Bridgewater Bancshares, Inc. Annual Report

Market and Interest Rate Risks Our business is subject to interest rate risk, and fluctuations in interest rates may adversely affect our earnings. Fluctuations in interest rates may negatively affect our business and may weaken demand for some of our products. Our earnings and cash flows are largely dependent on our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income that we earn on interest earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and the interest expense that we pay on interest bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. Additionally, changes in interest rates also affect our ability to fund our operations with client deposits and the fair value of securities in our investment portfolio. Therefore, any change in general market interest rates, including changes in federal fiscal and monetary policies, can have a significant effect on our net interest income and results of operations. Our interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities may react in different degrees to changes in market interest rates. Interest rates on some types of assets and liabilities may fluctuate prior to changes in broader market interest rates, while rates on other types of assets and liabilities may lag behind. The result of these changes to rates may cause differing spreads on interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities. We cannot control or accurately predict changes in market rates of interest. Interest rates are volatile and highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, such as economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies, and, in particular U.S. monetary policy. For example, we face uncertainty regarding the interest rate risk, and resulting effect on our portfolio, that could result when the Federal Reserve reduces the amount of securities it holds on its balance sheet. In recent years, it has been the policy of the Federal Reserve to maintain interest rates at historically low levels through a targeted federal funds rate and the purchase of U.S. Treasury and mortgage-backed securities. As a result, yields on securities we have purchased, and market rates on the loans we have originated, have generally been at levels lower than were available prior to the financial crisis. Consequently, the average yield on the Bank’s interest-earning assets has generally decreased during the current low interest rate environment. If a low interest rate environment persists, we may be unable to increase our net interest income. As of December 31, 2019, we had $447.5 million of noninterest bearing deposit accounts and $1.38 billion of interest bearing deposit accounts. We do not know what future market rates will be. If we need to offer higher interest rates on these accounts to maintain current clients or attract new clients, our interest expense will increase, perhaps materially. Furthermore, if we fail to offer interest in a sufficient amount to keep these demand deposits, our core deposits may be reduced, which would require us to obtain funding in other ways or risk slowing our future asset growth. We could recognize losses on securities held in our securities portfolio, particularly if interest rates increase or economic and market conditions deteriorate. As of December 31, 2019, the fair value of our securities portfolio was approximately $289.9 million, or 12.8% of our total assets. Factors beyond our control can significantly influence the fair value of securities in our portfolio and can cause potential adverse changes to the fair value of these securities. For example, fixed-rate securities acquired by us are generally subject to decreases in market value when interest rates rise. Additional factors include, but are not limited to, rating agency downgrades of the securities or our own analysis of the value of the security, defaults by the issuer or individual mortgagors with respect to the underlying securities and instability in the credit markets. Any of the foregoing factors could cause an other than temporary impairment in future periods and result in realized losses. The process for determining whether impairment is other than temporary usually requires difficult, subjective judgments about the future financial performance of the issuer and any collateral underlying the security in order to assess the probability of receiving all contractual principal and interest payments on the security. Because of changing economic and market conditions affecting interest rates, the financial condition of issuers of the securities and the performance of the underlying collateral, we may recognize realized or unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

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