Forward-Looking Statements
This 2014 Year in Review, periodic reports filed by Regions Financial Corporation under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any other written or oral statements made by us or on our behalf may include forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The terms “Regions,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” mean Regions Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation and its subsidiaries, when or where appropriate. The words “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,”“targets,” “projects,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “can” and similar expressions often signify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information, but rather are related to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations as well as certain assumptions and estimates made by, and information available to, management at the time the statements are made. Those statements are based on general assumptions and are subject to various risks, and because they also relate to the future they are likewise subject to inherent uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the views, beliefs and projections expressed in such statements. Therefore, we caution you against relying on any of these forward- looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the risks described below:
- Current and future economic and market conditions in the United States generally or in the communities we serve, including the effects of declines in property values, unemployment rates and potential reductions of economic growth, which may adversely affect our lending and other businesses and our financial results and conditions.
- Possible changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies of, and other activities undertaken by, governments, agencies, central banks and similar organizations, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings.
- The effects of a possible downgrade in the U.S. government’s sovereign credit rating or outlook, which could result in risks to us and general economic conditions that we are not able to predict.
- Possible changes in market interest rates or capital markets could adversely affect our revenue and expense, the value of assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital and liquidity.
- Any impairment of our goodwill or other intangibles, or any adjustment of valuation allowances on our deferred tax assets due to adverse changes in the economic environment, declining operations of the reporting unit, or other factors.
- Possible changes in the creditworthiness of customers and the possible impairment of the collectability of loans.
- Changes in the speed of loan prepayments, loan origination and sale volumes, charge-offs, loan loss provisions or actual loan losses where our allowance for loan losses may not be adequate to cover our eventual losses.
- Possible acceleration of prepayments on mortgage-backed securities due to low interest rates, and the related acceleration of premium amortization on those securities.
- Our ability to effectively compete with other financial services companies, some of whom possess greater financial resources than we do and are subject to different regulatory standards than we are.
- Loss of customer checking and savings account deposits as customers pursue other, higher-yield investments, which could increase our funding costs.
- Our inability to develop and gain acceptance from current and prospective customers for new products and services in a timely manner could have a negative impact on our revenue.
- The effects of problems encountered by other financial institutions that adversely affect us or the banking industry generally could require us to change certain business practices, reduce our revenue, impose additional costs on us, or otherwise negatively affect our businesses.
- The effects of the failure of any component of our business infrastructure provided by a third party could disrupt our businesses; result in the disclosure of and/or misuse of confidential information or proprietary information; increase our costs; negatively affect our reputation; and cause losses.
- Our ability to receive dividends from our subsidiaries could affect our liquidity and ability to pay dividends to stockholders.
- Changes in laws and regulations affecting our businesses, such as the Dodd-Frank Act and other legislation and regulations relating to bank products and services, as well as changes in the enforcement and interpretation of such laws and regulations by applicable governmental and self-regulatory agencies, which could require us to change certain business practices, increase compliance risk, reduce our revenue, impose additional costs on us, or otherwise negatively affect our businesses.
- Our ability to obtain no regulatory objection (as part of the comprehensive capital analysis and review (“CCAR”) process or otherwise) to take certain capital actions, including paying dividends and any plans to increase common stock dividends, repurchase common stock under current or future programs, or redeem preferred stock or other regulatory capital instruments, may impact our ability to return capital to stockholders and market perceptions of us.
- The costs, including possibly incurring fines, penalties, or other negative effects (including reputational harm) of any adverse judicial, administrative, or arbitral rulings or proceedings, regulatory enforcement actions, or other legal actions to which we or any of our subsidiaries are a party, and which may adversely affect our results.
- Our ability to manage fluctuations in the value of assets and liabilities and off-balance sheet exposure so as to maintain sufficient capital and liquidity to support our business.
- Possible changes in consumer and business spending and saving habits and the related effect on our ability to increase assets and to attract deposits, which could adversely affect our net income.
- Any inaccurate or incomplete information provided to us by our customers or counterparties.
- Inability of our framework to manage risks associated with our business such as credit risk and operational risk, including third-party vendors and other service providers, which could, among other things, result in a breach of operating or security systems as a result of a cyber attack or similar act.
- The inability of our internal disclosure controls and procedures to prevent, detect or mitigate any material errors or fraudulent acts.
- The effects of geopolitical instability, including wars, conflicts and terrorist attacks and the potential impact, directly or indirectly on our businesses.
- The effects of man-made and natural disasters, including fires, floods, droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, and environmental damage, which may negatively affect our operations and/or our loan portfolios and increase our cost of conducting business.
- Our inability to keep pace with technological changes could result in losing business to competitors.
- Our ability to identify and address cyber-security risks such as data security breaches, “denial of service” attacks, “hacking” and identity theft, a failure of which could disrupt our business and result in the disclosure of and/or misuse or misappropriation of confidential or proprietary information; increased costs; losses; or adverse effects to our reputation.
- Possible downgrades in our credit ratings or outlook could increase the costs of funding from capital markets.
- Changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other regulatory agencies could materially affect how we report our financial results.
- The effects of any damage to our reputation resulting from developments related to any of the items identified above.
You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all of them. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements that are made from time to time, either as a result of future developments, new information or otherwise, except as may be required by law.