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Can The First of Long Island Corporation (NASDAQ:FLIC) Survive The Next Financial Crisis?

Sean Barnes

The First of Long Island Corporation’s (NASDAQ:FLIC) profitability and risk are largely affected by the underlying economic growth for the region it operates in US given it is a small-cap stock with a market capitalisation of US$542m. A bank’s cash flow is directly impacted by economic growth as it is the main driver of deposit levels and demand for loans which it profits from. After the Financial Crisis in 2008, a set of reforms called Basel III was created with the purpose of strengthening regulation, risk management and supervision in the banking sector. These reforms target bank level regulation and aims to improve the banking sector’s ability to absorb shocks arising from economic stress which could expose financial institutions to vulnerabilities. Unpredictable macro events such as political instability could weaken its financial position which is why it is important to understand how well the bank manages its risk levels. Low levels of leverage coupled with sufficient liquidity may place First of Long Island in a safe position in the face of adverse headwinds. We can measure this risk exposure by analysing three metrics for leverage and liquidity which I will take you through today.

View our latest analysis for First of Long Island


NasdaqCM:FLIC Historical Debt January 15th 19

Is FLIC’s Leverage Level Appropriate?

A low level of leverage subjects a bank to less risk and enhances its ability to pay back its debtors. Leverage can be thought of as the amount of assets a bank owns relative to its shareholders’ funds. Though banks are required to have a certain level of buffer to meet its capital requirements, First of Long Island’s leverage level of 11.18x is very safe and substantially below the maximum limit of 20x. With assets 11.18 times equity, the banks has maintained a prudent level of its own fund relative to borrowed fund which places it in a strong position to pay back its debt in times of adverse events. If the bank needs to firm up its capital cushion, it has ample headroom to increase its debt level without deteriorating its financial position.

What Is FLIC’s Level of Liquidity?

Handing Money Transparent

Since loans are relatively illiquid, we should know how much of First of Long Island’s total assets are comprised of these loans. Usually, they should not be higher than 70% of total assets, but its current level of 75% means the bank has lent out 5% above the sensible upper limit. This indicates that revenue is dependent on this particular asset but also the bank is more exposed to default compared to banks with less loans.

What is FLIC’s Liquidity Discrepancy?

Banks operate by lending out its customers’ deposits as loans and charge a higher interest rate. Loans are generally fixed term which means they cannot be readily realized, conversely, on the liability side, customer deposits must be paid in very short notice and on-demand. The disparity between the immediacy of deposits compared to the illiquid nature of loans puts pressure on the bank’s financial position if an adverse event requires the bank to repay its depositors. Relative to the prudent industry loan to deposit level of 90%, First of Long Island’s ratio of over 101% is higher, which positions the bank in a risky spot given the adverse liquidity disparity between loan and deposit levels. Basically, for $1 of deposits with the bank, it lends out over $1 which is imprudent.

Next Steps:

Today, we’ve only explored one aspect of First of Long Island. However, as a potential stock investment, there are many more fundamentals you need to consider. Below, I’ve compiled three essential factors you should look at:

  1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for FLIC’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for FLIC’s outlook.
  2. Valuation: What is FLIC worth today? Has the future growth potential already been factored into the price? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether FLIC is currently mispriced by the market.

