634, or 13.9% in interest bearing demand accounts of $78,430, or 14.9%, in savings and money market accounts of $20,129, or 2.3% and in individual retirement accounts of $3,933, or 8.5%. Average deposit balances for 2023 were $2,868,823 compared to $2,614,423 for 2022, an increase of 9.7%. Noninterest bearing deposits averaged $934,741 for 2023, compared to $937,890 for 2022, decreasing $3,149, or 0.3%. Savings, NOW, and MMDA accounts averaged $855,946 for 2023 compared to $1,423,134 for 2022, decreasing $567,188, or 39.9%. Average certificates of deposit decreased $281,549 to total an average balance of $534,947 for 2023.

The average daily amount of deposits (all in domestic offices) and average rates paid on such deposits is summarized for the years indicated.

(Dollars in thousands)

Uninsured deposits at December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $499,429 and $563,092, respectively. Uninsured deposits as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 are based on estimates and include portions of FDIC-insured deposit accounts that exceed the insurance limit of $250,000 per separately insured depositor.

Maturities of certificates of deposits and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) of more than $250,000 outstanding at December 31, 2023 are summarized as follows.

(Dollars in thousands)

FHLB advances decreased $56,886 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. Short-term FHLB advances decreased $55,700 year over year due to an increase in over night funding. The remaining difference is long-term FHLB advances decreased due to the repayments in 2023

Other borrowings decreased $5,656 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. Other borrowings decreased due to borrowings at the CLF division.

Civista no longer offers repurchase agreements in the form of sweep accounts to commercial checking account customers, as of July 2023. These repurchase agreements totaled $0 at December 31, 2023 compared to $25,143 at December 31, 2022. U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S. government agencies maintained under Civista’s control were pledged as collateral for the repurchase agreements. Additional detail related to these repurchase agreements can be found in Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Swap liabilities decreased $4,098 from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. The decrease is primarily the result of decreases in the fair value of swap liabilities as compared to December 31, 2022.

Total shareholders’ equity increased $37,166, or 11.1%, during 2023 to $372,002. Shareholders' equity increased due to net income of $42,964, partially offset by $9,599 of dividends on common shares and a one-time CECL adoption adjustment of $5,193. Additionally, $984 was recognized as stock-based compensation in 2023 in connection with the grant of restricted common shares. Accumulated other comprehensive income increased $9,747 due to an increase in the fair value of securities available for sale, net of tax and a $768 increase in the Company’s pension liability, net of tax. The Company repurchased treasury shares for $1,628. For further explanation of these items, see Note 1, Note

15 and Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company paid $0.61 per common share in dividends in 2023 compared to $0.56 per common share in dividends in 2022.

Total outstanding common shares at December 31, 2023 were 15,695,424, which decreased from 15,728,234 common shares outstanding at December 31, 2022. Common shares outstanding was impacted by the Company’s repurchase of 90,423 common shares during 2023 at an average repurchase price of $18.01. The Company repurchased 84,230 common shares pursuant to a stock repurchase program announced on May 8, 2023, pursuant to which the Company is authorized to repurchase a maximum aggregate value of $13,500 of the Company’s common shares until May 2, 2024. An additional 6,193 common shares were surrendered by officers to the Company to pay taxes upon vesting of restricted shares and 1,740 restricted common shares were forfeited. The repurchase of common shares was offset by the grant of 47,536 restricted common shares to certain officers under the Company’s 2014 Incentive Plan. In addition, 1,817 common shares were issued to Civista directors in 2023 as a retainer payment for service on the Civista Board of Directors.

Results of Operations

The operating results of the Company are affected by general economic conditions, the monetary and fiscal policies of federal agencies and the regulatory policies of agencies that regulate financial institutions. The Company’s cost of funds is influenced by interest rates on competing investments and general market rates of interest. Lending activities are influenced by the demand for real estate loans and other types of loans, which in turn is affected by the interest rates at which such loans are made, general economic conditions and the availability of funds for lending activities.

The Company’s net income primarily depends on its net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income earned on interest-earning assets, such as loans and securities, and interest expense incurred on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. The level of net interest income is dependent on the interest rate environment and the volume and composition of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. Net income is also affected by provisions for credit losses, service charges, gains on the sale of assets, other non-interest income, noninterest expense and income taxes.

Comparison of Results of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022

Net Income

The Company’s net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $42,964, compared to $39,427 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The change in net income was the result of the items discussed in the following sections.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income for 2023 was $125,496, an increase of $15,292, or 13.9%, from 2022. From 2022 to 2023, average earning assets increased 11.6%, interest income increased $56,579, and interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities increased $41,287. The Company continually examines its rate structure to ensure that its interest rates are competitive and reflective of the current rate environment in which it competes.

Total interest income increased $56,579 to $182,734 for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is attributable to an increase of $52,702 in interest and fees on loans. This change was the result of an increase in the average balance of loans, accompanied by a higher yield on the portfolio. The average balance of loans increased by $523,715, or 23.8%, to $2,722,797 for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $2,199,082 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The loan yield increased to 5.90% for 2023, from 4.69% in 2022.

Interest on taxable securities increased $2,595 to $11,718 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $9,123 for the same period in 2022. The average balance of taxable securities increased $22,372 to $363,972 for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $341,600 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The yield on taxable securities increased 39 basis points to 2.88% for 2023, compared to 2.49% for 2022. Interest on tax-exempt securities increased $1,423 to $9,282 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $7,859 for the same period in 2022. The average balance of tax-exempt securities increased $18,697 to $282,678 for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $263,981 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The yield on tax-exempt securities increased 23 basis points to 3.79% for 2023, compared to 3.56% for 2022.

Total interest expense increased $41,287 or 258.8%, to $53,763 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared with $4,732 for the same period in 2022. The increase in interest expense can be attributed to an increase in the average rate paid, accompanied by an increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities increased $398,903 to $2,405,655 , as compared to $2,006,752 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Interest incurred on deposits increased by $29,915 to $33,755 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $3,840 for the same period in 2022. The increase in deposit expense was due to a increase in the average rate paid, as the average rate paid on demand and savings accounts increased from 0.15% in 2022 to 1.15% in 2023 and the average rate paid on time deposits increased from 0.95% in 2022 to 4.125% in 2023, which was coupled with an increase in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits of $258,499 for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the same period in 2022. Interest expense incurred on FHLB advances and subordinated debentures increased 93.9% from 2022. The increase was due to an increase in the average balance of short-term FHLB balances and subordinated debentures to $280,887 and $66,875, respectively, accompanied by an increase in rates. The average balance of other borrowings decreased $17,823 for the period ended December 31, 2023.

Refer to “Distribution of Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity; Interest Rates and Interest Differential” and “Changes in Interest Income and Interest Expense Resulting from Changes in Volume and Changes in Rate” on pages 43 through 45 for further analysis of the impact of changes in interest-bearing assets and liabilities on the Company’s net interest income.

Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses

The Company’s policy is to maintain the allowance for credit losses at a level sufficient to provide for probable losses incurred in the current portfolio. Management believes the analysis of the allowance for credit losses supported a reserve of $37,160 at December 31, 2023. The Company provides for credit losses through regular provisions to the allowance for credit losses as necessary. The amount of the provision is affected by loan charge-offs, recoveries and changes in specific and general allocations required for the allowance for credit losses. A number of factors impact the provisions for credit losses, such as the level of higher risk loans in the portfolio, changes in practices related to loans, changes in collateral values and other factors. We continue to actively manage this process and have provided to maintain the reserve at a level that assures adequate coverage ratios.

Provisions for credit losses totaled $4,435 in 2023, $1,752 in 2022 and $830 in 2021. The Company’s provision for credit losses increased $2,683 during 2023, as compared to 2022, primarily to support strong organic loan growth in the portfolio. In addition, a one-time CECL adoption adjustment of $5,964 was incurred in the first quarter of 2023.

Efforts are continually made to analyze each segment of the loan portfolio and quantify risk to assure that reserves are appropriate for each segment and the overall portfolio. Management specifically evaluates loans that are impaired, which includes restructured loans, to estimate potential loss. This analysis includes a review of the loss migration calculation for all loan categories as well as fluctuations and trends in various risk factors that have occurred within the portfolios’ economic life cycle. The analysis also includes assessment of qualitative factors such as credit trends, unemployment trends, vacancy trends and loan growth. The composition and overall level of the loan portfolio and charge-off activity are also factors used to determine the amount of the allowance for loan losses.

Management analyzes each impaired commercial and commercial real estate loan relationship with a balance of $350 or larger, on an individual basis and when it is in nonaccrual status or when an analysis of the borrower’s operating results and financial condition indicates that underlying cash flows are not adequate to meet its debt service requirements. Loans held for sale and leases are excluded from consideration as impaired. Loans are generally moved to nonaccrual status when 90 days or more past due. Impaired loans or portions thereof are charged-off when deemed uncollectible.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income increased $8,087, or 27.8%, to $37,164 for the year ended December 31, 2023, from $29,076 for the comparable 2022 period. The increase was primarily due to increases in lease revenue of $5,285, service charges of $512, bank owned life insurance of $128 and other operating items of $2,508. Which were partially offset by decreases in net gain on equity securities of $139, and net gain on sale of loans and leases of $489.

Net gain on sale of loans and leases decreased by $489 for 2023, primarily as a result of a decrease in volume of loans sold. During the twelve-months ended December 31, 2023, 349 loans were sold, totaling $103,036. During the twelve-months ended December 31, 2022, 692 loans were sold, totaling $131,193. Service charges increased due to increased ATM fees of $381. Lease revenue and residual income increased due to a full year of operations for CLF. Other income increased due to increases in wire transfer fees, merchant credit card fees, loan servicing fees, amortization of mortgage servicing rights and fee income from the acquisition of CLF.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense increased $17,118, or 18.9%, to $107,611 for the year ended December 31, 2023, from $90,493 for the comparable 2022 period. The increase was primarily due to increases in compensation expense of $7,230, net occupancy expense of $694, equipment expense of $6,015, amortization expense of $283, software expense of $734, FDIC assessments of $840 and other operating expense of $2,242, increases were partially offset by decreases in data processing expense of $546, professional services of $436, and marketing expense of $161.

The increase in compensation expense was due to increased payroll, payroll taxes, employee insurance and commissions and incentives. The average full time equivalent (FTE) employees were 531 at December 31, 2023, an increase of 50 FTEs over 2022 due to a full year of the additional employees resulting from the prior year acquisitions of Comunibanc and VFG. The increase in net occupancy expense was due to increases in building repairs and maintenance and building depreciation. The increase in equipment expense was due to a general increase in computer, printer, office and security equipment costs and an increase in equipment depreciation related to the acquisition of VFG in October 2022. The increase in FDIC assessments was attributable to higher assessment multipliers charged to Civista. The increase in amortization expense is related to the a full year of amortization of assets acquired in the acquisition of Comunibanc Corp in July 2022. Software expense increase due to a general increase in legacy software maintenance contracts. Other operating expenses increased due to increases in travel, lodging and meals, donations, and bad check expense. The decrease in data processing expense was due to no additional acquisitions in 2023 compared to prior year. The decrease in professional services was due to decreases in legal and audit fees, as well as a decrease in marketing expense due to no additional marketing for new acquisitions compared to the previous year.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense was $7,649 in 2023 compared to $7,608 in 2022. Income tax expense as a percentage of pre-tax income was 15.1% in 2023 compared to 16.2% in 2022. A lower federal effective tax rate than the statutory rate of 21% in 2023 and 2022 is primarily due to tax-exempt interest income from state and municipal investments, municipal loans, income from BOLI and low income housing credits.

Comparison of Results of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021

A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021, which are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, can be found under "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and are incorporated by reference herein.

Changes in Interest Income and Interest Expense

Resulting from Changes in Volume and Changes in Rate

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, a summary of the changes in interest income and interest expense resulting from changes in volume and changes in rate (Amounts in thousands):

(1) The change in interest income and interest expense due to changes in both volume and rate, which cannot be segregated, has been allocated proportionately to the change due to volume and the change due to rate.

Distribution of Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity;

Interest Rates and Interest Differential

The following table sets forth, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the distribution of assets, including interest amounts and average rates of major categories of interest-earning assets and noninterest-earning assets (Amounts in thousands):

(1) For purposes of these computations, the daily average loan amounts outstanding are net of unearned income and include loans held for sale.

(2) Included in loan interest income are loan fees of $2,960 in 2023, $2,024 in 2022 and $1,661 in 2021.

(3) Non-accrual loans are included in loan totals and do not have a material impact on the analysis presented.

(4) Average balance is computed using the carrying value of securities. The average yield has been computed using the historical amortized cost average balance for available for sale securities.

(5) Yield/Rate is calculated using the tax-equivalent adjustment of 21% for 2023, 2022 and 2021.

Distribution of Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity;

Interest Rates and Interest Differential (Continued)

The following table sets forth, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the distribution of liabilities, including interest amounts and average rates of major categories of interest-bearing liabilities and shareholders’ equity (Amounts in thousands):

(1) Interest rate spread is calculated by subtracting the rate on average interest-bearing liabilities from the yield on average interest-earning assets.

(2) Net interest margin is calculated by dividing tax-equivalent adjusted net interest income by average interest-earning assets.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Civista maintains a conservative liquidity position. All securities are classified as available for sale. At December 31, 2023, securities with maturities of one year or less totaled $2,652, or 0.4% of the total securities portfolio. The available for sale portfolio helps to provide Civista with the ability to meet its funding needs. The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows contained in the Consolidated Financial Statements detail the Company’s cash flows from operating activities resulting from net earnings.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $62,698, $25,183, and $40,761 for 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The primary additions to cash from operating activities are from net income, adjusted for amortization of intangible assets, amortization of securities net of accretion, the provision for credit losses, depreciation and proceeds from sale of loans. The primary use of cash from operating activities is from loans originated for sale. Net cash used for investing activities was $311,784, $410,364, and $130,496 in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, principally reflecting our loan and investment security activities. Deposits and borrowings comprised most of our financing activities, which resulted in net cash provided of $266,131, $164,303, and $216,925 in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Future loan demand of Civista can be funded by increases in deposit accounts, proceeds from payments on existing loans, the maturity of securities and the sale of securities classified as available for sale. Additional sources of funds may also come from borrowing in the Federal Funds market and/or borrowing from the FHLB. As of December 31, 2023, Civista had total credit availability with the FHLB of $791,637, of which $364,792 was outstanding, including standby letters of credit of $24,400.

On a separate entity basis, CBI’s primary source of funds is dividends paid by its subsidiaries, primarily by Civista. Generally, subject to applicable minimum capital requirements, Civista may declare and pay a dividend without the approval of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (the “Federal Reserve Bank”) and the ODFI, provided the total dividends in a calendar year do not exceed the total of its profits for that year combined with its retained profits for the two preceding years. At December 31, 2023, Civista was able to pay approximately $56,886 of dividends to CBI without obtaining regulatory approval. During 2023, Civista paid dividends totaling $28,100 to CBI. This represented approximately 65 percent of Civista’s earnings for the year.

The Company manages its liquidity and capital through quarterly Asset/Liability Management Committee (ALCO) meetings. The ALCO discusses issues like those in the above paragraphs as well as others that may affect the future liquidity and capital position of the Company. The ALCO also examines interest rate risk and the effect that changes in rates will have on the Company. For more information about interest rate risk, please refer to “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” section below.

Capital Adequacy

Shareholders’ equity totaled $372,002 at December 31, 2023 compared to $334,835 at December 31, 2022. The increase in shareholders’ equity resulted primarily from net income of $42,964, which was partially offset by a $768 net increase in the Company’s pension liability and an increase in the fair value of securities available for sale, net of tax, of $9,747, together with dividends on common shares of $9,599 and repurchase of common shares totaling $1,628 during 2023 pursuant to the Company’s publicly-announced share purchase programs.

During the first quarter of 2015, the Company adopted the new BASEL III regulatory capital framework as approved by the federal banking agencies. In addition to the other required capital ratios, the BASEL III rules also require the Company to maintain minimum amounts and ratios of Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) capital to risk-weighted assets (as these terms are defined in the BASEL III rules). Under the BASEL III rules, the Company elected to opt-out of including accumulated other comprehensive income in regulatory capital. All of the Company’s capital ratios exceeded the regulatory minimum guidelines as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 as identified in the following table:

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Common equity for the CET1 risk-based capital ratio includes common stock (plus related surplus) and retained earnings, plus limited amounts of minority interests in the form of common stock, less the majority of certain regulatory deductions.

Tier 1 capital includes common equity as defined for the CET1 risk-based capital ratio, plus certain non-cumulative preferred stock and related surplus, cumulative preferred stock and related surplus and trust preferred securities that have been grandfathered (but which are not permitted going forward), and limited amounts of minority interests in the form of additional Tier 1 capital instruments, less certain deductions.

Tier 2 capital, which can be included in the total capital ratio, includes certain capital instruments (such as subordinated debt) and limited amounts of the allowance for loan and lease losses, subject to certain eligibility criteria, less applicable deductions.

The deductions from CET1 capital include goodwill and other intangibles, certain deferred tax assets, mortgage-servicing assets above certain levels, gains on sale in connection with a securitization, investments in a banking organization’s own capital instruments and investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions (above certain levels).

Under applicable regulatory guidelines, capital is compared to the relative risk related to the balance sheet. To derive the risk included in the balance sheet, one of several risk weights is applied to different balance sheet and off-balance sheet assets, primarily based on the relative credit risk of the counterparty. The capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings and other factors.

The BASEL III regulatory capital rules and regulations also place restrictions on the payment of capital distributions, including dividends, and certain discretionary bonus payments to executive officers if the company does not hold a capital conservation buffer of at least 2.5 percent composed of CET1 capital above its minimum risk-based capital requirements, or if its eligible retained income is negative in that quarter and its capital conservation buffer ratio was less than 2.5 percent at the beginning of the quarter.

Effects of Inflation

The Company’s balance sheet is typical of financial institutions and reflects a net positive monetary position whereby monetary assets exceed monetary liabilities. Monetary assets and liabilities are those which can be converted to a fixed number of dollars and include cash assets, securities, loans, money market instruments, deposits and borrowed funds.

During periods of inflation, a net positive monetary position may result in an overall decline in purchasing power of an entity. However, no clear evidence exists of a relationship between the purchasing power of an entity’s net positive monetary position and its future earnings. Moreover, the Company’s ability to preserve the purchasing power of its net positive monetary position will be partly influenced by the effectiveness of its asset/liability management program. As part of the asset/liability management process, management reviews and monitors information and projections on inflation as published by the Federal Reserve Board and other sources. This information speaks to inflation as determined by its impact on consumer prices and also the correlation of inflation and interest rates. This information is but one component in an asset/liability management process designed to limit the impact of inflation on the Company. Management does not believe that the effect of inflation on its nonmonetary assets (primarily bank premises and equipment) is material as such assets are not held for resale and significant disposals are not anticipated.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company has disclosed the fair value of its financial instruments at December 31, 2023 and 2022 in Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The fair value of loans at December 31, 2023 was 94.9% of the carrying value compared to 96.5% at December 31, 2022. The fair value of deposits at December 31, 2023 was 100.0% of the carrying value compared to 100.0% at December 31, 2022. Changes in fair value were primarily due to changes in the discount values used to measure fair value.

The Company’s primary market risk exposure is interest-rate risk and, to a lesser extent, liquidity risk. All of the Company’s transactions are denominated in U.S. dollars with no specific foreign exchange exposure.

Interest-rate risk is the exposure of a banking organization’s financial condition to adverse movements in interest rates. Accepting this risk can be an important source of profitability and shareholder value. However, excessive levels of interest-rate risk can pose a significant threat to the Company’s earnings and capital base. Accordingly, effective risk management that maintains interest-rate risk at prudent levels is essential to the Company’s safety and soundness.

Evaluating a financial institution’s exposure to changes in interest rates includes assessing both the adequacy of the management process used to control interest-rate risk and the organization’s quantitative level of exposure. When assessing the interest-rate risk management process, the Company seeks to ensure that appropriate policies, procedures, management information systems and internal controls are in place to maintain interest-rate risk at prudent levels with consistency and continuity. Evaluating the quantitative level of interest rate risk exposure requires the Company to assess the existing and potential future effects of changes in interest rates on its consolidated financial condition, including capital adequacy, earnings, liquidity and, where appropriate, asset quality.

The Federal Reserve Board, together with the OCC and FDIC, adopted a Joint Agency Policy Statement on interest-rate risk, effective June 26, 1996. The policy statement provides guidance to examiners and bankers on sound practices for managing interest-rate risk, which will form the basis for ongoing evaluation of the adequacy of interest-rate risk management at supervised institutions. The policy statement also outlines fundamental elements of sound management that have been identified in prior Federal Reserve guidance and discusses the importance of these elements in the context of managing interest-rate risk. Specifically, the guidance emphasizes the need for active board of director and senior management oversight and a comprehensive risk-management process that effectively identifies, measures, and controls interest-rate risk. Financial institutions derive their income primarily from the excess of interest collected over interest paid. The rates of interest an institution earns on its assets and owes on its liabilities generally are established contractually for a period of time. Since market interest rates change over time, an institution is exposed to lower profit margins (or losses) if it cannot adapt to interest-rate changes. For example, assume that an institution’s assets carry intermediate- or long-term fixed rates and that those assets were funded with short-term liabilities. If market interest rates rise by the time the short-term liabilities must be refinanced, the increase in the institution’s interest expense on its liabilities may not be sufficiently offset if assets continue to earn at the long-term fixed rates. Accordingly, an institution’s profits could decrease on existing assets because the institution will have either lower net interest income or, possibly, net interest expense. Similar risks exist when assets are subject to contractual interest-rate ceilings, or rate sensitive assets are funded by longer-term, fixed-rate liabilities in a decreasing-rate environment.

Several techniques may be used by an institution to minimize interest-rate risk. One approach used by the Company is to periodically analyze its assets and liabilities and make future financing and investment decisions based on payment streams, interest rates, contractual maturities, and estimated sensitivity to actual or potential changes in market interest rates. Such activities fall under the broad definition of asset/liability management. The Company’s primary asset/liability management technique is the measurement of the Company’s asset/liability gap, that is, the difference between the cash flow amounts of interest sensitive assets and liabilities that will be refinanced (or repriced) during a given period. For example, if the asset amount to be repriced exceeds the corresponding liability amount for a certain day, month, year, or longer period, the institution is in an asset sensitive gap position. In this situation, net interest income would increase if market interest rates rose or decrease if market interest rates fell.

If, alternatively, more liabilities than assets will reprice, the institution is in a liability sensitive position. Accordingly, net interest income would decline when rates rose and increase when rates fell. Also, these examples assume that interest rate changes for assets and liabilities are of the same magnitude, whereas actual interest rate changes generally differ in magnitude for assets and liabilities.

Several ways an institution can manage interest-rate risk include selling existing assets or repaying certain liabilities and matching repricing periods for new assets and liabilities, for example, by shortening terms of new loans or securities. Financial institutions are also subject to prepayment risk in falling rate environments. For example, mortgage loans and other financial assets may be prepaid by a debtor so that the debtor may refinance its obligations at new, lower rates. The Company does not have significant derivative financial instruments and does not intend to purchase a significant amount of such instruments in the near future. Prepayments of assets carrying higher rates reduce the Company’s interest income and overall asset yields. A large portion of an institution’s liabilities may be short term or due on demand, while most of its assets may be invested in long term loans or securities. Accordingly, the Company seeks to have in place sources of cash to meet short-term demands. These funds can be obtained by increasing deposits, borrowing, or selling assets. Also, FHLB advances and wholesale borrowings may be used as important sources of liquidity for the Company.

The following table provides information about the Company’s financial instruments that were sensitive to changes in interest rates as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, based on certain prepayment and account decay assumptions that management believes are reasonable. Although the Company had derivative financial instruments as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the changes in fair value of the assets and liabilities of the underlying contracts offset each other. For more information about derivative financial instruments see Note 22 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Expected maturity date values for interest-bearing core deposits were calculated based on estimates of the period over which the deposits would be outstanding. The Company’s borrowings were tabulated by contractual maturity dates and without regard to any conversion or repricing dates.

Net Portfolio Value

The change in net portfolio value from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023, can be attributed to a couple of factors. The yield remains inverted, and the short end has steepened since the end of the year. Additionally, both the volume and mix of assets and funding sources has changed. The volume of loans has increased, and the asset mix remains centered on loans. The volume of certificates of deposit has increased and both non-maturing deposits and borrowed money have decreased. The volume and mix shifts from the end of the year contributed to an increase in the base net portfolio value. Beyond the change in the base level of net portfolio value, projected movements in rates, up or down, would also lead to changes in market values. A 200 basis point change in the rates up scenario would lead to a slightly larger decrease in the market value of assets than liabilities. Accordingly, we see a decrease in the net portfolio value. A 200 basis points change in the rates down scenario would lead to a larger increase in the market value of liabilities than in assets, leading to a decrease in the net portfolio value.

Critical Accounting Policies

Allowance for Credit losses: The allowance for credit losses is regularly reviewed by management to determine that the amount is considered adequate to absorb probable losses in the loan portfolio. If not, an additional provision is made to increase the allowance. This evaluation includes specific loss estimates on certain individually reviewed impaired loans, the pooling of commercial credits risk graded as special mention and substandard that are not individually analyzed, and general loss estimates that are based upon the size, quality, and concentration characteristics of the various loan portfolios, adverse situations that may affect a borrower’s ability to repay, and current economic and industry conditions, among other items.

Those judgments and assumptions that are most critical to the application of this accounting policy are assessing the initial and on-going credit-worthiness of the borrower, the amount and timing of future cash flows of the borrower that are available for repayment of the loan, the sufficiency of underlying collateral, the enforceability of third-party guarantees, the frequency and subjectivity of loan reviews and risk ratings, emerging or changing trends that might not be fully captured in the historical loss experience, and charges against the allowance for actual losses that are greater than previously estimated. These judgments and assumptions are dependent upon or can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the breadth and depth of experience of lending officers, credit administration and the corporate loan review staff that periodically review the status of the loan, changing economic and industry conditions, changes in the financial condition of the borrower and changes in the value and availability of the underlying collateral and guarantees.

Note 1 and Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements provide additional information regarding the Allowance for Credit losses.

Goodwill: The Company accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. Accordingly, the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed are recorded at their estimated fair values as of the date of acquisition with any excess of the cost of the acquisition over the fair value recorded as goodwill. The Company performs an evaluation of goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. The evaluation for impairment involves comparing the current estimated fair value of the Company to its carrying value. If the current estimated fair value exceeds the carrying value, no additional testing is required and an impairment loss is not recorded. If the estimated fair value is less than the carrying value, further valuation procedures are performed that could result in impairment of goodwill being recorded. Management estimated the fair value of the Reporting Unit as of the measurement date utilizing four valuation approaches: the comparable transactions approach, the control premium approach, the public market peers control premium approach and the discounted cash flow approach. These approaches were all considered in reaching a conclusion on fair value. The estimated fair value of the Reporting Unit was then compared to the current carrying value to determine if impairment had occurred. It is our opinion that, as of the November 30, 2023 measurement date, the aggregate fair value of the Reporting Unit exceeds the carrying value of the Reporting Unit. Therefore management concluded that goodwill was not impaired and made no adjustment in 2023.

Income Taxes: Management’s determination of the realization of net deferred tax assets is based upon management’s judgment of various future events and uncertainties, including the timing and amount of future income, as well as the implementation of various tax planning strategies to maximize realization of the deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

Management analyzes material tax positions taken in any income tax return for any tax jurisdiction and determines the likelihood of the positions being sustained in a tax examination. A tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded.

Available for Sale (“AFS”) Debt Securities: For AFS securities in an unrealized loss position, management assesses whether (i) we intend to sell, or (ii) it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either case is affirmative, any previously recognized allowances are charged-off and the security's amortized cost is written down to fair value through income. If neither case is affirmative, the security is evaluated to determine whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, management considers the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency and any adverse conditions specifically related to the security, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss exists and an allowance for credit losses is recorded for the credit loss, limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Any impairment that has not been recorded through an allowance for credit losses is recognized in other comprehensive income. Adjustments to the allowance are reported in our income statement as a component of credit loss expense. AFS securities are charged-off against the allowance or, in the absence of any allowance, written down through income when deemed uncollectible by management or when either of the aforementioned criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met.

Pension Benefits: Pension costs and liabilities are dependent on assumptions used in calculating such amounts. These assumptions include discount rates, benefits earned, interest costs, expected return on plan assets, mortality rates, and other factors. In accordance with GAAP, actual results that differ from the assumptions are accumulated and amortized over future periods and, therefore, generally affect recognized expense and the recorded obligation of future periods. While management believes that the assumptions used are appropriate, differences in actual experience or changes in assumptions may affect the Company’s pension obligations and future expense. Our pension benefits are described further in Note 15 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.”

Derivative Financial Instruments: In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into derivative financial instruments in connection with its asset/liability management activities and to accommodate the needs of its customers. Derivative financial instruments are stated at fair value on the Consolidated Statement of Conditions with changes in fair value reposted in current earnings.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Principal Accounting Officer, we evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act, as of the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Principal Accounting Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2023, were effective.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The “MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING” is included in "ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Audit Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

The “REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM” is included in "ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA" of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.