Understated Factors To Consider Before Investing In Atlantic Capital Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:ACBI)

Atlantic Capital Bancshares Inc’s (NASDAQ:ACBI) 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$481m. Since banks make money by reinvesting its customers’ deposits in the form of loans, strong economic growth will drive the level of savings deposits and demand for loans, directly impacting the cash flows of those banks. Post-GFC recovery brought about a new set of reforms, Basel III, which was created to improve regulation, supervision and risk management in the financial services industry. Basel III target banking regulations to improve the sector’s ability to absorb shocks resulting from economic stress which may expose financial institutions like Atlantic Capital Bancshares 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. Sufficient liquidity and low levels of leverage could place the bank in a safe place in case of unexpected macro headwinds. Today we will be measuring Atlantic Capital Bancshares’s financial risk position by looking at three leverage and liquidity metrics.

Check out our latest analysis for Atlantic Capital Bancshares

NasdaqGS:ACBI Historical Debt December 3rd 18
NasdaqGS:ACBI Historical Debt December 3rd 18

Why Does ACBI’s Leverage Matter?

Banks with low leverage are exposed to lower risks around their ability to repay debt. A bank’s leverage can be thought of as the amount of assets it holds compared to its own shareholders’ funds. While financial companies will always have some leverage for a sufficient capital buffer, Atlantic Capital Bancshares’s leverage ratio of 9x is significantly below the appropriate ceiling of 20x. This means the bank exhibits very strong leverage management and is well-positioned to repay its debtors in the case of any adverse events since it has an appropriately high level of equity relative to the debt it has taken on to remain in business. If the bank needs to increase its debt levels to firm up its capital cushion, there is plenty of headroom to do so without deteriorating its financial position.

What Is ACBI’s Level of Liquidity?

Handing Money Transparent As abovementioned, loans are quite illiquid so it is important to understand how much of these loans make up Atlantic Capital Bancshares’s total assets. Generally, they should make up less than 70% of total assets, however its current level of 70% means the bank has lent out 0.0020% above the sensible threshold. This level implies dependency on this particular asset class as a source of revenue which makes the bank more likely to be exposed to default compared to its competitors with less loans.

Does ACBI Have Liquidity Mismatch?

Banks operate by lending out its customers’ deposits as loans and charge a higher interest rate. These loans may be fixed term and often cannot be readily realized, conversely, on the liability side, customer deposits must be paid in very short notice and on-demand. The discrepancy between loan assets and deposit liabilities threatens the bank’s financial position. If an adverse event occurs, it may not be well-placed to repay its depositors immediately. Relative to the prudent industry loan to deposit level of 90%, Atlantic Capital Bancshares’s ratio of over 85%is appropriately lower, which positions the bank cautiously in terms of liquidity as it has not disproportionately lent out its deposits and has retained an apt level of deposits.

Next Steps:

Passing two of the three checks for liquidity and leverage demonstrates a relatively sensible operational risk management by the bank. This means it is well-placed to meet its financial obligations in the case of any adverse and unpredictable macro events. Keep in mind that a stock investment requires research on more than just its operational side. Below, I’ve compiled three important aspects you should look at:

  1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for ACBI’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for ACBI’s outlook.
  2. Valuation: What is ACBI 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 ACBI is currently mispriced by the market.

