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Fulton Financial

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FY2017 Annual Report · Fulton Financial
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The Columbia Bank  •  FNB Bank, N.A.  •  Fulton Bank, N.A.

Fulton Bank of New Jersey  •  Lafayette Ambassador Bank  •  Swineford National Bank 

Lorem ipsum

The Columbia Bank  •  FNB Bank, N.A.  •  Fulton Bank, N.A.
Fulton Bank of New Jersey  •  Lafayette Ambassador Bank  •  Swineford National Bank 

The Columbia Bank  •  FNB Bank, N.A.  •  Fulton Bank, N.A.
Fulton Bank of New Jersey  •  Lafayette Ambassador Bank  •  Swineford National Bank 

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3/19/18   5:03 PM

Dear Shareholder:

It was another solid year for our company, as 
we achieved record levels in revenue and net 
income, excluding the impact of the tax charge1 
resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted 
in December 2017. Our financial results in 2017 
reflected continued progress in executing our 
growth strategies, and the benefit of multiple 
interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve. We 
generated meaningful positive operating leverage, 
a goal that we set out to achieve at the beginning 
of the year. For the year ended December 31, 2017, 
we reported diluted earnings per share of $0.98, 
an increase of 5.4% compared to 2016. Excluding 
the impact of the tax charge, we reported diluted 
earnings per share of $1.07, an increase of 15.0% 
from 2016.  

On the regulatory front, the Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) terminated 
the consent orders that it issued to three of our 
bank subsidiaries - Fulton Bank, N.A.; FNB Bank, 
N.A.; and Swineford National Bank - relating to 
deficiencies in the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-
Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”) compliance 
programs at those banks. We are pleased with 
this acknowledgement of the significant progress 
we have made in strengthening our BSA/AML 
compliance programs and remediating the 
deficiencies identified in the OCC consent orders. 
We are working diligently to achieve a similar 
resolution with respect to the remaining BSA/AML 
consent orders.  

In the meantime, we continue to prepare for the 
consolidation of our affiliate banks into a single 
bank, and move the organization forward in 
other ways by focusing on growth, efficiency, and 
profitability to drive shareholder value.

Loan and Deposit Growth

Loans grew 7.3% in 2017, and was driven by 
growth in most of our loan portfolios. Growth in 
our commercial loan portfolio was concentrated 
primarily in our Pennsylvania market, while 
growth in our residential mortgage portfolio 
was concentrated primarily in our Maryland and 

Virginia markets. Asset quality continued to be 
stable, and delinquencies and net charge-offs 
remained near historically low levels.

Turning to deposits, we were pleased with our 
deposit growth for 2017. Fulton funds its loans 
primarily with consumer and commercial deposits.  
Over the last several years, we have decreased our 
reliance on higher-cost time deposits in favor of less 
expensive demand and savings deposits. Demand 
and savings deposits increased 6.4% in 2017, while 
higher-cost time deposits decreased by 3.2% for the 
same period. The growth in demand and savings 
deposits was driven primarily by our consumer 
business. 

Non-interest Income and Expenses

Excluding securities gains, non-interest income 
increased by 6.0% in 2017. Non-interest income 
growth was lower than expected due, in large part, 
to mortgage banking. While mortgage originations 
increased 9.0%, 2017 saw a shift in production 
with 50% of all originations being retained in the 
portfolio versus being sold. Although the growth 
in the portfolio contributed to an increase in net 
interest income, the shift had a negative impact 
to gain on sale income in 2017. Investment 
management and trust services income grew at 
a strong pace in 2017, and our commercial loan 
interest rate swap, treasury services and Small 
Business Administration lending businesses all 
made notable contributions, as did debit and credit 
card income.  

Turning to expenses, our non-interest expenses 
increased 7.4% in 2017. The efficiency ratio2 
for 2017 improved to 64.5%, within our goal of 
60.0% - 65.0%. In 2018, we will continue to invest 
in upgrading our systems and optimizing our 
customer delivery channels while preparing for 
bank charter consolidation. In addition, we plan 
on sharing some of the benefits from the new tax 
legislation with our employees, and increasing 
our investment in the communities we serve 
through our Fulton Forward™ initiative. Expense 
management is a top priority. We continually look 
for ways to make our organization more efficient 
while continuing to invest in our company to 

support a larger organization that can benefit from 
economies of scale.

Capital Management and Deployment/Enhancing 
Shareholder Value

In 2017, we increased our quarterly common 
dividend by $0.01 to $0.11 per share, and paid 
a $0.03 special dividend in the 4th quarter. We 
did not repurchase any common stock in 2017, 
but have approximately $31.5 million left in our 
current share repurchase program authorization 
that continues through December 31, 2018.

Our Board of Directors and management team 
look forward to meeting with shareholders at 
Fulton’s Annual Shareholders Meeting in Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania on Monday, May 21st at 10 a.m.  
Meeting registration materials have been mailed 
with hard copies of this report; they are also 
available online. 

In closing, I want to again extend my gratitude 
for your continued confidence in Fulton. Please be 
assured that every member of our team is working 
hard to enhance the value of your investment.

Looking Ahead

Very truly yours, 

Our mission is to increase shareholder value 
and enrich the communities we serve by caring, 
listening, understanding and delivering a 
consistently superior customer experience. Our 
strategic plan and related goals and objectives 
are guided by this mission. As a shareholder, it is 
important that you know the goals and objectives 
that your senior management team seeks to 
accomplish in 2018. They are:

• Investing in talent for targeted business 
   units and markets;

• Investing in digital capabilities and broader 
   technology initiatives to enhance the 
   customer experience and gain efficiencies;

• Optimizing  our customer delivery channels, 
   including the process of redesigning of our 
   branch network;

• Promoting home ownership to low- and 
   moderate-income and minority individuals 
   through our Fulton Forward™ initiative;

• Preparing for the planned consolidation of 
   our affiliate banks;

• Continuing our disciplined expense control;

• Establishing the sustainability of the 
   framework and processes we put in place 
   to emerge from the remaining  regulatory 
   enforcement orders concerning our BSA/AML 
   compliance program;

• Focusing on growth, efficiency and 
   profitability to drive shareholder value.

E. Philip Wenger
Chairman and CEO 

1During the fourth quarter of 2017, an estimated $15.6 million charge to income 
taxes was recorded related to the re-measurement of net deferred tax assets as 
a result of the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.    

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statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future 
performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which are 
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described in the forward-looking statements, can be found in the sections 
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(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:50)(cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:180)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:36)(cid:81)(cid:81)(cid:88)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:53)(cid:72)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:41)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:20)(cid:19)(cid:16)(cid:46)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)
(cid:92)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:39)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:69)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:22)(cid:20)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:21)(cid:19)(cid:20)(cid:26)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:58)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:78)(cid:72)(cid:3)
(cid:81)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:84)(cid:88)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:90)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:88)(cid:83)(cid:71)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:89)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:71)(cid:16)
(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:78)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:90)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:73)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:72)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)
otherwise.

 
SENIOR MANAGEMENT, DIRECTORS
& ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

FULTON FINANCIAL CORP. 
SENIOR MANAGEMENT

SUBSIDIARY BANK BOARDS 
OF DIRECTORS

HAMPTON ROADS DIVISION
David Durham, Chair

E. Philip Wenger 
Chairman and Chief  Executive Officer

Curtis J. Myers
President and Chief Operating Officer - Fulton 
Financial Corporation and Fulton Bank

David M. Campbell
Senior Executive Vice President/Strategic Initiatives 
and Operations

Beth Ann L. Chivinski
Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Risk Officer

Mark R. McCollom
Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Financial 
Officer

Meg R. Mueller
Senior Executive Vice President/Head of Commercial 
Banking

Craig A. Roda, Retiring May 2018
Senior Executive Vice President/Community Banking
of Fulton Financial Corporation and Chairman and 
XChief Executive Officer of Fulton Bank

Angela M. Sargent 
Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Information 
Officer

Angela M. Snyder
Senior Executive Vice President/Head of Consumer 
Banking of Fulton Financial Corporation and 
Chairwoman, President and Chief Executive Officer of 
Fulton Bank of New Jersey

Daniel R. Stolzer 
Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Legal Officer 
and Corporate Secretary

Bernadette M. Taylor
Senior Executive Vice President/Chief Human 
Resources Officer

FULTON FINANCIAL CORP. 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
E. Philip Wenger, Chair

Lisa Crutchfield

Denise L. Devine

Patrick J. Freer

George W. Hodges

Albert Morrison, III

James R. Moxley, III

R. Scott Smith, Jr.

Scott A. Snyder

Ronald H. Spair

Mark F. Strauss, Esq.

Ernest J. Waters

FULTON BANK, N.A.
Craig A. Roda, Chair, Retiring May 2018

Jennifer Craighead Carey

Steven S. Etter

Carlos E. Graupera

George W. Hodges

George Keith Martin

Curtis J. Myers 

Ivy E. Silver

Ernest J. Waters

FULTON BANK, N.A   
DIVISIONAL BOARDS

BRANDYWINE DIVISION

Michael Reese, Chair

Dallas Krapf

James D. McLeod, Jr.

Michael J. O’Rourke

Kathryn V. Snyder

CAPITAL DIVISION
Joseph F. Rilatt, Chair

James C. Byerly

Samuel T. Cooper III, Esq.

Beth A. Peiffer

Steven C. Wilds

CENTRAL VIRGINIA DIVISION
Karen Frye, Chair

Robert H. Keiter, C.P.A.

George Keith Martin

J. Keith Middleton

Lloyd M. Poe

Robert E. Porter, Jr.

DELAWARE DIVISION
Katherine Wilkinson, Chair

Jeffrey M. Fried

Terry A. Megee

Ralph W. Simpers

David T. Wilgus 

GREATER BERKS DIVISION
Michele Richards, Chair

Eric G. Burkey

Marcelino Colon

William P. Gage

William G. Koch, Sr., C.P.A.

Chris G. Kraras

Diane Smith

Joanna Brumsey

William L. Stauffer, Jr.

Joseph D. Taylor, II

LANCASTER DIVISION
Philip N. Smith, Chair

Galen Eby

Dean A. Hoover

Robert A. Hostetter

Louis G. Hurst

Cinthia M. Kettering

Tony Legenstein

Kent M. Martin

Jessica H. May

Edward W. Monborne

Lori Pickell

David W. Sweigart, III

Harold W. Welk, Jr.

John D. Yoder

J. David Young, Jr., Esq.

LEBANON DIVISION
Kristen K. Watts, Chair

Barry E. Ansel

Jonathan R. Beers

Donald H. Dreibelbis

Robert J. Funk

Robert P. Hoffman

Wendie DiMatteo Holsinger

Kenneth C. Sandoe

NORTHERN VIRGINIA DIVISION
Karen Frye, Chair

Thomas M. Crutchfield, C.P.A. 

Manuel A. Ojeda

PREMIER DIVISION
Lou Lombardi, Chair

Anthony D. Cino

Rosemary Espanol

Robert Walton

STATE COLLEGE DIVISION
Leslie P. Temple, Chair

Elizabeth A. Dupuis

Thomas J. Kearney

Jeffrey M. Krauss

Thomas F. Songer, III

YORK DIVISION
Krista Snyder Darr, Chair

Vernon L. Bracey

Jevon L. Holland

Jeffrey L. Rehmeyer, II

Gary A. Stewart, Jr.

Christine R. Wardrop

Constance L. Wolf

AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD
James A. Angelucci

Harry H. Bachman

Robert Barley

Phoebe R. Bitler

Andrew S. Bollinger
Geoffrey Finch

Dennis L. Grumbine

William Hostetter

Aldus R. King

William D. Robinson

Scott I. Sechler

SWINEFORD NATIONAL BANK
Bryan L. Holmes, Chair

Arthur F. Bowen

Thomas C. Clark, Esq.

Michael N. O’Keefe

Joseph F. Rilatt

William D. Robinson

LAFAYETTE AMBASSADOR BANK
Meg Mueller, Chair

Joseph A. Bubba

Gary A. Clewell

Thomas Daub

Joseph R. Feilmeier
Robert E. Gadomski

Dolores Laputka

Jamie P. Musselman

FNB BANK, N.A.
Bryan L. Holmes, Chair

Robert O. Booth

James D. Hawkins

Kenneth A. Holdren

Joseph F. Rilatt

Wendy S. Tripoli

FULTON BANK OF NEW JERSEY
Angela M. Snyder, Chair

Christopher S. Bateman

Dennis N. DeSimone

Stephen R. Miller

Antoinette Pergolin

Anthony J. Santye, Jr.

Paul V. Stahlin

Mark F. Strauss, Esq.

Norman Worth

FULTON BANK OF NEW JERSEY 
DIVISIONAL BOARD

CENTRAL REGION

Sean Murray, Chair

Priscilla Luppke

George Robostello

Leonard Smith

Rachel Lilienthal Stark

Allen Weiss

THE COLUMBIA BANK
John A. Scaldara, Jr., Chair

Robert R. Bowie, Jr.

Donald R. Harsh

James R. Moxley, III

Mark A. Mullican

Gregory Snook

David K. Williams, Jr. 

Elizabeth M. Wright

THE COLUMBIA BANK  
DIVISIONAL BOARDS

HAGERSTOWN DIVISION

Donald R. Harsh, Jr., Chair

Paul N. Crampton, Jr.

Joseph C. Durham

Louis J. Giustini

Doris E. Lehman

Paul C. Mellott, Jr.

Mark A. Mullican

Gregory Snook

Michael S. Zampelli

ELKTON DIVISION
Katherine Wilkinson, Chair

Harry C. Brown

Donald S. Hicks

Mark A. Mullican 

Nancy R. Simpers 

David K. Williams, Jr.

P.O. Box 4887 
One Penn Square 
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS 
TO BE HELD 
MONDAY, MAY 21, 2018 AT 10:00 A.M.

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION: 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to the call of its Board of Directors, the Annual Meeting of 
the  shareholders  of  FULTON  FINANCIAL  CORPORATION  (“Fulton”)  will  be  held  on  Monday,  May  21,  2018, 
at 10:00 a.m., at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, 25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for the 
purpose of considering and voting upon the following matters: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. The election of twelve (12) director nominees to serve for one-year 
terms; 

 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROPOSAL. A non-binding say on pay (“Say-on-Pay”) resolution 
to approve the compensation of the named executive officers for 2017; 

 RATIFICATION  OF  INDEPENDENT  AUDITOR.  The  ratification  of  the  appointment  of  KPMG 
LLP as Fulton’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018; and 

 OTHER  BUSINESS.  Such  other  business  as  may  properly  be  brought  before  the  meeting  and  any 
adjournments thereof. 

Only those shareholders of record at the close of business on February 28, 2018, shall be entitled to be given 
notice of, to attend and to vote at the meeting. Please take a moment now to cast your vote over the Internet or by 
telephone in accordance with the instructions set forth on the enclosed proxy card, or, alternatively, if you received 
paper copies of the Proxy Statement and proxy card, to complete, sign and date the enclosed proxy card and return 
it in the postage-paid envelope provided. Shareholders attending the Annual Meeting in person may vote in person, 
even if they have previously voted by proxy. 

Voting via the Internet or by telephone is fast and convenient, and your vote is immediately tabulated and 
confirmed. Your Proxy is revocable and may be withdrawn at any time before it is voted at the meeting. You are 
cordially invited to attend the meeting. If you plan on attending, please RSVP that you will attend by returning 
the Annual Meeting Reservation Form enclosed or print and return the form posted at www.proxyvote.com. 

A copy of Fulton’s Annual Report on Form 10-K accompanies this Proxy Statement. 

Sincerely,

Daniel R. Stolzer  
Corporate Secretary 

Enclosures  
April 3, 2018

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT 
 
 
 
 
 
[This Page Intentionally Left Blank]PROXY STATEMENT 

Dated and To Be Mailed on or about: April 3, 2018

P.O. Box 4887, One Penn Square 
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604 
(717) 291-2411 

ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 21, 2018 AT 10:00 A.M. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
ANNUAL MEETING SUMMARY  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 

GENERAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
RSVP, Date, Time and Place of Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Shareholders Entitled to Vote and Attend Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Purpose of Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Solicitation of Proxies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Revocability and Voting of Proxies  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Voting Shares Held in Street Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 
Voting of Shares and Principal Holders Thereof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 
Recommendation of the Board of Directors  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 
Shareholder Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Contacting the Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Code of Conduct  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Corporate Governance Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

SELECTION OF DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Majority Vote Standard  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Procedure for Shareholder Nominations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Director Qualifications and Board Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS – Proposal One  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2018 Director Nominees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
Vote Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Recommendation of the Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 
Information about Nominees, Directors and Independence Standards  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 
Director Nominee Biographical Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 
Security Ownership of Directors, Nominees, Management and Certain Beneficial Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 
Meetings and Committees of the Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 
Human Resources Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 
Other Board Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 
Board’s Role in Risk Oversight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 
Lead Director and Fulton’s Leadership Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 
Executive Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

i

Annual Meeting Attendance  .................................................................................................................................. 21
Director Education and Board of Directors Development  ................................................................................... 21
Legal Proceedings  .................................................................................................................................................. 21
Related Person Transactions  .................................................................................................................................. 22
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance  ............................................................................... 23
Board of Directors and Committee Evaluations  ................................................................................................... 23
Compensation of Directors  .................................................................................................................................... 23
Director Compensation Table ................................................................................................................................. 25

INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPENSATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26
Compensation Discussion and Analysis   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26

Section  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Page
1.  Executive Summary  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  27
2.  Shareholder Say-on-Pay Proposal Historical Results  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
3.  Pay for Performance  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
4.  Compensation Philosophy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
5.  HR Committee Membership and Role  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
6.  Role of Management   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
7.  Use of Consultants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
8.  Use of a Peer Group  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
9.  Elements of Executive Compensation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34
10.  Employment Agreements   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
11.  Compensation Plan Risk Review   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  42
12.  Other Compensation Elements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  42

Human Resources Committee Report  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
Summary Compensation Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45
Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  48
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  49
Option Exercises and Stock Vested Table   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  50
Pension Benefits Table   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  50
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
Potential Payments Upon Termination and Golden Parachute Compensation Table   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  52
CEO Pay Ratio Disclosure   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  56

NON-BINDING SAY-ON-PAY RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION OF THE  
NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS – Proposal Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  57
Recommendation of the Board of Directors   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  57

RELATIONSHIP WITH INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  58

RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT AUDITOR – Proposal Three   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59
Recommendation of the Board of Directors   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60
Annual Report on Form 10-K  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60
Householding of Proxy Materials  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60
Sign Up for Electronic Delivery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60

OTHER MATTERS   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  61

EXHIBITS

Report of Audit Committee   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Exhibit A

ii

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL MEETING SUMMARY

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The Annual Meeting of the shareholders of Fulton (the “Annual Meeting”) will be held on 
Monday, May 21, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, 25 South 
Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Board of Directors has approved an agenda 
consisting of four proposals for the Annual Meeting, as described in the meeting notice 
and in more detail in this document.

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Proposal 1 (Page 9)

Proposal 2 (Page 57)

The election of the twelve (12) director 
nominees identified in this Proxy 
Statement.

The approval of the non-binding Say-on-
Pay resolution to approve the compensation 
of the named executive officers for 2017. 

Proposal 3 (Page 59)

The ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as Fulton’s independent auditor for 
the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote FOR the election of each of the 
twelve (12) director nominees identified in this Proxy Statement, FOR the approval of the 
non-binding Say-on-Pay resolution to approve the compensation of the named executive 
officers for 2017, and FOR the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as Fulton’s 
independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

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vote your shares by 
signing and 
returning your 
proxy card by U.S. 
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Shares Held in Street 
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If you would like to save paper and reduce the costs incurred by Fulton in 
printing and mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving all future 
proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or 

the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please go to www.proxyvote.com and 
have your proxy card and control number in hand when you access the website, then 
follow the instructions at www.proxyvote.com to obtain your records and to create an 
electronic voting instruction form. Follow the instructions for voting by Internet and, 
when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access shareholder communications 
electronically in future years.

1

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GENERAL INFORMATION

Introduction

Fulton,  a  Pennsylvania  business  corporation  and  registered  financial  holding  company,  was  organized 
pursuant  to  a  plan  of  reorganization  adopted  by  Fulton  Bank  and  implemented  on  June  30,  1982.  On  that  date, 
Fulton Bank became a wholly owned subsidiary of Fulton, and the shareholders of Fulton Bank became shareholders 
of  Fulton.  Since  that  time,  Fulton  has  acquired  other  banks  (some  of  which  have  since  been  merged  together), 
Fulton Bank adopted a national charter, and today Fulton owns the following community banks: FNB Bank, N.A., 
Fulton Bank, N.A., Fulton Bank of New Jersey, Lafayette Ambassador Bank, Swineford National Bank and The 
Columbia Bank. 

In addition, Fulton has several other direct subsidiaries, including: Fulton Insurance Services Group, Inc. 
(which engages in the sale of various life insurance products); Fulton Financial Realty Company (which owns or 
leases certain properties on which branch and operational facilities are located); Central Pennsylvania Financial Corp. 
(which owns, directly or indirectly, certain limited partnership and limited liability company interests, principally 
in  low-  to  moderate-income  housing  developments);  and  FFC  Management,  Inc.  (which  holds  certain  investment 
securities and other passive investments).

RSVP, Date, Time and Place of Meeting

The Annual Meeting will be held on Monday, May 21, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., at the Lancaster Marriott 

at Penn Square, 25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting. In order for Fulton to plan and prepare for the proper 
number of shareholders, if you plan on attending, please RSVP and confirm that you will attend by completing 
and returning the Annual Meeting Reservation Form enclosed. If you received a Notice of Internet Availability 
of Proxy Materials, or if you requested proxy materials by email, please print and return the Annual Meeting 
Reservation Form posted at www.proxyvote.com if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. Light refreshments 
will be available starting at 9:00 a.m., and the business meeting will start promptly at 10:00 a.m.

Shareholders are encouraged to arrive early. Public parking is available in downtown Lancaster. For a list 
of parking locations, please consult the Lancaster Parking Authority website at www.lancasterparkingauthority.com, 
or consult the information in the Annual Meeting Invitation and Reservation Form. Each shareholder may be asked 
to present valid photo identification, such as a driver’s license, and proof of share ownership, as of February 28, 
2018, such as a copy of a brokerage statement or a copy of your ballot. Large bags, cameras, cell phones, recording 
devices and other electronic devices will not be permitted at the Annual Meeting, and individuals not complying 
with this request are subject to dismissal from the Annual Meeting. In the event of an adjournment, postponement or 
emergency that may change the Annual Meeting’s time, date, or location, Fulton will make an announcement, issue a 
press release or post information at www.fult.com to notify shareholders, as appropriate. The contents of our website 
are not incorporated into this Proxy Statement and should not be considered part of this document.

Shareholders Entitled to Vote and Attend Meeting

Attendance  at  the  Annual  Meeting  will  be  limited  to  shareholders  of  record  at  the  close  of  business  on 
February 28, 2018 (the “Record Date”), their authorized representatives and guests of Fulton. Only those shareholders 
of record as of the Record Date shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend and vote at the Annual Meeting.

Purpose of Meeting

Fulton shareholders will be asked to consider and vote upon the following matters at the Annual Meeting: 
(i) the election of twelve (12) director nominees to serve for one-year terms; (ii) the non-binding Say-on-Pay resolution 
to approve the compensation of the named executive officers for 2017; (iii) the ratification of the appointment of 
KPMG LLP as Fulton’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018; and (iv) such other business 
as may be properly brought before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments thereof.

2

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTSolicitation of Proxies

This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies, in the accompanying form, 
by the Board of Directors of Fulton for use at the Annual Meeting to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 21, 2018, 
and any adjournments or postponements thereof. Fulton is making this solicitation and will pay the entire cost of 
preparing, assembling, printing, mailing and distributing the notices and these proxy materials and soliciting votes. 
In addition to the mailing of the notices and these proxy materials, the solicitation of proxies or votes may be made 
in person, by mail, telephone or by electronic communication by Fulton’s directors, officers and employees, who will 
not receive any additional compensation for such solicitation activities. Fulton has engaged Laurel Hill Advisory 
Group, LLC to aid in the solicitation of proxies in order to assure a sufficient return of votes on the proposals to be 
presented at the Annual Meeting. The fee for such services is estimated at $7,500, plus reimbursement for reasonable 
research, distribution and mailing costs.

Arrangements will be made with brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for the 
forwarding of solicitation material to the beneficial owners of stock held of record by such persons, and Fulton will 
reimburse them for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with such activities.

Revocability and Voting of Proxies

The  execution  and  return  of  the  enclosed  proxy  card,  or  voting  by  another  method,  will  not  affect 
a  shareholder’s  right  to  attend  the  Annual  Meeting  and  to  vote  in  person.  A  shareholder  may  revoke  any  proxy 
given pursuant to this solicitation by delivering written notice of revocation to the Corporate Secretary or Assistant 
Corporate Secretary of Fulton, sending a new proxy card at any time before the shares are voted by the proxy at the 
Annual Meeting, or by voting by another method at any time before the applicable deadline for voting set forth on 
the proxy card. Unless revoked, any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation will be voted at the Annual Meeting, 
including any adjournment or postponement thereof, in accordance with the written instructions of the shareholder 
giving the proxy. In the absence of specific voting instructions, all proxies will be voted FOR the election of each of 
the twelve (12) director nominees identified in this Proxy Statement, FOR the approval of the non-binding Say-on-
Pay resolution to approve the compensation of the named executive officers for 2017, and FOR the ratification of the 
appointment of KPMG LLP as Fulton’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. Although 
the Board of Directors knows of no other business to be presented, in the event that any other matters are properly 
brought before the Annual Meeting, any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation will be voted in the discretion of the 
proxyholders named on the Proxy Card, as permitted by Rule 14a-4(c) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as 
amended (the “Exchange Act”). If you are a registered shareholder of record who holds stock in certificates or book 
entry with Fulton’s transfer agent and you do not cast your vote, no votes will be cast on your behalf on any of the 
items of business at the Annual Meeting.

Shares held for the account of shareholders who participate in the Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase 
Plan and for the account of employees, and former employees, who participate in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan 
(the “ESPP”) will be voted in accordance with the instructions of each shareholder as set forth in his or her proxy. If 
a shareholder who participates in these plans does not return a proxy, the shares held for the shareholder’s account 
will not be voted.

Shares  held  for  the  account  of  employees,  and  former  employees,  of  Fulton  and  its  subsidiaries  who 
participate in the Fulton Financial Common Stock Fund of the Fulton Financial Corporation 401(k) Retirement Plan 
(the “401(k) Plan”), will be voted by Fulton Financial Advisors (“FFA”),  a division of Fulton Bank, N.A., as plan 
trustee (“Plan Trustee”) in accordance with the instructions of each participant as set forth in the proxy card sent to 
the participant with respect to such shares. To allow sufficient time for the Plan Trustee to vote, participants’ voting 
instructions must be received by May 16, 2018.

Each participant in the 401(k) Plan (or the beneficiary of a deceased participant) is entitled to direct the Plan 
Trustee  how  to  vote  shares  of  common  stock  of  Fulton  which  are  allocated  to  his  or  her  account  under  the  401(k) 
Plan  on  any  matter  on  which  other  holders  of  Fulton’s  common  stock  are  entitled  to  vote.  If  no  direction  is  given, 
then the 401(k) Plan shares will not be voted by the Plan Trustee. The Plan Trustee has established procedures that are 
designed to safeguard the confidentiality of information about each 401(k) Plan participant’s purchase, holding, sale and 
voting of the common stock. If a 401(k) Plan participant has questions about these procedures or concerns about the 
confidentiality of this information, please contact the Retirement Plan Administrative Committee and direct the inquiry 
to Fulton Financial Corporation, Attn: RPAC – Benefits, P.O. Box 4887, One Penn Square, Lancaster, PA 17604.

3

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTVoting Shares Held in Street Name

If  you  hold  shares  in  street  name  with  a  bank  or  broker,  it  is  important  that  you  instruct  your  bank  or 
broker how to vote your shares if you want your shares to be voted on the election of directors (Proposal 1 of this 
Proxy Statement) and on the non-binding Say-on-Pay resolution to approve the compensation of the named executive 
officers for 2017 (Proposal 2 of this Proxy Statement). If you hold your shares in street name and you do not instruct 
your bank or broker how to vote your shares in the election of directors or any non-routine matters, such as Proposal 
2  of  this  Proxy  Statement,  no  votes  will  be  cast  on  your  behalf  for  the  election  of  directors  or  Proposal  2.  Your 
bank or broker will, however, continue to have discretion to vote any uninstructed shares on the ratification of the 
appointment of Fulton’s independent auditor (Proposal 3 of this Proxy Statement) and other matters that your bank 
or broker considers routine. If you hold shares in street name with a bank or broker and you wish to vote your shares 
in person at the Annual Meeting, you will need to obtain a “legal proxy” from your bank or broker authorizing you 
to vote the shares at the Annual Meeting.

Voting of Shares and Principal Holders Thereof

At the close of business on the Record Date, Fulton had 175,342,465 shares of common stock outstanding 
and entitled to vote. There is no other class of capital stock outstanding. As of the Record Date, 3,792,896 shares of 
Fulton common stock were held by FFA, as the Plan Trustee, or in a fiduciary capacity for fiduciary accounts. The 
shares held in this manner, in the aggregate, represent approximately 2.16% of the total shares outstanding. Shares 
that are held in the applicable plan are voted by the beneficiaries. Shares for which FFA serves as a co-fiduciary will 
be voted by the co-fiduciary, unless the co-fiduciary declines to accept voting responsibility, in which case, FFA will 
vote to abstain on all proposals. Shares for which FFA serves as sole trustee of a revocable trust, shares for which 
FFA acts as agent for an investment management account, and shares for which FFA acts as custodian for a custodial 
account, are voted by the settlor of the revocable trust and the principal of the agency or custodial account unless the 
governing document provides for FFA to vote the shares, in which case FFA will vote to abstain on all proposals. 
Shares for which FFA is acting as sole trustee of an irrevocable trust or as guardian of the estate of a minor or an 
incompetent person are voted by FFA, and in such cases, FFA will vote to abstain on all proposals.

The holders of a majority of the outstanding common stock present in person or by proxy at the Annual 
Meeting constitute a quorum for the conduct of business. The judge of election will treat shares of Fulton common 
stock represented by a properly signed and returned proxy which casts a vote on any matter, other than a procedural 
matter, as present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining a quorum, without regard to whether the proxy 
is marked or designated as casting a vote or abstaining on a particular matter. Likewise, the judge of election will 
treat shares of common stock represented by broker non-votes as present for purposes of determining a quorum if 
such shares have been voted on any matter other than a procedural matter. 1

Each share is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders. A majority of the 
votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present is required in order to approve any matter submitted to a vote 
of the shareholders, except for the election of directors, or in cases where the vote of a greater number of shares is 
required by law or under Fulton’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws.

In the case of the election of directors, the twelve (12) candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast 
at the Annual Meeting shall be elected to the Board of Directors for terms of one (1) year. Assuming the presence 
of a quorum, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast is required for approval of the non-binding Say-on-
Pay resolution to approve the compensation of the named executive officers for 2017 and the ratification of Fulton’s 
independent auditor.

1 Broker non-votes are shares of common stock held in record name by brokers or nominees as to which (i) instructions have not 
been received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote; and (ii) the broker or nominee does not have discretionary 
voting power to vote such shares on a particular proposal.

4

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTAbstentions and broker non-votes (provided, in the case of broker non-votes, such non-votes represent shares 
that have been voted on any matter other than a procedural matter) will be counted as shares that are present at the 
Annual Meeting for determining the presence of a quorum, but will not be counted as votes cast on the election of 
directors, the non-binding Say-on-Pay resolution to approve the compensation of the named executive officers for 
2017, or the ratification of Fulton’s independent auditor. Because abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted 
as votes cast, they will have no effect on the election of directors, the non-binding Say-on-Pay resolution concerning 
executive compensation or the ratification of Fulton’s independent auditor.

To the knowledge of Fulton, on the Record Date, no person or entity owned of record, or beneficially, more 
than 5% of the outstanding common stock of Fulton, except those listed on Page 16 under “Security Ownership of 
Directors, Nominees, Management and Certain Beneficial Owners.”

Internet Availability of Proxy Materials

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials 
for the Annual Meeting to be Held on May 21, 2018

In accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), Fulton is advising 
its shareholders that Fulton is furnishing proxy materials (i.e., this Proxy Statement, 2017 Annual Report on Form 
10-K and proxy card) to some of Fulton’s shareholders on the Internet at www.proxyvote.com rather than mailing 
paper copies of the materials to those shareholders. As a result, some shareholders will receive a Notice of Internet 
Availability of Proxy Materials and other shareholders will receive paper copies of this Proxy Statement, the 2017 
Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  and  proxy  card.  The  Notice  of  Internet  Availability  of  Proxy  Materials  contains 
instructions on how to access this Proxy Statement, the 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K and proxy card over 
the Internet, instructions on how to vote shares, as well as instructions on how to request a paper copy of the proxy 
materials,  if  shareholders  so  desire.  Fulton  believes  electronic  delivery  should  expedite  the  receipt  of  materials, 
significantly lower costs and help to conserve natural resources.

Whether  shareholders  receive  the  Notice  of  Internet  Availability  of  Proxy  Materials  or  paper  copies 
of  the  proxy  materials,  the  Proxy  Statement,  the  2017  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K,  the  proxy  card  and  any 
amendments to the foregoing materials that are required to be furnished to shareholders, are available for review 
online at www.proxyvote.com. 

This Proxy Statement and our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K also are available in the Investor Relations 
section  of  Fulton’s  website  at  www.fult.com.  Shareholders  may  access  this  material  by  choosing  the  “Investor 
Relations” tab at the top of the page, and then “SEC Filings” from the items listed in the Investor Relations section.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote FOR the election of each of the twelve 
(12) director nominees identified in this Proxy Statement, FOR the approval of the non-binding Say-on-Pay 
resolution to approve the compensation of the named executive officers for 2017, and FOR the ratification of 
the appointment of KPMG LLP as Fulton’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

Shareholder Proposals

Under SEC rules, shareholder proposals intended to be considered for inclusion in Fulton’s Proxy Statement 
and form of proxy for the 2019 Annual Meeting must be received at the principal executive offices of Fulton at One 
Penn Square, Lancaster, Pennsylvania no later than December 4, 2018. In addition, any shareholder proposal not 
received at Fulton’s principal executive offices by February 17, 2019, which is forty-five (45) calendar days before 
the  one  (1)  year  anniversary  of  the  date  Fulton  released  the  previous  year’s  annual  meeting  Proxy  Statement  to 
shareholders, will be considered untimely and, if presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting, the proxy holders will be 
able to exercise discretionary authority in voting  on  any such proposal  to the  extent authorized by  Rule 14a-4(c) 
under the Exchange Act. All shareholder proposals must comply with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, as well as 
Fulton’s Bylaws.

5

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTGenerally,  under  applicable  SEC  rules,  a  shareholder  may  not  submit  more  than  one  proposal,  and  the 
proposal, including any accompanying supporting statement, may not exceed 500 words. In order to be eligible to 
submit a proposal, a shareholder must have continuously held at least $2,000 in market value of Fulton common stock 
for at least one year before the date the proposal is submitted. Any shareholder submitting a shareholder proposal 
to  Fulton  must  also  provide  Fulton  with  a  written  statement  verifying  ownership  of  stock  and  confirming  the 
shareholder’s intention to continue to hold the stock through the date of the 2019 Annual Meeting. The shareholder, 
or a qualified representative, must attend the 2019 Annual Meeting in person to present the proposal. The shareholder 
must  also  continue  to  hold  the  applicable  amount  of  Fulton  common  stock  through  the  date  of  the  2019  Annual 
Meeting.

Contacting the Board of Directors

Any  shareholder  of  Fulton  who  desires  to  contact  the  Board  of  Directors  may  do  so  by  writing  to: 
Board of Directors, Fulton Financial Corporation, P.O. Box 4887, One Penn Square, Lancaster, PA 17604. These 
written communications will be provided to the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors who 
will  determine  further  distribution  based  on  the  nature  of  the  information  in  the  communication.  For  example, 
communications concerning accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters will be shared with the 
Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

Code of Conduct 

Fulton’s Code of Conduct (the “Code of Conduct”) governs the conduct of its directors, officers and employees. 
Fulton provides the Code of Conduct to each director, officer and employee when starting their position, and they 
are required to annually acknowledge their review of the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct was last updated in 
2016, after a review by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Fulton’s employees and directors are 
expected to recognize and avoid conflicts of interest situations in which personal interest or relationships interfere 
with, might interfere with, or appear to interfere with, their responsibilities to Fulton. A current copy of the Code 
of Conduct can be obtained, without cost, by writing to the Corporate Secretary at: Fulton Financial Corporation, 
P.O. Box 4887, One Penn Square, Lancaster, PA 17604. The current Code of Conduct, future amendments and any 
waivers are also posted and available on Fulton’s website at www.fult.com.

Corporate Governance Guidelines 

Fulton has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines (the “Governance Guidelines”) that include guidelines 
and Fulton’s policy regarding the following topics: (1) the size of the Board of Directors; (2) director qualifications; 
(3) a majority vote standard; (4) service on other boards and director change in status; (5) meeting attendance and 
review of meeting materials; (6) director access to management and independent advisors; (7) designation of a Lead 
Director; (8) executive sessions; (9) Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) evaluation and succession planning; (10) Board 
of Directors and committee evaluations; (11) stock ownership guidelines; (12) communications by interested parties; 
(13)  Board  of  Directors  and  committee  minutes;  (14)  Codes  of  Conduct;  and  (15)  disclosure  and  update  of  the 
Governance Guidelines. 

On  December  19,  2017,  Fulton  amended  the  Governance  Guidelines  to  increase  the  stock  ownership 
guidelines for Fulton’s Chief Executive Officer from a multiple of  two times to three times the Chief Executive 
Officer’s annual base salary. A copy of the current Governance Guidelines can be obtained, without cost, by writing 
to the Corporate Secretary at: Fulton Financial Corporation, P.O. Box 4887, One Penn Square, Lancaster, PA 17604. 
The Governance Guidelines are also posted and available on Fulton’s website at www.fult.com.

6

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTSELECTION OF DIRECTORS

General Information 

The Bylaws of Fulton provide that the Board of Directors shall consist of at least five (5) but not more than 
thirty-five (35) persons, and that the Board of Directors shall, from time to time, determine the number of directors. 
The Board of Directors has, by resolution, fixed the number of the Board of Directors at twelve (12). Pursuant to 
Fulton’s Bylaws, as amended, all nominees elected to the Board of Directors are elected for one-year terms.

A majority of the Board of Directors may increase or decrease the number of directors between meetings 
of the shareholders. Any vacancy occurring in the Board of Directors, whether due to an increase in the number of 
directors, resignation, retirement, death or any other reason may be filled by appointment by the remaining directors. 
Any director who is appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office until the next Annual Meeting of the shareholders 
and until a successor is elected and shall have qualified.

Fulton’s  Bylaws  limit  the  age  of  director  nominees,  and  no  person  may  be  nominated  for  election  as  a 
director who will attain the age of seventy-two (72) years on or before the date of the Annual Meeting at which he or 
she is to be elected. In addition, Fulton has adopted a Voluntary Resignation Policy, last amended in January 2014, 
for directors that generally requires a director to tender his or her resignation when the director’s effectiveness as 
a member of the Board of Directors may be substantially impaired. Circumstances that require a resignation to be 
submitted include, but are not limited to: (i) a director failing to attend at least 62.5% of meetings of the Board of 
Directors or its committees without a valid excuse; (ii) unless such an event is promptly cured to the satisfaction 
of Fulton, any extension of credit by any of Fulton’s subsidiary banks for which the director or a related interest 
of the director is an obligor or guarantor is: a) classified by Fulton as nonaccrual, sixty (60) or more days past due, 
or restructured; b) assigned a risk rating of “substandard” or less; or c) not in material compliance with Board of 
Governors of the Federal Reserve System’s Regulation O (12 C.F.R. Part 215) (“Regulation O”); or (iii) a nominee for 
director does not receive a majority of the votes cast in an uncontested election for the Board of Directors. While the 
policy sets forth events which might cause a director to tender his or her resignation, it also directs Fulton’s Board 
of Directors to consider carefully, on a case-by-case basis, whether or not Fulton should accept such a resignation.

Majority Vote Standard

In  January  2014,  Fulton’s  Nominating  and  Corporate  Governance  Committee  recommended,  and  the 
Board of Directors adopted, a majority vote standard for uncontested director elections by revising the Governance 
Guidelines and the Voluntary Resignation Policy for directors. In an uncontested election for the Board of Directors 
at a Fulton annual meeting of shareholders, any nominee for director who does not receive a majority of the votes 
cast is required to promptly tender his or her resignation following certification of the shareholder vote. As further 
described in the Governance Guidelines, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall consider the 
resignation tendered and recommend to the Board of Directors whether to accept it.

Procedure for Shareholder Nominations

Section  3  of  Article  II  of  Fulton’s  Bylaws  requires  shareholder  nominations  of  director  candidates  to  be 
made in writing and delivered or mailed to the Chairman of the Board or the Corporate Secretary not less than the 
earlier of (a) one hundred twenty (120) days prior to any meeting of shareholders called for the election of directors 
or (b) the deadline for submitting shareholder proposals for inclusion in a Proxy Statement and form of proxy as 
calculated under Rule 14a-8(e) promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act. For the 2019 Annual Meeting, this 
deadline  date  is  December  4,  2018.  Further,  the  notice  to  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  or  the  Corporate  Secretary 
of a shareholder nomination shall set forth: (i) the name and address of the shareholder who intends to make the 
nomination and a representation that the shareholder is a holder of record of stock of Fulton entitled to vote at such 
meeting and intends to be present in person or by proxy at such meeting to nominate the person or persons to be 
nominated; (ii) the name, age, business address and residence address of each nominee proposed in such notice; (iii) 
the principal occupation or employment of each such nominee; (iv) the number of shares of capital stock of Fulton that 

7

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTare beneficially owned by each such nominee; (v) a statement of qualifications of the proposed nominee and a letter 
from the nominee affirming that he or she will agree to serve as a director of Fulton, if elected by the shareholders; 
(vi)  a  description  of  all  arrangements  or  understandings  between  the  shareholder  submitting  the  notice  and  each 
nominee  and  any  other  person  or  persons  (naming  such  person  or  persons)  pursuant  to  which  the  nomination  or 
nominations are to be made by the shareholder; and (vii) such other information regarding each nominee proposed by 
the shareholder as would have been required to be included in the Proxy Statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules 
of the SEC had each nominee been nominated by or at the direction of the Board of Directors. The chairman of the 
meeting shall determine whether nominations have been made in accordance with the requirements of the Bylaws 
and, if the chairman determines that a nomination is defective, the nomination and any votes cast for the nominee 
shall be disregarded. Shareholder nominees are subject to the same standard of review as nominees of Fulton’s Board 
of Directors or its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Director Qualifications and Board Diversity

In  considering  any  individual  nominated  for  membership  on  the  Board  of  Directors,  including  those 
nominated by a shareholder, Fulton considers a variety of factors, including whether the candidate is recommended 
by executive management, the individual’s professional and personal qualifications, including business experience, 
education and community and charitable activities, the individual’s familiarity with one or more of the communities 
in which Fulton is located or is seeking to locate, and the diversity the individual may provide to the Board of Directors 
and its committees. Fulton does not have a separate written policy regarding how diversity is to be considered in 
the  director  nominating  process.  Generally,  however,  Fulton  takes  into  account  diversity  in  business  experience, 
community service, skills, professional background and other qualifications, as well as diversity in race, national 
origin and gender, in considering individual candidates. Fulton’s Governance Guidelines provide that Fulton’s Board 
of Directors should be sufficient in size to achieve diversity in business experience, community service and other 
qualifications among non-employee directors while still facilitating substantive discussions in which each director 
can participate meaningfully. In 2004, the Board of Directors formed the Nominating and Corporate Governance 
Committee  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  whose  members  are  independent  in  accordance  with  the  NASDAQ  listing 
standards. The charter for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is posted and available on Fulton’s 
website at www.fult.com. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for the Governance 
Guidelines  and  for  recommending  director  nominees  to  the  Board  of  Directors.  The  Nominating  and  Corporate 
Governance Committee also considers nominees for director that are recommended by various persons or entities, 
including,  but  not  limited  to,  non-management  directors,  Fulton’s  Chief  Executive  Officer,  other  senior  officers 
and third parties. Information on the experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of Fulton’s director nominees is 
described under “Director Nominee Biographical Information” below.

8

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTELECTION OF DIRECTORS – PROPOSAL ONE

General Information

For  the  2018  Annual  Meeting,  the  Board  of  Directors  has  fixed  the  number  of  directors  at  twelve  (12). 
Pursuant to Fulton’s Bylaws, as amended, nominees to the Board of Directors are elected for one-year terms. The 
Board of Directors has nominated the following twelve (12) persons for election to the Board of Directors for a term 
of one year:

2018 Director Nominees

Lisa Crutchfield
George W. Hodges
R. Scott Smith, Jr.
Mark F. Strauss

Denise L. Devine
Albert Morrison III
Scott A. Snyder
Ernest J. Waters

Patrick J. Freer
James R. Moxley III
Ronald H. Spair
E. Philip Wenger

Each of the above director nominees is presently a director of Fulton. Following the recommendation of the 
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board of Directors approved the nomination of the above 
individuals. However, in the event that any of the foregoing 2018 director nominees are unable to accept nomination 
or election, any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation will be voted in favor of such other persons as the Board of 
Directors may recommend. The Board of Directors has no reason to believe that any of its director nominees will be 
unable to accept nomination or to serve as a director, if elected at the Annual Meeting.

Vote Required 

The twelve (12) candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast at the Annual Meeting shall be elected 
to the Board of Directors. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted as shares that are present at the Annual 
Meeting, but will not be counted as votes cast in the election of directors. As described under Majority Vote Standard 
on Page 7, in an uncontested election of directors, the Governance Guidelines require any nominee for director who 
does not receive a majority of the votes cast to promptly tender his or her resignation following certification of the 
shareholder vote.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote FOR the election of each of the twelve 

(12) director nominees identified in this Proxy Statement to serve for one-year terms.

Information about Nominees, Directors and Independence Standards

Information  concerning  the  experience,  qualifications,  attributes  or  skills  of  the  twelve  (12)  persons 
nominated by Fulton for election to the Board of Directors at the 2018 Annual Meeting is set forth below, including 
whether they were determined by the Board of Directors to be independent for purposes of the NASDAQ listing 
standards.

Fulton is a NASDAQ listed company and follows the NASDAQ listing standards for Board of Directors 
and committee independence. The Board of Directors determined that eleven (11) of Fulton’s twelve (12) director 
nominees  are  independent,  as  defined  in  the  applicable  NASDAQ  listing  standards.  Specifically,  the  Board  of 
Directors found that Directors Crutchfield, Devine, Freer, Hodges, Morrison, Moxley, Smith, Snyder, Spair, Strauss 
and  Waters  met  the  definition  of  independent  director  in  the  NASDAQ  listing  standards  and  that  each  of  these 
directors is free of any relationships that would interfere with his or her individual exercise of independent judgment. 
In addition, members of the Audit Committee and the Human Resources Committee (the “HR Committee”) of the 
Board of Directors meet the requirements for independence under the NASDAQ listing standards, and the rules and 
regulations of the SEC for service on the Audit Committee or the HR Committee, as applicable. In reviewing director 
independence, the Board of Directors considered the relationships and other arrangements, if any, of each director. 
The  other  types  of  relationships  and  transactions  that  were  reviewed  and  considered  are  more  fully  described  in 
“Related Person Transactions” on Page 22.

9

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTDirector Nominee Biographical Information

The  following  information  regarding  each  director  nominee’s  background,  experience,  qualifications, 
attributes or skills represents the information that led Fulton to conclude that these persons should be nominated to 
serve as a director of Fulton.

LISA CRUTCHFIELD (Independent Director)

Ms. Crutchfield has been the managing principal of Hudson Strategic Advisers 
LLC,  an  economic  analysis  and  strategic  advisory  firm  to  energy  companies, 
financial  services  companies  and  governmental  agencies,  since  2016.  From 
September  of  2013  to  August  2016,  Ms.  Crutchfield  led  the  CEO  Council  for 
Growth.  Prior  to  her  role  at  the  CEO  Council,  she  served  as  executive  vice 
president, chief regulatory and compliance officer for National Grid USA from 
2008  to  2011.  In  this  role,  Ms.  Crutchfield  also  served  as  a  non-independent 
director on the board of National Grid USA. Additionally, she has held leadership 
roles with PECO Energy Company, TIAA-CREF and Duke Energy. From 1993 
to 1997, she was appointed to serve as vice chairman of the Pennsylvania Public 
Utility Commission. Ms. Crutchfield has been a director of Unitil Corporation 
(NYSE:UTL)  from  2012  to  present.  In  2017  she  also  joined  the  board  of  The 
Main Street America Group, a national property and casualty mutual insurance 
company. Ms. Crutchfield is a graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in economics 
and political science. She is also a graduate of the Harvard School of Business and 
holds a M.A. of Business Administration, with distinction in finance.

Ms.  Crutchfield  brings  more  than  20  years  of  experience  leading  corporate 
teams  and  has  extensive  knowledge  of  the  financial  industry  and  business 
practices with expertise in risk mitigation, compliance and regulatory matters.

Age: 55

Fulton Director since: 2014

Committees: 

•	
•	

•	

Executive - Member 
Nominating and Corporate 
Governance - Chair
Risk - Member

DENISE L. DEVINE (Independent Director)

Age: 62

Fulton Director since: 2012

Committees: 

•	

•	
•	

Audit - Member and 
financial expert
Executive - Member
Human Resources - Chair

Ms.  Devine  is  the  founder  and  since  2014  has  served  as  the  Chief  Executive 
Officer of FNB Holdings, LLC, a company dedicated to initiatives in the health 
and wellness space. Ms. Devine was also founder and Chief Executive Officer of 
Nutripharm, Inc., a company that has generated a portfolio of composition and 
process patents to create innovative natural food, beverage, pharmaceutical and 
nutraceutical products that facilitate nutrition and lifelong health. Ms. Devine, 
a certified public accountant, also previously served as Chief Financial Officer 
for Energy Solutions International and in financial management positions for 
Campbell Soup Company. Ms. Devine has served as Chair of the Pennsylvania 
State Board of Accountancy and on the Board of the American Institute of CPAs. 
Ms.  Devine  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Villanova  University 
from 2005 to 2015, where she was the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. 
She has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Lourdes Health 
System since 2010 and was appointed to the Board of Ben Franklin Technology 
Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania in 2016. In February 2018, Ms. Devine 
became a director of AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGFS).

Ms.  Devine  has  substantial  management,  business  and  finance  experience, 
which adds valuable outside experience to Fulton’s Board of Directors and its 
committees.  She  has  completed  courses  and  was  recognized  by  the  National 
Association  of  Corporate  Directors  (“NACD”)  as  a  Board  Leadership  Fellow 
since 2015. She received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University 
of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in Taxation from Villanova Law School, and a B.S. in 
Accounting from Villanova University, where she graduated first in her class.

10

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTPATRICK J. FREER (Independent Director)

Mr.  Freer  was  a  director  of  Lebanon  Valley  Farmers  Bank,  formerly  known 
as Farmers Trust Bank, from 1980 until it was combined with Fulton Bank in 
2007.  He  has  been  employed  by  Strickler  Insurance  Agency,  Inc.  (insurance 
broker) since 1974 and has been the President, since 1998, and is currently the 
Chairman. Mr. Freer is a Certified Insurance Counselor.

Mr. Freer brings to the Fulton Board of Directors an extensive knowledge of 
insurance,  investments,  finance  and  risk  management,  as  well  as  valuable 
knowledge of Fulton through his tenure of more than twenty one (21) years on 
its Board of Directors and as a bank director from 1980 to 2007. Mr. Freer has 
long been an active member in his community, helping with numerous capital 
campaigns and community projects. Mr. Freer has been a board member of the 
American Cancer Society, Lebanon County Economic Development Authority, 
Center  of  Lebanon  Association  and  the  Lebanon  County  Mental  Health 
Association and has served as past president of the Lebanon County Christian 
Ministries and the Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club.

Age: 68

Fulton Director since: 1996

Committees: 

•	

•	

Human Resources - 
Member
Nominating and 
Corporate Governance 
Committee - Vice Chair

GEORGE W. HODGES (Independent Director and Lead Director)

Mr. Hodges currently serves as Lead Director of Fulton and was a director of 
Drovers & Mechanics Bank, until it was merged into Fulton Bank in 2001, and 
has served on the Board of Directors of Fulton Bank since 2012. He has been 
a  director  of  York  Water  Company  (NASDAQ:YORW)  from  2000  to  present 
and  served  as  Chairman  since  2011,  director  of  The  Wolf  Organization,  Inc. 
from 2008 to 2015 (regional distributor and sourcing company of kitchen and 
bath products and specialty building products), a director of Burnham Holdings, 
Inc. from 2006 to present, the parent company of fourteen subsidiaries that are 
leading  domestic  manufacturers  of  boilers  and  related  HVAC  products  and 
accessories  (including  furnaces,  radiators  and  air  conditioning  systems),  for 
residential, commercial and industrial applications, and has served on the boards 
of  various  for  profit,  non-profit  and  community  organizations.  Mr.  Hodges 
served as non-executive Chairman of the Board of The Wolf Organization from 
2008 to 2009. Prior to being Chairman, Mr. Hodges was a member of the Office 
of the President of The Wolf Organization from 1986 to 2008.

Mr. Hodges brings considerable financial expertise and business knowledge to 
the  Fulton  Board  of  Directors,  both  through  his  business  experience  and  his 
service  on  other  boards,  and  has  completed  the  requirements  for  the  NACD 
Board Leadership Fellow Program since 2012.

Age: 67

Fulton Director since: 2001

Committees: 

•	

•	
•	

Audit - Member and 
financial expert
Executive - Chair
Human Resources - 
Member

11

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTALBERT MORRISON III (Independent Director)

Since 2002, Mr. Morrison has served as the Chairman of the Board of Burnham 
Holdings,  Inc.,  the  parent  company  of  fourteen  subsidiaries  that  are  leading 
domestic manufacturers of boilers and related HVAC products and accessories 
(including  furnaces,  radiators  and  air  conditioning  systems),  for  residential, 
commercial and industrial applications. Mr. Morrison was elected as a director 
of  Burnham  in  1986  and  became  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of 
Burnham in 1988. Mr. Morrison retired as Chief Executive Officer, effective in 
April 2012, after thirty-eight years of service with Burnham Holdings, Inc. He 
will also retire from the Burnham Holdings, Inc. board at the conclusion of his 
current three year term in April 2018.

As  a  long-time  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  director  of  a  manufacturing 
company,  Mr.  Morrison  brings  extensive  business,  financial,  acquisition  and 
human resources skills to Fulton’s Board of Directors.

Age: 71

Fulton Director since: 2012

Committees: 

•	

•	
•	

Audit - Vice Chair and 
financial expert
Risk Committee - Member
Special Joint Board 
Compliance - Member

JAMES R. MOXLEY III (Independent Director)

In  addition  to  being  a  director  of  Fulton,  Mr.  Moxley  has  been  a  director  of 
The Columbia Bank since 1999. He is admitted and licensed to practice law in 
Maryland and a former real estate attorney with Venable, Baetjer and Howard, 
now known as Venable LLP (law firm). Since 1992, Mr. Moxley has served as 
a Principal of Security Development Corporation (a Washington-Baltimore real 
estate land development company engaged primarily in retail and multifamily 
projects). He serves as Board Chair and has been a trustee of Glenelg Country 
School  from  1996  to  present.  He  has  also  served  as  a  trustee  of  the  Howard 
Hospital Foundation from 2014 to present, as a Founding Director of the Real 
Estate Charitable Foundation of Maryland from 2015 to present, and is active 
on numerous civic boards and committees in Maryland. Mr. Moxley received a 
J.D. degree and A.B. in Economics (magna cum laude) from Duke University.

Mr.  Moxley  brings  banking  expertise  to  Fulton’s  Board  of  Directors  that  he 
gained as a director of The Columbia Bank. He also has extensive business, tax, 
and legal experience related to the acquisition, financing, and development of 
commercial and residential real estate. Mr. Moxley’s longstanding board service 
at Fulton’s affiliate bank in Maryland also imparts corporate governance and 
supervisory skills.

Age: 57

Fulton Director since: 2015

Committees: 

•	
•	

•	
•	

Executive - Vice Chair
Nominating and 
Corporate Governance - 
Member
Risk - Chair
Special Joint Board 
Compliance - Vice Chair

12

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTR. SCOTT SMITH, JR. (Independent Director)

Mr. Smith is the retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of 
Fulton. He served as Chairman of the Board and CEO from January 2006 to 
December 2012 and also served as a director of Fulton Bank from 1993 to 2002. 
He was a director of The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia from 2010 to 
2013 and a member of the Federal Advisory Council to the Board of Governors 
of  the  Federal  Reserve  System  from  2008  to  2010.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  director 
of  the  American  Bankers  Association  from  2006  to  2009,  was  employed  by 
Fulton from 1978 to 2012 in various positions and worked in financial services 
since  1969.  Since  2014,  he  served  on  the  boards  of  IREX  Corp.  (a  specialty 
contracting organization), and Herr Foods, Inc. (snack food manufacturer), and 
he continues to be active in the Lancaster community.

Mr. Smith’s various management roles during his over thirty years of service 
in banking give him a broad understanding of the financial services industry, 
Fulton’s  operations,  corporate  governance  matters  and  leadership  experience 
qualifying him to serve on Fulton’s Board of Directors.

Age: 71

Fulton Director since: 2001

Committees: 

•	

Risk - Member

SCOTT A. SNYDER, PhD (Independent Director)

Age: 52

Fulton Director since: 2016

Committees: 

•	

•	

Nominating and Corporate 
Governance - Member
Risk - Vice Chair

Dr.  Snyder  is  currently  a  Partner  at  Heidrick  Consulting  leading  the  Digital 
Transformation  and  Innovation  Offerings  for  the  firm.  He  recently  served  as 
Senior Vice President, Managing Director, and Chief Technology and Innovation 
Officer  from  August  2016  until  March  2018  for  Safeguard  Scientifics,  Inc. 
(NYSE:SFE),  a  provider  of  capital  and  relevant  expertise  to  fuel  the  growth 
of  technology-driven  businesses  in  healthcare,  financial  services  and  digital 
media.  From  2011  until  August  of  2016,  he  served  as  the  president  and  chief 
strategy  officer  of  the  Boston-  and  Philadelphia-based  Mobiquity,  Inc.,  a 
mobile tech company that focuses on digital strategy and engineering enhanced 
mobile  experiences.  Since  2016,  he  has  served  as  the  Chair  of  the  Mobiquity 
advisory board. In addition, Dr. Snyder is a senior fellow in the Management 
Department  at  the  Wharton  School  and  an  adjunct  faculty  member  in  the 
School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania. 
Dr. Snyder earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the 
University of Pennsylvania, and an Executive Certificate from the University 
of Southern California.

Dr.  Snyder  brings  business  acumen,  experience  in  the  technology  sector  and 
leadership  in  digital  innovation  to  the  Fulton  Board  of  Directors.  Dr.  Snyder 
has extensive expertise in the development of digital solutions, mobile business 
strategy and mobile security. In 2017, Dr. Snyder also successfully completed 
the  NACD  Cyber-Risk  Oversight  Program  and  earned  a  CERT  Certificate 
in  Cybersecurity  Oversight,  issued  by  the  Software  Engineering  Institute  at 
Carnegie Mellon University.

13

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTRONALD H. SPAIR (Independent Director)

Mr. Spair has served as the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer 
and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  OraSure  Technologies,  Inc. 
(NASDAQ:OSUR),  a  diagnostic  and  medical  device  company  headquartered 
in  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  since  September  2006,  and  as  Executive  Vice 
President and Chief Financial Officer since November 2001, and plans to retire 
from OraSure Technologies, Inc. in 2018. Since 2013, Mr. Spair has also served 
on the board of Life Science – PA, which was formerly known as Pennsylvania 
Biotechnology  Association,  a  state  trade  association  for  the  life  sciences 
community  in  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  certified  public 
accountant, a chartered global management accountant and holds an MBA from 
Rider College.

Mr.  Spair  brings  his  public  company  executive  experience  and  financial 
expertise  to  Fulton’s  Board  of  Directors.  Mr.  Spair  has  also  had  extensive 
experience  negotiating  mergers  and  acquisitions,  development  and  licensing 
transactions and corporate financings.

Age: 62

Fulton Director since: 2015

Committees: 

•	

•	
•	

Audit - Chair and 
financial expert
Executive - Member
Human Resources - 
Member

MARK F. STRAUSS (Independent Director)

Mr.  Strauss  has  served  as  director  of  Fulton  Bank  of  New  Jersey  since  2011, 
and as a director of Skylands Community Bank prior to its merger with Fulton 
Bank of New Jersey in 2011. From October 2010 to his retirement in December 
2017,  he  served  as  Senior  Vice  President  of  Corporate  Strategy  and  Business 
Development  at  American  Water  Works  Company,  Inc.  (NYSE:  AWK), 
the  largest  and  most  geographically  diverse  publicly  traded  U.S.  water  and 
wastewater utility company. Mr. Strauss was responsible for working with the 
senior management team to link overall strategy and major growth efforts for 
American Water’s regulated and competitive operations.

From  December  2006  to  September  2010,  Mr.  Strauss  served  as  President  of 
American  Water  Enterprises,  which  owns  and  operates  several  of  American 
Water’s market-based businesses. In this role, Mr. Strauss oversaw American 
Water’s  non-regulated  business  units  that  offer  operations  and  maintenance 
contract  services  across  the  United  States  and  Canada,  including  water  and 
wastewater management for military bases, service-line protection programs, 
design, construction and operation of community onsite water and wastewater 
systems,  and  other  innovative  solutions  that  address  a  variety  of  challenges 
facing the industry.

Mr.  Strauss  has  legal  and  executive  skills  and  is  admitted  and  licensed  to 
practice law in New Jersey.

Age: 66

Fulton Director since: 2016

Committees: 

•	

•	

•	

Human Resources - Vice 
Chair
Nominating and 
Corporate Governance - 
Member 
Special Joint Board 
Compliance - Member

14

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTERNEST J. WATERS (Independent Director)

In addition to serving as a director of Fulton, Mr. Waters has also been a director 
of Fulton Bank, N.A. since 2011. Mr. Waters retired from Metropolitan Edison, 
a FirstEnergy company, in 2009, where he served as the Area Vice President 
and Area Manager. Mr. Waters joined the FirstEnergy companies (an investor-
owned  utility)  in  1976  and  held  various  positions  in  Auditing  and  Marketing 
during  his  tenure.  He  also  served  as  an  expert  accounting  witness  in  setting 
rates before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Prior to joining the 
FirstEnergy  companies,  Mr.  Waters  was  a  public  accountant  and  business 
consultant in Philadelphia. He is a former certified public accountant and holds 
an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. Since 2007, Mr. Waters has served 
on  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  York  Water  Company  (NASDAQ:  YORW) 
where he chairs their Compensation Committee and is a member of the Audit 
Committee.  In  addition,  Mr.  Waters  has  served  at  leadership  and  committee 
levels  with  numerous  community  and  nonprofit  organizations.  He  is  a  past 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  York  Hospital  and  recently  completed  a  nine  year 
tenure as member of the Board, and chair of the Audit Committee for Wellspan 
Health, York Hospital’s parent company.

Mr. Waters has business, regulatory, leadership, board service and accounting 
expertise  that  brings  valuable  perspectives  to  Fulton’s  Board  of  Directors. 
He  has  also  completed  the  requirements  for  the  NACD  Board  Leadership 
Fellow  Program  since  2014.  In  2017,  Mr.  Waters  also  successfully  completed 
the  NACD  Cyber-Risk  Oversight  Program  and  earned  a  CERT  Certificate 
in  Cybersecurity  Oversight,  issued  by  the  Software  Engineering  Institute  at 
Carnegie Mellon University.

Age: 68

Fulton Director since: 2012

Committees: 

•	

•	
•	
•	

Audit - Member and 
financial expert
Executive - Member
Risk - Member
Special Joint Board 
Compliance - Chair

E. PHILIP WENGER (Chairman of the Board and CEO)

Age: 60

Fulton Director since: 2009

Committees: 

•	
•	

Executive - Member
Special Joint Board 
Compliance - Member

Mr.  Wenger  became  Chairman  of  the  Board  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of 
Fulton effective on January 1, 2013. He also served as President from 2008 to 
2017,  and  Chief  Operating  Officer  of  Fulton  from  2008  to  2012.  Mr.  Wenger 
was  a  director  of  Fulton  Bank  from  2003  to  2009,  Chairman  of  Fulton  Bank 
from 2006 to 2009 and has been employed by Fulton in a number of positions 
since 1979.

In  addition,  Mr.  Wenger  currently  serves  on  the  Board  of  Directors  for  the 
Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Lancaster County YMCA 
Foundation  and  Crispus  Attucks  Community  Center.  He  is  Chair  of  the 
Advisory Board of Stonier Graduate School of Banking, and of the Economic 
Development Company of Lancaster County, as well as a member of the Penn 
State Harrisburg Board of Advisers. Mr. Wenger is also a member of the American 
Bankers Association board of directors and the Operation HOPE Global board 
of directors, a global financial dignity and economic empowerment nonprofit. 
He is a past chair of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Wenger possesses an extensive knowledge of the many aspects of banking 
operations through more than thirty years of experience in the financial services 
industry.  He  has  gained  valuable  insight  through  his  experience  in  different 
banking areas, including retail banking, commercial banking, bank operations 
and systems.

15

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTSecurity Ownership of Directors, Nominees, Management and Certain Beneficial Owners

The following table sets forth the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned1 as of the Record 
Date,  the  latest  practicable  date,  by  each  director  nominee,  and  the  named  executive  officers,  Messrs.  Wenger, 
Rohrbaugh,  McCollom,  Roda,  Myers  and  Ms.  Chivinski,  (collectively  the  “Named  Executive  Officers”  or  the 
“Executives;” and individually, a “Named Executive Officer” or an “Executive”) and those persons known to be the 
beneficial owner of more than 5% of Fulton’s common stock. Except as to the beneficial owners and other principal 
holders listed below, to the knowledge of Fulton, no person or entity owned, of record or beneficially, on the Record 
Date more than 5% of the outstanding common stock of Fulton. Unless otherwise indicated in a footnote, shares 
shown as beneficially owned by each director nominee and each Executive are held individually by the person. The 
director nominees and the Executives of Fulton, as a group, owned of record and beneficially 1,477,545 shares of 
Fulton common stock, representing 0.84% of such shares then outstanding. Shares representing less than one percent 
of the outstanding shares are shown with a “*” below.

Title

Number of  
Common Shares 
Beneficially Owned  2 3 4

Percent of 
Class

Name of 
Beneficial Owner

Lisa Crutchfield
Denise L. Devine
Patrick J. Freer
George W. Hodges
Albert Morrison III
James R. Moxley III
R. Scott Smith, Jr.
Scott A. Snyder
Ronald H. Spair
Mark F. Strauss
Ernest J. Waters
E. Philip Wenger

Mark R. McCollom 13
Beth Ann L. Chivinski

Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee
Director Nominee, Chairman of the Board 
and Chief Executive Officer
Senior Executive Vice President 
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief 
Risk Officer
President and Chief Operating Officer
Senior Executive Vice President

Curtis J. Myers
Craig A. Roda 16
Philmer H. Rohrbaugh 17 Senior Executive Vice President and Chief 

Total Ownership

Financial Officer

Director Nominees, Named Executive 
Officers and executive officers as a Group 
(23 Persons)

Beneficial Owners 
Holding More than 5%

BlackRock, Inc. 19 
55 East 52nd Street New 
York, NY 10055

The Vanguard Group 20 
100 Vanguard Blvd.
Malvern, PA 19355

Dimensional Fund 
Advisors LP 21 
Building One  
6300 Bee Cave Road 
Austin, TX 78746

N/A

N/A

N/A

16

8,948
15,498 5
113,449 6
43,758 7
33,467
125,954 8
281,958 9
3,550
6,082
20,701 10
20,848 11

287,494 12

0

54,792 14
124,803 15
90,818

74,717 18

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*

*
*
*

*

1,477,545

0.84%

18,973,800

10.8%

15,418,001

8.80%

14,254,652

8.14%

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT1 Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with SEC Rule 13d-3, which provides that a person is deemed to own any 
stock for which that person has or shares: (i) voting power, which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of the stock; 
or (ii) investment power, which includes the power to dispose or direct the disposition of the stock; or (iii) the right to acquire 
beneficial ownership within 60 days after the Record Date. 
2 Includes 130,768 shares issuable upon the exercise of vested stock options, which have been treated as outstanding shares for 
purposes of calculating the percentage of outstanding shares owned by each individual as a group.
3 As of the Record Date, none of the listed individuals had pledged Fulton stock.
4 Fulton has established stock ownership guidelines for Fulton directors and certain officers. See a description of the ownership 
requirements on Page 43.
5 Ms. Devine’s ownership includes 1,000 shares held jointly with her spouse. 
6 Mr. Freer’s ownership includes 97,040 shares held jointly with his spouse.
7 Mr.  Hodges’  ownership  includes  21,430  shares  held  in  a  401(k)  plan,  200  shares  held  in  Irrevocable  Trust  for  children  and 
4,466 shares held by The Hodges Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. Hodges disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by The 
Hodges Family Foundation, Inc.
8 Mr.  Moxley’s  ownership  includes  39,115  shares  held  by  The  Moxley  Family  Trust,  1,076  shares  held  solely  by  his  spouse, 
16,127 shares held by Mr. Moxley as custodian for his children and 20,000 shares held in a 401(k) plan.
9 Mr. Smith’s ownership includes 263,444 shares held jointly with his spouse. 
10  Mr. Strauss’ ownership includes 977 shares held jointly with his spouse and 6,427 shares held in an IRA. 
11  Mr. Waters’ ownership includes 6,276 shares held in an IRA.
12 Mr. Wenger’s ownership includes 144,297 shares held jointly with his spouse and 79,792 shares held in Fulton’s 401(k) Plan. Also 
includes 3,064 shares held in Fulton’s 401(k) Plan by his spouse and 341 shares held by Mr. Wenger as custodian for his children.
13 Mr. McCollom joined Fulton as a member of Fulton’s senior management on November 20, 2017 and replaced Mr. Rohrbaugh 
as Fulton’s Chief Financial Officer effective March 2, 2018.
14  Ms. Chivinski’s ownership includes 8,608 shares held in Fulton’s 401(k) Plan. 
15 Mr. Myers’ ownership includes 45,283 shares held in Fulton’s 401(k) Plan, 47,173 shares which may be acquired pursuant to 
the exercise of vested stock options and 11,980 shares held jointly with his spouse. 
16  Mr. Roda has announced he will retire as a member of Fulton’s senior management effective May 1, 2018. 
17  Mr. Rohrbaugh served as Fulton’s Chief Financial Officer from December 6, 2016 through March 1, 2018, and he retired as a 
member of Fulton’s senior management effective March 30, 2018.

18  Mr. Rohrbaugh’s ownership includes 27,000 shares held in an IRA, 274 shares in Fulton’s ESPP and 47,442 shares held jointly 
with his spouse.
19 This information is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 19, 2018 by BlackRock, Inc., which reported 
sole voting power as to 18,606,201 shares and sole dispositive power as to 18,973,800 shares, as of December 31, 2017.
20 This information is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2018 by The Vanguard Group, which 
reported sole voting power as to 190,445 shares and sole dispositive power as to 15,225,666 shares, shared voting power as to 
18,414 shares and shared dispositive power as to 192,335 shares, as of December 31, 2017.
21  This information is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 9, 2018 by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, which 
reported sole voting power as to 13,941,583 shares and sole dispositive power as to 14,254,652 shares, as of December 31, 2017.

17

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTINFORMATION CONCERNING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meetings and Committees of the Board of Directors 

There were nine (9) regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors of Fulton and fifty-three (53) 
meetings of the committees of the Board of Directors of Fulton during 2017. No director attended fewer than 75% 
of (i) all meetings of the Board of Directors, (ii) all of the meetings of the committees of the Board of Directors on 
which a director served, or (iii) the aggregate number of meetings of the Board of Directors and of the committees of 
the Board of Directors on which he or she served in 2017.

The  Board  of  Directors  of  Fulton  has  the  following  five  regular  standing  committees:  Audit,  Executive, 
Human Resources, Nominating and Corporate Governance and Risk. Fulton also established the Special Joint Board 
Compliance Committee (the “Compliance Committee”) as further described below. The following table represents 
the membership on each Fulton committee as of the date of this Proxy Statement: 

Lisa Crutchfield
Denise L. Devine
Patrick J. Freer
George W. Hodges
Albert Morrison III
James R. Moxley III
R. Scott Smith, Jr.
Scott A. Snyder
Ronald H. Spair
Mark F. Strauss
Ernest J. Waters
E. Philip Wenger

Audit

Member

Member 
 Vice Chair

Executive
Member
Member

Chair

Vice Chair

 Chair

Member 

Member

Member
Member

* Ex-officio member per bylaws

Human 
Resources

Chair
Member 
Member

Member
Vice Chair 

Nominating 
and Corporate 
Governance
Chair

Vice Chair

Member

Member

Member

Risk
Member 

Compliance

Member
Chair 
Member
Vice Chair 

Member
Member*

Member
Vice Chair

Member
Chair
Member

Human Resources Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

HR Committee. Fulton maintains a Human Resources Committee (defined above as the “HR Committee”), 
and  all  members  of  the  HR  Committee  meet  the  independence  requirements  of  the  NASDAQ  listing  standards 
for  membership  on  compensation  committees.  More  information  regarding  the  HR  Committee  can  be  found  in 
the  “Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis”  section  of  this  Proxy  Statement  beginning  on  Page  26.  There  are 
no interlocking relationships, as defined in applicable SEC regulations, involving members of the HR Committee. 
Certain directors may have indirect relationships described in “Related Person Transactions” beginning on Page 22. 
The HR Committee is responsible for approving or recommending to the Board of Directors the compensation for the 
Executives, oversight of Fulton’s cash and equity-based incentive compensation plans, the ESPP and the 401(k) Plan, 
approving employment agreements for the Executives and other officers of Fulton and fulfilling other broad-based 
human resources duties. The HR Committee met a total of ten (10) times in 2017. The HR Committee is governed by 
a formal charter, which was last amended in July 2017, and which is available on Fulton’s website at www.fult.com.

Other Board Committees

Audit  Committee.  All  members  of  the  Audit  Committee  meet  the  independence  requirements  of  the 
NASDAQ listing standards, and the rules and regulations of the SEC for membership on audit committees. Each of 
the members of the Audit Committee have been determined to qualify, been designated by the Board of Directors, 
and agreed to serve, as an Audit Committee “financial expert” as defined by SEC regulations. The Audit Committee 
met thirteen (13) times during 2017.

The Audit Committee is governed by a formal charter, which was last amended in July 2017, and which is 
available on Fulton’s website at www.fult.com. The Audit Committee’s pre-approval policy and procedure for audit and 
non-audit services is set forth in its charter. The functions of the Audit Committee include: sole authority to appoint, 
evaluate, retain, or terminate the independent auditor; direct responsibility for the compensation and oversight of 
the work of the independent auditor; oversight of the overall relationship with the independent auditor; meeting with 

18

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTthe independent auditor to review the scope of audit services; reviewing and discussing with management and the 
independent auditor annual and quarterly financial statements and related disclosures; overseeing the internal audit 
function, including hiring and replacing the chief audit executive; reviewing related person transactions; establishing 
procedures and handling complaints concerning accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters; and 
those  risk  management  matters  outlined  in  the  Audit  Committee  Charter.  In  addition,  with  respect  to  any  bank 
subsidiary of Fulton that has not established its own independent audit committee, it is intended that Fulton’s Audit 
Committee, in carrying out its responsibilities, will also satisfy the obligations imposed on such bank subsidiary of 
Fulton relating to the establishment and duties of an independent audit committee as set forth in Section 36 of the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Act and its implementing regulations.

Based on its review and discussion of the audited 2017 financial statements of Fulton with management and 
KPMG LLP the independent auditor of the Fulton’s financial statements, the Audit Committee recommended to the 
Board of Directors that the financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the 
SEC. A copy of the report of the Audit Committee of its findings that resulted from its financial reporting oversight 
responsibilities is attached as Exhibit A.

Nominating  and  Corporate  Governance  Committee.  All  members  of  the  Nominating  and  Corporate 
Governance Committee meet the independence requirements of the NASDAQ listing standards. The Nominating 
and Corporate Governance Committee met eight (8) times during 2017.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things, recommending 
to the Board of Directors nominees for election to the Board of Directors and assisting the Board of Directors with 
corporate governance matters, including the review and approval of all changes to the Code of Conduct, Governance 
Guidelines  and  the  responsibility  for  guidelines  and  procedures  to  be  used  by  directors  in  completing  Board  of 
Directors evaluations used in monitoring and evaluating the performance of the Board of Directors and committees. 
The  Nominating  and  Corporate  Governance  Committee  is  also  responsible  for  determining  whether  Fulton’s 
directors and Executives are in compliance with Fulton’s stock ownership guidelines. The Nominating and Corporate 
Governance Committee is governed by a formal charter, which was last amended in July 2017, and is available on 
Fulton’s website at www.fult.com. 

Executive  Committee.  The  Executive  Committee  met  one  (1)  time  during  2017.  Except  for  the  powers 
expressly excluded in Section 5 of Article III of the Bylaws, the Executive Committee exercises the powers of the 
Board of Directors between board meetings.

Risk Committee. Fulton’s Risk Committee met nine (9) times during 2017. The Risk Committee is responsible 
for providing oversight of the risk management functions and practices of Fulton, including assisting the Board of 
Directors with its oversight of Fulton’s policies, procedures and practices relating to assessment and management 
of Fulton’s enterprise-wide risks, including those risks identified in Fulton’s Enterprise Risk Management Policy, 
which currently include strategic risk, credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, legal risk, compliance 
and regulatory risk and reputational risk. Fulton’s Board of Directors considered the qualifications and experience 
of each Risk Committee member under Regulation YY (12 C.F.R Part 252) (“Regulation YY”) promulgated by the 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and applicable to board risk committees of publicly traded bank 
holding companies with assets of $10 billion or more and less than $50 billion. The Risk Committee Chair is an 
independent director, and each of the members of the Risk Committee was found by Fulton’s Board of Directors to 
possess the requisite experience in identifying, assessing and managing risk exposures at large, complex firms. The 
Risk Committee is governed by a formal charter, which was last amended in July 2017, and is available on Fulton’s 
website at www.fult.com.

Compliance Committee. The Special Joint Board Compliance Committee (defined above as the “Compliance 
Committee”) was established to assist the Board of Directors and the Boards of Fulton’s subsidiary banks, in fulfilling 
their respective responsibilities to oversee compliance with the enforcement orders relating to Bank Secrecy Act and 
anti-money laundering (“BSA/AML”) compliance matters at Fulton and its subsidiary banks and to oversee Fulton’s 
management  of  certain  other  compliance  risks    See  “Legal  Proceedings”  within  “Note  17  –  Commitments  and 
Contingencies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary 
Data in Fulton’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the year ended December 31, 2017, for additional information 
regarding the enforcement orders issued to Fulton and three of its subsidiary banks. The Compliance Committee 
is comprised of five (5) Fulton directors and directors from each of Fulton’s subsidiary banks, and it met twelve 
(12) times during 2017.

19

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTBoard’s Role in Risk Oversight 

While each of Fulton’s committees are responsible for overseeing the management of certain risks, Fulton’s 
Risk  Committee  is  primarily  responsible  for  overseeing  the  management  of  such  risks  for  Fulton,  and  the  entire 
Board of Directors is regularly informed through committee reports and review of committee meeting minutes about 
such risks. Fulton’s Risk Committee is primarily responsible for overseeing the management of Fulton’s enterprise-
wide  risks,  and  the  Board  of  Directors  continues  to  regularly  review  information  regarding  Fulton’s  exposure  to 
strategic  risk,  credit  risk,  market  risk,  liquidity  risk,  operational  risk,  compliance  and  regulatory  risk,  legal  risk 
and  reputational  risk,  as  well  as  Fulton’s  strategies  to  monitor,  control  and  mitigate  its  exposure  to  these  risks. 
In  addition,  the  HR  Committee  is  responsible  for  overseeing  the  management  of  risks  relating  to  all  of  Fulton’s 
compensation plans. The Audit Committee shares with the Risk Committee a general oversight role in Fulton’s risk 
management process in the context of the Audit Committee’s responsibility for financial reporting and its evaluation 
and assessment of the adequacy of Fulton’s internal control structure. The Nominating and Corporate Governance 
Committee manages risks associated with the independence of the Board of Directors, potential conflicts of interest 
and  governance  matters.  The  Compliance  Committee  is  responsible  for  overseeing  management  of  certain  risks 
related to compliance and regulatory matters.

The Board of Directors also relies upon Fulton’s Chief Risk Officer and other members of Fulton’s Enterprise 
Risk Management Committee, which is Fulton’s officer-level risk management committee, to oversee and manage 
existing and emerging risks and serve as a primary review forum prior to escalation to the Risk Committee and the 
Board of Directors. This officer-level risk management committee provides management-level oversight for Fulton’s 
risk management and compliance programs. In addition, annually, Fulton’s Board of Directors adopts a formal Risk 
Appetite Statement which sets forth both the qualitative and quantitative parameters within which Fulton executes 
its business strategies. This document also outlines the general framework within which Fulton manages risk in the 
context of Fulton’s core values and its management philosophy, which seeks to balance the risk it assumes in serving 
its customers and communities with the return it earns for its shareholders.

Fulton’s  framework  for  enterprise  risk  management  consists  of  three  “lines  of  defense:”  1)  business 
units, bank operations, shared services and corporate staff office functions (collectively known as front line units) 
have  primary  responsibility  for  risk  management  and  compliance,  and  they  each  drive  process  deployment,  risk 
identification and management, policies and procedures, training and communication/reporting; 2) independent risk 
management units (consisting of risk management, compliance, loan review, vendor risk management, fraud risk 
management, Bank Secrecy Act compliance, corporate information security office and other risk management units) 
have oversight responsibility and define governance requirements for risk management and compliance, and these 
units  educate,  advise  and  monitor  front  line  unit  risk  and  compliance  activities  in  discrete  areas;  and  3)  Fulton’s 
Internal Audit function independently validates the effectiveness of internal controls and risk management activities 
within  front  line  units  and  independent  risk  management  units  in  those  areas,  and  periodically  reports  results  to 
management and the Board of Directors.

Fulton’s  risk  appetite  is  centered  on  Fulton’s  objective  to  consistently  increase  and  enhance  shareholder 
value, while managing risk at an acceptable level. Fulton’s Board of Directors, and the committees that monitor risk, 
assess and oversee the management of risk, including the establishment, tracking and reporting of key risk indicators 
within the primary risk categories of strategic, credit, market, liquidity, operational, legal, compliance and regulatory 
and reputational risk. Fulton’s key risk indicator thresholds reflect Fulton’s objective to consistently increase and 
enhance  shareholder  value  and  maintain  capital  at  a  level  and  quality  that  supports  Fulton’s  long-term  strategic 
objectives as well as comply with regulatory guidelines. Finally, Fulton engages in ongoing risk assessments, capital 
management and stress testing to ensure that Fulton has adequate capital to absorb potential losses under various 
stress scenarios.

Cybersecurity risk is a key consideration in the operational risk management capabilities at Fulton. Under 
the direction of its Chief Information Security Officer, Fulton maintains a formal information security management 
program, which is subject to oversight by, and reporting to, the Risk Committee of the Board of Directors. Given 
the nature of Fulton’s operations and business, including Fulton’s reliance on relationships with various third-party 
providers in the delivery of financial services, cybersecurity risk may manifest itself through various business activities 
and channels, and it is thus considered an enterprise-wide risk and subject to control and monitoring at various levels 
of management throughout the business. In accordance with its charter, the Risk Committee of the Board of Directors 
oversees and reviews reports on significant matters of actual, threatened or potential breaches of corporate security, 
including cybersecurity. Fulton also maintains specific cyber insurance through its corporate insurance program, the 
adequacy of which is subject to review and oversight by the Risk Committee of the Board of Directors as well.

20

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTLead Director and Fulton’s Leadership Structure

Director Hodges currently serves as Fulton’s Lead Director and is the independent Chair of the Executive 
Committee. He is also a member of the Audit Committee and Human Resources Committee. The Board of Directors 
has  made  a  determination  that  a  structure  which  includes  a  Lead  Director  and  a  combined  Chairman/CEO  is 
appropriate  for  Fulton.  Pursuant  to  the  Governance  Guidelines,  the  Board  of  Directors  designates  for  a  term  of 
at  least  one  (1)  year,  and  publicly  discloses  in  Fulton’s  Proxy  Statement,  the  independent  non-employee  director 
who will lead the non-employee directors’ executive sessions and preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors 
at  which  the  Chairman  is  not  present.  The  Governance  Guidelines  also  require  that  the  Lead  Director  shall,  as 
appropriate: serve as a liaison between the Chairman and the independent directors; approve information sent to 
the Board of Directors; approve meeting schedules to assure that there is sufficient time for discussion of all agenda 
items; and have the authority to call meetings of the independent directors.

Similar to many public companies, the leadership structure of Fulton combines the positions of Chairman 
and CEO. This structure permits the CEO to manage Fulton’s daily operations and provides a single voice for Fulton 
when  needed.  Fulton  believes  that  separation  of  these  roles  is  not  necessary  because  the  Lead  Director  acts  to 
counterbalance the combined Chairman and CEO positions. In addition, approximately 92% of Fulton’s directors (11 
out of 12) are independent under applicable NASDAQ standards, which provides an appropriate level of independent 
oversight at Board of Directors meetings and executive sessions. Finally, Fulton’s HR Committee, Nominating and 
Corporate Governance Committee and Audit Committee are all currently, and will continue to be, comprised solely 
of independent directors.

Executive Sessions

The independent directors of the Fulton Board of Directors met three (3) times in executive session at which 
only independent directors were present in 2017. The Chair of the Executive Committee, George W. Hodges, who 
also served as the Lead Director, conducted these executive sessions of the independent directors.

Annual Meeting Attendance

Pursuant  to  Fulton’s  Governance  Guidelines,  Fulton  expects  directors  to  attend  the  Annual  Meeting  in 
person unless their absence is excused. All members of the Board of Directors attended the 2017 Annual Meeting, 
except for Director Scott Snyder, whose attendance at the 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders was excused.

Director Education and Board of Directors Development

Fulton encourages its directors to attend outside seminars and educational programs as part of its corporate 
governance and general board education process. These educational opportunities are in addition to the education and 
development presentations that are provided during Fulton Board of Directors meetings and seminars. For example, 
third parties are periodically asked to provide the Board of Directors with presentations on governance, the economy, 
regulatory, compliance and a variety of other topics of interest. In addition, Directors Devine, Hodges and Waters 
have each completed the requirements for the NACD Board Leadership Fellow Program for 2017 and prior years. In 
order to become NACD Fellows, individuals must demonstrate their knowledge of the leading trends and practices 
that define exemplary corporate governance, and commit to developing professional insights through a sophisticated 
course of ongoing study. In 2017, Dr. Snyder and Mr. Waters also successfully completed the NACD Cyber-Risk 
Oversight Program and earned a CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight, issued by the Software Engineering 
Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. With the oversight of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, 
Fulton will continue to promote board development and ensure directors are kept current in a selection of topics via 
onsite programs sponsored by Fulton, and external and remote learning opportunities.

Legal Proceedings

There  are  no  material  legal  proceedings  to  which  any  director,  officer,  nominee,  affiliate  or  principal 
shareholder, or any associate thereof, is a party adverse to Fulton, or in which any such person has a material interest 
adverse to Fulton.

21

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTRelated Person Transactions

Financial Products and Services:  Some of the current directors and executive officers of Fulton, including 
the Executives, their family members and the companies with which they are associated, were customers of, and/ or 
had banking transactions with, Fulton’s subsidiaries during 2017. These transactions included deposit accounts, trust 
relationships, loans and other financial products and services provided in the ordinary course of business by Fulton’s 
bank subsidiaries. All loans and commitments to lend made to such persons and to the companies with which they 
are associated were made in the ordinary course of business, on substantially the same terms, including interest rates 
and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable loans with persons not related to the lender, and did not 
involve more than a normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features. It is anticipated that similar 
transactions  will  be  entered  into  in  the  future.  By  using  Fulton’s  products  and  services,  directors  and  executive 
officers have the opportunity to become familiar with the wide array of products and services offered by Fulton’s 
subsidiaries to customers.

Other Transactions :  Applicable SEC regulations require Fulton to disclose transactions with certain related 
persons where the annual amount involved exceeds $120,000. However, a person who has a position or relationship 
with a firm, corporation, or other entity that engages in a transaction with Fulton is not deemed to have a material 
interest in a transaction where the interest arises only from such person’s position as a director of the firm, corporation 
or other entity and/or arises only from the ownership by such person in the firm, corporation or other entity if that 
ownership is under 10%, excluding partnerships. Amounts paid to entities in which a related person does not have 
a material interest or were obtained by a low bid pursuant to a formal request for proposal to provide services are 
not required to be disclosed. During 2017, Fulton did not have any related person transactions in excess of $120,000 
requiring specific disclosure.

Fulton considered the transactions between Fulton and members of the Board of Directors and executive 
officers that do not require specific disclosure, when it made the determinations that eleven (11) of Fulton’s twelve 
(12)  director  nominees,  or  approximately  92%  of  its  director  nominees  who  are  standing  for  election  at  the  2018 
Annual  Meeting,  are  independent  in  accordance  with  the  NASDAQ  listing  standards.  See  “Information  about 
Nominees, Directors and Independence Standards” on Page 9 for more information.

Family  Relationships :  SEC  regulations  generally  require  disclosure  of  any  employment  relationship  or 
transaction with a related person where the amount involved exceeds $120,000. In fiscal year 2017, there were no 
family relationships among any of the members of the Board of Directors and executive officers of Fulton, except 
for Messrs. Wenger and Roda, who are related by marriage and are brothers-in-law. In addition, as of December 31, 
2017, other family relationships existed among executive officers and some of the approximately 3,700 employees of 
Fulton and its subsidiaries. These Fulton employees participate in compensation, benefit and incentive plans on the 
same basis as other similarly situated employees.

Related  Person  Transaction  Policy  and  Procedures :  Fulton  does  not  have  a  separate  policy  specific  to 
related person transactions. Under the Code of Conduct, however, employees and directors are expected to recognize 
and avoid those situations where personal interest or relationships might interfere, or appear to interfere, with their 
responsibilities to Fulton. The Code of Conduct also requires thoughtful attention to the problem of conflicts and the 
exercise of the highest degree of good judgment. Under the Code of Conduct, directors must provide prompt notice 
to Fulton of all new or changed business activities, related person relationships and board directorships as they arise.

In addition, Fulton and its subsidiary banks are subject to Regulation O, which governs loans by federally 
regulated banks to certain insiders, including an executive officer, director or 10% controlling shareholder of the 
applicable bank or bank holding company, or an entity controlled by such executive officer, director or controlling 
shareholder (an “Insider”). Each Fulton subsidiary bank is required to follow a Regulation O policy that prohibits the 
affiliate bank from making loans to an Insider unless the loan (i) is made on substantially the same terms, including 
interest  rates  and  collateral,  as  those  prevailing  at  the  time  for  comparable  loans  with  persons  not  related  to  the 
lender; and (ii) does not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features. Fulton 
and its subsidiary banks are examined periodically by bank regulators and Fulton’s Internal Audit Department for 
compliance with Regulation O to ensure that internal controls exist within Fulton and its subsidiary banks to monitor 
Fulton’s compliance with Regulation O.

22

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTIn accordance with Fulton’s Audit Committee Charter and NASDAQ listing standards, the Audit Committee 
is charged with the responsibility to conduct, at least annually, an appropriate review and oversight of all transactions 
with related persons as defined in applicable SEC regulations. This responsibility includes reviewing an annual report 
regarding the related person transactions, if any, with each member of Fulton’s Board of Directors, the Executives 
and Fulton’s other executive officers during the prior year. At a meeting in February 2018, the Audit Committee 
reviewed and approved a report of all existing related person transactions in 2017 involving Fulton’s directors, the 
Executives and Fulton’s other executive officers.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, requires Fulton’s executive officers, including the Executives, its principal 
accounting officer, its directors, and any persons owning 10% or more of Fulton’s common stock, to file with the SEC, 
in their personal capacities, initial statements of beneficial ownership on Form 3, statements of changes in beneficial 
ownership  on  Form  4  and  annual  statements  of  beneficial  ownership  on  Form  5.  Persons  filing  such  beneficial 
ownership statements are required by SEC regulation to furnish Fulton with copies of all such statements filed with 
the SEC. The rules of the SEC regarding the filing of such statements require that “late filings” of such statements 
be disclosed in Fulton’s Proxy Statement. Based solely on Fulton’s review of Forms 3 and 4 and amendments thereto 
furnished to Fulton during the 2017 fiscal year, including Forms 5 and amendments thereto furnished to Fulton, 
and on written representations from Fulton’s directors, the Executives and Fulton’s other executive officers, Fulton 
believes that all such statements were timely filed in 2017.

Board of Directors and Committee Evaluations

Pursuant to its charter, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews and recommends 
to  the  Board  of  Directors  guidelines  and  procedures  to  be  used  by  directors  in  monitoring  and  evaluating  the 
performance  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  its  committees.  The  Board  of  Directors  and  its  committees,  except 
the  Executive  Committee,  conduct  an  annual  self-evaluation  of  the  performance  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and 
committees. Anonymous board and committee evaluation questionnaires were last completed in the fourth quarter 
of  2017.  The  results  were  compiled  by  Fulton’s  in-house  corporate  counsel  and  presented  to  the  Nominating  and 
Corporate Governance Committee in December 2017, and the members of each committee also received a summary 
report  of  the  results  of  that  committee’s  questionnaire.  The  Nominating  and  Corporate  Governance  Committee 
reported the results to the Board of Directors at its December 2017 regular meeting, and the Board of Directors and 
each of the committees discussed the summary of its respective annual evaluations.

Compensation of Directors 

Non-employee  directors  serving  on  the  Board  of  Directors  currently  receive  a  combination  of  cash  and 
equity compensation paid by Fulton for service on the Board of Directors and its committees. Fulton directors do not 
receive compensation from any third party for their Fulton board service. Equity compensation paid to non-employee 
directors is granted pursuant to the 2011 Directors’ Equity Participation Plan (the “2011 Director Plan”). The equity 
compensation paid to non-employee directors during 2017 was in the form of shares of Fulton common stock that 
had no restriction or vesting requirements. The 2011 Director Plan provides that the maximum number of shares, in 
the aggregate, under all types of awards granted to any one participant in any one calendar year, excluding elections 
to receive cash fees in the form of Fulton shares, shall not exceed the greater of 10,000 shares, or a number of shares 
with a fair market value on the date of the grant of $100,000.00.

Salaried officers of Fulton do not receive additional compensation for service on the Board of Directors. 
Thus, Mr. Wenger did not receive any director fees or additional compensation in 2017 for serving as a member of 
the Board of Directors.

23

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe Board of Directors reviews non-employee director compensation annually, with the assistance of the 
HR Committee and a report from the HR Committee’s independent compensation consultant, with any adjustments 
to director compensation made as part of its organizational meeting activities. The Board of Directors last revised 
the structure and amounts of cash and equity compensation paid to non-employee members of the Board of Directors 
in 2013, and in 2017 increased the annual equity retainer paid. The structure and amounts of compensation paid to 
non-employee directors for service on the Board of Directors and its committees during 2017 was as follows:

Non-employee Director Fees

Quarterly Retainer
Additional quarterly retainer paid to the Lead Director
Additional quarterly retainer paid to committee chairs 1
Board meeting attendance fee
Committee meeting attendance fee 2
Special Joint Board Compliance Committee meeting 
attendance fee
Annual equity retainer 3
Educational and seminar attendance fee 5

Amount

$8,750 in cash
$7,500 in cash
$3,125 in cash
$2,000 in cash per meeting attended
$1,000 in cash per meeting attended
$1,000 in cash per meeting attended

Fulton common stock equivalent to $50,000 4
$1,000 in cash per day

1 An additional quarterly retainer is not paid to the chair of the Executive Committee.

2 Committee  meeting  attendance  fees  are  not  paid  to  a  non-employee  director  for  attending  committee  meetings  held  in 
conjunction with a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors that the director attended.

3 Stock awards granted to non-employee directors elected at the Annual Meeting of shareholders and granted to non-employee 
directors serving on the date of grant on November 1. Stock awards were granted on June 1, 2017 in the amount of $17,500 and 
November 1, 2017 in the amount of $25,000.

4 The number of shares granted to each director was determined based on the closing price of Fulton common stock on the date 
of grant, rounded up to the next whole share. In 2017, the HR Committee approved an increase in the value of stock awards from 
$35,000 to $50,000, paid in two $25,000 installments per year. The November 1, 2017 stock award reflects this increase.

5 Paid for attendance at approved educational meetings or seminars. Since attendance at these meetings and seminars is voluntary, 
attendance at these meetings and seminars is not considered for purposes of calculating director attendance for Board of Directors 
and committee meetings. 

Fulton  also  reimburses  directors  for  Board  of  Directors  service-related  expenses  incurred  in  serving  as 
directors of Fulton and provides non-employee directors with a $50,000 term life insurance policy while they are 
directors. Certain directors have elected to participate in the Fulton Deferred Compensation Plan, under which a 
director may elect to defer a portion of his or her cash director’s fees as those fees are earned and to receive those 
fees, together with any returns earned on investments selected by the participating director, in a lump sum or in 
installments over a period of up to twenty (20) years following retirement. The current non-employee directors of 
Fulton who have established accounts to defer a portion of the fees paid to them in cash are Directors Devine, Freer, 
Smith, Spair and Waters. Certain directors of Fulton also serve on the boards of certain Fulton subsidiary banks, and 
these directors are compensated with a retainer, meeting fees, or both for their service on each of those individual 
boards, and amounts paid are reflected in footnote 4 in the following Director Compensation Table. 

24

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe following table summarizes all of the compensation paid to each non-employee Fulton director who 

served during 2017:

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION TABLE

Name 1

Lisa Crutchfield
Denise L. Devine
Patrick J. Freer
George W. Hodges
Albert Morison III
James R. Moxley III
R. Scott Smith, Jr.
Scott A. Snyder
Ronald H. Spair
Mark F. Strauss
Ernest J. Waters

Fees  
Earned or  
Paid in  
Cash
($)
65,500
72,500
62,250
90,000
75,250
71,250
53,000
53,000
65,250
66,000
82,500

Stock  
Awards 2
($)
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525
42,525

Option 
Awards
($)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Non-Equity 
Incentive Plan 
Compensation
($)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Change in Pension  
Value and 
Nonqualified  
Deferred 
Compensation 
Earnings
($)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

All Other 
Compensation 3 4
($)
0
0
0
0
0
0
12,778 5
0
0
0
0

Total
($)
108,025
115,025
104,775
132,525
117,775
113,775
108,303
95,525
107,775
108,525
125,025

1 Directors listed represent all the non-employee directors of Fulton serving during 2017. 

2 Fulton’s  non-employee  directors  were  granted  Fulton  common  stock  (rounded  to  next  whole  share)  as  part  of  their  2017 
compensation pursuant to the 2011 Director Plan. The amounts in this column consist of a $17,511 stock award granted on June 1, 2017 
consisting of 981 shares having a grant date fair value of $17.85 per share (the closing price of Fulton common stock on June 1, 2017), 
and a $25,014 stock award granted on November 1, 2017 consisting of 1,382 shares having a grant date fair value of $18.10 per share 
(the closing price of Fulton common stock on November 1, 2017). The stock awards were granted without restriction or vesting 
requirements, and the amount shown does not reflect the value of any dividends paid on these shares during 2017. 

3 Unless  otherwise  noted,  the  amount  excludes  perquisites  and  other  personal  benefits  with  an  aggregate  value  of  less  than 
$10,000. Fulton’s methodology to calculate the aggregate incremental cost of perquisites and other personal benefits was to use 
the amount disbursed for the item. Where a benefit involved assets owned by Fulton, an estimate of the incremental cost was used.

4 Some of Fulton’s directors also serve on boards of Fulton’s subsidiary banks and received director fees for bank board service. 
The fees paid for this subsidiary board service are excluded from the amounts listed in the table. During 2017, Director Hodges 
received $26,500 in fees from Fulton Bank, N.A., Director Moxley received $17,150 in fees from The Columbia Bank, Director 
Strauss received $16,500 in fees from Fulton Bank of New Jersey, and Director Waters received $27,250 in fees from Fulton 
Bank, N.A. 

5 This amount includes club membership fees, plus office use, parking and other perquisites received by Director Smith during 2017.

25

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTINFORMATION CONCERNING COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This section of the Proxy Statement explains the design and operation of our executive compensation program 
with respect to the compensation paid to our named executive officers (“Named Executive Officers”) or (“Executives”) 
for 2017. There were a number of changes and new Named Executive Officers based on role changes within Fulton, 
including  the  November  2017  hiring  of  Mark  R.  McCollom,  who  became  Fulton’s  Chief  Financial  Officer  on  
March  2,  2018.  Mr.  McCollom  replaced  Philmer  H.  Rohrbaugh,  who  served  as  Fulton’s  Chief  Financial  Officer 
through March 1, 2018 and has retired as a member of Fulton’s senior management effective as of March 30, 2018. 
Mr. Rohrbaugh held a number of executive positions with Fulton, including Chief Risk Officer, Chief Operating 
Officer, and became Chief Financial Officer on December 6, 2016. Craig A. Roda, Senior Executive Vice President, 
has announced he will retire as a member of Fulton’s senior management effective May 1, 2018. Beth Ann L. Chivinski 
also became a Named Executive Officer in her role as Chief Risk Officer, a position she has held since June 1, 2016. 

Fulton’s Named Executive Officers in this Proxy Statement are:

Executive
E. Philip Wenger
Philmer H. Rohrbaugh 
Mark R. McCollom
Craig A. Roda
Curtis J. Myers 
Beth Ann L. Chivinski

Fulton Officer Title

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, through March 1, 2018
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective March 2, 2018
Senior Executive Vice President
Senior Executive Vice President, President and Chief Operating Officer
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer

Table of Contents for the Compensation Discussion and Analysis

1.

2.

3. 

4. 

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Shareholder Say-on-Pay Proposal Historical Results  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Pay for Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Compensation Philosophy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

5.  HR Committee Membership and Role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

6. 

Role of Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

7.  Use of Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

8.  Use of a Peer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

9. 

Elements of Executive Compensation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

10. 

Employment Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

11. 

Compensation Plan Risk Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

12.  Other Compensation Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

26

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT1. 

Executive Summary 

Fulton  believes  that  the  compensation  of  the  Named  Executive  Officers  should  reflect  Fulton’s  overall 
performance  and  the  contributions  of  the  Executives  to  that  performance.  Variable  compensation  awards  (“VCP 
Awards”)  and  long-term  equity  awards  (“LTI  Awards”)  earned  by  the  Executives  under  Fulton’s  Amended  and 
Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2013 Plan”) are determined based on predetermined 
performance  goals  and  the  HR  Committee’s  assessment,  in  the  exercise  of  its  discretion,  of  Fulton’s  and  each 
Executive’s performance in the preceding year.

Fulton’s  Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations  in 
Fulton’s  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2017,  which  is  being  made  available  to 
shareholders together with this Proxy Statement, contains an overview of Fulton’s 2017 performance. Following is a 
brief summary of some of the financial highlights identified therein for the year ended December 31, 2017:

•	

•	

•	

Net Income Per Share Growth: Diluted net income per share increased $0.05, or 5.4%, to $0.98 per 
diluted share for 2017, compared to $0.93 in 2016.

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin: Net interest income increased $54.6 million, or 10.5%, 
compared to 2016, while the fully taxable-equivalent net interest margin increased 10 basis points to 
3.28%.

Loan Growth: Average loans increased $1.1 billion, or 7.8%, compared to 2016.

•	 Deposit Growth: Average deposits increased $895.7 million, or 6.1%, compared to 2016.

•	

•	

Non-Interest Income: Non-interest income, excluding investment securities gains, increased $11.3 million, 
or 6.0%, compared to 2016.

Non-Interest Expense: Non-interest expense increased $36.1 million, or 7.4%, compared to 2016.

27

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe HR Committee took a number of actions relating to compensation for the Executives during 2017, as 

summarized in the table below: 

Element

Salaries

VCP 
Awards

LTI 
Awards 

Actual VCP Awards  
(% of salary)
89.9%
Ranged from 52.9% to 56.1%

HR Committee Actions

•  Annual base salary increases were approved effective April 1, 2017.
•   Increases  of  2.5%  for  Messrs.  Wenger,  Rohrbaugh,  Roda  and  Ms.  Chivinski,  and  8.3%  for 

Mr. Myers.

•   Set target VCP Award amounts for each of the Executives and approved scorecards with a series of 
performance criteria that would be used to determine the amount of the VCP Awards, if any, that 
would be paid to each of the Executives.

•  Conditioned  the  payment  of  VCP  Awards  for  2017  performance  on  Fulton  having  a  return  on 

average equity (“ROE”) of 6.24% and positive net income for 2017.

•  Evaluated  Fulton’s  and  each  Executive’s  performance  relative  to  the  performance  criteria  and 
determined that the Executives should receive VCP Awards for 2017 performance as follows:
Executive

Target VCP Awards  
(% of salary)

Mr. Wenger
Other Executives
•   Approved  LTI  Award  grants  in  2017,  in  the  form  of  performance-based  restricted  stock  units 

85%
50%

(“Performance Shares”). 

•   The number of Performance Shares awarded to each of the Executives was based on a target dollar 
amount equal to 125% of base salary for the CEO, and 75% of base salary for the other Executives, 
as of January 1, 2017, which was then converted to a number of Performance Shares on the grant 
date by dividing the target dollar amount by the closing price of Fulton’s common stock on the 
grant date. 

•   The  actual  number  of  shares  of  Fulton  common  stock,  if  any,  that  the  Executives  may  receive 
upon vesting on May 1, 2020 following the end of the performance period and determination of 
the achievement of the Performance Shares by the HR Committee may be higher or lower than 
the target number granted.

•   The Performance Shares were allocated by the HR Committee among three components, each 

having different vesting terms, as summarized below:

Component A, representing 37.5% of the target dollar amount for the Executives:
•   Component A Performance Shares will vest only if Fulton has net income during calendar year 
2019 at least equal to the dividends declared on Fulton common stock during the four calendar 
quarters immediately preceding the grant date (the “Profit Trigger”).

•   The  number  of  shares  that  may  be  received  upon  vesting  of  Component  A  Performance  Shares  is 
determined based on Fulton’s 2017 return on average assets (“ROA”) measured relative to a peer group.
•   Fulton’s 2017 ROA percentile rank relative to the Peer Group was 39.7%, and the number of shares 
of stock that may be received upon vesting of the Component A Performance Shares was reduced 
to 58.73% of the original target number of Component A Performance Shares. The vesting of these 
Component A Performance Shares remains subject to the Profit Trigger requirement.

Component B, representing 37.5% of the target dollar amount for the Executives:
•   The number of shares that may be received upon vesting of Component B Performance Shares 
is determined based on Fulton’s total shareholder return (“TSR”) during the period from May 1, 
2017 through March 31, 2020 measured relative to a peer group.

Component C, representing between 25% and 37.5% of the target dollar amount for the Executives:
•   Component C Performance Shares were awarded at the following percentages of the target dollar 
amount: Messrs. Wenger, Roda and Myers, 25%; Mr. Rohrbaugh, 37.5%; and Ms. Chivinski, 34.6%. 
•   The number of shares that may be received upon vesting of the Component C Performance Shares 
will not vary based on performance or other factors, but the vesting of Component C Performance 
Shares is subject to the Profit Trigger requirement.

28

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT2. 

Shareholder Say-on-Pay Proposal Historical Results 

Since 2011, Fulton has annually submitted a non-binding Say-on-Pay Proposal to its shareholders for approval. 
At the 2017 Annual Meeting, 73.72% of Fulton’s shareholders, excluding abstentions, voted in favor of a one year 
frequency of conducting future non-binding Say-on-Pay votes for shareholders to approve the compensation of the 
Named Executive Officers. The 2018 non-binding Say-on-Pay Proposal is set forth on Page 57.

Fulton  views  the  results  of  past  Say-on-Pay  Proposals  as  support  for  its  previous  compensation  policies 
and decisions, and the Board of Directors and its HR Committee will consider the vote on the 2018 non-binding 
proposal as a barometer of shareholder support for the current compensation programs for the Executives. Since first 
implemented and presented to shareholders in 2011, Fulton’s shareholders have consistently approved its Say-on-Pay 
Proposals with an average of 94.49% of shares voted “FOR” the Say-on-Pay Proposals. Following are the results of 
the vote on Fulton’s prior Say-on-Pay Proposals: 

Shares Voted FOR (excluding abstentions) as a Percentage of total vote FOR and AGAINST
Fulton’s Say-on-Pay Proposal

Year
% Voted FOR

2017
97.63%

2016
96.56%

2015
96.15%

2014
96.49%

2013
93.87%

2012
92.63%

2011
90.98%

The HR Committee, which is composed exclusively of independent directors, believes that the prior votes 
of  Fulton’s  shareholders  confirms  the  philosophy  and  objective  of  linking  Fulton’s  executive  compensation  to  its 
operating  objectives  and  the  enhancement  of  shareholder  value.  Fulton  views  this  continued  level  of  shareholder 
support as an affirmation of Fulton’s current pay practices and, as a result, no significant changes were made to 
Fulton’s executive compensation pay practices for 2017. The HR Committee will continue to consider the outcome of 
the Fulton’s say-on-pay votes when making future compensation decisions for the Named Executive Officers.

3. 

Pay for Performance 

The core of Fulton’s compensation philosophy is to link “pay to performance” on both a short-term and 
long-term basis. VCP Awards are “at-risk” performance-based awards because if the ROE threshold is not met or 
scorecard  performance  factors  are  not  achieved,  when  adjusted,  if  applicable,  for  positive  or  negative  corporate 
performance results using a corporate modifier, then the amount of the VCP Award may be reduced or the Executive 
may not receive the award. The 2017 Performance Share awards, like the prior year awards, are “at-risk” because, in 
addition to the amount of annual awards being linked to Fulton’s performance, these awards are subject to vesting and 
possible forfeiture dependent upon Fulton achieving specified levels of financial performance, thereby maintaining 
alignment with shareholders regardless of stock price movement. In addition, the Performance Shares only increase 
in  value  if  Fulton’s  share  price  increases  over  the  term  of  the  award.  The  HR  Committee  believes  that  the  VCP 
Awards and Performance Shares awarded under the 2013 Plan further Fulton’s business plan and further the HR 
Committee’s objective to ensure that the interests of the Executives, both short-term and long-term, are aligned with 
the interests of Fulton’s shareholders. 

29

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe following charts show the compensation mix for Mr. Wenger and the other Executives with the 2017 
VCP  Awards  at  target,  the  2017  Performance  Shares  at  target,  plus  base  salary  and  all  other  compensation  the 
Executives  received  in  2017.  For  2017,  Mr.  Wenger’s  “performance  pay”  was  65%  of  total  compensation  and  the 
average “performance pay” for the other Executives was 53% of total compensation.

2017 Compensation Mix Chart – Performance Based Pay at Target

CEO and Average for Other Executives

Other
4%

Salary
31%

Total
65%

Performance
Shares
38%

VCP Award
27%

Mr. Wenger

P

e

r

f

o

r

m

a

n

c

e

-

B

a

s

e

d

P

a

y

a

t 

T

a

r

g

e

t

Total
53%

30

Other
4%

Performance
Shares
31%

VCP Award
22%

Salary
43%

Average for other Executives

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT 
 
4. 

Compensation Philosophy  

Objectives:  Fulton’s  executive  compensation  philosophy  and  programs  are  intended  to  achieve  three 

objectives:

Align interests of 
the Executives with 
shareholder interests

Fulton believes that the interests of the Named Executive Officers should be closely 
aligned with those of its shareholders. Fulton attempts to align these interests by 
evaluating the Executives’ performance in relation to key financial measures, which 
it believes correlate with consistent long-term shareholder value and increasing 
profitability, without compromising Fulton’s culture and overall risk profile.

Link “pay to 
performance”

Fulton believes in a close link between pay to the Executives and the overall 
performance of Fulton on both a short-term and long-term basis. It seeks to reward 
the Executives for their contributions to Fulton’s financial and non-financial 
achievements and to differentiate rewards to the Executives based on their individual 
contributions.

Attract, motivate and 
retain talent

Fulton believes its long-term success is closely tied to the attraction, motivation 
and retention of highly talented employees and a strong management team. While 
a competitive compensation package is essential in competing for and retaining 
talented employees in a competitive market, Fulton also believes that non-monetary 
factors, such as a desirable work environment and successful working relationships 
between employees and managers, are critical to providing a rewarding employee 
experience. 

To achieve these three objectives, Fulton provides the following elements of Executive compensation: 

Base Salary

Fulton generally sets Executive base salaries near the market median at comparable 
peer companies and to reflect individual job responsibilities, experience and tenure.

Annual Cash 
Incentive Awards

Annual cash incentive awards, in the form of VCP Awards, are designed to focus 
the attention of the Executives on the achievement of annual business goals. Under 
Fulton’s 2013 Plan, awards at the target level of performance are designed to position 
total cash compensation near the market median. The 2013 Plan provides the 
Executives with the opportunity to earn cash compensation above the median for 
superior performance.

Equity Awards

Benefits

Perquisites

Fulton believes in providing long-term incentive awards consisting of equity in the 
form of Performance Shares, in order to focus the Executives on delivering long-term 
performance and shareholder value. The equity award program is also designed to 
provide the Executives with a long-term wealth-building opportunity that acts as a 
balance to short-term incentives, ensures a focus on the long-term stability of the 
organization and incorporates vesting terms that encourage executive retention. 
Fulton believes in equity award levels that are fair and market competitive, both in 
isolation and in the context of total compensation.

Fulton believes in providing benefits that are competitive in the marketplace and that 
encourage the Executives to remain with Fulton. Retirement benefits are designed to 
provide reasonable long-term financial security.

Fulton believes in providing the Executives and other officers with basic perquisites 
that are necessary for conducting Fulton’s business.

31

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT5. 

HR Committee Membership and Role  

 The HR Committee is currently comprised of five (5) independent directors, all of whom are appointed to 
serve annually by the Board of Directors. Each member of the HR Committee qualifies as an independent director 
under  the  NASDAQ  listing  standards  and  meets  the  additional  NASDAQ  independence  requirements  specific  to 
compensation committee members. No member of the HR Committee is a party to a related person transaction as 
more fully described in “Related Person Transactions” on Page 22 of this Proxy Statement. There are no interlocking 
relationships,  as  defined  in  the  regulations  of  the  SEC,  involving  members  of  the  HR  Committee.  For  a  further 
discussion on director independence, see the “Information about Nominees, Directors and Independence Standards” 
section on Page 9 of this Proxy Statement.

Pursuant to its charter, which is available on Fulton’s website at www.fult.com, and consistent with NASDAQ 
rules, the role of the HR Committee is, among other things, to review and approve, or make recommendations to 
the Board of Directors with respect to, the base salaries and other compensation paid or granted to the Executives, 
to administer Fulton’s equity and other compensation plans and to take such other actions, within the scope of its 
charter, as the HR Committee deems necessary or appropriate. The HR Committee relies upon such performance 
data,  statistical  information  and  other  data  regarding  executive  compensation  programs,  including  information 
provided by Fulton’s Human Resources Department, Fulton’s officers and outside advisors, as it deems appropriate. 
The HR Committee has unrestricted access to individual members of management and employees and may ask them 
to attend any HR Committee meeting or to meet with any member of the HR Committee. The HR Committee also 
has the power and discretion to retain, at Fulton’s expense, such independent counsel and other advisors or experts 
as it deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its duties.

Fulton’s  executive  compensation  process  consists  of  establishing  targeted  overall  compensation  for  each 
Executive  and  then  allocating  that  targeted  total  compensation  among  base  salary,  cash  incentive  compensation 
and equity awards. Fulton does not have a policy or an exact formula with regard to the allocation of compensation 
between cash and non-cash elements, except that the HR Committee has established a methodology and an award 
matrix for cash incentive compensation payments and equity awards under the 2013 Plan, as described in more detail 
below. Consistent with Fulton’s compensation philosophy, however, the HR Committee determines the amount of 
each type of compensation for the Executives by: reviewing publicly available executive compensation information 
of peer group companies (as defined and listed below); consulting with outside advisors and experts; considering the 
complexity, scope and responsibilities of the individual’s position; consulting with the CEO with respect to the other 
Executives; assessing possible demand for the Executives by competitors and other companies; and evaluating the 
compensation appropriate to attract executives to Fulton’s headquarters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

6. 

Role of Management  

Management assists the HR Committee in recommending agenda items for its meetings and by gathering 
and producing information for these meetings. As requested by the HR Committee, the CEO, other Executives and 
other officers, including members of Fulton’s in-house corporate counsel, participate in HR Committee meetings to 
provide background information, compensation recommendations for other officers, performance evaluations and 
other items requested by the HR Committee. As part of the performance evaluation process, all the Executives meet 
with the CEO to discuss their overall performance. The CEO reviews the performance of the other Executives and 
shares his comments and recommendations with respect to the performance of the other Executives with the HR 
Committee. The HR Committee, without the CEO present, reviews the CEO’s overall performance and routinely has 
executive sessions without management present. The Executives are not present for the HR Committee’s discussions, 
deliberations and decisions with respect to their individual compensation. The HR Committee Charter, last amended 
in 2017, provides that the CEO may not be present during HR Committee voting or HR Committee deliberations 
regarding the CEO’s compensation. The Board of Directors, in executive session, with only the independent directors 
present, has historically made all final determinations regarding the compensation of the Executives, after considering 
recommendations made by the HR Committee.

32

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT7. 

Use of Consultants  

The HR Committee retained McLagan, an Aon Hewitt Company, as independent compensation consultant 
for 2017. McLagan served as the independent compensation consultant for the HR Committee from June 2010 until 
October  2017.  McLagan  was  originally  retained  by  Fulton  in  2009  for  a  compensation  plan  risk  review  project 
and performed a variety of assignments during 2017 at the direction of the HR Committee, including conducting 
a  compensation  market  analysis  related  to  Fulton’s  Executives,  scorecard  review,  an  overall  compensation  policy 
review, work related to the design of Fulton’s incentive compensation plans, and providing general compensation 
advice regarding Fulton’s Executives.

During 2017, McLagan was instructed by the HR Committee to compare Fulton’s current compensation 
practices and executive compensation programs with those of Fulton’s peers, evolving industry best practices and 
regulatory guidance. Based on that comparison, McLagan was asked to recommend changes in Fulton’s executive 
compensation  practices  that  were  consistent  with  Fulton’s  executive  compensation  philosophy  and  objectives  as 
described above. The specific instructions given to the consultant and fees to be paid were generally outlined in 
engagement  letters  that  described  the  scope  and  performance  of  duties  under  each  project.  Fulton  does  not  have 
a  policy  that  limits  the  other  services  that  an  executive  compensation  consultant  may  perform.  McLagan  and  its 
affiliates did not provide additional services to Fulton or its affiliates in 2017 with associated fees in excess of the 
$120,000 threshold established under SEC rules and regulations requiring disclosure in this Proxy Statement.

At its February 21, 2017 meeting, the HR Committee considered the independence of McLagan in light of 
the SEC rules and NASDAQ listing standards related to compensation committee consultants. The HR Committee 
requested  and  received  a  report  from  McLagan  addressing  its  independence  as  a  compensation  consultant  to  the 
HR Committee, including the following factors: (1) other services provided to Fulton by McLagan; (2) fees paid by 
Fulton as a percentage of McLagan’s and Aon’s total revenue; (3) policies or procedures maintained by McLagan 
that are designed to prevent a conflict of interest; (4) any business or personal relationships between the individual 
consultants performing work for the HR Committee and a member of the HR Committee; (5) any Fulton stock owned 
by the individual consultants performing work for the HR Committee; and (6) any business or personal relationships 
between Fulton’s executive officers and the individual consultants performing work for the HR Committee. The HR 
Committee discussed these considerations and concluded that the work performed by McLagan and its consultants 
involved in the engagements did not raise any conflict of interest, and further concluded that McLagan continues to 
satisfy the applicable rules and standards related to the independence of compensation committee consultants.

Since McLagan had served as the HR Committee consultant since 2010, in the interest of good governance, 
in 2017 the HR Committee considered a number of compensation consultants, including McLagan, as part of a request 
for proposal for the 2018 consultant engagement. After reviewing responses and conducting in-person interviews of 
several consultants, the HR Committee approved the replacement of McLagan with Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc. in 
late 2017. 

8. 

Use of a Peer Group 

In evaluating the market competitiveness of the compensation paid to the Executives, the HR Committee, 
with  the  assistance  of  its  compensation  consultant,  regularly  reviews  the  compensation  paid  to  the  Executives  in 
comparison with the compensation paid to executives with similar responsibilities within a defined peer group of 
similar  financial  institutions.  The  HR  Committee,  with  the  assistance  of  McLagan,  reviewed  the  composition  of 
Fulton’s  peer  group.  Based  on  a  review  of  the  peer  group  in  late  2016,  the  HR  Committee,  consistent  with  the 
recommendation of McLagan, approved the peer group appearing in the table below as the peer group for 2017 (the 
“2017 Peer Group”).

The 2017 Peer Group was evaluated and selected based on a range of factors, including asset size, revenue 
composition,  the  number  of  employees,  market  capitalization,  geographic  focus,  business  model,  and  ownership 
profile. McLagan recommended that Fulton continue with the prior year peer group, except that FirstMerit Corporation 
be removed because it was acquired in 2016 and was no longer deemed appropriate for inclusion. 

Aggregate statistical analysis of the executive compensation practices of the companies in the 2017 Peer 
Group was used by the HR Committee in the review of overall compensation and in setting 2017 base salaries for 
the Executives. During 2017, the 2017 Peer Group was also used as the peer group for the Performance Shares, as 
discussed below.

33

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe following table provides the nineteen (19) members of the 2017 Peer Group, their stock trading symbols 

and the location of their principal executive offices: 

2017 Peer Group
BancorpSouth, Inc.1
Commerce Bancshares, Inc.
F.N.B. Corporation
Hancock Holding Company
IBERIABANK Corporation
MB Financial Inc.
Northwest Bancshares, Inc.
Old National Bancorp
PrivateBancorp, Inc.2
Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.
TCF Financial Corporation
Trustmark Corporation
UMB Financial Corporation
Umpqua Holdings Corporation
United Bankshares Inc.
Valley National Bancorp
Webster Financial Corporation
Western Alliance Bancorp
Wintrust Financial Corporation

Ticker
BXS
CBSH
FNB
HBHC
IBKC
MBFI
NWBI
ONB
PVTB
PB
TCB
TRMK
UMBF
UMPQ
UBSI
VLY
WBS
WAL
WTFC

City State
Tupelo MS
Kansas City MO
Pittsburgh PA
Gulfport MS
Lafayette LA
Chicago IL
Warren PA
Evansville IN
Chicago IL
Houston TX
Wayzata MN
Jackson MS
Kansas City MO
Portland OR
Charleston WV
Wayne NJ
Waterbury CT
Phoenix AZ
Rosemont IL

1 On October 31, 2017, as part of a corporate reorganization, BancorpSouth, Inc. merged with and into BancorpSouth 
Bank, with BancorpSouth Bank continuing as the surviving entity.

2 This Peer Group member was acquired, and, as provided for within the incentive plans and LTI Awards, was excluded 
from certain metrics and market comparisons during 2017.

9. 

Elements of Executive Compensation 

Fulton’s  executive  compensation  program  currently  provides  a  mix  of  base  salary,  cash  incentive  and 

equity-based components, as well as retirement benefits, health plans and other benefits as follows: 

Base Salary: Consistent with its compensation philosophy, Fulton generally seeks to set base salary for the 
Executives in line with the market median. Fulton sets salaries on an individual basis and seeks to provide base salary 
appropriate for the person’s position, experience, responsibilities and performance.

In  making  recommendations  to  the  Board  of  Directors  regarding  the  appropriate  base  salaries  for  2017, 
the HR Committee received a recommendation from its compensation consultant, which considered base salaries 
paid by members of the 2017 Peer Group to peer officers who held similar roles and who were positioned similarly 
to the Executives in their respective organizations. At its meeting in March 2017, after a review of the Executives’ 
competitive positioning to market using 2017 Peer Group, analysis of internal pay equity data, the salary increases 
paid to other Fulton officers, recommendations from the CEO and an internal equity comparison report provided 
by McLagan, the HR Committee recommended, and the Board of Directors approved, base salary adjustments for 
the Executives effective with the payroll period including April 1, 2017, as set forth in the table below. Mr. Myers 
received  a  more  substantial  increase  than  that  awarded  to  the  other  Executives  based  upon  the  recommendation 
of  the  HR  Committee’s  consultant  reflecting  his  increased  responsibilities.  Mr.  McCollom’s  salary  was similarly 
considered by the HR Committee and its consultant at the time of his hiring as Fulton’s CFO designee to succeed 
Mr. Rohrbaugh as Fulton’s Chief Financial Officer. 

34

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe base salaries for each of the Executives in 2016 and 2017, along with the annual percent increases for 

each Executive, were:

Executive

Wenger
Rohrbaugh
McCollom
Roda
Myers
Chivinski

2016 Base Salary
$973,936
$518,347
-
$411,406
$392,425
$345,857

2017 Base Salary
$998,284
$531,306
$425,000
$421,691
$424,996
$354,503

Annual % Increase
2.50%
2.50%
-
2.50%
8.30%
2.50%

VCP  Awards:  Fulton’s  VCP  Awards  are  designed  so  that  no  annual  cash  incentive  is  paid  unless  Fulton 
achieves a predetermined ROE performance threshold and a net income goal. Once those thresholds are achieved, 
individual scorecards are utilized, which rely on a series of financial, business and risk metrics in several categories, 
with potential adjustment for positive or negative performance not reflected in the scorecards, in order to provide 
balance in the overall approach to determining annual cash incentives. The HR Committee set the 2017 ROE threshold 
at 6.264%, equivalent to 80% of Fulton’s budgeted ROE for 2017 of 7.83%, which was viewed as an attainable goal, 
but not a level which guaranteed payment of an annual cash incentive, to ensure that the Executives are paid for 
performance. For the 2017 VCP Awards, in addition to the ROE goal, the HR Committee included a positive net 
income trigger for the year intended to qualify the awards as performance-based compensation. 

At its February 2018 meeting, the HR Committee determined that:

•	  The  2017  ROE  threshold  of  6.264%  had  been  achieved,  as  Fulton  had  an  actual  2017  ROE  of 

7.829%; and

•	  The 2017 positive net income trigger had been achieved, as Fulton had 2017 actual positive net 

income of $171.8 million. 

The VCP Awards were designed by the HR Committee to be substantially based on formulaic scorecard 
results with the HR Committee retaining discretion to adjust any VCP Award, as appropriate. The 2017 VCP Awards 
were  determined  pursuant  to  the  terms  and  provisions  of  the  2013  Plan,  and  the  HR  Committee  approved  these 
awards as a Performance Compensation Award under Article 10 of the 2013 Plan.

In early 2017, the HR Committee reviewed and approved updated scorecards to be used for 2017 performance, 
which  are  outlined  in  the  tables  below.  McLagan  presented  the  initial  design  concept  below  to  help  simplify  the 
VCP  awards  and  to  better  align  pay  with  performance.  The  2017  scorecards  recommended  by  the  compensation 
consultant reduced the number of subcategories from nine to six, which were allocated among Financial Results, 
Risk  Management  and  Business  Objectives  categories.  McLagan  also  recommended  increasing  the  weight  of  the 
Business Objectives to 15%, reducing the weight of the Risk Management category to 35%, using linear interpolation 
and  removing  the  step-weighted  measures  that  assess  performance  in  discrete  segments  for  actual  performance, 
permitting a maximum payout for all factors, and continuing to allow for up to a 35% modifier as structured discretion 
whereby the scorecard sets the overall pool and then, to make adjustments up or down to align with performance 
and events not otherwise captured by the actual metrics. The following is a summary of the 2017 scorecard the HR 
Committee approved.

All the scorecards for 2017 contained the same financial performance metrics and similar risk management 
performance  categories  for  each  Named  Executive  Officer,  including  the  CEO.  Each  Executive  had  Employee 
Engagement as his or her Business Objective. This objective was based on certain employee survey results from all of 
the employees that reported to each Executive. The CEO had a higher payout opportunity than the other Executives. 
The 2017 scorecard was assessed with possible scores ranging from 0 to 5 for each factor. Where scorecard results 
fall  in  between  the  scores  for  threshold,  target  and  maximum  award  levels,  the  VCP  Award  is  interpolated  on  a 
straight-line basis. 

35

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe VCP Awards were calculated based on scorecard results, with payouts to be made in accordance with 

the following matrix.

2017 Award Level
Threshold
Target
Maximum

2017 VCP Award Matrix

Scorecard  
Result
2.00
3.00
4.50

% of  
Target Award
25.0%
100.0%
150.0%

CEO  
Payout as a % 
of Salary 1
21.3%
85.0%
127.5%

Other Executive 
Payout as a % 
of Salary 1
12.5%
50.0%
75.0%

1 For purposes of determining VCP Awards, salary is the actual base salary paid to each Executive during 2017 and listed in the 
Summary Compensation Table on Page 45.

At  its  March  2018  meeting,  the  HR  Committee  reviewed  the  Executives’  overall  2017  performance  and 
scorecard results, and determined that each of the Executives achieved a level of performance in 2017 that qualified 
for a VCP Award above target based on total scorecard results. The HR Committee reviewed the results for each 
of  the  scorecard  performance  subcategories  and  particular  attention  was  paid  to  the  Financial  Results.  The  HR 
Committee considered several notable events that impacted Fulton and its performance in 2017 and the Executives’ 
2017 scorecard. The HR Committee evaluated Fulton’s 2017 as reported earnings per share (“EPS”) of $0.976, ROA 
of  0.877%  and  ROE  of  7.829%  and  considered  the  impact  on  those  measures  of  the  enactment  of  the  Tax  Cuts 
and  Jobs  Act,  which  resulted  in  Fulton  recording  an  estimated  $15.6  million  charge  to  income  taxes  for  the  re-
measurement of net deferred tax assets (the “2017 Tax Charge”), and net gains of $9.1 million realized on the sale 
of investment securities (the “2017 Securities Gains”), which arose primarily from the sale of substantially all of 
Fulton’s  investments  in  financial  institution  common  stocks.  As  permitted  under  the  2013  Plan,  the  Committee 
determined that for purposes of evaluating the Financial Results category of the Executives’ scorecards, the EPS and 
ROE for 2017 would be adjusted by excluding the 2017 Tax Charge and the 2017 Securities Gains. After excluding 
these amounts, the Committee used adjusted measures for EPS of $1.032, ROA of 0.927% and ROE of 8.273% for 
purposes of assessing the Executives’ scorecard performance for 2017.

The following is a summary of the 2017 Executive scorecards and results used for the 2017 VCP Awards. 

Performance Categories

Performance Sub-categories

2017 Executive Scorecard 1

Financial Results 
(50% Weight)

Risk Management 
(35% Weight)

Business Objectives 
(15% Weight) 

Score 
Rating
•  EPS
•  ROE

0

1

2
Threshold

3
Target

4

5

Maximum Weight

< $0.883 $0.883

$0.932

$0.981

$1.030

> $1.079

< 7.043% 7.043% 7.435%

7.826% 8.217% > 8.609%

30%

20%

Final
Score

4.03

4.14

•  Capital Ratings. Liquidity and Market Risk
•  Asset Quality: Non-performing Assets to Total Assets
•  Corporate Rollup-Regulatory Exams (Compliance)

•  Employee Engagement Index 

Weight Final Score

15%

15%

5%

3.00

3.00

2.00

Weight Final Score 2

15%

2.80

1  Mr. McCollom did not have a scorecard since he was hired in late-2017.
    This score is the average of the employee engagement index scores for all the Executives with scorecards in 2017. 

2

36

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe  HR  Committee  has  authority  to  exercise  its  discretion  to  increase  or  decrease  the  calculated  VCP 
Awards and has previously applied this discretion to help maintain proper alignment between scorecard results and 
incentive awards by taking other factors into account. Using the modifier feature adopted for the 2017 VCP Awards, 
the HR Committee may increase or decrease an Executive’s VCP Award by up to 35% on an individual basis, provided 
that it does not cause an Executive’s VCP Award to exceed 150% of that Executive’s VCP Award target. The HR 
Committee adopted the modifier feature to help ensure that VCP Awards appropriately reflect risk and unexpected 
circumstances that arise during the year, to account for the possibility of unintended outcomes determined solely by 
a formula, and to more appropriately align pay with performance in cases where formulaic scores do not fully reflect 
all aspects of Fulton’s and individual performance results for the year.

For 2017, the initial calculated VCP Awards averaged approximately 114% of target for the CEO and the 
other Executives. The HR Committee reviewed these calculated scores and resulting award levels based on the 2017 
scorecard results in the context of Fulton’s and the Executives’ performance during 2017, and then determined that a 
downward adjustment to the initial calculated award level was appropriate. The HR Committee therefore exercised 
its discretion under the modifier feature for the 2017 VCP Awards and decreased calculated awards by 5.00% for the 
CEO, and up to 7.5% for the other Executives. In reducing 2017 VCP Awards the HR Committee considered, among 
other factors, adjustments it made as a result of the 2017 Tax Charge and the 2017 Securities Gains that increased the 
EPS and ROE financial results in the scorecards. 

The following is a tabular summary of the 2017 scorecard Target VCP Awards, the actual 2017 VCP paid, 

and the VCP Award’s percent to target for each Executive.

Executive1

Target VCP

Wenger

Rohrbaugh

Roda

Myers

Chivinski

Total

$843,765

$264,158

$209,659

$208,740

$176,254

VCP Paid2
$892,422

$279,391

$226,831

$225,836

$197,816

$1,702,576

$1,822,296

% of Target

105.8%

105.8%

108.2%

108.9%

112.2%

107.0%

1 Mr. McCollom was awarded a discretionary 2017 cash bonus consistent with the terms of his employment agreement.
2 VCP Awards paid to each Executive for 2017 are listed in the Summary Compensation Table on Page 45.

37

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT 
Equity Awards: For 2017, the number of Performance Shares granted to each of the Executives generally 
represents a target dollar amount of Performance Shares established by the HR Committee, based on recommendations 
from McLagan, equal to 125% of base salary, as of January 1, 2017, for the CEO and 75% of base salary, as of January 
1, 2017, for the other Executives, and assuming a value for each Performance Share equal to the closing price of 
Fulton’s common stock on the grant date. For 2017, the HR Committee awarded Performance Shares above target 
dollar amount to Mr. Rohrbaugh and Ms. Chivinski, as described below. The Performance Shares were granted to 
the Executives on May 1, 2017. The actual number of shares of Fulton common stock, if any, that the Executives 
may receive upon vesting of the Performance Shares on the third anniversary of the date of grant may be higher or 
lower  than  the  number  of  Performance  Shares  granted  to  the  Executives.  The  aggregate  number  of  Performance 
Shares granted to each of the Executives was allocated by the HR Committee among three components, each having 
different performance criteria and vesting terms, as summarized below:

2017 Equity Award Structure

2017 (Year of grant)

2018

2019

2020

37.5% Allocation
A – ROA with
Profit Trigger

Component A

Grant

Performance Period

January 1, 2017 to December 31,2017

Vesting

Relative ROA to Peer Group for one year, then two additional years 
of vesting based on Performance Shares earned for 2017 conditioned 
on achievement of the Profit Trigger

Component B

Grant

37.5% Allocation
B – TSR

Performance Period

May 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020

Vesting

Relative TSR to Peer Group determines the number of Performance 
Shares earned for the performance period in 2020 (no Profit Trigger)    

0% to 37.5%
Allocation
C – Time-Based
with Profit
Trigger

Component C

Grant

Vesting

3-year Time-Based cliff vesting of Performance Shares conditioned on 
achievement of the Profit Trigger

The performance goals and potential payouts for ROA and TSR Components A and B for 2017 were:

Category

Threshold
Target
Maximum

Component A
 Performance Criteria

25th Percentile ROA
50th Percentile ROA
80th Percentile ROA

Component A
Payout Potential 
(% of target)
0%
100%
150%

Component B
Performance 
Criteria
25th Percentile TSR
50th Percentile TSR
80th Percentile TSR

Component B
Payout Potential
(% of target)
0%
100%
150%

38

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe following provides more detail related to the 2017 Components:

Component A 
(ROA with 
Profit Trigger) 
37.5% Target

•	 	Component	 A,	 representing	 37.5%	 of	 the	 target	 dollar	 amount	 of	 Performance	 Shares	
granted, for which the number of shares of Fulton common stock that may be received upon 
vesting is based on Fulton’s 2017 ROA measured relative to the 2017 Peer Group and further 
conditioned upon Fulton achieving the Profit Trigger. 

•	 	Based	on	Fulton’s	relative	2017	ROA	performance,	the	number	of	Performance	Shares	that	
may vest was reduced to 58.73% of the original number of Component A Performance Shares 
granted to the Executives to reflect performance between the threshold and target levels, 
interpolated on a straight-line basis. The potential number of Component A Performance 
Shares  that  may  vest,  if  the  Profit  Trigger  is  achieved,  will  not  further  change  during 
the  remainder  of  the  three-year  performance  period,  except  for  the  accrual  of  dividend 
equivalents on the Component A Performance Shares that actually vest.

Component B 
(TSR)
37.5% Target

•	 	Component	 B,	 representing	 37.5%	 of	 the	 target	 dollar	 amount	 of	 Performance	 Shares	
granted, for which the number of shares of Fulton common stock that may be received upon 
vesting of the Performance Shares will be determined based on Fulton’s TSR during the 
period from May 1, 2017 through March 31, 2020 relative to that of the 2017 Peer Group.

Component C 
(Time-Based 
with Profit 
Trigger) 
25% Target 

•	 	Component	C,	representing	25%	of	target	dollar	amount	for	the	Executives,	unless	the	HR	
Committee  has  exercised  discretion  to  vary  the  award  (from  0  to  37.5%  of  the  targeted 
amount of Performance Shares). 

•	 	All	the	Named	Executive	Officers	received	a	Component	C	award	at	25	%	of	target,	except	
Mr. Rohrbaugh and Ms. Chivinski, who received 37.5% and 34.6% of target dollar amount, 
respectively. The Executives will receive all or none of these Performance Shares, subject 
to  achievement  of  the  Profit  Trigger.  For  Mr.  Rohrbaugh,  the  HR  Committee  awarded 
Component C Performance Shares greater than the target dollar amount in recognition of 
his  efforts  as  interim  CFO  and  other  contributions  to  the  Corporation  in  2016  as  Chief 
Operating Officer. For Ms. Chivinski, her award of Component C Performance Shares was 
greater than the target dollar amount because of her efforts as the new Chief Risk Officer, 
and the fact that her 2016 LTI award was granted based on her position prior to assuming the 
role of Chief Risk Officer, as well as her other contributions to Fulton in 2016. 

Performance Shares that actually vest, together with dividend equivalents accrued during the performance 
period  on  those  Performance  Shares,  are  settled  in  shares  of  Fulton  common  stock  on  a  1-for-1  basis  after  the 
expiration  of  the  three-year  performance  period  and  satisfaction  of  vesting  criteria  under  the  2013  Plan.  Further, 
Components A and B are adjusted after their respective one- and three-year performance periods, but are forfeited 
if the corresponding threshold performance level for TSR or ROA is not achieved. Components A and C are also 
forfeited  if  the  Profit  Trigger  is  not  achieved.  Finally,  if  the  Executive  does  not  satisfy  the  continuous  service 
requirement in the 2013 Plan, all Performance Shares are forfeited.

Based on the level of Fulton’s achievement of ROA in 2017, only 58.73% of the Component A Performance 
Shares originally granted to the Executives in 2017, subject to the Profit Trigger, were earned. This reduction was 
after giving effect to Fulton’s reported ROA of 0.877%, and as adjusted by the HR Committee to 0.927%, due to the 
2017 Tax Charge and the 2017 Securities Gains as described above, for the year ended December 31, 2017. Fulton’s 
as adjusted 2017 ROA performance was measured relative to the 2017 Peer Group at the 39.7 percentile, which fell 
between threshold and target levels.

39

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTThe  following  table  depicts  the  grant  date  fair  value  of  the  Performance  Shares,  the  total  number  of 
Performance Shares at target performance, and the allocation of the Performance Shares among Components A, B 
and C granted to each of the Executives on May 1, 2017.

Executive

Wenger
Rohrbaugh
Roda
Myers
Chivinski

Grant Date 
Fair Value
of Performance 
Shares 1
$1,182,002
$426,051
$299,598
$285,757
$276,860

Total
Performance 
Shares
Awarded 2
65,102
23,387
16,500
15,738
15,208

Component A 
(ROA Goal) 
Shares
Awarded 3
24,413
7,796
6,188
5,902
5,202

Component B 
(TSR Goal) 
Shares
Awarded
24,413
7,796
6,188
5,902
5,202

Component C 
Shares
Awarded 4
16,276
7,795
4,124
3,934
4,804

1 See note 4 to the Summary Compensation Table on Page 45 for additional information regarding the grant date fair value of the 
Performance Shares. Mr. McCollom, who was hired in November 2017, did not receive a Performance Share Award in 2017.
2 Shares listed do not include accrued dividend equivalents.
3 Based on Fulton’s ROA for the year ended December 31, 2017, the number of Component A Performance Shares that may vest, 
subject to the achievement of the Profit Trigger, has been reduced to: 14,337 for Mr. Wenger; 4,578 for Mr. Rohrbaugh; 3,634 for 
Mr. Roda; 3,466 for Mr. Myers and 3,055 for Ms. Chivinski. Such shares may be further reduced to zero if the Profit Trigger is 
not met at the end of the performance period. 
4 The HR Committee awarded shares above the 25% target amount for Mr. Rohrbaugh and Ms. Chivinski.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan: The Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) was designed to advance the 
interests of Fulton and its shareholders by encouraging Fulton’s employees and the employees of its subsidiary banks 
and other subsidiaries to acquire a stake in the future of Fulton by purchasing shares of the common stock of Fulton. 
Currently, Fulton limits payroll deduction and annual employee participation in the ESPP to $7,500. The Executives 
participating in the ESPP are eligible to purchase shares through the ESPP at a discount, currently 15%, on the same 
basis as other Fulton employees participating in the ESPP.

Defined  Contribution  Plan  –  401(k)  Plan:  Fulton  provides  a  qualified  defined  contribution  plan,  in  the 
form of a 401(k) Plan, to the Executives and other employees and provides for employer matching contributions that 
satisfy a non-discrimination “safe-harbor” available to 401(k) retirement plans. This safe-harbor employer matching 
contribution is equal to 100% of each dollar a participant elects to contribute to the 401(k) Plan, but the amount of 
contributions that are matched by Fulton is limited to 5% of eligible compensation. The Executives participating in the 
401(k) Plan are eligible to receive the same employer matching contribution as other Fulton employees participating 
in the 401(k) Plan.

Deferred  Compensation  Plan:  Fulton’s  nonqualified  deferred  compensation  plan  permits  directors  and 
advisory board members to elect to defer receipt of cash director fees and certain eligible senior officers can elect to 
defer receipt of cash compensation. It also enables Fulton to credit certain senior officers, including the Executives, 
with  full  employer  matching  contributions  each  year  equal  to  the  contributions  they  would  have  otherwise  been 
eligible to receive under the 401(k) Plan, if not for the limits imposed by the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the 
“Tax Code”) on the amount of compensation that can be taken into account under a tax-qualified retirement plan. 
Fulton’s deferred compensation contributions for the Executives in 2017 are stated in footnote 8 of the “Summary 
Compensation Table” on Page 45. The deferred compensation plan accounts of each participant are held and invested 
under the Fulton Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Benefits Trust, with FFA, serving as trustee. The participants 
are permitted to individually direct the investment of the deferred amounts into various investment options under the 
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Benefits Trust.

Death Benefits: The estates of each of the Executives are eligible for a payment equal to two (2) times base salary 
(plus an amount equal to applicable individual income taxes due on such amounts) from Fulton pursuant to individual 
Death Benefit Agreements between Fulton and each Executive, should the Executive die while actively employed by 
Fulton.  Upon  the  Executive’s  retirement,  the  post  retirement  benefit  payable  upon  the  individual’s  death  is  reduced 
to $5,000 for Mr. Wenger, Mr. Roda, and Ms. Chivinski in their Death Benefit Agreements, while the Death Benefit 
Agreements for the other Executives do not provide for any retiree death benefit payment. Fulton does not provide retiree 
death benefits for its full-time employees unless specifically provided for in an employee’s Death Benefit Agreement.

40

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTHealth, Dental and Vision Benefits: Fulton offers a comprehensive benefits package for health, dental and 
vision insurance coverage to all full-time employees, including the Executives, and their eligible spouses and children. 
Fulton pays a portion of the premiums for the coverage selected, and the amount paid varies with each health, dental 
and vision plan. All of the Executives have elected one of the standard employee coverage plans available.

Other Executive Benefits: Fulton provides the Executives with a variety of perquisites and other personal 
benefits that the HR Committee believes are necessary to facilitate the conduct of Fulton’s business by the Executives 
and are reasonable and consistent with the overall compensation program for the CEO and the other Executives. In 
addition, these benefits enable Fulton to attract and retain talented senior officers for key positions, as well as provide 
the Executives and other senior officers with opportunities to be involved in their communities and directly interact 
with current and prospective customers of Fulton. The 2017 amounts are included in the “All Other Income” column 
of  the  “Summary  Compensation  Table”  on  Page  45  of  this  Proxy  Statement.  The  Executives  are  provided  with 
company-owned automobiles or a car allowance, club memberships and other executive benefits consistent with their 
positions. Fulton does not have a direct or indirect interest in any corporate aircraft. Generally, the Executives travel 
on commercial aircraft, by train or in vehicles provided by Fulton. In addition, if spouses accompany an Executive 
when traveling on business or attending a corporate event, Fulton pays the travel and other expenses associated with 
certain spousal travel for the Executive. Fulton also includes spousal travel and personal vehicle use as part of the 
Executive’s reported W-2 income. 

10. 

Employment Agreements  

Fulton  believes  that  a  company  should  provide  reasonable  severance  benefits  to  employees.  For  most 
employees, Fulton has a policy that, in general, provides for severance benefits to be paid upon a reduction in force or 
position elimination. These severance arrangements are intended to provide the employees with a sense of security in 
making the commitment to dedicate their professional careers to the success of Fulton. With respect to the Executives 
and certain other employees, the severance benefits provided reflect the fact that it may be difficult for them to find 
comparable employment within a reasonable period of time. The levels of these benefits for the Executives in the 
event of a change in control of Fulton are discussed in footnote 6 in the “Potential Payments Upon Termination and 
Golden Parachute Compensation Table” on Page 52 under “Termination Without Cause or for Good Reason – Upon 
or After a Change in Control”.

Fulton has entered into employment agreements with certain of its key employees, including each of the 
Executives. Fulton’s employment agreement with Mr. Wenger was entered into on June 1, 2006, and amended on 
November 12, 2008. Fulton’s employment agreements with Messrs. Roda and Rohrbaugh were entered into on August 
1, 2011 and November 1, 2012, respectively. In addition, Fulton entered into separate employment agreements and 
change in control agreements with Mr. McCollom, Mr. Myers and Ms. Chivinski, all effective as of January 1, 2018. 
The employment agreements and change in control agreements with the Executives (individually, an “Employment 
Agreement,” and collectively, the “Employment Agreements”), continue until terminated, and  each provides that 
the Executive is to receive a base salary, which is set annually, is entitled to participate in Fulton’s incentive bonus 
programs as in effect from time to time, and will participate in Fulton’s retirement plans, welfare benefit plans and 
other benefit programs.

The  Employment  Agreements  with  the  Executives  contain  restrictions  on  the  sharing  of  confidential 
information,  as  well  as  non-competition  and  non-solicitation  covenants  that  continue  for  one  year  following 
termination  of  employment.  The  non-competition  and  non-solicitation  covenants  will  not  apply  if  the  Executive 
terminates employment for good reason or if the Executive’s employment is terminated without cause, as defined in 
the Employment Agreements. These provisions of the Employment Agreements are further outlined in the “Potential 
Payments  Upon  Termination  and  Golden  Parachute  Compensation  Table”  section  on  Page  52.  The  Employment 
Agreements Fulton executed with Messrs. Rohrbaugh, McCollom, Roda and Myers and Ms. Chivinski do not contain 
an excise tax gross-up for taxes applicable to termination payments as a result of the Executive’s termination, but the 
Employment Agreement executed with Mr. Wenger, the only legacy agreement, provides for an excise tax gross up. 
The Employment Agreements with Messrs. Rohrbaugh, McCollom, Roda, Myers and Ms. Chivinski provide that, in 
the event a payment to be made in connection with their termination of employment would result in the imposition 
of an excise tax under Section 4999 of the Tax Code, such payment would be retroactively reduced, if necessary, 
to the extent required to avoid such excise tax imposition and, if any portion of the amount payable the Executive 
is determined to be non-deductible pursuant to the regulations promulgated under Section 280G of the Tax Code, 
Fulton would be required to pay to the Executive only the amount determined to be deductible under Section 280G.

41

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT11. 

Compensation Plan Risk Review 

At its February 2018 meeting, the HR Committee conducted its annual risk review of all compensation plans 
in effect as of December 31, 2017. At this meeting, Ms. Chivinski, Fulton’s Chief Risk Officer (“CRO”), discussed her 
review of Fulton’s compensation plans. The CRO informed the HR Committee that based on her review, the design 
of Fulton’s compensation plans do not promote undue risk-taking. The HR Committee has reviewed and considered 
all of such plans and practices and does not believe that Fulton’s compensation policies and practices create risks that 
are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Fulton.

The HR Committee considered various factors that have the effect of mitigating risk and, with the assistance 
of Fulton’s CRO, Legal and Human Resources staff members, reviewed Fulton’s compensation policies to determine 
whether any portion of such compensation encourages excessive risk-taking. To assist in the annual review, Fulton 
retained Pearl Meyer & Partners (“PM&P”) to conduct an independent third-party risk assessment of the design, 
operation and oversight of Fulton’s primary incentive plans, including all plans in which the Executives and other 
employees identified by Fulton as potential material risk takers participated. Fulton initially retained PM&P for this 
purpose in 2013, and engaged PM&P to update its risk assessment annually from 2014 through 2017.

12. 

Other Compensation Elements  

162(m)  and  Tax  Consequences:  Section  162(m)  of  the  Tax  Code  disallows  the  deductibility  by  Fulton  of 
any compensation over $1 million per year paid to certain employees and the Executives. Although Fulton takes 
into account its ability to deduct compensation expense in determining its taxable income, tax deductibility is not a 
primary objective of its compensation programs and Fulton does not have policy requiring that all compensation be 
deductible. Further, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act impacted the deductibility under the Tax Code of compensation 
paid to the Executives. 

409A  Changes:  Section  409A  of  the  Tax  Code,  effective  January  1,  2005,  defines  what  constitutes  a 
“nonqualified deferred compensation plan”, conditions income tax deferrals under such plans on their compliance 
with certain distribution, acceleration, election and funding restrictions, and also imposes excise tax and interest 
penalties for noncompliance. In order to preserve intended tax deferrals and to avoid the imposition of excise taxes 
and interest penalties, Fulton has identified all such nonqualified deferred compensation plans it maintains and to the 
extent necessary, timely amended each to meet the Section 409A requirements to alter the administration of each, 
where necessary, to comply with Section 409A.

Discussion of Equity Award Process: Fulton does not have a formal written policy as to when equity awards 
are granted during the year. In March 2017, Fulton awarded Performance Shares and time-based restricted stock 
units to eligible participants under the 2013 Plan with a grant date of May 1, 2017, so that the equity awards could 
be considered by the HR Committee at the same time as the cash incentive awards under the 2013 Plan. Fulton does 
not backdate options or grant options retroactively, and does not coordinate option grants with the release of positive 
or negative corporate news. The 2013 Plan, which amended and restated the 2004 Stock Option and Compensation 
Plan, does not permit the award of discounted options, the reload of stock options, or the re-pricing of stock options. 
Pursuant to the terms of the 2013 Plan, option prices are determined based on the closing price on the grant date. 
Under the 2013 Plan, an option exercise price may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of Fulton’s stock on 
the date of grant. The 2013 Plan defines fair market value to be the closing price on the date of grant, or if no sales of 
shares were reported on any stock exchange or quoted on any interdealer quotation system on that day, the price on 
the next preceding trading day on which such price was quoted.

Stock  Hedging  Policy  and  Stock  Trading  Procedures:  Fulton  has  adopted  an  Insider  Trading  Policy  and 
Compliance Procedures to facilitate securities law compliance in a number of areas. Pursuant to this policy, Fulton 
requires that all directors, officers, and employees of Fulton and its affiliates adhere to certain procedures when 
trading in Fulton common stock or any other security issued by Fulton or its subsidiaries. Among other requirements, 
directors, officers and employees of Fulton and its subsidiaries that know of material, non-public information about 
Fulton may not (i) buy or sell Fulton stock while the information remains non-public, or (ii) disclose the information 
to relatives, friends or any other person. In addition, the Executives and directors of Fulton and Fulton’s banking 
subsidiaries and certain other officers are prohibited from engaging in speculative transactions involving Fulton’s 
securities. This prohibition encompasses “short sales” and “puts,” along with other trading that anticipates a decline 
in price. These instruments can involve “a bet against Fulton,” raise issues about the insider knowledge of the person 
involved or create a conflict of interest and are therefore prohibited by Fulton’s policy. In 2014, Fulton updated the 

42

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTInsider Trading Policy and Compliance Procedures to prohibit the pledging of shares, but grandfathered any pledges 
made  prior  to  the  amendment.  None  of  the  Fulton’s  current  directors  or  the  Named  Executive  Officers  currently 
pledge any shares of Fulton common stock.

Stock Ownership Guidelines: Fulton believes that broad-based stock ownership by directors, officers and 
employees is an effective method to align the interests of its directors, officers and employees with the interests of 
its shareholders. In 2009, Fulton first adopted Governance Guidelines that included a formal Fulton common stock 
ownership guideline for directors and the Executives. The director ownership guidelines were updated in September 
2013, and each director is presently required to own at least $175,000 of Fulton common stock, which is five (5) times 
the  annual  director  cash  retainer  of  $35,000,  within  the  later  of  five  (5)  full  calendar  years  of  first  becoming  a 
director, or five (5) full calendar years after the guideline was changed.

A similar stock ownership requirement exists for the Executives. The guidelines for the Executives were 
last  updated  and  approved  in  2017,  with  the  recommended  ownership  guidelines  calculated  as  a  multiple  of  the 
Executive’s annual base salary, depending upon the position of the Executive as follows:

Executive Position

CEO

President

CFO

Other 
Executives

Fulton Common Stock Ownership Guideline 
as a Multiple of Annual Base Salary

3.0

1.5

1.5

1.0

Compliance  with  the  stock  ownership  guidelines  is  determined  annually  based  on  stock  ownership  and 
Fulton’s closing stock price as of December 31 of the prior year. Ownership excludes stock options and other unvested 
restricted stock or Performance Share Awards, but includes all other shares beneficially owned and reported on an 
individual’s Form 3, Form 4 or Form 5 filed with the SEC, including shares held in retirement accounts, indirect 
ownership and jointly held shares. Once an Executive or director has achieved the ownership guideline, he or she 
remains in compliance with the ownership guideline regardless of changes in base salary or the price of Fulton’s 
common stock, as long as he or she retains the same number of shares or a higher amount. However, if an Executive 
is promoted to CEO, President or CFO with a base salary increase, he or she would be permitted to satisfy the new 
stock ownership requirement for the new position and base salary over a period of five (5) full calendar years.

Except  for  Mr.  McCollom,  all  of  the  Executives  have  satisfied  the  stock  ownership  guidelines  for  2017. 
Mr.  McCollom  is  required  to  achieve  his  targeted  stock  ownership  by  December  31,  2022,  to  satisfy  the  stock 
ownership  guidelines  for  his  position.  As  of  December  31,  2017,  all  of  Fulton’s  directors  have  satisfied  the  stock 
ownership guidelines, except Directors Crutchfield, Snyder and Spair. Under the stock ownership guidelines, Directors 
Crutchfield, Snyder and Spair are each required to achieve the targeted stock ownership level by December 31, 2019, 
December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Management Succession: The topic of management succession is discussed and reviewed at least annually 
at Fulton. At the December 2017 meeting of the Board of Directors, during an executive session of the Board of 
Directors, senior officers in Fulton’s Human Resources Department discussed and reviewed the succession planning 
processes used by management to identify successors for each Executive at Fulton.

Clawback  Policies:  In  2016,  the  HR  Committee  amended  Fulton’s  Compensation  Recovery  Clawback 
Policy (“Clawback Policy”) to govern clawback provisions for all participants, including the Executives, in the 2013 
Plan,  and  subject  to  limited  exceptions,  other  incentive  compensation  plans.  The  Clawback  Policy  identifies  the 
events, such as: 1) a restatement of Fulton’s, or any affiliate’s, financial statements (other than a restatement caused 
by  a  change  in  applicable  accounting  rules  or  interpretations),  the  result  of  which  is  that  any  performance-based 
compensation paid would have been lower, had it been calculated based on such restated results; 2) the discovery 
that  a  performance  metric  or  calculation  used  in  determining  performance-based  compensation  was  materially 
inaccurate; 3) a violation of Fulton’s Code of Conduct, the result of which creates a significant financial or reputational 
impact for Fulton; and 4) a departing or departed employee has allegedly violated the non-solicitation restrictions set 
forth in Fulton’s employment policies or such employee’s employment agreement.

In addition, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act mandates that the SEC adopt 
rules that require publicly traded companies to adopt a formal clawback policy. Pending final clawback rules from 
the SEC, the HR Committee will continue to monitor and consider the use of clawbacks and update the Clawback 
Policy for any new or amended compensation agreements and plans with the Executives and other employees. During 
2017,  the  HR  Committee  was  not  asked  to  consider  any  instance  or  situation  where  a  clawback  may  have  been 
required or attempted for a Named Executive Officer or other officer of Fulton.

43

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTHuman Resources Committee Report 

The  HR  Committee  reviewed  and  discussed  the  foregoing  Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis  with 
management and, based on the review and discussions, the HR Committee recommended to the Board of Directors 
that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above be incorporated in Fulton’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the year ended December 31, 2017, and the 2018 Proxy Statement, as applicable.

As described above in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, in performing its compensation 
risk evaluation, the HR Committee met with the CRO regarding the material risks facing Fulton, and consulted with 
Legal and Human Resources personnel about Fulton’s various compensation plans. Based on the foregoing review, 
the HR Committee concluded that Fulton’s compensation policies and practices in 2017 did not create risks that are 
reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on Fulton.

Human Resources Committee

Denise L. Devine, Chair 
Mark F. Strauss, Vice Chair 
Patrick J. Freer 
George W. Hodges 
Ronald H. Spair

44

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTSUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE 

Year Salary 2 Bonus 3

($)

($)

Stock  
Awards 4
($)

Option 
Awards 5
($)

Non-Equity 
Incentive Plan 
Compensation 6
($)

Change in 
Pension  
Value and  
Non-qualified 
Deferred 
Compensation 
Earnings 7
($)

All Other 
Compensation 8
($)

Total
($)

Name and Principal 
Position 1

E. Philip Wenger

Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer of 
Fulton

2017 992,665

0 1,182,002

2016 968,454

0 1,202,927

2015 944,103

0

0

0

0

952,117

426,051

374,185

289,550

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh 9

2017 528,316

Senior Executive Vice 
President and Chief 
Financial Officer of 
Fulton

2016 506,075

2015 478,543

Mark R. McCollom 10

2017

49,038

125,000

249,984

Senior Executive Vice 
President and Chief 
Financial Officer of 
Fulton

2016

2015

-

-

Craig A. Roda  11

Senior Executive Vice 
President of Fulton 

Curtis J. Myers

President and Chief 
Operating Officer of 
Fulton

Beth Ann L. Chivinski 12

Senior Executive Vice 
President and Chief Risk 
Officer of Fulton

2017 419,318

2016 409,091

2015 398,805

2017 417,480

2016 388,113

2015 371,347

2017 352,508

2016

2015

-

-

-

-

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

-

-

-

299,598

278,758

241,310

285,757

259,561

224,687

276,860

-

-

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

-

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

-

892,422

700,119

353,094

279,391

225,457

112,458

0

-

-

226,831

120,119

92,722

225,836

184,354

144,825

197,816

-

-

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

-

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

-

-

107,889

3,174,978

88,680

2,960,180

116,656

2,365,970

16,336

1,250,094

16,299

1,122,016

13,314

893,865

1,325

425,422

-

-

-

-

48,449

994,196

42,116

850,084

41,578

774,415

50,261

979,334

55,107

887,135

51,224

792,083

31,753

858,937

-

-

-

-

1 Titles  and  positions  listed  are  as  of  Fulton’s  fiscal  year-end  of  December  31,  2017,  except  for  Mr.  McCollom,  who  became 
Fulton’s  Chief  Financial  Officer  on  March  2,  2018.  Mr.  Rohrbaugh  served  as  Fulton’s  interim  Chief  Financial  Officer  from 
December  6,  2016  to  March,  1,  2018.  Mr.  Myers  was  promoted  to  serve  as  Fulton’s  President  and  Chief  Operating  Officer 
effective January 1, 2018.  Prior to January 1, 2018, Mr. Wenger held the additional title of President of Fulton.
2 This represents the base salary amounts paid to and earned by each of the Executives named in this table for the years indicated. 
On March 21, 2018, upon the recommendation of the HR Committee, the Board of Directors approved 2018 annual base salaries 
for Mr. Wenger and Ms. Chivinski to $1,023,241, and $381,091, respectively, and changes to annual base salaries were effective 
with the biweekly pay period that includes April 1, 2018. Mr. Myers also received an increase to $510,000, effective January 1, 
2018, with his promotion to President and Chief Operating Officer of Fulton.
3 The HR Committee did not award any bonus payments in 2015, 2016 or 2017 to the Executives, except Mr. McCollom received 
a cash bonus upon his acceptance of employment with Fulton and a discretionary 2017 bonus approved by the HR Committee. 

45

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT4 Amounts represent the grant date fair values of Performance Shares, except that for Mr. McCollom, the amount listed represents 
the grant date fair value, based on $18.00 per share, of a time-based restricted stock unit award of 13,888 shares, which will vest 
three years from the date of grant. There were no forfeitures of Performance Shares during 2014, 2015 and 2016 by any of the 
Executives.

The following is a summary of the grant date fair values of the Performance Shares granted to the Executives in 2017, 2016 
and 2015.

Name

Grant Date

E. Philip Wenger

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Craig A. Roda

Curtis J. Myers

Beth Ann L. Chivinski

5/1/2017
5/1/2016
4/1/2015
5/1/2017
5/1/2016
4/1/2015
5/1/2017
5/1/2016
4/1/2015
5/1/2017
5/1/2016
4/1/2015
5/1/2017

Performance Share
Grant Date Fair
Value Assuming
Highest 
Performance
Level Achieved
($)
1,620,832
1,604,382
1,501,569
566,166
496,279
456,661
410,807
380,502
380,568
391,831
354,307
354,357
370,353

Number of 
Performance
Shares Granted
Granted 
Executive
(#)
65,102
92,265
93,788
23,387
28,657
28,523
16,500
21,517
23,770
15,738
20,036
22,133
15,208

Per Share
Grant Date
Fair Value
With 
Non-Market
Conditions
($)
18.70
13.99
12.325
18.70
13.99
12.325
18.70
13.99
12.325
18.70
13.99
12.325
18.70

Per Share
Grant Date
Fair Value
With
Market
Conditions
($)
17.25
11.23
10.66
17.25
11.23
10.66
17.25
11.23
10.66
17.25
11.23
10.66
17.25

Weighted 
Average Per 
Share Grant 
Date
Fair Value
($)
18.17
13.01
11.73
18.17
13.01
11.73
18.17
13.01
11.73
18.17
13.01
11.73
18.17

In the table above, the per share grant date fair value for Performance Shares with non-market-based performance conditions was 
equal to the closing price of Fulton common stock on the date the shares were granted. The per-share grant date fair value for 
Performance Shares granted with market-based performance conditions is estimated based on the use of a Monte Carlo valuation 
methodology.  For  additional  information  concerning  the  valuation  of  Performance  Shares  with  market-based  performance 
conditions granted in 2015, 2016 and 2017, including the assumptions made in determining those valuations, see Fulton’s Annual 
Report on Form 10-K for the years ended December 31, 2015, December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2017, respectively, under 
Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, “Note 15 – Stock-Based Compensation Plans.”

5 Fulton did not grant options in 2015, 2016 or 2017 to the Executives and there were no forfeitures of options during 2015, 2016 
or 2017 by any of the Executives.  The 2005 grants expired unexercised in 2015, including the following number of options by 
Executive:  Mr.  Wenger  –  40,687;  Mr.  Myers  –  6,037;  and  Mr.  Roda  –  21,000.  The  2006  grants  expired  unexercised  in  2016, 
including the following number of options by Executive: Mr. Wenger – 24,000; Mr. Roda – 16,000; and Mr. Myers – 5,500. 

6 The VCP Awards reported in this column are substantially based performance goal achievement and on individual scorecard 
results as described further beginning on Page 35.

7 Fulton has determined that the Executives did not receive above-market earnings on their nonqualified deferred compensation 
plan accounts, and therefore, such earnings are not required to be reported in this column for 2015, 2016 or 2017. All participants 
in the nonqualified deferred compensation plan, which also includes senior officers other than the Executives, are permitted to 
select various investment options listed in footnote 2 of the “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table” on Page 51. The rate 
of return for an individual participant’s account is based on the performance of the various investment options selected by each 
participant.

46

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT8 All  Other  Compensation  includes  Fulton’s  payments  for  qualified  employer  matching  contributions,  nonqualified  employer 
matching  contributions,  club  membership  fees,  automobile  perquisites,  plus  other  personal  benefits  received  by  each  of  the 
Executives. The methodology used to calculate the aggregate incremental cost of perquisites and other personal benefits was to 
use the amount disbursed for the items. Where a benefit involved assets owned by Fulton, an estimate of the incremental cost was 
used. The automobile perquisite amounts include the financial benefit that the Executive received, such as the personal use value 
of a company award automobile or the taxable auto allowance, as reported on their W-2. The “Other Perquisites” column in the 
table below includes personal travel, and other small benefits that individually are less than the greater of $25,000, or ten percent 
of all perquisites received by the Executive.

Qualified  
Retirement  
Plan  
Company  
Contribution
($)
13,500
13,250
13,250
0
0
0
0
-
-
13,451
13,027
12,977
13,500
13,042
12,879
13,500
-
-

Nonqualified  
Deferred 
Compensation 
Plan  
Company  
Contribution
($)
71,139
52,827
51,277
0
0
0
0
-
-
13,785
11,841
10,114
16,592
13,681
9,284
11,753
-
-

Year
2017
2016
2015
2017
2016
2015
2017
2016
2015
2017
2016
2015
2017
2016
2015
2017
2016
2015

Club  
Memberships
($)
17,547
16,303
16,287
14,664
13,832
13,314
0
-
-
14,094
14,782
14,382
15,985
17,078
16,992
0
-
-

Automobile  
Perquisites
($)
3,600
3,510
3,543
150
1,567
0
1,250
-
-
316
290
3,147
3,284
3,306
3,251
5,600
-
-

Other  
Perquisites
($)
2,103
2,790
32,299
1,522
900
0
75
-
-
6,803
2,176
958
900
8,000
8,818
900
-
-

Total All Other  
Compensation
($)
107,889
88,680
116,656
16,336
16,299
13,314
1,325
-
-
48,449
42,116
41,578
50,261
55,107
51,224
31,753
-
-

Name

E. Philip Wenger

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Mark R. McCollom

Craig A. Roda

Curtis J. Myers

Beth Ann L. Chivinski

9  Mr. Rohrbaugh retired as a member of Fulton’s senior management effective March 30, 2018.
10 Mr. McCollom was hired November 20, 2018. He became Fulton’s Chief Financial Officer effective March, 2, 2018 and became 
a Named Executive Officer of Fulton for the first time in 2017.
11 Mr. Roda announced that he will be retiring as a member of Fulton’s senior management effective May 1, 2018.
12 Ms. Chivinski became a Named Executive Officer of Fulton for the first time in 2017. Pursuant to SEC rules, Ms. Chivinski’s 
compensation for 2016 and 2015 is not included.

47

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTGRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS TABLE

Name

Grant 
Date

Approval 
Date 1

Estimated Future or Possible 
Payouts Under Non-Equity 
Incentive Plan Awards 2
Target
($)

Maximum
($)

Threshold
($)

Estimated Future or Possible 
Payouts Under Equity 
Incentive  
Plan Awards 3
Target
(#)

Maximum
(#)

Threshold
(#)

E. Philip Wenger

5/1/2017 3/20/2017

-

-

-

16,276 65,102

89,515

E. Philip Wenger

-

3/20/2017 210,941 843,765 1,265,648

-

-

-

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

5/1/2017 3/20/2017

-

-

-

7,795 23,387

31,183

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

-

3/20/2017

66,040 264,158

396,237

Mark R. McCollom

11/27/2017 10/20/2017

5/1/2017 3/20/2017

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

4,124 16,500

22,688

-

3/20/2017

52,415

209,659

314,489

-

-

-

Curtis J. Myers

5/1/2017 3/20/2017

-

-

-

3,934 15,738

21,610

Curtis J. Myers

-

3/20/2017

52,185

208,740

313,110

-

-

-

Beth Ann L. Chivinski 5/1/2017 3/20/2017

-

-

-

4,804 15,208

20,410

Beth Ann L. Chivinski 

-

3/20/2017

44,063 176,254

264,380

-

-

-

Craig A. Roda

Craig A. Roda

All  
Other  
Stock 
Awards: 
Number 
 of  
Shares  
of Stock  
or Units 
(#)

All Other  
Option  
Awards:  
Number of  
Securities  
Underlying  
Options
(#)

Exercise  
or Base  
Price of  
Option  
Awards
($/Sh)

Closing  
Price on  
Grant  
Date 
($/Sh)

Grant  
Date Fair  
Value of  
Stock and  
Option  
Awards 4
($)

-

-

-

-

13,888

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

18.70 1,217,407

-

-

18.70

437,337

-

-

18.00

249,984

18.70

308,550

-

-

18.70

294,301

-

-

18.70

284,390

-

-

1  The grants of Performance Shares were approved at the March 2017 HR Committee and Board of Directors meetings, pursuant 
to  the  2013  Plan,  with  a  grant  date  of  May  1,  2017.  Based  on  the  recommendation  of  the  HR  Committee,  the  Independent 
Directors of the Board also approved the non-equity incentive plan award under the 2013 Plan on March 21, 2017.
2  The Executives were eligible to receive a VCP Award for 2017 pursuant to the 2013 Plan that is discussed beginning on Page 35.
3  The amounts in this column represent the number of Performance Shares granted to the Executives on May 1, 2017 based on the 
closing price of $18.70 for Fulton’s common stock on that date. The Performance Shares were allocated among three components, 
Component A, Component B and Component C for each of the Executives, as set forth in the table on Page 39. Performance 
Shares may become earned and vested based on the actual performance level achieved, over various performance periods with 
respect to the following performance measures: (i) Component A Performance Shares may be earned and vested based on the 
actual performance level achieved with respect to ROA relative to the 2017 Peer Group for the period of January 1, 2017 through 
December 31, 2017 and subject to satisfaction of the Profit Trigger; (ii) Component B Performance Shares may be become earned 
and vested based on the actual performance level achieved with respect to the relative TSR for the period of May 1, 2017 through 
March 31, 2020; and (iii) Component C Performance Shares may be earned and vested if the Profit Trigger is achieved. With 
respect to Component A Performance Shares and Component B Performance Shares, the actual number of Performance Shares 
earned and vested will be based on the actual performance level and will be interpolated on a straight-line basis for pro-rata 
achievement of the performance goals, if applicable, rounded down to the nearest whole number. Performance Shares also accrue 
dividend equivalents, which will be added to the award upon vesting on May 1, 2020.
4  See Note 4 to the Summary Compensation Table on Page 45 for additional information regarding the grant date fair value of 
the Performance Shares.

48

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTOUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END TABLE

Option Awards 1

Stock Awards

Number of  
Securities  
Underlying  
Unexercised  
Options 
(#) 
Exercisable

Number of  
Securities  
Underlying  
Unexercised  
Options 
(#) 
Unexercisable

Equity  
Incentive  
Plan Awards:  
Number of  
Securities  
Underlying  
Unexercised  
Unearned  
Options 
(#)

Number of  
Shares or  
Units of  
Stock That  
Have Not  
Vested 
(#) 

Market  
Value of  
Shares or  
Units of  
Stock That  
Have Not  
Vested 
($) 

Option  
Exercise  
Price 
($)

Option  
Expiration  
Date

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

5,158

7,500

12,375

11,263

10,877

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

0

0

0

0

0

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

0

0

0

0

0

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

5.270 6/30/2019

9.475 6/30/2020

10.880 6/30/2021

10.475 3/31/2022

11.580 3/31/2023

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

13,911

249,007

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

21,431 3

19,429 4

16,720 5 

-

-

-

-

-

19,955 3

18,093 4

15,948 5

8,358 3

6,963 4

15,411 5

Equity  
Incentive  
Plan  
Awards:  
Number of  
Unearned  
Shares,  
Units or  
Other  
Rights That  
Have Not  
Vested  
(#) 
84,562 3

84,331 4

65,969 5

25,717 3

26,268 4

23,698 5

Equity  
Incentive  
Plan Awards:  
Market or  
Payout Value  
of Unearned  
Shares, Units  
or Other  
Rights That  
Have Not  
Vested  
($) 2

1,513,662

1,509,532

1,180,847

460,337

470,206

424,203

-

383,619

347,784

299,284

-

-

-

-

-

357,202

323,861

285,462

149,603

124,637

275,849

Name

E. Philip Wenger

E. Philip Wenger

E. Philip Wenger

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Mark R. McCollom

Craig A. Roda

Craig A. Roda

Craig A. Roda

Curtis J. Myers

Curtis J. Myers

Curtis J. Myers

Curtis J. Myers

Curtis J. Myers

Curtis J. Myers

Curtis J. Myers

Curtis J. Myers

Beth Ann L. Chivinski

Beth Ann L. Chivinski

Beth Ann L. Chivinski

1 The number of securities underlying the options and the option exercise price has been adjusted for stock dividends and stock 
splits, if any, which have occurred since the option grant date.
2  Market value of Performance Shares shown is based on the closing price of Fulton common stock of $17.90 on December 29, 
2017, the last trading day of 2017.
The Performance Shares are allocated among three components, Component A, Component B and Component C, for each of 
the Executives. Performance Shares allocated to Component A are presented based on actual ROA performance during the first 
year  of  the  performance  period;  Performance  Shares  allocated  to  Component  B  are  presented  assuming  the  maximum  level 
of performance for 2015, and the target level of performance for 2016 and 2017, based on relative TSR performance through 
December 31, 2017; and Performance Shares allocated to Component C are presented using the actual number of shares granted, 
since the number of shares that may vest upon completion of the performance period will not change. All such Performance 
Shares are subject to the achievement of the applicable performance criteria for the designated performance period, and continued 
service with Fulton on the vesting date. The actual earning and vesting of these Performance Shares could vary materially from 
the amounts in the table at the end of the performance period. Dividend equivalents accrued during the performance period, 
which may be earned and vest on the Performance Shares, are included in the number of Performance Shares.
3  Performance Shares granted on April 1, 2015. If the performance criteria is achieved and other requirements under the 2013 
Plan are satisfied, these Performance Shares will vest on April 1, 2018.
4  Performance Shares granted on May 1, 2016. If the performance criteria are achieved and other requirements under the 2013 
Plan are satisfied, these Performance Shares will vest on May 1, 2019.
5  Performance Shares granted on May 1, 2017. If the performance criteria are achieved and other requirements under the 2013 
Plan are satisfied, these Performance Shares will vest on May 1, 2017.

49

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTOPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED TABLE 1

Option Awards 

Stock Awards 

Name

E. Philip Wenger
Philmer H. Rohrbaugh
Mark R. McCollom
Craig A. Roda
Curtis J. Myers
Beth Ann L. Chivinski

Number of
Shares
Acquired
on Exercise
(#)

0
0
0
0
9,285
0

Value Realized
on Exercise
($)

0
0
0
0
69,460
0

Number of
Shares
Acquired
on Vesting
(#)
111,777
33,993
0
28,329
26,378
9,352

Value Realized
on Vesting 2
($)
1,995,214
606,768
0
505,675
470,840
166,938

1 Except for Mr. McCollom, all of the Executives had Performance Shares that vested during 2016.

2  Shares  that  vested  on  April  1,  2017  for  Messrs.  Wenger,  Rohrbaugh,  Roda  and  Myers  and  Ms.  Chivinski  were  valued  at 
$17.85 per share, the closing price of Fulton’s common stock on March 31, 2017, the preceding trading day because April 1, 2017 
was not a trading day.

PENSION BENEFITS TABLE 3

Name

Plan Name

E. Philip Wenger
Philmer H. Rohrbaugh
Mark R. McCollom
Craig A. Roda
Curtis J. Myers
Beth Ann L. Chivinski

NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA

Number of Years  
Credited Service
(#)
-
-
-
-
-
-

Present 
Value of 
Accumulated  
Benefit
($)
-
-
-
-
-
-

Payments During  
Last Fiscal Year
($)
-
-
-
-
-
-

3 During 2017, none of the Executives participated in or had an account balance in any qualified or nonqualified defined benefit 
plans sponsored by Fulton or any Fulton subsidiary bank.

50

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTNONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION TABLE

Name

E. Philip Wenger
Philmer H. Rohrbaugh
Mark R. McCollom
Craig A. Roda
Curtis J. Myers
Beth Ann L. Chivinski

Executive 
Contributions in 
Last FY
($)
146,803
0
0
19,094
32,692
10,569

Registrant 
Contributions in 
Last FY 1
($)
71,139
0
0
13,785
16,592
11,753

Aggregate 
Earnings in  
Last FY 2
($)
250,077
0
0
31,390
39,650
449

Aggregate 
Withdrawals/ 
Distributions 
($)
0
0
0
0
0
0

Aggregate Balance  
at Last FYE 3
($)
1,437,326
0
0
380,815
300,824
77,297

1 Fulton’s contributions toward nonqualified deferred compensation for each of the Executives are listed in this column. The 
Executives’ contributions are matched at the same 100% of the first 5% of compensation deferred as provided in the 401(k) Plan. 
However, while the Executives were permitted to contribute up to 100% of their eligible salary and cash bonus during 2017, these 
matching contributions are made based on an Executive’s eligible salary and bonus that exceeds the federal limit of $270,000 
for 2017. See the table contained in footnote 8 of the “Summary Compensation Table” on Page 45. Amounts listed as Registrant 
Contributions in this Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table are also included as part of the Executives’ “Total All Other 
Compensation” in the Summary Compensation Table. 2017 contributions were credited to each of the Executive’s accounts in 
early 2018.

2  The  Executives  direct  the  investment  of  their  Nonqualified  Deferred  Compensation  contributions  into  various  standard 
investment options offered from a set menu of investment funds. In 2016, the available investment funds included Federated Total 
Return Bond Fund (FTRBX), Fidelity Advisory Diversified International Fund (FDVIX), FMI International (FMIJX), Goldman 
Sachs Core Fixed Income Fund (GSFIX), Janus Enterprises (JAENX), Vanguard Mid Cap Value Index Fund (VMVAX), Goldman 
Sachs  Financial  Square  Government  Fund  (FGTXX),  MFS  Value  Fund+  (MEIIX),  Vanguard  Inflation  Protected  Securities 
Fund (VAIPX) 8/10/16, T. Rowe Price Growth Stock Fund (PRGFX), T. Rowe Price Retirement 2010 (TRRAX), T. Rowe Price 
Retirement 2020 ( TRRBX), T. Rowe Price Retirement 2030 (TRRCX), T. Rowe Price Retirement 2040 (TRRDX), T. Rowe 
Price Retirement 2050 (TRRMX), T. Rowe Price Retirement 2060 (TRRLX),Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFIAX), Vanguard 
Mid-Cap Index Fund (VIMAX), Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund (VBIRX), Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund 
(VSGAX), Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund (VSMAX), Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund (VSIAX), Vanguard STAR 
Fund (VGSTX) and Vanguard Windsor Fund (VWNAX). The Executives may change their individual elections by completing 
a new election form. Accumulated balances in the Deferred Compensation Plan become payable upon the later of a participant 
attaining age 62, or the participant’s separation of service from Fulton. Participants in the Deferred Compensation Plan, including 
the Executives, may elect to receive benefits either in a single, lump sum payment, or in equal monthly or annual installments 
over a period of not more than twenty (20) years. Participants are permitted to request withdrawals from contributions credited 
prior to January 1, 2005 and earnings thereon, to defray certain medical expenses or prevent eviction or foreclosure from the 
participant’s principal residence, and from contributions credited on or after January 1, 2005 and earnings thereon, to alleviate 
a severe financial hardship due to injury or illness of the participant or the participant’s spouse or dependents, a casualty loss to 
the participant’s property, imminent foreclosure or eviction from the participant’s primary residence or unpaid funeral expenses 
for the participant’s spouse or dependents. A discussion of the Deferred Compensation Plan is included on Page 40.

3  Balances include the 2017 contributions made by Fulton and credited to the Executives’ accounts in early 2018. The aggregate 
amounts  shown  in  this  column  include  the  following  amounts  that  were  reported  as  compensation  to  the  Executives  in  the 
Summary Compensation Tables in Fulton’s previous proxy statements: 

- For Mr. Wenger, a total of $809,438 was reported (2007 to 2017);

- For Mr. Roda, a total of $186,691 was reported (2012 to 2017); and

- For Mr. Myers, a total of $25,876 was reported (2016 to 2017).

- For Ms. Chivinski, a total of $11,753 was reported (2017).

51

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTPOTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION AND GOLDEN PARACHUTE  
COMPENSATION TABLE

Executive

E. Philip Wenger

Cash ($)
Equity ($)
Pension/NQDC($)
Perquisites/Benefits($)
Tax Reimbursement($)

TOTAL ($)

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Cash ($)
Equity ($)
Pension/NQDC($)
Perquisites/Benefits($)
Tax Reimbursement($)

TOTAL ($)

Mark R. McCollom

Cash ($)
Equity ($)
Pension/NQDC($)
Perquisites/Benefits($)
Tax Reimbursement($)

TOTAL ($)

Craig A. Roda
Cash ($)
Equity ($)
Pension/NQDC($)
Perquisites/Benefits($)
Tax Reimbursement($)

TOTAL ($)

Curtis J. Myers

Cash ($)
Equity ($)
Pension/NQDC($)
Perquisites/Benefits($)
Tax Reimbursement($)

TOTAL ($)

Beth Ann L. Chivinski

Cash ($)
Equity ($)
Pension/NQDC($)
Perquisites/Benefits($)
Tax Reimbursement($)

TOTAL ($)

Potential Payments as of December 31, 2017 1

Voluntary
Termination 2
or Termination
for Cause 3 

Termination
Without Cause
or for Good
Reason – Before
a Change in
Control 4 5

Termination
Without Cause or
for Good Reason
– Upon or After
a Change in
Control 6 7 8 

Termination
Due to
Retirement 9

Termination
Due to
Disability 10 11

Termination
Due to
Death 12 13

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
367,576
0
0
0
367,576

0
0
0
0
0
0

998,284
0
0
12,000
0
1,010,284

531,306
0
0
12,000
0
543,306

550,000
0
0
12,000
0
562,000

421,691
0
0
12,000
0
433,691

650,832
367,576
0
12,000
0
1,030,408

552,319
0
0
12,000
0
564,319

3,781,412 
3,977,398 
189,071 
74,000 
1,114,642
9,136,523

1,605,491
1,285,811
81,070
74,000
0
3,046,372

0
249,007
0
34,000
0
283,007

1,297,044 
973,241 
64,852 
74,000 
0 
2,409,137 

990,319
1,280,619
65,083
34,000
0
2,360,021

964,843
543,104
55,232
34,000
0
1,597,179

52

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
249,007
0
0
0
249,007

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
367,576
0
0
0
367,576

0
0
0
0
0
0

1,098,112
3,977,398
0
18,000
0
5,093,510

584,437
1,285,811
0
18,000
0
1,888,248

467,500
249,007
0
18,000
0
734,507

463,860
973,241
0
18,000
0
1,455,101

467,496
1,280,619
0
18,000
0
1,766,115

389,953
543,104
0
18,000
0
951,057

1,996,568
3,977,398
0
0
1,260,125
7,234,091

1,062,612
1,285,811
0
0
670,663
3,019,086

850,000
249,007
0
0
536,474
1,635,481

843,382
973,241
0
0
532,297
2,348,920

849,992
1,280,619
0
0
536,469
2,667,080

709,006
543,104
0
0
447,486
1,699,596

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT1 All  amounts  listed  under  Equity  in  this  table  are  the  value  of  the  Executive’s  Performance  Shares  or  time-based  restricted 
stock units and vested and “in the money” stock options valued based on the closing price of Fulton’s common stock of $17.90 on 
December 29, 2017, the last trading day of 2017.

2  Voluntary Termination: In the event an Executive’s employment is voluntarily terminated by the Executive other than for 
“Good Reason,” which is defined in the Employment Agreement and described in footnote 5 below, Fulton’s obligations are 
limited to the payment of the Executive’s base salary through the effective date of the Executive’s termination, together with any 
applicable expense reimbursements and all accrued and unpaid benefits and vested benefits in accordance with the applicable 
employee benefit plans. No other payments are required, and under the 2013 Plan, unexercised stock options and Performance 
Shares are forfeited by the Executive as a result of voluntary termination. The amount listed under Equity is the value of the 
Executive’s vested and “in the money” stock options.

3  Termination for Cause: If an Executive’s employment is terminated for “Cause,” Fulton is not obligated to make any further 
payments to the Executive under the Employment Agreement, other than amounts (including salary, expense reimbursement, etc.) 
accrued under the Employment Agreements as of the date of such termination. Under the 2013 Plan, unexercised stock options 
and  Performance  Shares  are  forfeited  by  an  Executive  terminated  for  Cause,  which  is  generally  defined  in  the  Employment 
Agreement to include the commission of certain felonies or misdemeanors, use of alcohol or other drugs which interferes with 
the performance by the Executive of the Executive’s duties, intentional refusal or failure by the Executive to perform duties, 
or conduct that brings public discredit on, or injures the reputation of, Fulton. The value listed under Equity is the value of the 
Executive’s vested and “in the money” stock options.

4  Termination Without Cause or for Good Reason – Before a Change in Control: If an Executive terminates the Executive’s 
employment  for  “Good  Reason”  or  the  Executive’s  employment  is  terminated  by  Fulton  “Without  Cause,”  the  Executive  is 
entitled to receive the Executive’s base salary for a period of 1 year and a cash bonus for the fiscal year in which the termination 
date occurs at the target payout level, pro-rated to the date of termination, except that for Messrs. Wenger, Rohrbaugh and Roda, 
both the payment and the amount of the cash bonus shall be at the discretion of the HR Committee and as approved by Fulton’s 
Board of Directors. The Executive also would continue to participate in employee health and other benefit plans for which the 
Executive is eligible during the 1 year period. If the Executive is not eligible to continue to participate in any employee benefit 
plan, the Executive will be compensated on an annual basis, in advance, for such plan in an amount equal to the cost Fulton would 
have incurred, had the Executive been eligible to participate in such plan, plus any permitted gross-up for any taxes applicable 
thereto. Under the 2013 Plan, unexercised stock options are forfeited by an Executive terminated Without Cause or for Good 
Reason. Good Reason is defined in the Employment Agreement to include a breach by Fulton of its material obligations without 
remedy,  a  significant  change  in  the  Executive’s  authority,  duties,  compensation  or  benefits,  or  a  relocation  of  the  Executive 
outside  a  specified  distance  from  where  the  Executive  previously  was  based.  Without  Cause  is  defined  in  the  Employment 
Agreement to include any reason other than for Cause.

5  Cash amount listed for each Executive includes a severance payment based on the Executive’s 2017 base salary. The amounts 
listed under Cash assume no discretionary bonus was paid to Messrs. Wenger, Rohrbaugh and Roda, but the payments to Messrs. 
McCollom and Myers and Ms. Chivinski assume the payment of their 2017 cash bonuses. Equity amounts listed are the value 
of unexercised stock options. Perquisites/Benefits include a monthly estimate of $1,000 for the value of health and other benefit 
expenses paid by Fulton for the 1 year severance period attributed to each Executive.

6  Termination Without Cause or for Good Reason – Upon or After a Change in Control: The Executives and other employees 
have contributed to the building of Fulton into the successful enterprise it is today, and Fulton believes that it is important to 
protect them in the event of a “Change in Control.” Further, Fulton believes that the interests of shareholders will be best served if 
the interests of the Executives are aligned with them, and providing Change in Control benefits should eliminate or mitigate any 
reluctance of the Executives to pursue potential Change in Control transactions that may be in the best interests of shareholders. 
The  HR  Committee  has  determined  that  the  potential  Change  in  Control  benefits  it  offers  the  Executives  are  typical  for  the 
financial services industry and reasonable relative to the overall value of Fulton.

53

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTA Change in Control with respect to Messrs. Wenger, Rohrbaugh and Roda is defined in the Employment Agreements 
to include: the acquisition of the beneficial ownership of more than 50% of the total fair market value or voting power of the 
stock of Fulton by any one person or group of persons acting in concert; a change in the composition of the Board of Directors of 
Fulton during any period of 12 consecutive months such that a majority of the Board of Directors is replaced by directors whose 
appointment or election was not endorsed by a majority of the Board of Directors before such appointment or election; or the 
acquisition by any person or group of persons acting in concert during any 12 month period of 30% or more of the total voting 
power of the stock of Fulton, or of 40% or more of the total assets (on a gross fair market value basis) of Fulton.

With  respect  to  Mr.  McCollom,  Mr.  Myers  and  Ms.  Chivinski,  a  Change  in  Control  is  defined  in  the  Employment 
Agreements to occur when: during any period of not more than 36 months, the individuals that constituted Fulton’s Board of 
Directors at the beginning of such period, with certain exceptions, cease to constitute at least a majority of Fulton’s Board of 
Directors; beneficial ownership of more than 30% of the outstanding voting power of the stock of Fulton is acquired by any 
person, with certain exceptions; a merger or consolidation involving Fulton is consummated, unless at least 50% of the voting 
power of the resulting entity is represented by Fulton voting securities outstanding prior to such merger or consolidation, no 
person beneficially has the power to vote 30% or more of the voting power of the resulting entity, and at least a majority of the 
members of the board of directors of the resulting entity were members of Fulton’s Board of Directors prior to the execution 
of the agreement which effectuated such merger or consolidation; the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of Fulton is 
consummated; or Fulton’s shareholders approve a plan of liquidation or dissolution.

If, during the period beginning 90 days before a Change in Control and ending 2 years after such Change in Control, 
an Executive is terminated by Fulton Without Cause or an Executive resigns for Good Reason, Fulton would be required to pay 
the Executive 2 times the sum of the Executive’s: (i) annual base salary immediately before the Change in Control; and (ii) the 
highest annual cash bonus or other incentive compensation awarded to the Executive over the prior 3 years. The Executive also 
would be entitled to receive: (i) an amount equal to that portion of Fulton’s retirement plan, 401(k) plan or deferred compensation 
plan contributions for the Executive which were not vested, plus the amount of any federal, state or local income taxes due on 
such amount; (ii) an amount equivalent to 2 years of Fulton retirement plan contributions to each tax qualified or nonqualified 
retirement  plan  in  which  the  Executive  was  a  participant  immediately  prior  to  the  Executive’s  termination  or  resignation; 
(iii) payment of up to $10,000 for outplacement services; and (iv) continuation of other employee welfare benefits for a period of 
2 years. With respect to Messrs. Wenger, Rohrbaugh and Roda, if the Executive would not be eligible to continue to participate 
in any employee welfare benefit plan, the Executive would be compensated on an annual basis, in advance, for such plan in 
an amount equal to the cost Fulton would have incurred, had the Executive been eligible to participate in such plan, plus any 
permitted gross-up for any taxes applicable thereto.  In addition, Messrs. Wenger, Rohrbaugh and Roda would be entitled to 
receive continuation of other executive perquisites, such as club memberships and employer-provided automobiles, for a period 
of 2 years.

Only Mr. Wenger’s Employment Agreement provides that, in the event any payment or distribution by Fulton to or 
for the benefit of an Executive would be subject to excise tax as a Golden Parachute, Mr. Wenger will be entitled to receive an 
additional payment equal to the total excise tax imposed. The determination that a “gross-up” payment is required and its amount 
is to be made by a tax adviser and Fulton is responsible for the adviser’s fees and expenses. Fulton’s Compensation Consultant 
advised the HR Committee in 2006 that this “gross-up provision” was a typical provision in such agreements. In keeping with 
Fulton’s  objective  to  offer  a  competitive  contract  when  they  were  offered,  this  provision  was  included  in  the  Employment 
Agreements in 2006, but more recent agreements, such as the agreements with Messrs. Rohrbaugh, McCollom, Roda and Myers 
and Ms. Chivinski, do not contain a “gross-up provision.” 

Generally, the 2013  Plan provides  for vesting  of unvested  stock  options  and time-based  restricted  stock units  upon 
termination during the 12-month period following a Change in Control. However, with respect to Performance Shares, in the 
event of a Change in Control, all incomplete performance periods with respect of such Performance Shares in effect on the date 
the Change in Control occurs shall end on the date of such change, and the HR Committee shall (i) determine the extent to which 
Performance Goals with respect to each such performance period have been met based upon such audited or unaudited financial 
information then available as it deems relevant and (ii) cause such portion or all of the Performance Shares to vest with respect to 
performance goals for each such performance period based upon the HR Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment 
of performance goals or, if not determined by year end, the values assume the applicable “target” levels of performance have 
been attained.

7  Cash amounts listed are 2 times 2017 base salary and highest VCP Awards paid for the last 3 years for each Executive. Except 
for Mr. Wenger, the cash amounts have been reduced, pursuant to the terms of the Executive’s Employment Agreement to the 
extent required to avoid a federal excise tax imposition pursuant to the regulations promulgated under Section 280G of the Tax 
Code. Equity amount is the value of all “in the money” stock options and unvested Performance Shares as of December 31, 2017. 
Perquisites/ Benefits include $10,000 for outplacement services, $1,000 per month during the severance period for the estimated 
value of health and other benefit expenses paid by Fulton, and, with respect to  Messrs. Wenger, Rohrbaugh and Roda, $20,000 
per year for club memberships, vehicle and other expenses paid by Fulton, for the severance period attributed to each Executive.

54

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT8  Amount  listed  under  Pension/NQDC  represents  the  aggregate  dollar  value  of  Fulton’s  contributions  to  the  401(k)  Plan, 
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan and other retirement benefits as a result of this termination event.

9  Termination Due to Retirement: In the event an Executive terminates his employment due to retirement, Fulton is obligated 
to pay the Executive’s base salary through the effective date of the Executive’s retirement, together with any applicable expense 
reimbursements and all accrued and unpaid benefits  and  vested  benefits  in accordance with  the applicable employee benefit 
plans. In addition, pursuant to the 2013 Plan, in the event an Executive terminates employment due to retirement at the earlier 
of (i) achieving age 60 with at least 10 years of service to Fulton or any affiliate or (ii) achieving age 62 with at least 5 years 
of service to Fulton or any affiliate, unvested stock options and time-based restricted stock units awarded under Fulton’s plans 
would automatically vest. Pursuant to the 2013 Plan, the Performance Shares do not automatically vest upon retirement, and are 
not included, but subject to review by the HR Committee, performance continues to be measured and the shares may vest based 
on the original vesting schedule according to the performance level actually achieved. Assuming that all the Executives attained 
the earlier of (i) achieving age 60 with at least 10 years of service to Fulton or any affiliate or (ii) achieving age 62 with at least 
5 years of service to Fulton or any affiliate and retired as of December 31, 2017. The Executives would have 1 or 2 years from the 
date of retirement to exercise their stock options in accordance with the terms of their option awards.

10 Termination  Due  to  Disability:  Following  an  Executive’s  “Disability”,  defined  in  the  Employment  Agreements  to  be  a 
medically determinable physical or medical impairment that is expected to result in death or to last for at least 12 months, and 
that  either  renders  the  Executive  unable  to  engage  in  any  substantial  gainful  activity  or  qualifies  the  Executive  for  benefits 
under a Fulton disability plan, the employment of the Executive would terminate automatically, in which event Fulton is not 
thereafter  obligated  to  make  any  further  payments  under  the  Employment  Agreement,  other  than  amounts  (including  salary, 
expense reimbursement, etc.) accrued as of the date of such termination, plus an amount equal to at least six months’ base salary 
as in effect immediately prior to the date of the Disability. After this six (6) month salary continuation period, for as long as the 
Executive continues to be disabled, the Executive will continue to receive at least 60% of the Executive’s base salary until the 
earlier of the Executive’s death or December 31 of the calendar year in which the Executive attains age 65. To the extent it does 
not duplicate benefits already being provided, an Executive will also receive those benefits customarily provided by Fulton to 
disabled former employees, which benefits shall include, but are not limited to, life, medical, health, accident insurance and a 
survivor’s income benefit.

11 Cash amount for all the Executives is 6 months at full salary, then 60% of salary for an assumed period of 12 months. Perquisites/ 
Benefits include a monthly estimate of $1,000 for the value of health and other benefit expenses paid by Fulton for an assumed 
period of 18 months. Equity amount is the value of all “in the money” options and Performance Shares, which would vest as 
described in the last paragraph of Footnote 6 above. In the event an Executive terminates employment due to disability, unvested 
options, Performance Shares and time-based restricted stock units awarded under Fulton’s option plans would automatically vest. 
The Executives would have 1 year from the date of disability to exercise stock options.

12 Termination Due to Death: In the event of a termination of employment as a result of an Executive’s death, the Executive’s 
dependents, beneficiaries or estate, as the case may be, would receive such survivor’s income and other benefits as they may be 
entitled to under the terms of Fulton’s benefit programs, which includes the Life Insurance benefit of twice base salary amount 
plus a tax reimbursement due as a result of the payment under the Death Benefits described on Page 40.

13 In the event an Executive terminates employment due to death, unvested options, Performance Shares and time-based restricted 
stock units awarded under Fulton’s option plans would automatically vest. The estate of the Executive would have 1 year from the 
date of death to exercise stock options.

55

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTCEO PAY RATIO DISCLOSURE

As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(u) 
of Regulation S-K, Fulton is providing the following information about the ratio of the annual total compensation paid to our 
“median employee,” and the annual total compensation of Mr. Wenger (our “CEO”), for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Pay Ratio Summary
•  For  2017,  the  annual  total  compensation  of  our  selected  median 

employee was $47,397.

•  The  2017  annual  total  compensation  of  our  CEO,  as  reported  in  the 

Summary Compensation Table on Page 45, was $3,174,978.

•  Based on this information, for 2017 we reasonably estimate that the ratio 
of  the  annual  total  compensation  of  our  CEO  to  our  median  employee 
was 67 to 1.

•  Our  pay  ratio  estimate  has  been  calculated  in  a  manner  consistent 
with  Item  402(u)  of  Regulation  S-K  using  the  data  and  assumptions 
summarized below.

As of December 31, 2017, to identify the median employee from our employee population, we compared the amount 
of salary, wages, cash bonus, stock awards, employer contributions to our 401(k) Plan and all other compensation items paid to 
our employee population for 2017. We identified our median employee using this consistently applied compensation measure 
that  excluded  our  CEO.  In  making  this  determination,  we  annualized  the  compensation  of  our  permanent  full-time  and 
part-time employees who were hired in 2017 and did not work for Fulton for the entire fiscal year, but were still employed as of 
December 31, 2017. 

Once we identified our median employee, we combined all of the elements of such employee’s compensation for 2017 
consistent with the requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K. With respect to the annual total compensation of our 
CEO, we used the same process and amount reported in the “Total” column of our 2017 Summary Compensation Table included 
in this Proxy Statement on Page 45.

The  SEC  rules  for  identifying  the  median  employee  and  calculating  the  pay  ratio  based  on  that  employee’s  annual 
total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable 
estimates and assumptions that reflect their compensation practices. As such, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not 
be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies may have different employment and compensation practices 
and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates, and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

56

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTNON-BINDING SAY-ON-PAY RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION
OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS – PROPOSAL TWO

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the “Dodd-Frank Act,” 
Fulton is providing its shareholders with the opportunity to vote on an advisory (non-binding) resolution at the 2018 
Annual  Meeting  to  approve  the  compensation  of  Fulton’s  named  executive  officers  for  2017  as  described  in  the 
Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis,  the  tabular  disclosures  of  the  Named  Executive  Officers’  compensation 
(“Compensation Tables”) in this Proxy Statement. This proposal, commonly known as a “Say-on-Pay” Proposal, 
gives  shareholders  the  opportunity  to  endorse  or  not  endorse  Fulton’s  Executive  pay  program.  At  Fulton’s  2017 
Annual Meeting, Fulton presented a similar proposal to its shareholders, and approximately 97% of the shareholders 
who cast a vote on this proposal voted in favor of, and approved, Fulton’s Say-on-Pay proposal. The HR Committee 
considered the number of votes cast in favor of Fulton’s prior Say-on-Pay proposal to be a positive endorsement of 
Fulton’s current pay programs and practices. Fulton will continue to monitor the level of support for each Say-on-Pay 
proposal. However, because the shareholder vote is not binding, the outcome of the this year’s vote, or any future 
vote, may not be construed as overruling any decision by Fulton’s Board of Directors or HR Committee regarding 
executive compensation.

In  2017,  Fulton  submitted  to  shareholders  a  non-binding  proposal,  asking  shareholders  whether  Fulton 
should submit its Say-on-Pay proposal to shareholders every one (1), two (2) or three (3) years. This type of proposal 
is commonly known as a “Say-When-on-Pay” proposal, and under current SEC rules, required, no less frequently 
than once every six (6) years. The shareholders approved Fulton’s recommendation that the Say-on-Pay proposal 
should be submitted to shareholders on an annual basis. Although Fulton believes that having an annual Say-on-
Pay vote is appropriate, Fulton’s HR Committee and Board of Directors will continue to evaluate the frequency of 
the non-binding Say-on-Pay proposal and might recommend that shareholders approve a different frequency in the 
future.

As further described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this Proxy Statement, starting 
on Page 26, Fulton’s executive compensation philosophy and program are intended to achieve three (3) objectives: 
(i) align interests of the Executives with shareholder interests; (ii) link the Executives’ pay to performance; and (iii) 
attract, motivate and retain executive talent. Fulton’s Executive compensation program currently includes a mix of 
base salary, incentive bonus, equity-based plans, retirement plans, health plans and other benefits. Fulton believes 
that its compensation program, policies and procedures are reasonable and appropriate and compare favorably with 
the compensation programs, policies and procedures of its peers.

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders, in a non-binding proposal, vote “FOR” the following 

resolution:

“RESOLVED,  that  the  compensation  paid  to  Fulton’s  Named  Executive  Officers  for  2017, 
as  disclosed  in  this  Proxy  Statement  pursuant  to  Item  402  of  SEC  Regulation  S-K,  including  the 
Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis  and  the  Compensation  Tables  contained  in  this  Proxy 
Statement, is hereby APPROVED.”

Approval of the non-binding resolution regarding the compensation of the Named Executive Officers would 
require that the number of votes cast in favor of the proposal exceed the number of votes cast against it. Abstentions 
and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, therefore, will not affect the determination as to whether 
the proposal is approved.

Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding upon Fulton. However, Fulton’s HR Committee and 
Board of Directors will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering future Executive compensation 
arrangements, but no determination has been made as to what action, if any, the HR Committee or Board of Directors 
might take if shareholders do not approve this advisory proposal.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors recommends that the shareholders vote FOR the non-binding resolution to 

approve the compensation of the Named Executive Officers for 2017.

57

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTRELATIONSHIP WITH INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

For the years ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, Fulton engaged KPMG LLP (“KPMG”), 
independent  registered  public  accountants,  to  audit  Fulton’s  financial  statements.  The  fees  incurred  for  services 
rendered by KPMG for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are summarized in the following table:

 Services and Fees

Audit Fees – Annual Audit and Quarterly Reviews1
Audit Fees – Issuance of Comfort Letters and Consents
Audit Fees – Statutory Audit

Audit Fees Subtotal

Audit Related Fees2
Tax Fees3
All Other Fees

TOTAL

2017
$ 1,986,000
344,000
53,000

2016
$1,700,000
–
53,000

2,383,000

1,753,000

126,000
66,000
–

115,000
62,000
–

$ 2,575,000

$1,930,000

 1  Amounts presented for 2017 are based upon the audit engagement letter and additional fees paid. Final billings for 
2017 may differ.

 2  Fees paid for a required agreed-upon procedures report related to student lending and audits of financial statements 
of certain employee benefits plans.

3   Fees paid for tax services relating to federal and state tax matters.

The  appointment  of  KPMG  for  the  fiscal  year  ended  December  31,  2018  was  approved  by  the  Audit 
Committee of the Board of Directors of Fulton at a meeting on February 22, 2018. Representatives of KPMG are 
expected to be present at the 2018 Annual Meeting with the opportunity to make a statement and will be available 
to respond to appropriate questions.

The Audit Committee has carefully considered whether the provision of the non-audit services described 
above, which were performed by KPMG in 2017 and 2016, would be incompatible with maintaining the independence 
of KPMG in performing its audit services and has determined that, in its judgment, the independence of KPMG has 
not been compromised.

All fees paid to KPMG in 2017 and 2016 were pre-approved by the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee 
pre-approves all auditing and permitted non-auditing services, including the fees and terms thereof, to be performed 
by its independent auditor, subject to the de minimus exceptions for non-auditing services permitted by the Exchange 
Act. However, these types of services are approved prior to completion of the services. The Audit Committee may 
form and delegate authority to subcommittees consisting of one or more members, when appropriate, including the 
authority to grant pre-approvals of audit and permitted non-audit services. Any decisions of such subcommittees to 
grant pre-approvals are presented to the full Audit Committee for ratification at its next scheduled meeting.

Based on its review and discussion of the audited 2017 financial statements of Fulton with management and 
KPMG, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the financial statements be included in the 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the SEC. A copy of the report of the Audit Committee of its findings 
that resulted from its financial reporting oversight responsibilities is attached as Exhibit A.

58

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT 
 
 
 
 
 
RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT AUDITOR – PROPOSAL THREE

Fulton’s Audit Committee has selected the firm of KPMG to continue as Fulton’s independent auditor for 
the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. Although shareholder approval of the selection of KPMG is not required 
by law, the Board of Directors believes that it is advisable to give shareholders an opportunity to ratify this selection 
as is a common practice among other publicly traded companies and consistent with sound corporate governance 
practices. Assuming the presence of a quorum at the Annual Meeting, the affirmative vote of the majority of the 
votes cast is required to ratify the appointment of KPMG as Fulton’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending 
December 31, 2018. If Fulton’s shareholders do not approve this proposal at the 2018 Annual Meeting, the Audit 
Committee will consider the results of the shareholder vote on this proposal when selecting an independent auditor 
for 2019. However, no determination has been made as to what other specific action, if any, the Audit Committee 
would take if shareholders do not ratify the appointment of KPMG at the 2018 Annual Meeting.

KPMG has conducted the audit of the financial statements of Fulton and its subsidiaries for the years ended 
December 31, 2002 through December 31, 2017. Representatives of KPMG who are expected to be present at the 
meeting, will be given an opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so, and will be available to answer 
appropriate questions from shareholders.

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote FOR ratification of the appointment of 

KPMG LLP as Fulton’s independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

59

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Annual Report on Form 10-K

A copy of Fulton’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the 
SEC, including financial statements, is available without charge to shareholders upon written request addressed to the 
Corporate Secretary, Fulton Financial Corporation, P.O. Box 4887, One Penn Square, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604.

The Fulton Annual Report on Form 10-K for year-ended December 31, 2017 and this Proxy Statement are 
posted and available on Fulton’s website at www.fult.com. Copies of the current governance documents and future 
updates, including but not limited to the Fulton Code of Conduct, Audit Committee Charter, HR Committee Charter, 
Nominating  and  Corporate  Governance  Committee  Charter,  Risk  Committee  Charter  and  Fulton’s  Governance 
Guidelines, are also posted and available on Fulton’s website at www.fult.com. The contents of our website are not 
incorporated into this Proxy Statement by provision of this link, or other links in this Proxy Statement.

Householding of Proxy Materials

Only  one  (1)  Proxy  Statement  is  being  delivered  to  multiple  security  holders  sharing  an  address  unless 
Fulton has received contrary instructions from one or more of the security holders. Fulton will promptly deliver, 
upon written or oral request, a separate copy of this Proxy Statement to a security holder at a shared address to which 
a  single  copy  of  the  document  was  delivered.  Such  a  request  should  be  made  to  the  Corporate  Secretary,  Fulton 
Financial Corporation, P.O. Box 4887, One Penn Square, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604, (717) 291-2411. Requests to 
receive a separate mailing for future Proxy Statements or to limit multiple copies to the same address should be made 
orally or in writing to the Corporate Secretary at the foregoing address or phone number.

Sign Up for Electronic Delivery

If  you  would  like  to  save  paper  and  reduce  the  costs  incurred  by  Fulton  in  printing  and  mailing  proxy 
materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically 
via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please go to www.proxyvote.com and have your proxy 
card and control number in hand when you access the website, then follow the instructions at www.proxyvote.com to 
obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. Follow the instructions for voting by Internet 
and, when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access shareholder communications electronically in future 
years.

60

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENTOTHER MATTERS

The Board of Directors of Fulton knows of no matters other than those discussed in this Proxy Statement, 
which will be presented at the 2018 Annual Meeting. However, if any other matters are properly brought before the 
meeting, any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the 
Board of Directors of Fulton.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

E. PHILIP WENGER 
Chairman of the Board and 
Chief Executive Officer

Lancaster, Pennsylvania 
April 3, 2018

61

NOTICE OF 2018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS AND PROXY STATEMENT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT A

REPORT OF AUDIT COMMITTEE

February 22, 2018

To the Board of Directors of Fulton Financial Corporation:

We  have  reviewed  and  discussed  with  management  Fulton  Financial  Corporation’s  audited  financial 

statements as of, and for the year ended, December 31, 2017.

We have discussed with representatives of KPMG LLP, Fulton Financial Corporation’s independent auditor, 
the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 1301, Communications with Audit Committees issued 
by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”).

We have received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditor required by 
the PCAOB Ethics and Independence Rule 3526, Communication with Audit Committees Concerning Independence, 
as amended, by the PCAOB, and have discussed with the auditor the auditor’s independence.

Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, we recommend to the Board of Directors that the 
financial statements referred to above be included in Fulton Financial Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K 
for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Ronald H. Spair, Chair
Albert Morrison III, Vice Chair
Denise L. Devine
George W. Hodges 
Ernest J. Waters

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
_______________________________________________________
FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017,

or

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission File Number: 0-10587
_______________________________________________________

FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Pennsylvania
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

One Penn Square, P. O. Box 4887, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
(Address of principal executive offices)

23-2195389
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

17604
(Zip Code)

(717) 291-2411
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class
Common Stock, $2.50 par value

Name of exchange on which registered
The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  

    No  

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.     Yes  

    No  

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act 
of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject 
to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  

    No  

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data 
File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or 
for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  

    No  

Indicate by checkmark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405) is not contained herein, and will 
not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this 
Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting 
company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check One):

Large accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  

    No  

The aggregate market value of the voting Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the average bid and asked prices on 
June 30, 2017, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $3.2 billion. The number 
of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding on February 15, 2018 was 175,289,000.

Portions of the Definitive Proxy Statement of the Registrant for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 21, 2018 are incorporated 
by reference in Part III.

1

 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Description

PART I

Item 1.

Item 1A.

Item 1B.

Item 2.

Item 3.

Item 4.

PART II

Item 5.

Item 6.

Item 7.

Item 7A.

Item 8.

Item 9.

Item 9A.

Item 9B.

PART III

Item 10.

Item 11.

Item 12.

Item 13.

Item 14.

PART IV

Item 15.

Item 16.

Business ............................................................................................................................................................................

Risk Factors ......................................................................................................................................................................

Unresolved Staff Comments.............................................................................................................................................

Properties ..........................................................................................................................................................................

Legal Proceedings.............................................................................................................................................................

Mine Safety Disclosures...................................................................................................................................................

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.......

Selected Financial Data ....................................................................................................................................................

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations...........................................

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk..........................................................................................

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: ...............................................................................................................

Consolidated Balance Sheets....................................................................................................................................

Consolidated Statements of Income .........................................................................................................................

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income ...............................................................................................

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity....................................................................................................

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows ..................................................................................................................

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements ............................................................................................................

Management Report On Internal Control Over Financial Reporting .......................................................................

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.....................................................................................

Quarterly Consolidated Results of Operations (unaudited)......................................................................................

Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure ..........................................

Controls and Procedures...................................................................................................................................................

Other Information .............................................................................................................................................................

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance ...............................................................................................

Executive Compensation ..................................................................................................................................................

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters ........................

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence .................................................................

Principal Accounting Fees and Services...........................................................................................................................

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules..........................................................................................................................

Form 10-K Summary........................................................................................................................................................

Signatures .........................................................................................................................................................................

Exhibit Index ....................................................................................................................................................................

Page

3

19

33

33

34

34

35

38

40

69

74

75

76

77

78

79

130

131

133

134

134

134

135

135

135

135

135

136

137

138

140

2

 
 
PART I

Item 1. Business

General

Fulton  Financial  Corporation  (the  "Corporation")  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Pennsylvania  on  February 8,  1982  and 
became a bank holding company through the acquisition of all of the outstanding stock of Fulton Bank N.A. ("Fulton Bank") on 
June 30, 1982. In 2000, the Corporation became a financial holding company as defined in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ("GLB 
Act"), which gave the Corporation the ability to expand its financial services activities under its holding company structure. See 
"Competition" and "Supervision and Regulation." The Corporation directly owns 100% of the common stock of six community 
banks  and  eight  non-bank  entities. As  of  December 31,  2017,  the  Corporation  had  approximately  3,700  full-time  equivalent 
employees.

The common stock of the Corporation is listed for quotation on the Global Select Market of The NASDAQ Stock Market under 
the symbol FULT. The Corporation’s Internet address is www.fult.com. Electronic copies of the Corporation’s 2017 Annual Report 
on Form 10-K are available free of charge by visiting "Investor Relations" at www.fult.com. Electronic copies of quarterly reports 
on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K are also available at this Internet address. These reports, as well as any amendments 
thereto,  are  posted  on  the  Corporation's  website  as  soon  as  reasonably  practicable  after  they  are  electronically  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

Bank and Financial Services Subsidiaries

The Corporation’s six subsidiary banks are located primarily in suburban or semi-rural geographic markets throughout a five-state 
region (Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia). Each of these banking subsidiaries delivers financial services 
in  a  highly  personalized,  community-oriented  style  that  emphasizes  relationship  banking.  Where  appropriate,  operations  are 
centralized through common platforms and back-office functions. The Corporation has announced that it is developing plans to 
seek regulatory approval to begin the process of consolidating its six subsidiary banks in connection with a transition to a business 
model that will be less oriented on geographic boundaries and will instead focus more on alignment with the customer segments 
the Corporation serves. The Corporation also believes that consolidating its subsidiary banks will enhance its ability to manage 
risk more efficiently and effectively through a centralized risk management and compliance function. This multi-year process is 
expected to eventually result in the Corporation conducting its core banking business through a single subsidiary bank. The timing 
of the commencement of this process will depend significantly on the Corporation and its banking subsidiaries making necessary 
progress in enhancing a largely centralized compliance program designed to comply with the requirements of the Bank Secrecy 
Act ("BSA"), as amended by the USA Patriot Act of 2001, as well as related anti-money laundering ("AML") laws and regulations. 
See Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Legal, Compliance and Reputational Risks - The Corporation intends to seek regulatory approval of 
the  consolidation  of  our  bank  subsidiaries,  which  could  result  in  significant  implementation  costs  and  impact  our  long-term 
compliance obligations" and "Risk Factors - Legal, Compliance and Reputational Risks - The Corporation and three of its bank 
subsidiaries are subject to regulatory enforcement orders requiring improvement in compliance functions and remedial actions."

The Corporation’s subsidiary banks are located in areas that are home to a wide range of manufacturing, distribution, health care 
and other service companies. The Corporation and its banks are not dependent upon one or a few customers or any one industry, 
and the loss of any single customer or a few customers would not have a material adverse impact on any of the subsidiary banks. 
However, a large portion of the Corporation’s loan portfolio is comprised of commercial loans, commercial mortgage loans and 
construction loans. See Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Economic and Credit Risks - Economic downturns and the composition of the 
Corporation’s loan portfolio subject the Corporation to credit risk."

Each of the subsidiary banks offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking products and services in its local market 
area. Personal banking services include various checking account and savings deposit products, certificates of deposit and individual 
retirement accounts. The subsidiary banks offer a variety of consumer lending products to creditworthy customers in their market 
areas. Secured consumer loan products include home equity loans and lines of credit, which are underwritten based on loan-to-
value limits specified in the Corporation's lending policy. The subsidiary banks also offer a variety of fixed, variable and adjustable 
rate products, including construction loans and jumbo residential mortgage loans. Residential mortgages are offered through Fulton 
Mortgage Company, which operates as a division of each subsidiary bank. Consumer loan products also include automobile loans, 
automobile and equipment leases, personal lines of credit and checking account overdraft protection.

Commercial banking services are provided to small and medium sized businesses (generally with sales of less than $150 million) 
in the subsidiary banks’ market areas. The Corporation's policies limit the maximum total lending commitment to a single borrower 
to $50.0 million as of December 31, 2017, which is below the Corporation’s regulatory lending limit. In addition, the Corporation 
3

has established lower total lending limits based on the Corporation's internal risk rating of the borrower and for certain types of 
lending commitments. Commercial lending products include commercial, financial, agricultural and real estate loans. Variable, 
adjustable and fixed rate loans are provided, with variable and adjustable rate loans generally tied to an index, such as the Prime 
Rate or the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), as well as interest rate swaps. The commercial lending policy of the 
Corporation's subsidiary banks encourages relationship banking and provides strict guidelines related to customer creditworthiness 
and collateral requirements for secured loans. In addition, equipment leasing, letters of credit, cash management services and 
traditional deposit products are offered to commercial customers.

Investment management, trust, brokerage, insurance and investment advisory services are offered to consumer and commercial 
banking customers in the market areas serviced by the Corporation's subsidiary banks by Fulton Financial Advisors (a division of 
the Corporation's largest subsidiary, Fulton Bank).

The Corporation’s subsidiary banks deliver their products and services through traditional branch banking, with a network of full 
service branch offices. Electronic delivery channels include a network of automated teller machines, telephone banking, mobile 
banking and online banking. The variety of available delivery channels allows customers to access their account information and 
perform certain transactions, such as depositing checks, transferring funds and paying bills, at virtually any time of the day. 

The following table provides certain information for the Corporation’s banking subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017:

Subsidiary

Fulton Bank, N.A.
Fulton Bank of New Jersey
The Columbia Bank
Lafayette Ambassador Bank
FNB Bank, N.A.
Swineford National Bank

Main Office
Location

Total
Assets

Total
Deposits

(dollars in millions)

Branches (1)

Lancaster, PA
Mt. Laurel, NJ
Columbia, MD
Bethlehem, PA
Danville, PA
Middleburg, PA

$

$

11,494
4,069
2,411
1,577
354
328

8,649
3,480
1,910
1,340
291
286

112
64
31
21
6
7
241  

(1)  Remote service facilities (mainly stand-alone automated teller machines) are excluded. See additional information in Item 2. "Properties."

Non-Bank Subsidiaries

The Corporation owns 100% of the common stock of five non-bank subsidiaries, which are consolidated for financial reporting 
purposes: (i) Fulton Financial Realty Company, which holds title to or leases certain properties where Corporation branch offices 
and other facilities are located; (ii) Central Pennsylvania Financial Corp., which owns limited partnership interests in partnerships 
invested primarily in low- and moderate-income housing projects; (iii) FFC Management, Inc., which owns certain investment 
securities and other passive investments; (iv) FFC Penn Square, Inc., which owns trust preferred securities ("TruPS") issued by a 
subsidiary of Fulton Bank; and (v) Fulton Insurance Services Group, Inc., which engages in the sale of various life insurance 
products.

The Corporation also owns 100% of the common stock of three non-bank subsidiaries which are not consolidated for financial 
reporting purposes. The following table provides information for these non-bank subsidiaries, whose sole assets consist of junior 
subordinated deferrable interest debentures issued by the Corporation, as of December 31, 2017:

Subsidiary

State of Incorporation

Total Assets
(in thousands)

Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust................................................................
Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust II ............................................................
Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust III...........................................................

Delaware
Delaware
Delaware

$

6,186
4,124
6,186

Competition

The banking and financial services industries are highly competitive. Within its geographic region, the Corporation’s subsidiaries 
face direct competition from other commercial banks, varying in size from local community banks to larger regional and national

4

 
 
 
 
banks, credit unions and non-bank entities. As a result of the wide availability of electronic delivery channels, the subsidiary banks 
also face competition from financial institutions that do not have a physical presence in the Corporation’s geographic markets.
The industry is also highly competitive due to the various types of entities that now compete aggressively for customers that were 
traditionally served only by the banking industry. Under the current financial services regulatory framework, banks, insurance 
companies and securities firms may affiliate under a financial holding company structure, allowing their expansion into non-
banking financial services activities that had previously been restricted. These activities include a full range of banking, securities 
and insurance activities, including securities and insurance underwriting, issuing and selling annuities and merchant banking 
activities.  Moreover,  the  Corporation  and  its  subsidiaries  face  increased  competition  from  certain  non-bank  entities,  such  as 
financial technology companies and marketplace lenders, which may or may not be subject to the same regulatory compliance 
obligations as the Corporation. While the Corporation does not currently engage in many of the activities described above, further 
entry into these businesses may enhance the ability of the Corporation to compete in the future.

5

Market Share

Deposit market share information is compiled as of June 30 of each year by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC"). 
The Corporation’s banks maintain branch offices in 52 counties across five states. In 15 of these counties, the Corporation ranked 
in the top five in deposit market share (based on deposits as of June 30, 2017). The following table summarizes information about 
the counties in which the Corporation has branch offices and its market position in each county:

No. of Financial
Institutions

Deposit Market Share
(June 30, 2017)

County
Lancaster ..............
Berks.....................
Bucks....................
Centre ...................
Chester..................
Columbia ..............
Cumberland ..........
Dauphin ................
Delaware...............
Lebanon ................
Lehigh...................
Lycoming..............
Montgomery .........
Montour................
Northampton.........
Northumberland ...

State
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA
PA

PA
Schuylkill .............
PA
Snyder...................
PA
Union....................
PA
York......................
New Castle ........... DE
Sussex................... DE
Anne Arundel ....... MD
Baltimore.............. MD
Baltimore City ...... MD
Cecil ..................... MD
Frederick............... MD
Howard ................. MD
Montgomery ......... MD
Prince George's..... MD
Washington........... MD
NJ
Atlantic .................
NJ
Burlington.............
NJ
Camden.................
NJ
Cumberland ..........
NJ
Gloucester.............

Population
(2018 Est.)

Banking Subsidiary

Banks/
Thrifts

Credit
Unions

Rank

543,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
415,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
626,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
163,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
520,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
66,000 FNB Bank, N.A.
252,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
275,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
564,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
140,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
366,000 Lafayette Ambassador Bank
114,000 FNB Bank, N.A.
826,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
18,000 FNB Bank, N.A.
304,000 Lafayette Ambassador Bank
92,000 FNB Bank, N.A.

Swineford National Bank

142,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
41,000 Swineford National Bank
46,000 Swineford National Bank
446,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
561,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
227,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.
575,000 The Columbia Bank
835,000 The Columbia Bank
610,000 The Columbia Bank
103,000 The Columbia Bank
251,000 The Columbia Bank
324,000 The Columbia Bank
1,058,000 The Columbia Bank
916,000 The Columbia Bank
151,000 The Columbia Bank
269,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey
449,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey
509,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey
152,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey
293,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

6

20
18
34
16
29
6
17
17
30
12
21
11
39
6
17
19

13
8
10
15
21
17
28
32
26
7
17
20
30
19
11
14
20
21
12
23

13
11
15
4
8
3
5
10
13
6
12
10
28
3
12
5

2
1
3
13
18
5
10
16
14
4
5
5
25
24
4
7
11
11
5
5

%
27.3%
3.6%
2.1%
3.2%
2.9%
4.0%
1.9%
5.2%
0.3%
31.7%
4.6%
1.0%
0.5%
22.1%
13.1%
3.9%
2.3%
4.1%
26.0%
7.1%
11.3%
1.2%
8.8%
0.6%
0.8%
0.4%
13.8%
0.9%
8.6%
0.2%
0.6%
21.3%
1.8%
1.2%
2.4%
1.9%
13.8%

1
8
14
10
13
5
12
6
27
1
7
14
22
2
3
7
13
10
2
5
3
11
3
18
21
11
2
15
4
29
21
2
11
14
11
13
2

 
 
 
 
 
State

Population
(2018 Est.)

Banking Subsidiary

Banks/
Thrifts

Credit
Unions

Rank

%

No. of Financial
Institutions

Deposit Market Share
(June 30, 2017)

NJ

NJ

NJ

NJ

NJ

NJ

NJ

NJ

NJ

VA

VA

VA

VA

VA

VA

VA

124,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

371,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

841,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

625,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

499,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

597,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

63,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

335,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

106,000 Fulton Bank of New Jersey

242,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.

1,146,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.

328,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.

42,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.

183,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.

227,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.

456,000 Fulton Bank, N.A.

17

25

45

27

35

20

7

26

12

13

37

24

12

12

16

15

7

20

26

11

16

8

4

11

3

7

29

14

4

7

10

13

9

17

27

25

14

15

1

10

5

10

42

23

10

12

15

10

2.7%

0.9%

0.3%

0.7%

1.4%

1.2%

26.9%

2.3%

7.7%

1.6%

—%

0.5%

1.9%

0.7%

0.2%

1.6%

County
Hunterdon.............

Mercer ..................

Middlesex .............

Monmouth ............

Morris ...................

Ocean....................

Salem....................

Somerset ...............

Warren ..................

Chesapeake City ...

Fairfax ..................

Henrico .................

Manassas ..............

Newport News......

Richmond City .....

Virginia Beach......

Supervision and Regulation 

The Corporation and its subsidiaries operate in an industry that is subject to laws and regulations that are enforced by a number 
of federal and state agencies. Changes in these laws and regulations, including interpretation and enforcement activities, could 
impact the cost of operating in the financial services industry, limit or expand permissible activities or affect competition among 
banks and other financial institutions.

The Corporation is a registered financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended ("BHCA") 
and is regulated, supervised and examined by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ("Federal Reserve Board"). 
The  Corporation's  subsidiary  banks  are  depository  institutions  whose  deposits  are  insured  by  the  FDIC. The  following  table 
summarizes the charter types and primary regulators for each of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks:

Subsidiary
Charter
Fulton Bank, N.A. ........................................................................................................... National
Fulton Bank of New Jersey ............................................................................................. NJ
The Columbia Bank ........................................................................................................ MD
Lafayette Ambassador Bank ........................................................................................... PA
FNB Bank, N.A............................................................................................................... National
Swineford National Bank................................................................................................ National

   Primary Regulator(s)
  OCC
  NJ/FDIC
  MD/FDIC
  PA/Federal Reserve
  OCC
  OCC

OCC - Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Federal statutes that apply to the Corporation and its subsidiaries include the GLB Act, the BHCA, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street 
Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank Act"), the Federal Reserve Act, the National Bank Act and the Federal Deposit 
Insurance Act, among others. In general, these statutes, regulations promulgated thereunder, and related interpretations establish 
the  eligible  business  activities  of  the  Corporation,  certain  acquisition  and  merger  restrictions,  limitations  on  intercompany 
transactions, such as loans and dividends, cash reserve requirements, lending limitations, compliance with unfair, deceptive and 
abusive acts and practices prohibitions, limitations on investments, and capital adequacy requirements, among other things.

The following discussion is general in nature and seeks to highlight some of the more significant of the regulatory requirements 
to which the Corporation and its subsidiaries are subject, but does not purport to be complete or to describe all laws and regulations 
that are applicable.

7

 
 
 
 
BHCA - The Corporation is subject to regulation and examination by the Federal Reserve Board, and is required to file periodic 
reports and to provide additional information that the Federal Reserve Board may require. The BHCA regulates activities of bank 
holding companies, including requirements and limitations relating to capital, transactions with officers, directors and affiliates, 
securities issuances, dividend payments, extensions of credit, among others.  The BHCA permits the Federal Reserve Board, in 
certain circumstances, to issue cease and desist orders and other enforcement actions against bank holding companies (and their 
non-banking affiliates) to correct or curtail unsafe or unsound banking practices. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board must 
approve certain proposed changes in organizational structure or other business activities before they occur. The BHCA imposes 
certain restrictions upon the Corporation regarding the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of, or direct or indirect ownership 
or control of, any bank for which it is not already the majority owner. In addition, under the Dodd-Frank Act and longstanding 
Federal Reserve Board policy, bank holding companies are required to act as a source of financial strength to each of their banking 
subsidiaries pursuant to which such holding company may be required to commit financial resources to support such subsidiaries 
in circumstances when, absent such requirements, they might not otherwise do so.

Dodd-Frank Act - The Dodd-Frank Act was enacted in July 2010 and resulted in significant financial regulatory reform. The Dodd-
Frank Act also changed the responsibilities of the current federal banking regulators. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act 
established increased compliance obligations across a number of areas of the banking business and created the Financial Stability 
Oversight Council, with oversight authority for monitoring systemically important financial institutions ("SIFIs") and regulating 
systemic risk, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB"), which has broad regulatory and enforcement powers over 
consumer financial products and services. The CFPB is responsible for administering and enforcing numerous federal consumer 
financial laws enumerated in the Dodd-Frank Act. The CFPB has exclusive or primary supervision, examination and enforcement 
authority over banks with total assets of more than $10 billion with respect to compliance with federal consumer financial laws. 
As of March 31, 2017, the Corporation's largest subsidiary bank, Fulton Bank, had $10.8 billion in total assets and had total assets 
in excess of $10 billion for the previous four consecutive quarters, and accordingly, it and the Corporation's other subsidiary banks 
are subject to the supervision, examination and enforcement jurisdiction of the CFPB with respect to federal consumer financial 
laws.

Stress Testing - In accordance with Federal Reserve Board rules governing company-run stress testing, the Corporation is required 
to conduct an annual stress test in the manner specified, and using assumptions for baseline, adverse and severely adverse scenarios 
announced by the Federal Reserve Board. The stress test is designed to assess the potential impact of the various scenarios on the 
Corporation's earnings, capital levels and capital ratios over a nine-quarter time horizon. The Corporation's board of directors and 
its senior management are required to consider the results of the stress test in the normal course of business, including as part of 
the Corporation's capital planning process and the evaluation of the adequacy of its capital, and to disclose summary stress test 
results to the public. The Corporation believes that both the quality and magnitude of its capital base are sufficient to support its 
current operations given its risk profile. The results of the annual stress testing process did not lead the Corporation to raise 
additional capital or alter the mix of its capital components. Pursuant to final rules published in October 2014 and December 2015, 
the Federal Reserve Board modified the start date of the stress test cycles so that, beginning in 2016, stress tests must be conducted 
using financial data as of December 31 of the prior year, the results of the stress test must be reported to the Federal Reserve Board 
on or before July 31 and a summary of the results of the stress test must be publicly disclosed between October 15 and October 
31. The Corporation timely submitted its stress test report to the Federal Reserve Board before its required date of July 31, 2017, 
and a summary of the results was publicly disclosed on October 18, 2017, as required by the final rules.

Under similar rules adopted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC"), the primary regulator of Fulton Bank, 
national banks with total consolidated assets of more than $10 billion are also required to conduct annual stress tests. A national 
bank becomes subject to the annual stress testing requirement when the institution's total consolidated assets, calculated as the 
average of the institution's total consolidated assets, as reported on the institution's quarterly Call Reports, for the most recent four 
consecutive quarters exceeds $10 billion. As of March 31, 2017, Fulton Bank had $10.8 billion in total consolidated assets and 
had maintained a level of assets in excess of $10 billion for four consecutive quarters. Accordingly, Fulton Bank is required to 
conduct annual stress tests in accordance with the OCC rules and as a result, will be required to submit its first stress test report 
to the OCC on or before July 31, 2018.

Consumer Financial Protection Laws and Enforcement - The CFPB and the federal banking agencies continue to focus attention 
on consumer protection laws and regulations. The CFPB is responsible for promoting fairness and transparency for mortgages, 
credit cards, deposit accounts and other consumer financial products and services and for interpreting and enforcing the federal 
consumer financial laws that govern the provision of such products and services. Federal consumer financial laws enforced by the 
CFPB include, but are not limited to, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA"), Truth in Lending Act ("TILA"), the Truth in 
Savings Act, HMDA, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act ("RESPA"), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Fair 
Credit Reporting Act. The CFPB is also authorized to prevent any institution under its authority from engaging in an unfair, 
deceptive, or abusive act or practice in connection with consumer financial products and services. As a residential mortgage lender, 

8

the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries are subject to multiple federal consumer protection statutes and regulations, including, 
but not limited to, those referenced above. 

In particular, fair lending laws prohibit discrimination in the provision of banking services, and the enforcement of these laws has 
been an increasing focus for the CFPB, the Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"), and other regulators. Fair 
lending laws include ECOA and the Fair Housing Act ("FHA"), which outlaw discrimination in credit and residential real estate 
transactions on the basis of prohibited factors including, among others, race, color, national origin, gender, and religion. A lender 
may be liable for policies that result in a disparate treatment of, or have a disparate impact on, a protected class of applicants or 
borrowers. If a pattern or practice of lending discrimination is alleged by a regulator, then that agency may refer the matter to the 
U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") for investigation. Failure to comply with these and similar statutes and regulations can result 
in the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries becoming subject to formal or informal enforcement actions, the imposition of civil 
money penalties and consumer litigation.

The  CFPB  has  exclusive  examination  and  primary  enforcement  authority  with  respect  to  compliance  with  federal  consumer 
financial protection laws and regulations by institutions under its supervision and is authorized, individually or jointly with the 
federal bank regulatory agencies, to conduct investigations to determine whether any person is, or has, engaged in conduct that 
violates such laws or regulations. The CFPB may bring an administrative enforcement proceeding or civil action in federal district 
court. In addition, in accordance with a memorandum of understanding entered into between the CFPB and the DOJ, the two 
agencies have agreed to coordinate efforts related to enforcing the fair lending laws, which includes information sharing and 
conducting joint investigations; however, as a result of recent leadership changes at the DOJ and CFPB, as well as changes in the 
enforcement policies and priorities of each agency, the extent to which such coordination will continue to occur in the near term 
is uncertain. As an independent bureau funded by the Federal Reserve Board, the CFPB may impose requirements that are more 
stringent than those of the other bank regulatory agencies. 

As an insured depository institution with total assets of more than $10 billion, Fulton Bank and the Corporation's other subsidiary 
banks are subject to the CFPB’s supervisory and enforcement authorities. The Dodd-Frank Act also permits states to adopt stricter 
consumer protection laws and state attorneys general to enforce consumer protection rules issued by the CFPB. As a result, the 
Corporation's subsidiary banks operate in a stringent consumer compliance environment and may incur additional costs related 
to consumer protection compliance, including but not limited to potential costs associated with CFPB examinations, regulatory 
and enforcement actions and consumer-oriented litigation. The CFPB, other financial regulatory agencies, including the OCC, as 
well as the DOJ, have, over the past several years, pursued a number of enforcement actions against depository institutions with 
respect to compliance with fair lending laws. 

Ability-to-pay rules and qualified mortgages - As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB issued a series of final rules amending 
Regulation Z, implementing TILA, which require mortgage lenders to make a reasonable and good faith determination, based on 
verified and documented information, that a consumer applying for a residential mortgage loan has a reasonable ability to repay 
the loan according to its terms. These final rules prohibit creditors, such as the Corporation's bank subsidiaries, from extending 
residential mortgage loans without regard for the consumer's ability to repay and add restrictions and requirements to residential 
mortgage  origination  and  servicing  practices. In  addition,  these  rules  restrict  the  imposition  of  prepayment  penalties  and 
compensation practices relating to residential mortgage loan origination. Mortgage lenders are required to determine consumers’ 
ability to repay in one of two ways. The first alternative requires the mortgage lender to consider eight underwriting factors when 
making the credit decision. The mortgage lender may also originate "qualified mortgages," which are entitled to a presumption 
that  the  creditor  making  the  loan  satisfied  the  ability-to-repay  requirements.  In  general,  a  qualified  mortgage  is  a  residential 
mortgage loan that does not have certain high risk features, such as negative amortization, interest-only payments, balloon payments, 
or a term exceeding 30 years. In addition, to be a qualified mortgage, the points and fees paid by a consumer cannot exceed 3% 
of the total loan amount, and the borrower’s total debt-to-income ratio must be no higher than 43% (subject to certain limited 
exceptions for loans eligible for purchase, guarantee or insurance by a government sponsored enterprise or a federal agency).

Integrated disclosures under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the Truth in Lending Act - As required by the Dodd-
Frank Act, the CFPB issued final rules revising and integrating previously separate disclosures required under RESPA and TILA 
in connection with certain closed-end consumer mortgage loans. These final rules became effective August 1, 2015 and require 
lenders to provide a new loan estimate, combining content from the former good faith estimate required under RESPA and the 
initial disclosures required under TILA, not later than the third business day after submission of a loan application, and a new 
closing disclosure, combining content of the former HUD-1 Settlement Statement required under RESPA and the final disclosures 
required under TILA, at least three days prior to the loan closing. The CFPB issued proposed amendments to the requirements in 
July 2016, which were finalized in July 2017. 

Volcker Rule - As mandated by Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act (the "Volcker Rule"), the federal banking agencies, the SEC 
and Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued final rules in December 2013 (the "Final Rules") that prohibit banking entities 
9

from (1) engaging in short-term proprietary trading for their own accounts, and (2) having certain ownership interests in, and 
relationships with, hedge funds or private equity funds, which are referred to as "covered funds."   The Final Rules generally treat 
as a covered fund any entity that, absent the applicability of a separate exclusion, would be an "investment company" under the 
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") but for the application of the exemptions from SEC registration set forth in 
Section 3(c)(1) (fewer than 100 beneficial owners) or Section 3(c)(7) (qualified purchasers) of the 1940 Act. The Final Rules also 
require regulated entities to establish an internal compliance program that is consistent with the extent to which it engages in 
proprietary trading and covered fund activities covered by the Volcker Rule. Although the Final Rules provide some tiering of 
compliance and reporting obligations based on size, the fundamental prohibitions of the Volcker Rule apply to banking entities 
of any size, including the Corporation. In December 2014, the Federal Reserve Board extended, until July 21, 2016, the date by 
which banking entities must conform their covered fund activities and investments to the requirements of the Final Rules, and in 
July 2016, the Federal Reserve Board granted an additional one-year extension of the conformance period to July 21, 2017.

In addition, in August 2017, the OCC published a notice and request for comment on whether certain aspects of the Volcker Rule 
should be revised to better accomplish the purposes the Dodd-Frank Act while decreasing the compliance burden on banking 
organizations and fostering economic growth. The request for comment invited input on ways in which to tailor the Volcker Rule’s 
requirements and clarify key provisions that define prohibited and permissible activities, as well as input on how the federal 
regulatory agencies could implement the existing Volcker Rule more effectively without revising the Final Rules. Specifically, 
the OCC requested comments on the scope of entities subject to the Volcker Rule, the proprietary trading prohibition, the covered 
funds prohibition, and the compliance program and metrics reporting requirements. We cannot predict whether regulations that 
would simplify compliance with the Final Rules will be adopted or, if such regulations were to be adopted, the extent to which 
they would reduce our compliance burdens.

The Corporation does not engage in proprietary trading or in any other activities prohibited by the Final Rules, and, based on the 
Corporation's evaluation of its investments, none fell within the definition of a "covered fund" and none needed to be disposed of 
by July 31, 2017. The Corporation does not currently expect that the Final Rules will have a material effect on its business, financial 
condition or results of operations.

Capital Requirements - There are a number of restrictions on financial and bank holding companies and FDIC-insured depository 
subsidiaries that are designed to minimize potential loss to depositors and the FDIC insurance funds. Also, a bank holding company 
is required to serve as a source of financial strength to its depository institution subsidiaries and to commit resources to support 
such institutions in circumstances where it might not do so absent such policy. Under the BHCA, the Federal Reserve Board has 
the authority to require a bank holding company to terminate any activity or to relinquish control of a non-bank subsidiary upon 
the Federal Reserve Board’s determination that such activity or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness and 
stability of a depository institution subsidiary of the bank holding company.

The  Basel  Committee  on  Banking  Supervision  ("Basel")  is  a  committee  of  central  banks  and  bank  regulators  from  major 
industrialized countries that develops broad policy guidelines for use by each country’s regulators with the purpose of ensuring 
that financial institutions have adequate capital given the risk levels of assets and off-balance sheet financial instruments. In 
December 2010, Basel released frameworks for strengthening international capital and liquidity regulations, referred to as Basel 
III.

In July 2013, the Federal Reserve Board approved final rules (the "U.S. Basel III Capital Rules") establishing a new comprehensive 
capital framework for U.S. banking organizations and implementing the Basel's December 2010 framework for strengthening 
international capital standards. The U.S. Basel III Capital Rules substantially revise the risk-based capital requirements applicable 
to bank holding companies and depository institutions.

The minimum regulatory capital requirements established by the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules became effective for the Corporation 
on January 1, 2015, and will be fully phased in on January 1, 2019.

The U.S. Basel III Capital Rules require the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries to:

•  Meet a minimum Common Equity Tier 1 ("CET1") capital ratio of 4.50% of risk-weighted assets and a minimum Tier 1 

capital ratio of 6.00% of risk-weighted assets; 

•  Continue to require a minimum Total capital ratio of 8.00% of risk-weighted assets and a minimum Tier 1 leverage capital 

ratio of 4.00% of average assets; and

•  Comply with a revised definition of capital to improve the ability of regulatory capital instruments to absorb losses. 
Certain non-qualifying capital instruments, including cumulative preferred stock and TruPS, have been phased out as a 
component of Tier 1 capital for institutions of the Corporation's size. 

10

The U.S. Basel III Capital Rules use a standardized approach for risk weightings that expand the risk-weightings for assets and 
off balance sheet exposures from the previous 0%, 20%, 50% and 100% categories to a much larger and more risk-sensitive number 
of categories, depending on the nature of the assets and off-balance sheet exposures and resulting in higher risk weights for a 
variety of asset categories. In November 2017, the federal banking agencies adopted a final rule to extend the regulatory capital 
treatment applicable during 2017 under Basel III for certain items, including regulatory capital deductions, risk weights, and certain 
minority interest limitations. The relief provided under the final rule applies to banking organizations that are not subject to the 
capital rules’ advanced approaches, such as the Corporation.  Specifically, the final rule extends the current regulatory capital 
treatment of mortgage servicing assets ("MSAs"), deferred tax assets ("DTAs") arising from temporary differences that could not 
be realized through net operating loss carrybacks, significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions in 
the  form  of  common  stock,  non-significant  investments  in  the  capital  of  unconsolidated  financial  institutions,  significant 
investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions that are not in the form of common stock, and CET1 minority 
interest, tier 1 minority interest, and total capital minority interest exceeding applicable minority interest limitations.

When fully phased in on January 1, 2019, the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries will also be required to maintain a "capital 
conservation buffer" of 2.50% above the minimum risk-based capital requirements. The required minimum capital conservation 
buffer began to be phased in incrementally, starting at 0.625%, on January 1, 2016, increasing to 1.25% on January 1, 2017, and 
will continue to increase, to 1.875% on January 1, 2018 and 2.50% on January 1, 2019. The rules provide that the failure to maintain 
the  "capital  conservation  buffer"  will  result  in  restrictions  on  capital  distributions  and  discretionary  cash  bonus  payments  to 
executive officers. As a result, under the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules, if any of the Corporation's bank subsidiaries fails to maintain 
the required minimum capital conservation buffer, the Corporation will be subject to limits, and possibly prohibitions, on its ability 
to obtain capital distributions from such subsidiaries. If the Corporation does not receive sufficient cash dividends from its bank 
subsidiaries, it may not have sufficient funds to pay dividends on its capital stock, service its debt obligations or repurchase its 
common stock. In addition, the restrictions on payments of discretionary cash bonuses to executive officers may make it more 
difficult for the Corporation to retain key personnel. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation met the fully-phased in minimum 
capital requirements, including the new capital conservation buffer, as prescribed in the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules.

In October 2017, the federal banking agencies issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on simplifications to Basel III, a majority 
of which would apply solely to banking organizations that are not subject to the advanced approaches capital rules. Under the 
proposed rulemaking, non-advanced approaches banking organizations, such as the Corporation and Fulton Bank, would apply a 
simpler regulatory capital treatment for MSAs, certain DTAs, investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions, 
and capital issued by a consolidated subsidiary of a banking organization and held by third parties. Specifically, the proposed 
rulemaking would eliminate: (i) the 10 percent CET1 capital deduction threshold that applies individually to MSAs, temporary 
difference DTAs, and significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions in the form of common stock; 
(ii) the aggregate 15 percent CET1 capital deduction threshold that subsequently applies on a collective basis across such items; 
(iii) the 10 percent CET1 capital deduction threshold for non-significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial 
institutions; and (iv) the deduction treatment for significant investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions not 
in the form of common stock. Basel III would no longer have distinct treatments for significant and non-significant investments 
in  the  capital  of  unconsolidated  financial  institutions,  but  instead  would  require  that  non-advanced  approaches  banking 
organizations deduct from CET1 capital any amount of MSAs, temporary difference DTAs, and investments in the capital of 
unconsolidated financial institutions that individually exceeds 25 percent of CET1 capital. The proposed rulemaking also includes 
revisions to the treatment of certain acquisition, development, or construction exposures that are designed to address comments 
regarding the current definition of high volatility commercial real estate exposure under the capital rule’s standardized approach. 

In December 2017, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision published the last version of the Basel III accord, generally 
referred to as "Basel IV."  The Basel Committee stated that a key objective of the revisions incorporated into the framework is to 
reduce excessive variability of risk-weighted assets, which will be accomplished by enhancing the robustness and risk sensitivity 
of the standardized approaches for credit risk and operational risk, which will facilitate the comparability of banks’ capital ratios; 
constraining the use of internally-modeled approaches; and complementing the risk-weighted capital ratio with a finalized leverage 
ratio and a revised and robust capital floor.  Leadership of the Federal Reserve Board, OCC, and FDIC, who are tasked with 
implementing Basel IV, supported the revisions. Although it is uncertain at this time, we anticipate some, if not all, of the Basel 
IV accord may be incorporated into the capital requirements framework applicable to the Corporation and Fulton Bank.

The Basel III liquidity framework also includes new liquidity requirements that require financial institutions to maintain increased 
levels of liquid assets or alter their strategies for liquidity management. The Basel III liquidity framework requires banks and bank 
holding companies to measure their liquidity against specific ratios. In September 2014, the Federal Reserve Board approved final 
rules  (the  "U.S.  Liquidity  Coverage  Ratio  Rule")  implementing  portions  of  the  Basel  III  liquidity  framework  for  large, 
internationally active banking organizations, generally those having $250 billion or more in total assets, and similar, but less 
stringent, rules, applicable to bank holding companies with consolidated assets of $50 billion or more. The U.S. Liquidity Coverage 
Ratio Rule requires banking organizations to maintain a Liquidity Coverage Ratio ("LCR") that is designed to ensure that sufficient 
11

high quality liquid resources are available for a one month period in case of a stress scenario. Impacted financial institutions were 
required to be compliant with the U.S. Liquidity Coverage Ratio Rule by January 1, 2017. The Corporation’s total assets and the 
scope of its operations do not currently meet the thresholds set forth in the U.S. Liquidity Coverage Ratio Rule, and, as a result 
of which the Corporation is not currently required to maintain a minimum LCR.

The Basel III liquidity framework also introduced a second ratio, referred to as the Net Stable Funding Ratio ("NSFR"), which is 
designed to promote funding resiliency over longer-term time horizons by creating additional incentives for banks to fund their 
activities with more stable sources of funding on an ongoing structural basis. The federal banking agencies published a notice of 
proposed rulemaking regarding the NSFR in May 2016. In June 2017, the U.S. Treasury Department ("UST") recommended a 
delay in the implementation of the proposed NSFR out of concern that the rule could be duplicative of the liquidity requirements 
discussed above and could therefore impose unnecessary compliance costs upon banking organizations.  Accordingly, the prospects 
for final implementation of the federal banking agencies’ proposed NSFR are uncertain at this time. Because of the Corporation's 
size, neither the U.S. Liquidity Coverage Ratio Rule nor any additional proposed rules under the Basel III liquidity framework 
are applicable to it.

Prompt Corrective Regulatory Action - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act ("FDICIA") established a 
system of prompt corrective action to resolve the problems of undercapitalized institutions. Under this system, the federal bank 
regulators are required to take certain, and authorized to take other, supervisory actions against undercapitalized institutions, based 
upon five categories of capitalization which FDICIA created: "well capitalized," "adequately capitalized," "undercapitalized," 
"significantly undercapitalized," and "critically undercapitalized," the severity of which depends upon the institution’s degree of 
capitalization. Generally, a capital restoration plan must be filed with the institution’s primary federal regulator within 45 days of 
the date an institution receives notice that it is "undercapitalized," "significantly undercapitalized" or "critically undercapitalized," 
and the plan must be guaranteed by any parent holding company. In addition, various mandatory supervisory actions become 
immediately applicable to the institution, including restrictions on growth of assets and other forms of expansion. An insured 
depository institution is treated as well capitalized if its total risk-based capital ratio is 10.00% or greater, its Tier 1 risk-based 
capital ratio is 8.00% or greater, its CET1 risk-based capital ratio is 6.50% or greater and its Tier 1 leverage capital ratio is 5.00% 
or greater, and it is not subject to any order or directive to meet a specific capital level. As of December 31, 2017, each of the 
Corporation’s bank subsidiaries’ capital ratios was above the minimum levels required to be considered "well capitalized" by its 
primary federal regulator.

Loans  and  Dividends  from  Subsidiary  Banks  -  There  are  various  restrictions  on  the  extent  to  which  the  Corporation's  bank 
subsidiaries can make loans or extensions of credit to, or enter into certain transactions with, its affiliates, which would include 
the Corporation and its non-banking subsidiaries. In general, these restrictions require that such loans be secured by designated 
amounts of specified collateral, are limited, as to any one of the Corporation or its non-bank subsidiaries, to 10% of the lending 
bank’s regulatory capital (20% in the aggregate to all such entities) and satisfy certain qualitative limitations, including that any 
covered extension of credit be made on an arm’s length basis. The Dodd-Frank Act expanded these restrictions to cover securities 
lending, repurchase agreement and derivatives activities that the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries may have with an affiliate.

For safety and soundness reasons, banking regulations also limit the amount of cash that can be transferred from subsidiary banks 
to the parent company in the form of dividends. Dividend limitations vary, depending on the subsidiary bank’s charter and whether 
or not it is a member of the Federal Reserve System. Generally, subsidiaries are prohibited from paying dividends when doing so 
would cause them to fall below the regulatory minimum capital levels. Additionally, limits may exist on paying dividends in excess 
of net income for specified periods. See "Note 11 - Regulatory Matters," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in 
Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional information regarding regulatory capital and dividend and 
loan limitations. 

Federal Deposit Insurance - Substantially all of the deposits of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks are insured up to the applicable 
limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund ("DIF") of the FDIC, generally up to $250,000 per insured depositor. The Corporation’s 
subsidiary banks pay deposit insurance premiums based on assessment rates established by the FDIC. The FDIC has established 
a risk-based assessment system under which institutions are classified and pay premiums according to their perceived risk to the 
DIF. An institution’s base assessment rate is generally subject to following adjustments: (1) a decrease for the institution’s long-
term unsecured debt, including most senior and subordinated debt, (2) an increase for brokered deposits above a threshold amount 
and (3) an increase for unsecured debt held that is issued by another insured depository institution. In addition, the FDIC possesses 
backup enforcement authority over a depository institution holding company, such as the Corporation, if the conduct or threatened 
conduct of such holding company poses a risk to the DIF, although such authority may not be used if the holding company is 
generally in sound condition and does not pose a foreseeable and material risk to the DIF. 

On April 1, 2011, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act, the deposit insurance assessment base changed from total domestic deposits 
to average total assets, minus average tangible equity. In addition, the FDIC also created a two scorecard system, one for large 
12

depository institutions that have $10 billion or more in assets and another for highly complex institutions that have $50 billion or 
more in assets. As of July 1, 2017, the Corporation’s largest subsidiary bank, Fulton Bank, became subject to a modified methodology 
for calculating FDIC insurance assessments and potentially higher assessment rates as a result of institutions with $10 billion or 
more in assets being required to bear the cost of raising the FDIC reserve ratio to 1.35% as required by the Dodd-Frank Act. 

The FDIC annually establishes for the DIF a designated reserve ratio, or DRR, of estimated insured deposits. The FDIC has 
announced that the DRR for 2018 will remain at 2.00%, which is the same ratio that has been in effect since January 1, 2011. The 
FDIC is authorized to change deposit insurance assessment rates as necessary to maintain the DRR, without further notice-and-
comment rulemaking, provided that: (1) no such adjustment can be greater than three basis points from one quarter to the next, 
(2) adjustments cannot result in rates more than three basis points above or below the base rates and (3) rates cannot be negative.

The Dodd-Frank Act increased the minimum DIF reserve ratio to 1.35% of insured deposits, which must be reached by September 
30, 2020, and provides that, in setting the assessment rates necessary to meet the new requirement, the FDIC shall offset the effect 
of this provision on insured depository institutions with total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion, so that more of the cost 
of raising the reserve ratio will be borne by the institutions with more than $10 billion in assets. In October 2010, the FDIC adopted 
a restoration plan to ensure that the DIF reserve ratio reaches 1.35% by September 30, 2020. 

On October 22, 2015, the FDIC issued a proposal to increase the reserve ratio for the DIF to the minimum level of 1.35% as 
required by the Reform Act. The FDIC adopted the final rule, which became effective on July 1, 2016, that imposes on insured 
depository institutions with $10 billion or more in total consolidated assets (such as Fulton Bank) a quarterly surcharge equal to 
an annual rate of 4.5 basis points applied to the deposit insurance assessment base, after making certain adjustments. In addition, 
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "Tax Act"), which was signed into law on December 22, 2017, disallows the deduction of 
FDIC deposit insurance premium payments for banking organizations with total consolidated assets of $50 billion or more.  For 
banks with less than $50 billion in total consolidated assets, such as Fulton Bank, the premium deduction is phased out based on 
the proportion of the bank’s assets exceeding $10 billion. See discussion under Item 1.A. "Risk Factors - The financial services 
industry, as well as the broader economy, may be subject to new legislation which could result in significant changes in banking 
and financial services regulation."

AML Requirements and the USA Patriot Act - Anti-terrorism legislation enacted under the USA Patriot Act of 2001 ("Patriot Act") 
amended the BSA and expanded the scope of AML laws and regulations, imposing significant new compliance obligations for 
financial institutions, including the Corporation’s subsidiary banks. The Patriot Act gives the federal government powers to address 
terrorist threats through enhanced domestic security measures, expanded surveillance powers, increased information sharing and 
broadened AML requirements. By way of amendments to the BSA, Title III of the Patriot Act takes measures intended to encourage 
information sharing among bank regulatory agencies and law enforcement bodies. Further, these regulations impose affirmative 
obligations on a wide range of financial institutions to maintain appropriate policies, procedures and controls to detect, prevent 
and report money laundering and terrorist financing.

Among other requirements, the Patriot Act and the related regulations impose the following requirements with respect to financial 
institutions:

•  Establishment of AML programs;
•  Establishment of a program specifying procedures for obtaining identifying information from customers seeking to open 

new accounts, including verifying the identity of customers within a reasonable period of time;

•  Establishment of enhanced due diligence policies, procedures and controls designed to detect and report money 

laundering; and

•  Prohibition on correspondent accounts for foreign shell banks and compliance with recordkeeping obligations with respect 

to correspondent accounts of foreign banks.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Patriot Act and other AML laws and regulations could have serious legal, financial, 
regulatory  and  reputational  consequences.  In  addition,  bank  regulators  will  consider  a  holding  company’s  effectiveness  in 
combating money laundering when ruling on BHCA and Bank Merger Act applications. In May 2016, the regulations implementing 
the BSA were amended to explicitly include risk-based procedures for conducting ongoing customer due diligence, to include 
understanding the nature and purpose of customer relationships for the purpose of developing a customer risk profile. In addition, 
banks must identify and verify the identity of the beneficial owners of all legal entity customers (other than those that are excluded) 
at the time a new account is opened (other than accounts that are exempted). The Corporation and its banking subsidiaries must 
comply with these amendments and new requirements by May 11, 2018. The Corporation has adopted policies, procedures and 
controls to address compliance with the Patriot Act and will continue to revise and update its policies, procedures and controls to 
reflect required changes (including the May 2016 amendments).

13

The Corporation and three of its banking subsidiaries are currently subject to regulatory enforcement orders (the "Consent Orders") 
issued by bank regulatory agencies relating to identified deficiencies in a largely centralized compliance program (the "BSA/AML 
Compliance Program") designed to comply with the BSA, the Patriot Act and related anti-money laundering regulations (the 
"BSA/AML Requirements"). The Consent Orders require, among other things, that the Corporation and its banking subsidiaries 
review,  assess  and  take  actions  to  strengthen  and  enhance  the  BSA/AML  Compliance  Program,  and,  in  some  cases,  conduct 
retrospective reviews of past account activity and transactions, as well as certain reports filed in accordance with the BSA/AML 
Requirements, to determine whether suspicious activity and certain transactions in currency were properly identified and reported 
in accordance with the BSA/AML Requirements. See Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Legal, Compliance and Reputational Risks - "The 
Corporation and three of its bank subsidiaries are subject to regulatory enforcement orders requiring improvement in compliance 
functions and remedial actions;" and Note-17 Commitments and Contingencies - Legal Proceedings," in the Notes to Consolidated 
Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Commercial Real Estate Guidance - In December 2015, the federal banking agencies released a statement entitled "Statement on 
Prudent Risk Management for Commercial Real Estate Lending" (the "CRE Statement"). In the CRE Statement, the agencies 
express concerns with institutions which ease commercial real estate underwriting standards, direct financial institutions to maintain 
underwriting discipline and exercise risk management practices to identify, measure and monitor lending risks, and indicate that 
they will continue to pay special attention to commercial real estate lending activities and concentrations going forward. The 
agencies previously issued guidance in December 2006, entitled "Interagency Guidance on Concentrations in Commercial Real 
Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices," which states that an institution is potentially exposed to significant commercial 
real estate concentration risk, and should employ enhanced risk management practices, where (1) total commercial real estate 
loans represents 300% or more of its total capital and (2) the outstanding balance of such institution's commercial real estate loan 
portfolio has increased by 50% or more during the prior 36 months.

Community Reinvestment - Under the Community Reinvestment Act ("CRA"), each of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks has a 
continuing and affirmative obligation, consistent with its safe and sound operation, to ascertain and meet the credit needs of its 
entire community, including low and moderate income areas. The CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs 
for financial institutions, nor does it limit an institution's discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes 
are best suited to its particular community. The CRA requires an institution’s primary federal regulator, in connection with its 
examination of the institution, to assess the institution's record of meeting the credit needs of its community and to take such record 
into account in its evaluation of certain applications by such institution. The assessment focuses on three tests: (1) a lending test, 
to evaluate the institution’s record of making loans, including community development loans, in its designated assessment areas; 
(2) an investment test, to evaluate the institution’s record of investing in community development projects, affordable housing, 
and programs benefiting low- or moderate-income individuals and areas and small businesses; and (3) a service test, to evaluate 
the institution’s delivery of banking services throughout its CRA assessment area, including low- and moderate-income areas. The 
CRA also requires all institutions to make public disclosure of their CRA ratings. As of December 31, 2017, all of the Corporation’s 
subsidiary banks are rated at least as "satisfactory." Regulations require that the Corporation’s subsidiary banks publicly disclose 
certain agreements that are in fulfillment of CRA. None of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks are party to any such agreements 
at this time.

Standards for Safety and Soundness - Pursuant to the requirements of FDICIA, as amended by the Riegle Community Development 
and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 ("Riegle-Neal Act"), the federal bank regulatory agencies adopted guidelines establishing 
general standards relating to internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, 
interest rate risk exposure, asset growth, asset quality, earnings, compensation, fees and benefits. In general, the guidelines require, 
among other things, appropriate systems and practices to identify and manage the risks and exposures specified in the guidelines. 
An institution must submit a compliance plan to its regulator if it is notified that it is not satisfying any such safety and soundness 
standards. If the institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan or fails in any material respect to implement an accepted 
compliance plan, the regulator must issue an order directing corrective actions and may issue an order directing other actions of 
the types to which a significantly undercapitalized institution is subject under the "prompt corrective action" provisions of FDICIA. 
If the institution fails to comply with such an order, the regulator may seek to enforce such order in judicial proceedings and to 
impose civil money penalties.

The guidelines prohibit excessive compensation as an unsafe and unsound practice and describe compensation as excessive when 
the amounts paid are unreasonable or disproportionate to the services performed by an executive officer, employee, director or 
principal shareholder. In July 2010, the federal banking agencies issued Guidance on Sound Incentive Compensation Policies 
("Guidance") that applies to all banking organizations supervised by the agencies (thereby including both the Corporation and its 
banking subsidiaries). Pursuant to the Guidance, to be consistent with safety and soundness principles, a banking organization’s 
incentive compensation arrangements should: (1) provide employees with incentives that appropriately balance risk and reward; 
(2) be compatible with effective controls and risk management; and (3) be supported by strong corporate governance, including 
active and effective oversight by the banking organization’s board of directors. Monitoring methods and processes used by a 
14

banking  organization  should  be  commensurate  with  the  size  and  complexity  of  the  organization  and  its  use  of  incentive 
compensation. 

Section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Act requires the federal banking agencies and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines 
prohibiting  incentive-based  payment  arrangements  at  specified  regulated  entities  that  encourage  inappropriate  risk-taking  by 
providing an executive officer, employee, director or principal shareholder with excessive compensation, fees, or benefits or that 
could lead to material financial loss to the entity. The federal banking agencies issued such proposed rules in April 2011 and issued 
a revised proposed rule in June 2016, implementing the requirements and prohibitions set forth in Section 956. The revised proposed 
rule would apply to all banks, among other institutions, with at least $1 billion in average total consolidated assets, for which it 
would go beyond the existing Guidance to (i) prohibit certain types and features of incentive-based compensation arrangements 
for senior executive officers, (ii) require incentive-based compensation arrangements to adhere to certain basic principles to avoid 
a presumption of encouraging inappropriate risk, (iii) require appropriate board or committee oversight, (iv) establish minimum 
record keeping and (v) mandate disclosures to the appropriate federal banking agency. 

Privacy Protection and Cybersecurity - The Corporation’s bank subsidiaries are subject to regulations implementing the privacy 
protection provisions of the GLB Act. These regulations require each of the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries to disclose its privacy 
policy, including identifying with whom it shares "nonpublic personal information," to customers at the time of establishing the 
customer relationship and annually thereafter. The regulations also require each bank to provide its customers with initial and 
annual notices that accurately reflect its privacy policies and practices. In addition, to the extent its sharing of such information 
is not covered by an exception, each bank is required to provide its customers with the ability to "opt-out" of having the bank 
share their nonpublic personal information with unaffiliated third parties.

The  Corporation’s  bank  subsidiaries  are  subject  to  regulatory  guidelines  establishing  standards  for  safeguarding  customer 
information. These regulations implement certain provisions of the GLB Act. The 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. 
These  guidelines,  along  with  related  regulatory  materials,  increasingly  focus  on  risk  management  and  processes  related  to 
information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial services. In October 2016, the federal banking 
agencies issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on enhanced cybersecurity risk-management and resilience standards 
that would apply to large and interconnected banking organizations and to services provided by third parties to these firms. These 
enhanced standards would apply only to depository institutions and depository institution holding companies with total consolidated 
assets of $50 billion or more. The federal banking agencies have not yet taken further action on these proposed standards.

Federal Reserve System - Federal Reserve Board regulations require depository institutions to maintain cash reserves against their 
transaction  accounts  (primarily  NOW  and  demand  deposit  accounts). A  reserve  of  3%  must  be  maintained  against  aggregate 
transaction account balances of between $16 million and $122.3 million (subject to adjustment by the Federal Reserve Board) 
plus a reserve of 10% (subject to adjustment by the Federal Reserve Board within a range of between 8% and 14%) against that 
portion of total transaction account balances in excess of $122.3 million. The first $16 million of otherwise reservable balances 
(subject to adjustment by the Federal Reserve Board) is exempt from the reserve requirements. Each of the Corporation’s bank 
subsidiaries is in compliance with the foregoing requirements.

Required reserves must be maintained in the form of either vault cash, an account at a Federal Reserve Bank or a pass-through 
account as defined by the Federal Reserve Board. Pursuant to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the Federal 
Reserve Banks pay interest on depository institutions’ required and excess reserve balances. The interest rate paid on required 
reserve balances is currently the average target federal funds rate over the reserve maintenance period. The rate on excess balances 
will be set equal to the lowest target federal funds rate in effect during the reserve maintenance period.

Activities and Acquisitions - The BHC Act requires a bank holding company to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve 
Board before:

• 

• 

• 

the company may acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of any voting shares of any bank or savings and 
loan association, if after such acquisition the bank holding company will directly or indirectly own or control 
more than five percent of any class of voting securities of the institution;
any of the company’s subsidiaries, other than a bank, may acquire all or substantially all of the assets of any bank 
or savings and loan association; or
the company may merge or consolidate with any other bank or financial holding company.

15

The Riegle-Neal Act generally permits bank holding companies to acquire banks in any state, and preempts all state laws restricting 
the ownership by a holding company of banks in more than one state. The Riegle-Neal Act also permits a bank to merge with an 
out-of-state bank and convert any offices into branches of the resulting bank, acquire branches from an out-of-state bank, and 
establish and operate de novo interstate branches whenever the host state permits de novo branching of its own state-chartered 
banks.

Bank or financial holding companies and banks seeking to engage in mergers authorized by the Reigle-Neal Act must be at least 
adequately capitalized as of the date that the application is filed, and the resulting institution must be well-capitalized and managed 
upon consummation of the transaction.

The Change in Bank Control Act prohibits a person, entity or group of persons or entities acting in concert, from acquiring "control" 
of a bank holding company or bank unless the Federal Reserve Board has been given prior notice and has not objected to the 
transaction. Under Federal Reserve Board regulations, the acquisition of 10% or more (but less than 25%) of the voting stock of 
a corporation would, under the circumstances set forth in the regulations, create a rebuttable presumption of acquisition of control 
of the corporation.

Federal Securities Laws - The Corporation is subject to the periodic reporting, proxy solicitation, tender offer, insider trading, 
corporate governance and other requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Among other things, the federal securities 
laws require management to issue a report on the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting. In addition, the 
Corporation’s independent registered public accountants are required to issue an opinion on the effectiveness of the Corporation’s 
internal control over financial reporting. These reports can be found in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary 
Data." Certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 
and the resulting SEC rules can be found in the "Signatures" and "Exhibits" sections. 

16

Executive Officers 

The executive officers of the Corporation are as follows:

Name

E. Philip Wenger

Age (1)

60

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

65

Mark R. McCollom

53

Curtis J. Myers

49

David M. Campbell

56

Beth Ann L. Chivinski

57

Meg R. Mueller

Craig A. Roda

53

61

Office Held and Term of Office

Director of the Corporation since 2009. Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer 
of the Corporation since January 2013. Mr. Wenger previously served as President of the 
Corporation from 2008 to 2017, Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation from 2008 to 
2012, a Director of Fulton Bank, N.A. from 2003 to 2009, Chairman of Fulton Bank, N.A. 
from 2006 to 2009 and has been employed by the Corporation in a number of positions since 
1979.

Senior  Executive Vice  President  and  interim  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  the  Corporation 
effective  December  6,  2016. He  joined  the  Corporation  in  November  2012  as  Senior 
Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer and became Senior Executive Vice President 
and Chief Operating Officer effective June 1, 2016. Mr. Rohrbaugh was a managing partner 
of KPMG, LLP's Chicago office from 2009 to 2012; Vice Chairman Industries and part of 
the U.S. Management Committee of KPMG from 2006 to 2009; he joined KPMG in 2002. 
He  has  more  than  35  years  of  experience  in  public  accounting  with  substantial  audit 
experience  serving  public  and  private  companies,  including  financial  institutions,  and 
advising companies on accounting, financial reporting matters, equity and debt offerings, 
and merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Rohrbaugh currently serves as a director of a 
public manufacturing company and a national department store chain.

Senior Executive Vice President of the Corporation, and Chief Financial Officer Designee 
since November 2017. Mr. McCollom was a Senior Managing Director, Chief Administrative 
Officer and CEO of Griffin Financial Group, LLC prior to joining the Corporation. Prior to 
his  role  at  Griffin  Financial  Group,  Mr.  McCollom  was  the  Chief  Financial  Officer  of 
Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry.

President and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation since January 1, 2018. Mr. Myers 
served as Senior Executive Vice President of the Corporation from July 2013 to December 
2017. President and Chief Operating Officer of Fulton Bank, N.A. since February 2009. He 
served as Executive Vice President of the Corporation since August 2011. Mr. Myers has 
been employed by Fulton Bank, N.A. in a number of positions since 1990.

Senior Executive Vice President, and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Operations since 
December 2014. Mr. Campbell joined the Corporation as Chief Administrative Officer of 
Fulton Financial Advisors, a division of Fulton Bank, N.A. in 2009, and was promoted to 
President of Fulton Financial Advisors in 2010. He has more than 30 years of experience in 
financial services.

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of the Corporation effective June 
1, 2016. She served as the Corporation’s Chief Audit Executive April 2013 - June 2016 and 
was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President of the Corporation in 2014. Prior to that, 
she served as the Corporation’s Executive Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting 
Officer from June 2004 to March 31, 2013. Ms. Chivinski has worked in various positions 
with the Corporation since June of 1994. She is a Certified Public Accountant.

Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Business since January 1, 2018.  
Ms. Mueller served as Chief Credit Officer of the Corporation from 2010 - 2017 and was 
promoted to Senior Executive Vice President of the Corporation in 2013. Ms. Mueller has 
been employed by the Corporation in a number of positions since 1996.

Senior Executive Vice President of Community Banking of the Corporation since July 2011; 
and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fulton Bank, N.A., since February 2009. Chief 
Executive Officer and President of Fulton Bank, N.A. from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Roda has 
been employed by the Corporation in a number of positions since 1979.

Angela M. Sargent

50

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of the Corporation since July 
2013. Ms. Sargent served as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer from 
2002 - 2013 and has been employed by the Corporation in a number of positions since 1992.

17

Name

Angela M. Snyder

Age (1)

53

Daniel R. Stolzer

61

Bernadette M. Taylor

56

(1) As of December 31, 2017

Office Held and Term of Office

Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking since January 1, 2018. 
Ms. Snyder also serves as Chairwoman, CEO and President of Fulton Bank of New Jersey. 
In 2002, Angela Snyder began her career with the Corporation as President of Woodstown 
National Bank, now Fulton Bank of New Jersey. Ms. Snyder served as the Chairwoman of 
the New Jersey Bankers Association in 2017. She has more than 30 years of experience in 
the financial services industry. 

Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary since
January 1, 2018. Mr. Stolzer joined the Corporation in 2013 as Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Stolzer began his career with a large New
York law firm and then served as deputy general counsel and chief counsel at several
large regional bank holding companies. He has more than 30 years of experience working
in financial services law.

Senior Executive Vice President, and Chief Human Resource Officer since May 2015. In 
2001,  she  was  promoted  to  Senior  Vice  President  of  employee  services.  She  served  as 
Executive  Vice  President  of  employee  services,  employment,  and  director  of  human 
resources  before  her  promotion  in  2015  to  Chief  Human  Resources  Officer.  Ms. Taylor 
joined  the  Corporation  in  1994  as  Corporate  Training  Director  at  Fulton  Financial 
Corporation. 

18

Item 1A. Risk Factors 

An investment in the Corporation's securities involves certain risks, including, among others, the risks described below. In addition 
to the other information contained in this report, you should carefully consider the following risk factors. 

ECONOMIC AND CREDIT RISKS.

Difficult conditions in the economy and the capital markets may materially adversely affect the Corporation's business and 
results of operations.

The Corporation's results of operations and financial condition are affected by conditions in the economy and the capital markets 
generally. The Corporation's financial performance is highly dependent upon the business environment in the markets where the 
Corporation operates and in the U.S. as a whole. Unfavorable or uncertain economic and market conditions can be caused by 
declines in economic growth, business activity or investor or business confidence, limitations on the availability, or increases in 
the cost, of credit and capital, changes in the rate of inflation, changes in interest rates, high unemployment, natural disasters, acts 
of war or terrorism, global economic conditions and geopolitical factors, or a combination of these or other factors.

Specifically, the business environment impacts the ability of borrowers to pay interest on, and repay principal of, outstanding loans 
and the value of collateral securing those loans, as well as demand for loans and other products and services the Corporation offers. 
If the quality of the Corporation’s loan portfolio declines, the Corporation may have to increase its provision for credit losses, 
which would negatively impact its results of operations, and could result in charge-offs of a higher percentage of its loans. Unlike 
large, national institutions, the Corporation is not able to spread the risks of unfavorable local economic conditions across a large 
number of diversified economies and geographic locations. If the communities in which the Corporation operates do not grow, or 
if prevailing economic conditions locally or nationally are unfavorable, its business could be adversely affected. In addition, 
increased market competition in a lower demand environment could adversely affect the profit potential of the Corporation.

The Corporation is subject to certain risks in connection with the establishment and level of its allowance for credit losses.

The allowance for credit losses consists of the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments. While 
the Corporation believes that its allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2017 is sufficient to cover incurred losses in the 
loan  portfolio  on  that  date,  the  Corporation  may  need  to  increase  its  provision  for  credit  losses  due  to  changes  in  the  risk 
characteristics of the loan portfolio, thereby negatively impacting its results of operations.

The allowance for loan losses represents management’s estimate of losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet 
date and is recorded as a reduction to loans. Management’s estimate of losses inherent in the loan portfolio is dependent on the 
proper  application  of  its  methodology  for  determining  its  allowance  needs.  The  most  critical  judgments  underpinning  that 
methodology  include:  the  ability  to  identify  potential  problem  loans  in  a  timely  manner;  proper  collateral  valuation  of  loans 
evaluated for impairment; proper measurement of allowance needs for pools of loans evaluated for impairment; and an overall 
assessment of the risk profile of the loan portfolio.

The Corporation determines the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses based on many quantitative and qualitative 
factors, including, but not limited to: the size and composition of the loan portfolio; changes in risk ratings; changes in collateral 
values; delinquency levels; historical losses; and economic conditions. In addition, as the Corporation’s loan portfolio grows, it 
will  generally  be  necessary  to  increase  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  through  additional  provisions,  which  will  impact  the 
Corporation’s operating results.

If the Corporation’s assumptions and judgments regarding such matters prove to be inaccurate, its allowance for credit losses 
might not be sufficient, and additional provisions for credit losses might need to be made. Depending on the amount of such 
provisions for credit losses, the adverse impact on the Corporation’s earnings could be material.

Furthermore, banking regulators may require the Corporation to make additional provisions for credit losses or otherwise recognize 
further  loan  charge-offs  or  impairments  following  their  periodic  reviews  of  the  Corporation’s  loan  portfolio,  underwriting 
procedures and allowance for credit losses. Any increase in the Corporation’s allowance for credit losses or loan charge-offs as 
required by such regulatory agencies could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s financial condition and results of 
operations.  See  Item  7.  "Management’s  Discussion  and Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations-Financial 
Condition-Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses."

19

The composition of the Corporation’s loan portfolio and competition subject the Corporation to credit risk.

Approximately 74.0% of the Corporation’s loan portfolio was in commercial loans, commercial mortgage loans, and construction 
loans at December 31, 2017. Commercial loans, commercial mortgage loans and construction loans generally involve a greater 
degree of credit risk than residential mortgage loans and consumer loans because they typically have larger balances and are likely 
to be more sensitive to broader economic factors and conditions. Because payments on these loans often depend on the successful 
operation and management of businesses and properties, repayment of such loans may be affected by factors outside the borrower’s 
control, such as adverse conditions in the real estate markets, adverse economic conditions or changes in government regulation. 
In recent years, commercial real estate markets have been experiencing substantial growth, and increased competitive pressures 
have contributed significantly to historically low capitalization rates and rising property values. Commercial real estate prices, 
according to many U.S. commercial real estate indices, are currently above the 2007 peak levels that contributed to the financial 
crisis. Accordingly, the federal bank regulatory agencies have expressed concerns about weaknesses in the current commercial 
real estate market and the extent to which prevailing underwriting standards have been eased by lenders. The Corporation’s failure 
to adequately implement enhanced risk management policies, procedures and controls could adversely affect its ability to increase 
this portfolio going forward and could result in an increased rate of delinquencies in, and increased losses from, this portfolio.

Furthermore, intense competition among both bank and non-bank lenders, coupled with moderate levels of recent economic growth, 
can increase pressure on the Corporation to relax its credit standards and/or underwriting criteria in order to achieve the Corporation’s 
loan growth targets. A relaxation of credit standards or underwriting criteria could result in greater challenges in the repayment 
or collection of loans should economic conditions, or individual borrower performance, deteriorate to a degree that could impact 
loan performance. Additionally, competitive pressures could drive the Corporation to consider loans and customer relationships 
that are outside of the Corporation’s established risk appetite or target customer base. See Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and 
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Financial Condition-Loans."

MARKET RISKS.

The Corporation is subject to interest rate risk.

The Corporation cannot predict or control changes in interest rates. The Corporation is affected by fiscal and monetary policies 
of the federal government, including those of the Federal Reserve Board, which regulates the national money supply and engages 
in other lending and investment activities in order to manage recessionary and inflationary pressures, many of which affect interest 
rates charged on loans and paid on deposits.

Net  interest  income  is  the  difference  between  interest  earned  on  interest-earning  assets  and  interest  paid  on  interest-bearing 
liabilities. Net interest income is the most significant component of the Corporation's net income, accounting for approximately 
74% of total revenues in 2017. In recent years, the narrowing of interest rate spreads, the difference between interest rates earned 
on loans and investments and interest rates paid on deposits and borrowings, has adversely affected the Corporation's net interest 
income.

Comparatively low market interest rates have pressured the net interest margin in recent years. Interest-earning assets, such as 
loans and investments, have been originated, acquired or repriced at lower rates, reducing the average rate earned on those assets. 
While the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings, has also declined, the decline has not 
always occurred at the same pace as the decline in the average rate earned on interest-earning assets, resulting in a narrowing of 
the net interest margin. See Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-
Net Interest Income."

Changes in interest rates may also affect the average life of loans and certain investment securities, most notably mortgage-backed 
securities. Decreases in interest rates can result in increased prepayments of loans and certain investment securities, as borrowers 
or issuers refinance to reduce their borrowing costs. Under those circumstances, the Corporation would be subject to reinvestment 
risk to the extent that it is not able to reinvest the cash received from such prepayments at rates that are comparable to the rates 
on the loans and investment securities which are prepaid. Conversely, increases in interest rates may extend the average life of 
fixed rate assets, which could restrict the Corporation’s ability to reinvest in higher yielding alternatives, and may result in customers 
withdrawing certificates of deposit early so long as the early withdrawal penalty is less than the interest they could receive as a 
result of the higher interest rates. The Federal Open Market Committee ("FOMC") of the Federal Reserve Board increased the 
federal funds rate three times during 2017, and recent statements from the FOMC have caused research analysts and economists 
to expect additional increases in 2018. In addition, the bond markets have experienced rate increases for medium- and longer-
term instruments.

20

Changes in interest rates also affect the fair value of interest-earning investment securities. Generally, the value of interest-earning 
investment securities moves inversely with changes in interest rates. In the event that the fair value of an investment security 
declines below its amortized cost, the Corporation is required to determine whether the decline constitutes an other-than-temporary 
impairment.  The determination of whether a decline in fair value is other-than-temporary depends on a number of factors, including 
whether the Corporation has the intent and ability to retain the investment security for a period of time sufficient to allow for any 
anticipated recovery in fair value.

Changes in interest rates can affect demand for the Corporation’s products and services.

Movements in interest rates can cause demand for some of the Corporation’s products and services to be cyclical. As a result, the 
Corporation may need to periodically increase or decrease the size of certain of its businesses, including its personnel, to more 
appropriately match increases and decreases in demand and volume. The need to change the scale of these businesses is challenging, 
and there is often a lag between changes in the businesses and the Corporation’s reaction to these changes. For example, demand 
for residential mortgage loans has historically tended to increase during periods when interest rates were declining and to decrease 
during periods when interest rates were rising.

Price fluctuations in securities markets, as well as other market events, such as a disruption in credit and other markets and 
the abnormal functioning of markets for securities, could have an impact on the Corporation's results of operations.

The market value of the Corporation's securities investments, which include mortgage-backed securities, state and municipal 
securities, auction rate securities, and corporate debt securities, as well as the revenues the Corporation earns from its trust and 
investment management services business, are particularly sensitive to price fluctuations and market events. Declines in the values 
of the Corporation’s securities holdings, combined with adverse changes in the expected cash flows from these investments, could 
result in other-than-temporary impairment charges.

The Corporation's investment management and trust services revenue, which is partially based on the value of the underlying 
investment portfolios, can also be impacted by fluctuations in the securities markets. If the values of those investment portfolios 
decrease, whether due to factors influencing U.S. or international securities markets, in general, or otherwise, the Corporation's 
revenue could be negatively impacted. In addition, the Corporation's ability to sell its brokerage services is dependent, in part, 
upon consumers' level of confidence in securities markets. See Item 7A. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market 
Risk."

LIQUIDITY RISK.

Changes in interest rates or disruption in liquidity markets may adversely affect the Corporation’s sources of funding.

The Corporation must maintain sufficient sources of liquidity to meet the demands of its depositors and borrowers, support its 
operations  and  meet  regulatory  expectations. The  Corporation’s  liquidity  management  policies  and  practices  emphasize  core 
deposits and repayments and maturities of loans and investments as its primary sources of liquidity. These primary sources of 
liquidity can be supplemented by Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") advances, borrowings from the Federal Reserve Bank, 
proceeds from the sales of loans and use of liquidity resources of the holding company, including capital markets funding. Lower-
cost, core deposits may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates, and secondary sources of liquidity can be more costly 
to the Corporation than funding provided by deposit account balances having similar maturities. In addition, adverse changes in 
the Corporation’s results of operations or financial condition, downgrades in the Corporation’s credit ratings, regulatory actions 
involving the Corporation, or changes in regulatory, industry or market conditions could lead to increases in the cost of these 
secondary sources of liquidity, the inability to refinance or replace these secondary funding sources as they mature, or the withdrawal 
of unused borrowing capacity under these secondary funding sources.

While the Corporation attempts to manage its liquidity through various techniques, the assumptions and estimates used do not 
always accurately forecast the impact of changes in customer behavior. For example, the Corporation may face limitations on its 
ability to fund loan growth if customers move funds out of the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries’ deposit accounts in response to 
increases in interest rates. In the years following the 2008 financial crisis, even as the general level of market interest rates remained 
low by historical standards, depositors frequently avoided higher-yielding and higher-risk alternative investments, in favor of the 
safety and liquidity of non-maturing deposit accounts. These circumstances contributed to significant growth in non-maturing 
deposit account balances at the Corporation, and at depository financial institutions generally. Further, deposits from state and 
municipal  entities,  primarily  in  non-maturing,  interest-bearing  accounts,  are  a  significant  source  of  deposit  funding  for  the 
Corporation, representing approximately 13% of total deposits at December 31, 2017. State and municipal customers frequently 
maintain large deposit account balances substantially in excess of the per depositor limit of FDIC insurance. Should interest rates 
continue to rise, customers, including state and municipal entities, may become more sensitive to interest rates when making 
21

deposit decisions and considering alternative opportunities. This increased sensitivity to interest rates could cause customers to 
move funds into higher-yielding deposit accounts or into alternative investments. Movement of customer deposits into higher-
yielding deposit accounts offered by the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries, the need to offer higher interest rates on deposit accounts 
to retain customer deposits or the movement of customer deposits into alternative investments or deposits of other banks or non-
bank providers could increase the Corporation’s funding costs, reduce its net interest margin and/or create liquidity challenges.

Market conditions have been negatively impacted by disruptions in the liquidity markets in the past, and such disruptions or an 
adverse change in the Corporation's results of operations or financial condition could, in the future, have a negative impact on 
secondary sources of liquidity. If the Corporation is not able to continue to rely primarily on customer deposits to meet its liquidity 
and funding needs, continue to access secondary, non-deposit funding sources on favorable terms or otherwise fails to manage its 
liquidity effectively, the Corporation’s ability to continue to grow may be constrained, and the Corporation’s liquidity, operating 
margins,  results  of  operations  and  financial  condition  may  be  materially  adversely  affected.  See  Item  7A.  "Quantitative  and 
Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk-Interest Rate Risk, Asset/Liability Management and Liquidity."

LEGAL, COMPLIANCE AND REPUTATIONAL RISKS.

The Corporation and its bank subsidiaries are subject to extensive regulation and supervision and may be adversely affected 
by changes in laws and regulations or any failure to comply with laws and regulations.

Virtually every aspect of the Corporation's and its bank subsidiaries’ operations is subject to extensive regulation and supervision 
by federal and state regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board, OCC, FDIC, CFPB, DOJ, UST, SEC, HUD, state 
attorneys general and state banking, financial services, securities and insurance regulators. Under this regulatory framework, 
regulatory agencies have broad authority in carrying out their supervisory, examination and enforcement responsibilities to address 
compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including laws and regulations relating to capital adequacy, asset quality, liquidity, 
risk management and financial accounting and reporting, as well as laws and regulations governing consumer protection, fair 
lending, privacy, information security and cybersecurity risk management, third-party vendor risk management, and AML and 
anti-terrorism laws, among other aspects of the Corporation’s business. Failure to comply with these regulatory requirements, 
including inadvertent or unintentional violations, may result in the assessment of fines and penalties, or the commencement of 
further  informal  or  formal  regulatory  enforcement  actions  against  the  Corporation  or  its  bank  subsidiaries.  Other  negative 
consequences  can  also  result  from  such  failures,  including  regulatory  restrictions  on  the  Corporation's  activities,  including 
restrictions on the Corporation’s ability to grow through acquisition, reputational damage, restrictions on the ability of institutional 
investment managers to invest in the Corporation's securities, and increases in the Corporation's costs of doing business. The 
occurrence of one or more of these events may have a material adverse effect on the Corporation's business, financial condition 
and/or results of operations.

Compliance with banking and financial services statutes and regulations is also important to the Corporation’s ability to engage 
in new activities or to expand upon existing activities. Regulators continue to scrutinize banks through longer and more intensive 
examinations. Federal and state banking agencies possess broad powers to take supervisory actions, as they deem appropriate. 
These supervisory actions may result in higher capital requirements, higher deposit insurance premiums and limitations on the 
Corporation’s operations and expansion activities that could have a material adverse effect on its business and profitability. As 
noted below and as examples of such limitations, the regulatory enforcement orders to which the Corporation and three of its bank 
subsidiaries are subject impose certain restrictions on the expansion activities of the Corporation and those bank subsidiaries.

The  Corporation  intends  to  seek  regulatory  approval  of  the  consolidation  of  our  bank  subsidiaries,  which  could  result  in 
significant implementation costs and impact our long-term compliance obligations.

The Corporation has six bank subsidiaries, and the Corporation and its subsidiaries are subject to regulation by a relatively large 
number of federal and state regulatory agencies. This corporate structure presents challenges, specifically, the need for compliance 
with different, and potentially inconsistent, regulatory requirements and expectations. The time, expense and internal and external 
resources associated with regulatory compliance continue to increase, and balancing the need to address regulatory changes and 
effectively  manage  overall  non-interest  expenses  has  become  more  challenging  than  it  has  been  in  the  past. As  a  result,  the 
Corporation’s compliance obligations increase the Corporation's expense, require increasing amounts of management's attention 
and can be a disadvantage from a competitive standpoint with respect to non-regulated competitors and larger bank competitors 
with more extensive resources.

The Corporation has announced that it is developing plans to seek regulatory approval to begin the process of consolidating its 
six bank subsidiaries. This multi-year consolidation process is expected to eventually result in the Corporation conducting its core 
banking business through a single bank subsidiary, which would reduce the number of government agencies that regulate the 
Corporation’s banking operations. The timing of the commencement of this consolidation process will depend significantly on 
22

the  Corporation  and  its  bank  subsidiaries  making  necessary  progress  in  enhancing  a  largely  centralized  compliance  program 
designed to comply with the requirements of the BSA, the Patriot Act and related anti-money laundering regulations (collectively, 
the "BSA/AML Requirements") and the corresponding requirements of the regulatory enforcement orders described below. There 
is no assurance that the regulatory approvals required for such consolidation can be obtained or that such consolidation would 
significantly reduce the time, expense and internal and external resources associated with regulatory compliance.

The Corporation and three of its bank subsidiaries are subject to regulatory enforcement orders requiring improvement in 
compliance functions and remedial actions.

In recent years, a combination of financial reform legislation and heightened scrutiny by banking regulators have significantly 
increased expectations regarding what constitutes an effective risk and compliance management infrastructure. To keep pace with 
these expectations, the Corporation has invested considerable resources in initiatives designed to strengthen its risk management 
framework and regulatory compliance programs, including those designed to comply with the BSA/AML Requirements.

Nonetheless, as mentioned above, the Corporation and three of its bank subsidiaries are subject to regulatory enforcement orders 
issued during 2014 and 2015 by their respective Federal and state bank regulatory agencies relating to identified deficiencies in 
the Corporation’s centralized BSA and anti-money laundering compliance program (the "BSA/AML Compliance Program"), which 
was designed to comply with the BSA/AML Requirements.

The regulatory enforcement orders, which are in the form of consent orders or orders to cease and desist issued upon consent (the 
"Consent Orders"), generally require, among other things, that the Corporation and the affected bank subsidiaries undertake a 
number  of  required  actions  to  strengthen  and  enhance  the  BSA/AML  Compliance  Program,  and,  in  some  cases,  conduct 
retrospective reviews of past account activity and transactions, as well as certain reports filed in accordance with the BSA/AML 
Requirements, to determine whether suspicious activity and certain transactions in currency were properly identified and reported 
in accordance with the BSA/AML Requirements. 

In addition to requiring strengthening and enhancement of the BSA/AML Compliance Program, while the Consent Orders remain 
in effect, the Corporation is subject to certain restrictions on expansion activities, such as growth through acquisition or branching 
to  supplement  organic  growth  of  the  Corporation  and  the  affected  bank  subsidiaries.  Further,  any  failure  to  comply  with  the 
requirements of any of the Consent Orders involving the Corporation or those bank subsidiaries could result in further enforcement 
actions,  the  imposition  of  additional  material  restrictions  on  the  activities  of  the  Corporation  or  its  bank  subsidiaries,  or  the 
assessment of fines or penalties.

Additional expenses and investments have been incurred as the Corporation expanded its hiring of personnel and use of outside 
professionals, such as consulting and legal services, and made capital investments in operating systems to strengthen and support 
the BSA/AML Compliance Program, as well as the Corporation’s broader compliance and risk management infrastructures. The 
expense and capital investment associated with all of these efforts, including those undertaken in connection with the Consent 
Orders, have had an adverse effect on the Corporation’s results of operations in recent periods and could have a material adverse 
effect on the Corporation’s results of operations in one or more future periods.

Finally, due to the existence of the Consent Orders, some counterparties may not be permitted to, due to their internal policies, or 
may choose not to do business with the Corporation or its bank subsidiaries. Should counterparties upon which the Corporation 
or its bank subsidiaries rely for the conduct of their business become unwilling to do business with the Corporation or its bank 
subsidiaries, the Corporation’s results of operations and/or financial condition could be materially adversely effected.

While the Corporation believes that it has made significant progress in improving its BSA/AML Compliance Program, there is 
no assurance as to when the Consent Orders will be terminated.

The  Corporation's  largest  subsidiary,  Fulton  Bank,  has  total  assets  of  more  than  $10  billion  and  is  subject  to  additional 
regulation and increased supervision.

The Dodd-Frank Act imposes additional regulatory requirements on institutions with $10 billion or more in assets. The Corporation's 
largest bank subsidiary, Fulton Bank, has total assets of more than $10 billion and, as of March 31, 2017, became subject to the 
following:

Supervision, examination and enforcement jurisdiction by the CFPB with respect to consumer financial protection laws;

• 
•  Additional stress testing requirements;

23

•  A modified methodology for calculating FDIC insurance assessments and potentially higher assessment rates as a result 
of institutions with $10 billion or more in assets being required to bear the cost of raising the FDIC reserve ratio to 1.35% 
as required by the Dodd-Frank Act;

•  Heightened compliance standards under the Volcker Rule;
•  Enhanced bank regulatory supervision as a larger financial institution; and
•  Electronic fund transfer interchange fee standards.

In addition, the Corporation’s other bank subsidiaries also became subject to the supervision, examination and enforcement 
jurisdiction by the CFPB with respect to consumer financial protection laws. See Item 1. "Business-Supervision and 
Regulation."

The Dodd-Frank Act continues to have a significant impact on the Corporation's business and results of operations.

The Dodd-Frank Act has had a substantial impact on many aspects of the financial services industry.  The Corporation has been 
impacted, and will likely continue to be impacted in the future, by the so-called Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act, which 
reduced debit card interchange revenue of banks, and revised FDIC deposit insurance assessments. The Corporation has also been 
impacted by the Dodd-Frank Act in the areas of corporate governance, capital requirements, risk management, stress testing and 
regulation under federal consumer protection laws.

The Dodd-Frank Act established the CFPB, which was given rulemaking authority over most providers of consumer financial 
services in the U.S., examination and enforcement authority over the consumer operations of large banks, as well as interpretive 
authority with respect to numerous existing consumer financial services regulations. As an independent bureau funded by the 
Federal Reserve Board, the CFPB has imposed requirements more stringent than those imposed by the bank regulatory agencies 
that were previously responsible for consumer financial protection. The CFPB has also been directed to write and enforce rules 
identifying practices or acts that are unfair, deceptive or abusive in connection with any transaction with a consumer for a consumer 
financial product or service, or the offering of a consumer financial product or service. 

The CFPB has initiated enforcement actions against a variety of bank and non-bank market participants with respect to a number 
of consumer financial products and services that has resulted in those participants expending significant time, money and resources 
to adjust to the initiatives being pursued by the CFPB. These enforcement actions may serve as precedent for how the CFPB 
interprets and enforces consumer protection laws, including practices or acts that are deemed to be unfair, deceptive or abusive, 
with respect to all supervised institutions, which may result in the imposition of higher standards of compliance with such laws. 
In connection with such actions, the CFPB has developed a number of new enforcement theories and applications of federal 
consumer financial laws. Other federal financial regulatory agencies, including the OCC, as well as state attorneys general and 
state banking agencies and other state financial regulators also have been increasingly active in this area with respect to institutions 
over which they have jurisdiction. See Item 1. "Business-Supervision and Regulation."

Fulton Bank and the Corporation’s other bank subsidiaries became, as of March 31, 2017, subject to supervision and examination 
by the CFPB for compliance with the CFPB’s regulations and policies. The costs and limitations related to this additional regulatory 
regimen have yet to be fully determined, however they could result in material adverse effects on the Corporation’s profitability.

The financial services industry, as well as the broader economy, may be subject to new legislation which could result in 
significant changes in banking and financial services regulation. 

The U.S. Congress and state legislatures and federal and state regulatory agencies continually review banking and other laws, 
regulations and policies for possible changes. Changes in federal or state laws, regulations or governmental policies may affect 
the Corporation and its business. The effects of such changes are difficult to predict and may produce unintended consequences. 
New  laws,  regulations  or  changes  in  the  regulatory  environment  could  limit  the  types  of  financial  services  and  products  the 
Corporation may offer, alter demand for existing products and services, increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing 
financial services and products, increase compliance burdens, or otherwise adversely affect the Corporation’s business, results of 
operations or financial condition.

It remains difficult to predict the legislative and regulatory changes that will result from the fact that both Houses of Congress 
have majority memberships from the same political party as the President. Both the President and senior members of Congress 
have  advocated  for  significant  reduction  of  financial  services  regulation,  to  include  amendments  to  the  Dodd-Frank Act  and 
structural changes to the CFPB. In 2017, the UST, in response to an Executive Order issued by the President, released a report on 
the Administration’s Core Principles for Regulation the United States Financial System. The report detailed several findings and 
recommendations, including but not limited to, that capital, liquidity and leverage rules should be simplified to promote the flow 
of credit, that consumer regulation and the structure and authority of the CFPB are in need of reform, that the regulatory burden 
24

on community financial institutions should be eased, and that Congress should play a more significant role in overseeing the 
federal banking agencies to ensure that regulations are better-tailored, more efficient and more effective. 

Although significant changes to existing laws, regulations and policies may be finalized by Congress and/or the federal banking 
agencies and the CFPB, it is difficult to predict with precision what changes, if any, will be implemented into law and when such 
changes may occur. Accordingly, the impact of any legislative or regulatory changes on the Corporation, our competitors and on 
the financial services industry as a whole cannot be determined at this time. In any event, the laws and regulations to which we 
are subject are constantly under review by Congress, federal regulatory agencies, and state authorities. These laws and regulations 
could  be  changed  significantly  in  the  future,  which  could  affect  our  profitability,  our  ability  to  compete  effectively,  or  the 
composition of the financial services industry in which we compete.

The  financial  services  industry  is  experiencing  leadership  changes  at  the  federal  banking  agencies,  which  may  impact 
regulations and government policies applicable to us.

As a result of the change of Administration and the current composition and recent actions of Congress, it is possible that certain 
aspects of the existing banking and financial services regulatory framework, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, will be repealed 
or modified in the near-term. For example, the President, senior members of the Administration, and senior members of Congress 
have advocated for substantial changes to the regulations implementing the Dodd-Frank Act. The federal banking agencies are 
presently experiencing leadership changes which could impact the supervision, enforcement and rulemaking policies of such 
agencies. In 2017 and early 2018, Congress confirmed a new Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, a new Comptroller of the 
Currency and a new Vice Chairman for Supervision at the Federal Reserve Board. In addition, the President nominated a new 
Chairwoman of the FDIC and the Director of the CFPB resigned and was replaced by an interim Director.  Consistent with the 
views of the Administration and Congress, certain members of this new leadership group have advocated for a reduction in financial 
services regulation, supervision and enforcement. Moreover, the senior staffs of these agencies charged with carrying out agency 
policies and responsibilities have experienced significant turnover as a result of these changes. Consequently, certain new regulatory 
initiatives may be delayed or suspended and existing regulations may be re-evaluated, modified or repealed.  At this time, however, 
the full impact of these and other pending leadership changes, as well as the potential impact to financial services regulation to 
result from such changes, is uncertain.  It is also difficult to predict the impact that any legislative or regulatory changes will have 
on the Corporation, our competitors and on the financial services industry as a whole. Our results of operations also could be 
adversely affected by changes in the way in which existing statutes, regulations, and laws are interpreted or applied by courts and 
government agencies.

Changes in U.S. federal, state or local tax laws may negatively impact our financial performance.

We are subject to changes in tax law that could increase our effective tax rates. These law changes may be retroactive to previous 
periods and as a result could negatively affect our current and future financial performance. In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and 
Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") was signed into law enacting the most significant changes to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 
as amended (the "Code"), in more than 30 years. The full impact of the Tax Act on the Corporation is subject to further evaluation 
and analysis, although it is likely to have both positive and negative effects on our financial performance. For example, the Tax 
Act reduces our Federal corporate income tax rate to 21% beginning in 2018, which will have a favorable impact on our earnings 
and capital generation abilities. However, the Tax Act also imposes limitations on our ability to take certain deductions, such as 
the deduction for FDIC deposit insurance premiums, which will partially offset the anticipated increase in net earnings from the 
lower tax rate. In addition, as a result of the lower corporate tax rate, we were required under GAAP to re-measure the value of 
our deferred tax assets and liabilities utilizing the lower tax rate during the fourth quarter of 2017, and, as a result, recorded a 
$15.6 million charge to income tax expense. The ultimate impact of the Tax Act may differ from the foregoing description, possibly 
materially, due to changes in interpretations or in assumptions that we have made, guidance or regulations that may be promulgated, 
and other actions that we may take as a result of the Tax Act.

At this early stage, it is difficult to predict how the many changes made to the Code will affect the Corporation’s business, its 
customers and the broader economy. For example, the Tax Act may affect the Corporation’s customers in various ways that could 
have a corresponding effect on the Corporation and the economy as a whole, including in the following ways:

•  The limitation of the ability of individual taxpayers to claim an itemized deduction for interest paid on qualifying home 
equity indebtedness may affect demand for, and utilization of, home equity-related credit. In addition, consumers seeking 
credit may look to alternative credit products, some of which might not be offered by the Corporation, or for which there 
may be significantly greater competition, or which expose the Corporation to greater credit or other risks.

•  The reduction to the maximum amount of residential acquisition indebtedness as to which interest payments can be taken 
as an itemized deduction from $1 million to $750,000 may affect the demand for residential mortgage loans, particularly 

25

in geographic areas characterized by relatively high housing costs. The reduction in the acquisition indebtedness limit 
might also have an impact on housing prices in those geographic areas.

•  The significant increase in the standard deduction for individual taxpayers is expected to result in a reduction in the 
number of individual taxpayers that itemize deductions, including deductions for charitable contributions. It is unclear 
what, if any, impact this change will have on individual charitable giving. A reduction in charitable giving to charitable 
organizations that are customers of the Corporation could affect their ability to repay their loans.

•  New limits on the maximum level of business interest that may be deducted as an expense in determining taxable income 

may affect the demand for loans the Corporation offers to businesses.

•  The reduction in the maximum corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% may affect the demand for various types of tax-free 
financing if lenders increase the rates that are charged on those financings to maintain comparable taxable-equivalent 
yields. This could, in turn, lead to higher interest expense for borrowers of tax-free financing, which could affect their 
ability to repay those financings. Similarly, issuers of municipal debt securities held in the Corporation’s investment 
portfolio could face higher interest expenses, which could affect their ability to make payments on those securities.

The foregoing description of the impact of the Tax Act and its impact on us should be read in conjunction with our Notes to 
Consolidated Financial Statements. Finally, a number of the changes to the Code are set to expire in future years. There is substantial 
uncertainty concerning whether those expiring provisions will be extended, or whether future legislation will further revise the 
Code.

Negative publicity could damage the Corporation’s reputation and business.

Reputation risk, or the risk to the Corporation's earnings and capital from negative public opinion, is inherent in the Corporation's 
business. Negative public opinion could result from the Corporation's actual, alleged or perceived conduct in any number of 
activities, including lending practices, litigation, corporate governance, regulatory, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and 
disclosure,  sharing  or  inadequate  protection  of  customer  information,  and  from  actions  taken  by  government  agencies  and 
community organizations in response to that conduct. In addition, unfavorable public opinion regarding the broader financial 
services industry, or arising from the actions of individual financial institutions, can have an adverse effect on the Corporation’s 
reputation. Because the Corporation conducts the majority of its businesses under the "Fulton" brand, negative public opinion 
about one line of business could affect the Corporation's other lines of businesses. Any of these or other events that impair the 
Corporation’s reputation can affect the Corporation’s ability to attract and retain customers and employees, and access sources of 
funding and capital, any of which could have materially adverse effect on the Corporation’s results of operations and financial 
condition.

From time to time the Corporation and its subsidiaries may be the subject of litigation and governmental or administrative 
proceedings. Adverse outcomes of any such litigation or proceedings may have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s 
business and results of operations as well as its reputation.

Many aspects of the Corporation’s business involve substantial risk of legal liability. From time to time, the Corporation and its 
subsidiaries have been named or threatened to be named as defendants in various lawsuits arising from its business activities (and 
in some cases from the activities of companies that were acquired). In addition, the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries are 
regularly  the  subject  of  governmental  investigations  and  other  forms  of  regulatory  inquiry.  For  example,  the  Corporation  is 
cooperating with the DOJ in an investigation regarding potential violations of the fair lending laws by Fulton Bank, Fulton Bank 
of New Jersey, The Columbia Bank and Lafayette Ambassador Bank due to potential lending discrimination on the basis of race 
and  national  origin.  Like  other  large  financial  institutions,  the  Corporation  is  also  subject  to  risk  from  potential  employee 
misconduct, including non-compliance with policies and improper use or disclosure of confidential information. These matters 
could result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. Substantial legal liability or significant 
regulatory actions against us could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations and/or 
cause significant reputational harm to our business. The Corporation establishes reserves for legal claims when payments associated 
with the claims become probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. However, the Corporation may still incur legal costs 
for a matter, even if a reserve has not been established.

Currently, the Corporation and three of its bank subsidiaries are the subject of regulatory proceedings in the form of the Consent 
Orders. The Corporation can provide no assurance as to the outcome or resolution of legal or administrative actions, and such 
actions may result in judgments against us for significant damages or the imposition of regulatory restrictions on our operations. 
Resolution of these types of matters can be prolonged and costly, and the ultimate results or judgments are uncertain due to the 
inherent uncertainty in the outcomes of litigation and other proceedings. 

26

The Corporation is subject to a variety of risks in connection with origination and sale of loans.

The Corporation originates residential mortgage loans and other loans, such as loans guaranteed, in part, by the U.S. Small Business 
Administration, all or portions of which are later sold in the secondary market to government sponsored enterprises or agencies, 
such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and other non-government sponsored investors. In connection 
with such sales, the Corporation makes certain representations and warranties with respect to matters such as the underwriting, 
origination, documentation or other characteristics of the loans sold. The Corporation may be required to repurchase a loan, or to 
reimburse the purchaser of a loan for any related losses, if it is determined that the loan sold was in violation of representations 
or warranties made at the time of the sale, and, in some cases, if there is evidence of borrower fraud, in the event of early payment 
default by the borrower on the loan, or for other reasons. The Corporation maintains reserves for potential losses on certain loans 
sold, however, it is possible that losses incurred in connection with loan repurchases and reimbursement payments may be in 
excess of any applicable reserves, and the Corporation may be required to increase reserves and may sustain additional losses 
associated with such loan repurchases and reimbursement payments in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on 
the Corporation’s financial condition or results of operations.

In addition, the sale of residential mortgage loans and other loans in the secondary market serves as a source of non-interest income 
and liquidity for the Corporation, and can reduce its exposure to risks arising from changes in interest rates.  Efforts to reform 
government sponsored enterprises and agencies, changes in the types of, or standards for, loans purchases by government sponsored 
enterprises or agencies and other investors, or the Corporation’s failure to maintain its status as an eligible seller of such loans 
may limit the Corporation’s ability to sell these loans.  The inability of the Corporation to continue to sell these loans could reduce 
the Corporation’s non-interest income, limit the Corporation’s ability to originate and fund these loans in the future, and make 
managing interest rate risk more challenging, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s results of 
operations and financial condition.

STRATEGIC AND EXTERNAL RISKS.

The Corporation is in the process of transforming its business model and this transformation may not be successful.

The Corporation historically has followed a "super-community" banking strategy under which the Corporation has operated its 
bank subsidiaries autonomously to maximize the advantages of the community banking model in serving the needs of its customers. 
Reliance on this model has posed challenges to the Corporation's efforts to manage risk efficiently and effectively through a 
centralized risk management and compliance function. As a result of these challenges and a desire to refine its business strategy, 
the Corporation is in the process of transitioning to a business model that is primarily focused on alignment of services with the 
customer segments the Corporation serves and less oriented to geographic boundaries.

The transformation of the Corporation’s business model, which is being implemented over a period of several years, may have 
some or all of the following unintended effects:

•  The efficiencies sought may not be achieved;
• 

Some customers may not receive the change in business model in a positive manner, and relationships with these customers 
may be jeopardized;

•  The changes in organizational structure and the evolution of the Corporation’s culture that will be required to support 
the transition to the new business model may lead to dissatisfaction among employees, which could make it more difficult 
for the Corporation to retain key employees;

•  The  transition  to  the  new  business  model  may  create  operational  and  other  challenges  that  are  disruptive  to  the 

Corporation’s business; and

•  Expenses will be incurred in the implementation of the new business model, and the implementation process may distract 

the Corporation from achieving other fundamental business objectives. 

The Corporation may not be able to achieve its growth plans.

The Corporation’s business plan includes the pursuit of profitable growth. Under current economic, competitive and regulatory 
conditions, profitable growth may be difficult to achieve due to one or more of the following factors:

• 

In the current, prolonged low interest rate environment, the Corporation’s net interest margin has been compressed, and 
it is possible that a net interest margin that is lower than historical levels could continue for some time. As a result, income 
growth will likely need to come from growth in the volume of earning assets, particularly loans, and an increase in non-
interest income. However, customer demand and competition could make such income growth difficult to achieve; 

27

•  Operating expenses, particularly in the compliance and risk management areas, have been elevated, and such expenses 
may continue to increase in the future, as a result of Fulton Bank surpassing the $10 billion in assets threshold; and
•  Growth through acquisition to supplement organic growth is unlikely to occur while the Consent Orders referenced above 

are in place, due to an inability to obtain the required regulatory approvals.

To achieve profitable growth, the Corporation may pursue new lines of business or offer new products or services, all of which 
can involve significant costs, uncertainties and risks. Any new activity the Corporation pursues may require a significant 
investment of time and resources, and may not generate the anticipated return on that investment.  In addition, the Corporation 
may not be able to effectively implement and manage any new activities. External factors, such as the need to comply with 
additional regulations, the availability, or introduction, of competitive alternatives in the market, and changes in customer 
preferences may also impact the successful implementation of any new activity. Any new activity could have a significant 
impact on the effectiveness of the Corporation’s system of internal controls. If the Corporation is not able to adequately identify 
and manage the risks associated with new activities, the Corporation’s business, results of operations and financial condition 
could be materially and adversely impacted.

The competition the Corporation faces is significant and may reduce the Corporation's customer base and negatively impact 
the Corporation's results of operations.

There is significant competition among commercial banks in the market areas served by the Corporation. In addition, the Corporation 
also competes with other providers of financial services, such as savings and loan associations, credit unions, consumer finance 
companies, securities firms, insurance companies, commercial finance and leasing companies, the mutual funds industry, full 
service brokerage firms and discount brokerage firms, some of which are subject to less extensive regulation than the Corporation 
is with respect to the products and services they provide and have different cost structures. Some of the Corporation's competitors 
have greater resources, higher lending limits, lower cost of funds and may offer other services not offered by the Corporation. The 
Corporation also experiences competition from a variety of institutions outside its market areas. Some of these institutions conduct 
business primarily over the Internet and, as a result, may be able to realize certain cost savings and offer products and services at 
more favorable rates and with greater convenience to the customer. The financial services industry could become even more 
competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and continued consolidation. In addition, technology 
has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for non-banks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks, 
such as funds transfers, payment services, residential mortgage loans, consumer loans and wealth and investment management 
services. 

Competition may adversely affect the rates the Corporation pays on deposits and charges on loans, and could result in the loss of 
fee income, as well as the loss of customer deposits and the income generated from those deposits, thereby potentially adversely 
affecting the Corporation's profitability and its ability to continue to grow. The Corporation's profitability and continued growth 
depends upon its continued ability to successfully compete in the market areas it serves. See Item 1. "Business-Competition."

If the goodwill that the Corporation has recorded in connection with its acquisitions becomes impaired, it could have a negative 
impact on the Corporation's results of operations.

In the past, the Corporation supplemented its internal growth with strategic acquisitions of banks, branches and other financial 
services companies. If the purchase price of an acquired company exceeds the fair value of the company's net assets, the excess 
is carried on the acquirer's balance sheet as goodwill. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had $530.6 million of goodwill 
recorded on its balance sheet. The Corporation is required to evaluate goodwill for impairment at least annually. Write-downs of 
the amount of any impairment, if necessary, are to be charged to earnings in the period in which the impairment occurs. There can 
be no assurance that future evaluations of goodwill will not result in impairment charges. 

Changes in accounting policies, standards, and interpretations could materially affect how we report our financial condition 
and results of operations.

The preparation of the Corporation’s financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires 
management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the 
financial statements, as well as revenues and expenses during the period. A summary of the accounting policies that the Corporation 
considers  to  be  most  important  to  the  presentation  of  its  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations,  because  they  require 
management’s most difficult judgments as a result of the need to make estimates about the effects of matters that are inherently 
uncertain, including those related to the allowance for credit losses, goodwill, income taxes, and fair value measurements, is set 
forth in Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Critical Accounting 
Policies" and within "Note 1-Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in 
Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

28

A variety of factors could affect the ultimate values of assets, liabilities, income and expenses recognized and reported in the 
Corporation’s financial statements, and these ultimate values may differ materially from those determined based on management’s 
estimates and assumptions. In addition, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), regulatory agencies, and other bodies 
that  establish  accounting  standards  from  time  to  time  change  the  financial  accounting  and  reporting  standards  governing  the 
preparation of the Corporation’s financial statements. Further, those bodies that establish and interpret the accounting standards 
(such as the FASB, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and banking regulators) may change prior interpretations or positions 
regarding how these standards should be applied. These changes can be difficult to predict and can materially affect how the 
Corporation records and reports its financial condition and results of operations. For example, during 2016, the FASB issued a 
new accounting standard, Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, that will require the recognition of credit losses on loans and 
other financial assets based on an entity’s current estimate of expected losses over the lifetime of each loan or other financial asset, 
referred  to  as  the  current  expected  credit  loss  ("CECL")  model,  as  opposed  to  current  accounting  standards,  which  require 
recognition of losses on loans and other financial assets only when those losses are "probable." The Corporation’s adoption of this 
accounting standard, which is required for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, could materially 
affect the Corporation’s allowance for credit losses methodology, financial condition, capital levels and results of operations, 
including expenses the Corporation may incur in implementing this accounting standard.  See "Note 1 - Summary of Significant 
Accounting  Policies  -  Recently  Issued Accounting  Standards"  in  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  Item  8. 
"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

OPERATIONAL RISKS.

The Corporation is exposed to many types of operational and other risks and the Corporation's framework for managing risks 
may not be effective in mitigating risk.

The Corporation is exposed to many types of operational risk, including the risk of human error or fraud by employees and other 
third  parties,  intentional  and  inadvertent  misrepresentation  by  loan  applicants,  unsatisfactory  performance  by  employees  and 
vendors, clerical and record-keeping errors, computer and telecommunications systems malfunctions or failures and reliance on 
data that may be faulty or incomplete. In an environment characterized by continual, rapid technological change, as discussed 
below, when the Corporation introduces new products and services, or makes changes to its information technology systems and 
processes, these operational risks are increased. Any of these operational risks could result in the Corporation's diminished ability 
to operate one or more of its businesses, financial loss, potential liability to customers, inability to secure insurance, reputational 
damage and regulatory intervention, which could materially adversely affect the Corporation.

The Corporation’s risk management framework is subject to inherent limitations, and risks may exist, or develop in the future, 
that the Corporation has not anticipated or identified. If the Corporation's risk management framework proves to be ineffective, 
the Corporation could suffer unexpected losses and could be materially adversely affected. As noted above, the Corporation’s 
historical decentralized banking strategy further challenges the Corporation's efforts to manage risk efficiently and effectively 
through a centralized risk management and compliance function.

The Corporation’s operational risks include risks associated with third-party vendors and other financial institutions.

The Corporation relies upon certain third-party vendors to provide products and services necessary to maintain its day-to-day 
operations, including, notably, responsibility for the core processing system that services all of the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries. 
Accordingly, the Corporation’s operations are exposed to the risk that these vendors might not perform in accordance with applicable 
contractual arrangements or service level agreements. The failure of an external vendor to perform in accordance with applicable 
contractual arrangements or service level agreements could be disruptive to the Corporation’s operations, which could have a 
material  adverse  effect  on  the  Corporation’s  financial  condition  and/or  results  of  operations.  Further,  third-party  vendor  risk 
management has become a point of regulatory emphasis recently. A failure of the Corporation to follow applicable regulatory 
guidance in this area could expose the Corporation to regulatory sanctions.

The commercial soundness of many financial institutions may be closely interrelated as a result of credit, trading, execution of 
transactions or other relationships between the institutions. As a result, concerns about, or a default or threatened default by, one 
institution could lead to significant market-wide liquidity and credit problems, losses or defaults by other institutions. This risk is 
sometimes referred to as "systemic risk" and may adversely affect financial intermediaries, such as clearing agencies, clearing 
houses, banks, securities firms and exchanges, with which the Corporation interacts on a daily basis, and therefore could adversely 
affect the Corporation.

Any of these operational or other risks could result in the Corporation's diminished ability to operate one or more of its businesses, 
financial loss, potential liability to customers, inability to secure insurance, reputational damage and regulatory intervention, which 
could materially adversely affect the Corporation.

29

The Corporation’s internal controls may be ineffective.

One critical component of the Corporation’s risk management framework is its system of internal controls. Management regularly 
reviews and updates the Corporation’s internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies 
and procedures. Any system of controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can 
provide reasonable, but not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the controls are met. Any failure or circumvention of the 
Corporation’s controls and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material 
adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. See Item 9A. "Controls and 
Procedures."

Loss of, or failure to adequately safeguard, confidential or proprietary information may adversely affect the Corporation's 
operations, net income or reputation.

The Corporation’s business is highly dependent on information systems and technology and the ability to collect, process, transmit 
and store significant amounts of confidential information regarding customers, employees and others on a daily basis. While the 
Corporation performs some of the functions required to operate its business directly, it also outsources significant business functions, 
such as processing customer transactions, maintenance of customer-facing websites, including its online banking function, and 
developing software for new products and services, among others. These relationships require the Corporation to allow third parties 
to access, store, process and transmit customer information. As a result, the Corporation may be subject to cyber security risks 
directly, as well as indirectly through the vendors to whom it outsources business functions. The increased use of smartphones, 
tablets and other mobile devices, as well as cloud computing, may also heighten these and other operational risks. Cyber threats 
could result in unauthorized access, loss or destruction of customer data, unavailability, degradation or denial of service, introduction 
of computer viruses and other adverse events, causing the Corporation to incur additional costs (such as repairing systems or 
adding  new  personnel  or  protection  technologies).  Cyber  threats  may  also  subject  the  Company  to  regulatory  investigations, 
litigation or enforcement require the payment of regulatory fines or penalties or undertaking costly remediation efforts with respect 
to third parties affected by a cyber security incident, all or any of which could adversely affect the Corporation’s business, financial 
condition or results of operations and damage its reputation.

The Corporation attempts to reduce its exposure to its vendors’ cyber incidents by performing initial vendor due diligence that is 
updated periodically for critical vendors, negotiating service level standards with vendors, negotiating for indemnification from 
vendors for confidentiality and data breaches, and limiting third-party access to the least privileged level necessary to perform 
outsourced functions, among other things. The Corporation also uses monitoring and preventive controls to detect and respond to 
cyber threats to its own systems before they become significant. The Corporation regularly evaluates its systems and controls and 
implements upgrades as necessary. The additional cost to the Corporation of our cyber security monitoring and protection systems 
and controls includes the cost of hardware and software, third party technology providers, consulting and forensic testing firms, 
insurance premium costs and legal fees, in addition to the incremental cost of our personnel who focus a substantial portion of 
their responsibilities on cyber security.

There can be no assurance that the measures employed by the Corporation to combat direct or indirect cyber threats will be 
effective. In addition, because the methods of cyber attacks change frequently or, in some cases, are not recognized until launched, 
the Corporation may be unable to implement effective preventive control measures or proactively address these methods and the 
probability of a successful attack cannot be predicted. The Corporation’s or a vendor’s failure to promptly identify and counter a 
cyber attack may result in increased costs and consequences of a successful cyber attack. Although the Corporation maintains 
insurance coverage that may, subject to policy terms and conditions, cover certain aspects of cyber risks, such insurance coverage 
may be inapplicable or otherwise insufficient to cover any or all losses. Further, a successful cyber security attack that results in 
a significant loss of customer data or compromises our ability to function would have a material adverse effect on our business, 
reputation, financial condition and results of operation.

Account data compromise events at large retailers, health insurers, a national consumer credit reporting agency and others in recent 
years have resulted in heightened legislative and regulatory focus on privacy, data protection and information security. New or 
revised  laws  and  regulations  may  significantly  impact  the  Corporation’s  current  and  planned  privacy,  data  protection  and 
information  security-related  practices,  the  collection,  use,  sharing,  retention  and  safeguarding  of  consumer  and  employee 
information, and current or planned business activities. Compliance with current or future privacy, data protection and information 
security laws to which the Corporation is subject could result in higher compliance and technology costs and could restrict the 
Corporation’s  ability  to  provide  certain  products  and  services,  which  could  materially  and  adversely  affect  the  Corporation’s 
profitability. The  Corporation’s  failure  to  comply  with  privacy,  data  protection  and  information  security  laws  could  result  in 
potentially significant regulatory and governmental investigations and/or actions, litigation, fines, sanctions and damage to the 
Corporation’s reputation and its brand. 

30

The Corporation continually encounters technological change.

The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-
driven products and services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve 
customers and to reduce costs. The Corporation’s future success depends, in part, upon its ability to address the needs of its 
customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional 
efficiencies in the Corporation’s operations. The costs of new technology, including personnel, can be high, in both absolute and 
relative  terms.  Many  of  the  Corporation’s  financial  institution  competitors  have  substantially  greater  resources  to  invest  in 
technological improvements. In addition, new payment, credit and investment and wealth management services developed and 
offered by non-bank or non-traditional competitors pose an increasing threat to the products and services traditionally provided 
by financial institutions like the Corporation. The Corporation may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven 
products  and  services,  be  successful  in  marketing  these  products  and  services  to  its  customers,  or  effectively  deploy  new 
technologies to improve the efficiency of its operations. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the 
financial services industry could have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s business, financial condition and results of 
operations.

There can be no assurance, given the past pace of change and innovation that the Corporation’s technology, either purchased or 
developed internally, will meet or continue to meet the needs of the Corporation and the needs of its customers.

In addition, advances in technology, as well as changing customer preferences favoring access to the Corporation’s products and 
services through digital channels, could decrease the value of the Corporation’s branch network and other assets. If customers 
increasingly choose to access the Corporation’s products and services through digital channels, the Corporation may find it necessary 
to consolidate, close or sell branch locations or restructure its branch network. These actions could lead to losses on assets, expenses 
to reconfigure branches and the loss of customers in affected markets. As a result, the Corporation’s business, financial condition 
or results of operations may be adversely affected.

The Corporation may not be able to attract and retain skilled people.

The Corporation’s success depends, in large part, on its ability to attract and retain skilled people. Competition for talented personnel 
in most activities engaged in by the Corporation can be intense, and the Corporation may not be able to hire sufficiently skilled 
people or to retain them. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of the Corporation’s key personnel could have a material 
adverse impact on the Corporation’s business because of their skills, knowledge of the Corporation’s markets, years of industry 
experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

RISKS RELATED TO AN INVESTMENT IN THE CORPORATION’S SECURITIES.

The Corporation's future growth may require the Corporation to raise additional capital in the future, but that capital may not 
be available when it is needed or may be available only at an excessive cost.

The Corporation is required by regulatory agencies to maintain adequate levels of capital to support its operations. The Corporation 
anticipates that current capital levels will satisfy regulatory requirements for the foreseeable future. The Corporation, however, 
may at some point choose to raise additional capital to support future growth. The Corporation's ability to raise additional capital 
will depend, in part, on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of the Corporation's control. Accordingly, 
the Corporation may be unable to raise additional capital, if and when needed, on terms acceptable to the Corporation, or at all. 
If  the  Corporation  cannot  raise  additional  capital  when  needed,  its  ability  to  expand  operations  through  internal  growth  and 
acquisitions could be materially impacted. In the event of a material decrease in the Corporation's stock price, future issuances of 
equity securities could result in dilution of existing shareholder interests. 

Capital planning has taken on more importance due to regulatory requirements and the Basel III capital standards.

Consistent  with  current  regulatory  guidance,  the  Corporation  conducts  an  annual  stress  test  using  internal  financial  data  and 
different economic scenarios provided by the Federal Reserve Board, and reports the results of the stress test to the Federal Reserve 
Board. The Corporation's board of directors and its senior management are required to consider the results of the annual stress 
test in the normal course of business, including as part of its capital planning process and the evaluation of the adequacy of its 
capital. The results of future stress testing processes may lead the Corporation to retain additional capital or alter the mix of its 
capital components. In addition, the implementation of certain regulations with regard to regulatory capital could disproportionately 
affect the Corporation's regulatory capital position relative to that of its competitors, including those who may not be subject to 
the same regulatory requirements. 

31

The  fully  phased-in  capital  standards  under  the  U.S.  Basel  III  Capital  Rules  require  banks  to  maintain  more  capital  than  the 
minimum levels required under former regulatory capital standards. The new minimum regulatory capital requirements began to 
apply to the Corporation on January 1, 2015. The required minimum capital conservation buffer began to be phased in incrementally 
on January 1, 2016 and will be fully phased in on January 1, 2019. The failure to meet the established capital requirements could 
result in the federal banking regulators placing limitations or conditions on the activities of the Corporation or its bank subsidiaries 
or restricting the commencement of new activities, and such failure could subject the Corporation or its bank subsidiaries to a 
variety of enforcement remedies, including limiting the ability of the Corporation or its bank subsidiaries to pay dividends, issuing 
a directive to increase capital and terminating FDIC deposit insurance. In addition, the failure to comply with the capital conservation 
buffer  will  result  in  restrictions  on  capital  distributions  and  discretionary  cash  bonus  payments  to  executive  officers. As  of 
December 31, 2017, the Corporation's current capital levels met the fully phased-in minimum capital requirements, including 
capital conservation buffers, as set forth in the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules. See Item 1. "Business-Supervision and Regulation-
Capital Requirements."

The Corporation is a holding company and relies on dividends and other payments from its subsidiaries for substantially all 
of its revenue and its ability to make dividend payments, distributions and other payments.

The Corporation is a separate and distinct legal entity from its bank and nonbank subsidiaries, and depends on the payment of 
dividends and other payments and distributions from its subsidiaries, principally its bank subsidiaries, for substantially all of its 
revenues. As a result, the Corporation's ability to make dividend payments on its common stock depends primarily on certain 
federal and state regulatory considerations and the receipt of dividends and other distributions from its subsidiaries. There are 
various regulatory and prudential supervisory restrictions, which may change from time to time, that impact the ability of the 
Corporation’s bank subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other payments to it. There can be no assurance that the Corporation’s 
bank subsidiaries will be able to pay dividends at past levels, or at all, in the future. If the Corporation does not receive sufficient 
cash dividends or is unable to borrow from its bank subsidiaries, then the Corporation may not have sufficient funds to pay dividends 
to its shareholders, repurchase its common stock or service its debt obligations. See Item 1. "Business-Supervision and Regulation-
Loans and Dividends from Subsidiary Banks."

In addition, as noted above, liquidity and capital planning at both the bank and holding company levels has become an area of 
increased regulatory emphasis. In recent years, the Corporation has pursued a strategy of capital management under which it has 
sought to deploy its capital, through stock repurchases, increased regular dividends and special dividends, in a manner that is 
beneficial to the Corporation’s shareholders. This capital management strategy is subject to regulatory supervision.

A downgrade in the credit ratings of the Corporation or its bank subsidiaries could have a material adverse impact on the 
Corporation.

Fitch, Inc., Moody's Investors Service, Inc. and DBRS, Inc. continuously evaluate the Corporation and its subsidiaries, and their 
ratings of the Corporation and its subsidiary's long-term and short-term debt are based on a number of factors, including financial 
strength, as well as factors not entirely within the Corporation’s and its subsidiaries' control, such as conditions affecting the 
financial services industry generally. In light of these reviews and the continued focus on the financial services industry generally, 
the Corporation and its subsidiaries may not be able to maintain their current respective ratings. Ratings downgrades by any of 
these credit rating agencies could have a significant and immediate impact on the Corporation's funding and liquidity through cash 
obligations, reduced funding capacity and collateral triggers. A reduction in the Corporation's or its subsidiaries' credit ratings 
could also increase the Corporation's borrowing costs and limit its access to the capital markets.

Downgrades in the credit or financial strength ratings assigned to the counterparties with whom the Corporation transacts could 
create the perception that the Corporation's financial condition will be adversely impacted as a result of potential future defaults 
by such counterparties. Additionally, the Corporation could be adversely affected by a general, negative perception of financial 
institutions caused by the downgrade of other financial institutions. Accordingly, ratings downgrades for other financial institutions 
could affect the market price of the Corporation's stock and could limit access to or increase its cost of capital.

Anti-takeover provisions could negatively impact the Corporation's shareholders.

Provisions of banking laws, Pennsylvania corporate law and of the Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation 
and Bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of the Corporation or have the effect of discouraging 
a third party from attempting to acquire control of the Corporation. To the extent that these provisions discourage such a transaction, 
holders of the Corporation's common stock may not have an opportunity to dispose of part or all of their stock at a higher price 
than that prevailing in the market. These provisions may also adversely affect the market price of the Corporation’s stock. In 
addition, some of these provisions make it more difficult to remove, and thereby may serve to entrench, the Corporation's incumbent 
directors and officers, even if their removal would be regarded by some shareholders as desirable.

32

Certain provisions of Pennsylvania corporate law applicable to the Corporation and the Corporation's Amended and Restated 
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws include provisions which may be considered to be "anti-takeover" in nature because they 
may have the effect of discouraging or making more difficult the acquisition of control of the Corporation by means of a hostile 
tender  offer,  exchange  offer,  proxy  contest  or  similar  transaction. These  provisions  are  intended  to  protect  the  Corporation's 
shareholders by providing a measure of assurance that the Corporation's shareholders will be treated fairly in the event of an 
unsolicited takeover bid and by preventing a successful takeover bidder from exercising its voting control to the detriment of the 
other shareholders. However, these provisions, taken as a whole, may also discourage a hostile tender offer, exchange offer, proxy 
solicitation or similar transaction relating to the Corporation's common stock, even if the accomplishment of a given transaction 
may be favorable to the interests of shareholders.

The ability of a third party to acquire the Corporation is also limited under applicable banking regulations. The BHCA requires 
any "bank holding company" (as defined in that Act) to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board prior to acquiring more 
than 5% of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock. Any person other than a bank holding company is required to obtain 
prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board to acquire 10% or more of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock under the 
Change in Bank Control Act of 1978 and, under certain circumstances, such approvals are required at an even lower ownership 
percentage. Any holder of 25% or more of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock, other than an individual, is subject to 
regulation as a bank holding company under the BHCA. In addition, the delays associated with obtaining necessary regulatory 
approvals for acquisitions of interests in bank holding companies also tend to make more difficult certain methods of effecting 
acquisitions. While these provisions do not prohibit an acquisition, they would likely act as deterrents to an unsolicited takeover 
attempt.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

The following table summarizes the Corporation’s full-service branch properties, by subsidiary bank, as of December 31, 2017. 
Remote service facilities (mainly stand-alone automated teller machines) are excluded.

Owned

Leased

Total
Branches
112

64

31

21

6

7

68

29

25

17

1

2

142

241

44

35

6

4

5

5

99

Subsidiary Bank
Fulton Bank, N.A. ...........................................................................................................

Fulton Bank of New Jersey .............................................................................................

The Columbia Bank.........................................................................................................

Lafayette Ambassador Bank............................................................................................

FNB Bank, N.A. ..............................................................................................................

Swineford National Bank ................................................................................................
Total..........................................................................................................................

33

The following table summarizes the Corporation’s other significant administrative properties. Banking subsidiaries also maintain 
administrative offices at their respective main banking branches, which are included within the preceding table.

Entity
Fulton Bank, N.A./Fulton Financial Corporation ...........
Fulton Financial Corporation ..........................................
Fulton Bank, N.A. ...........................................................

Property

   Corporate Headquarters
   Operations Center
   Operations Center

Owned/
Leased
(1)

Location
   Lancaster, PA
   East Petersburg, PA    Owned
   Owned
   Mantua, NJ

(1) 

Includes approximately 100,000 square feet which is owned by an independent third party who financed the construction through a loan from Fulton Bank, 
N.A. The Corporation is leasing this space from the third party in an arrangement accounted for as a capital lease. The lease term expires in 2027. The 
Corporation owns the remainder of the Corporate Headquarters location. This property also includes a Fulton Bank, N.A. branch, which is included in the 
preceding table.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

The information presented in the "Legal Proceedings" section of "Note 17 - Commitment and Contingencies" in the Notes to 
Consolidated Financial Statements is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

34

  
  
  
  
 
PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Common Stock

As  of  December 31,  2017,  the  Corporation  had  175.2  million  shares  of  $2.50  par  value  common  stock  outstanding  held  by 
approximately 32,000 holders of record. The closing price per share of the Corporation’s common stock on February 15, 2018 
was $18.60. The common stock of the Corporation is traded on the Global Select Market of The NASDAQ Stock Market under 
the symbol FULT.

The following table presents the quarterly high and low prices of the Corporation’s stock and per share cash dividends declared 
for each of the quarterly periods in 2017 and 2016:

Price Range

High

Low

Per
Share
Dividend

2017

First Quarter...............................................................................................................

$

19.75

$

16.90

$

Second Quarter ..........................................................................................................

Third Quarter .............................................................................................................
Fourth Quarter ...........................................................................................................

19.90

19.50
19.45

16.85

16.45
17.30

2016

First Quarter...............................................................................................................

$

13.74

$

11.48

$

Second Quarter ..........................................................................................................

Third Quarter .............................................................................................................

Fourth Quarter ...........................................................................................................

14.35

14.86

19.45

12.66

12.91

14.04

0.11

0.11

0.11
0.14

0.09

0.10

0.10

0.12

Restrictions on the Payments of Dividends

The Corporation is a separate and distinct legal entity from its banking and nonbanking subsidiaries, and depends on the payment 
of  dividends  from  its  subsidiaries,  principally  its  banking  subsidiaries,  for  substantially  all  of  its  revenues. As  a  result,  the 
Corporation's ability to make dividend payments on its common stock depends primarily on certain federal and state regulatory 
considerations and the receipt of dividends and other distributions from its subsidiaries. There are various regulatory and prudential 
supervisory restrictions, which may change from time to time, that impact the ability of its banking subsidiaries to pay dividends 
or make other payments to the Corporation. For additional information regarding the regulatory restrictions applicable to the 
Corporation and its subsidiaries, see "Supervision and Regulation," in Item 1. "Business;" Item 1A. "Risk Factors - The Corporation 
is a holding company and relies on dividends and other payments from its subsidiaries for substantially all of its revenue and its 
ability to make dividend payments, distributions and other payments," under "Risks Related to an Investment in the Corporation’s 
Securities;" and "Note 11 - Regulatory Matters," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements 
and Supplementary Data."

35

 
 
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

The following table provides information about options outstanding under the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Equity and 
Cash Incentive Compensation Plan ("Employee Equity Plan") and the number of securities remaining available for future issuance 
under the Employee Equity Plan, the 2011 Directors' Equity Participation Plan and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of 
December 31, 2017:

Plan Category

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders.........

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders...

Total .....................................................................................

Number of securities to be
issued upon exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights (1)

Weighted-average exercise 
price of outstanding options, 
warrants and rights (2)

Number of securities
remaining available for
future issuance under
equity compensation plans
(excluding securities
reflected in first column) (3)

2,185,139

—

2,185,139

$

$

10.66

—

10.66

13,307,915

—

13,307,915

(1)  The number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights includes 840,358 performance-based restricted stock units 
("PSUs"), which is the target number of PSUs that are payable under the Employee Equity Plan, though no shares will be issued until achievement of applicable 
performance goals, and includes 466,579 time-vested restricted stock units ("RSUs") granted under the Employee Equity Plan.

(2)  The weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights does not take into account outstanding PSUs and RSUs granted under the 

Employee Equity Plan.

(3)  Consists of 11,076,430 shares that may be awarded under the Employee Equity Plan, 359,761 shares that may be awarded under the 2011 Directors' Equity 
Participation Plan and 1,871,724 of shares that may be purchased under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Excludes accrued purchase rights under the 
Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of December 31, 2017 as the number of shares to be purchased is indeterminable until the time shares are issued. 

36

Performance Graph 

The following graph shows cumulative total shareholder return (i.e., price change, plus reinvestment of dividends) on the common 
stock of Fulton Financial Corporation during the five-year period ended December 31, 2017, compared with (1) the NASDAQ 
Bank Index and (2) the Standard and Poor's 500 index ("S&P 500"). The graph is not indicative of future price performance.

The graph below is furnished under this Part II, Item 5 of this Form 10-K and shall not be deemed to be "soliciting material" or 
to be "filed" with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act 
of 1934, as amended. 

Fulton Financial Corporation
Total Return Performance

Fulton Financial Corporation

S&P 500

NASDAQ Bank

240

220

200

180

160

140

120

100

e
u
l
a
V
x
e
d
n
I

80
12/31/12

12/31/13

12/31/14

12/31/15

12/31/16

12/31/17

Index
Fulton Financial Corporation..........................
S&P 500..........................................................
NASDAQ Bank Index ....................................

2012
100.00
100.00
100.00

$
$
$

2013
139.83
132.39
136.62

$
$
$

2014
135.84
150.51
152.77

$
$
$

2015
147.31
152.59
156.15

$
$
$

2016
218.78
170.84
197.60

$
$
$

2017
213.66
208.14
233.94

$
$
$

Year Ending December 31

37

 
 
 
Item 6. Selected Financial Data

5-YEAR CONSOLIDATED SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL RESULTS
(dollars in thousands, except per-share data)

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

525,579
234,454
62,701
171,753

SUMMARY OF INCOME
Interest income............................................................. $ 668,866
93,502
Interest expense ...........................................................
575,364
Net interest income ......................................................
23,305
Provision for credit losses............................................
9,071
Investment securities gains, net ...................................
Non-interest income, excluding investment securities
gains.........................................................................
Loss on redemption of trust preferred securities .........
Non-interest expense, excluding loss on redemption

198,903
—

of trust preferred securities ......................................

0.98
0.98
0.47

Income before income taxes ........................................
Income taxes ................................................................
Net income................................................................... $
PER COMMON SHARE
Net income (basic)....................................................... $
Net income (diluted) ....................................................
Cash dividends.............................................................
RATIOS
Return on average assets..............................................
Return on average equity .............................................
Return on average tangible equity (1) ...........................
Net interest margin ......................................................
Efficiency ratio (1) ........................................................
Dividend payout ratio ..................................................
PERIOD-END BALANCES
Total assets................................................................... $ 20,036,905
2,547,956
Investment securities ...................................................
15,768,247
Loans, net of unearned income....................................
15,797,532
Deposits .......................................................................
617,524
Short-term borrowings.................................................
FHLB advances and long-term debt ............................

10.33
3.28
64.5
48.0

Shareholders’ equity ....................................................
AVERAGE BALANCES
Total assets................................................................... $ 19,580,367
2,547,914
Investment securities ...................................................
15,236,612
Loans, net of unearned income....................................
15,481,221
Deposits .......................................................................
533,564
Short-term borrowings.................................................
FHLB advances and long-term debt ............................

1,038,346
2,229,857

Shareholders’ equity ....................................................

1,034,444
2,193,863

0.88%
7.83

$

$

$

$

$

$

603,100
82,328
520,772
13,182
2,550

187,628
—

489,519
208,249
46,624
161,625

0.93
0.93
0.41

0.88%
7.69

10.30
3.18
67.2
44.1

$

$

$

583,789
83,795
499,994
2,250
9,066

172,773
5,626

474,534
199,423
49,921
149,502

0.85
0.85
0.38

0.86%
7.38

10.01
3.21
68.6
44.7

$

$

$

596,078
81,211
514,867
12,500
2,041

165,338
—

459,246
210,500
52,606
157,894

0.85
0.84
0.34

0.93%
7.62

10.31
3.39
65.7
40.5

609,689
82,495
527,194
40,500
8,004

179,660
—

461,433
212,925
51,085
161,840

0.84
0.83
0.32

0.96%
7.88

10.76
3.50
63.4
38.6

$ 18,944,247
2,559,227
14,699,272
15,012,864
541,317

929,403
2,121,115

$ 18,371,173
2,469,564
14,128,064
14,585,545
395,727

959,142
2,100,634

$ 17,914,718
2,484,773
13,838,602
14,132,317
497,663

949,542
2,041,894

$ 17,406,843
2,347,810
13,330,973
13,747,113
323,772

1,023,972
2,026,883

$ 17,124,767
2,323,371
13,111,716
13,367,506
329,719

1,139,413
1,996,665

$ 16,959,507
2,485,292
12,885,180
12,867,663
832,839

965,601
2,071,640

$ 16,934,634
2,568,434
12,782,220
12,491,186
1,258,629

883,584
2,063,187

$ 16,811,337
2,715,546
12,578,524
12,473,184
1,196,323

889,461
2,053,821

(1)  Ratio represents a financial measure derived by methods other than Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). See reconciliation of this non-
GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure under the following heading, "Supplemental Reporting of Non-GAAP Based 
Financial Measures" below.

38

Supplemental Reporting of Non-GAAP Based Financial Measures

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains supplemental financial information, as detailed below, which has been derived by 
methods  other  than  Generally Accepted Accounting  Principles  ("GAAP").  The  Corporation  has  presented  these  non-GAAP 
financial measures because it believes that these measures provide useful and comparative information to assess trends in the 
Corporation's results of operations. Presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is consistent with how the Corporation 
evaluates its performance internally, and these non-GAAP financial measures are frequently used by securities analysts, investors 
and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in the Corporation's industry. Management believes that these non-
GAAP financial measures, in addition to GAAP measures, are also useful to investors to evaluate the Corporation's results. Investors 
should recognize that the Corporation's presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures might not be comparable to similarly-
titled measures of other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for GAAP basis 
measures, and the Corporation strongly encourages a review of its consolidated financial statements in their entirety. Following 
are reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure as of and for the year 
ended December 31:

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

(in thousands, except per share data and percentages)

Return on average tangible equity

Net income ...................................................................... $

171,753

Plus: Intangible amortization, net of tax .........................

—

Numerator .................................................................. $

171,753

$

$

161,625

—

161,625

$

$

149,502

161

149,663

$

$

157,894

818

158,712

$

$

161,840

1,584

163,424

Average common shareholders' equity............................ $ 2,193,863

$ 2,100,634

$ 2,026,883

$ 2,071,640

$ 2,053,821

Less: Average goodwill and intangible assets .................

(531,556)
Average tangible shareholders' equity (denominator) $ 1,662,307

(531,556)

(531,618)

(532,425)

(534,431)

$ 1,569,078

$ 1,495,265

$ 1,539,215

$ 1,519,390

Return on average tangible equity.............................

10.33%

10.30%

10.01%

10.31%

10.76%

Efficiency ratio

Non-interest expense ....................................................... $

525,579

$

489,519

$

480,160

$

459,246

$

461,433

Less: Amortization of tax credit investments..................
Less: Intangible amortization ..........................................

Less: Loss on redemption of trust preferred securities ...

(11,028)

—

—

Numerator .................................................................. $

514,551

Net interest income (fully taxable equivalent) (1) ............ $
Plus: Total Non-interest income......................................

Less: Investment securities gains, net .............................

598,565

207,974

(9,071)

—

—

—

$

$

$

$

489,519

541,271

190,178

(2,550)

—

(247)

(5,626)

474,287

518,464

181,839

(9,066)

$

$

—

(1,259)

—

457,987

532,322

167,379

$

$

—

(2,438)

—

458,995

544,474

187,664

(2,041)

(8,004)

Denominator .............................................................. $

797,468

$

728,899

$

691,237

$

697,660

$

724,134

Efficiency ratio .....................................................

64.5%

67.2%

68.6%

65.6%

63.4%

Non-performing assets to tangible equity and allowance for credit losses

Non-performing assets (numerator) ................................ $

144,582

$

144,453

$

155,913

$

150,504

$

169,329

Tangible equity................................................................ $ 1,698,301

$ 1,589,559

$ 1,510,338

$ 1,464,862

$ 1,530,111

Plus: Allowance for credit losses ....................................
Tangible equity and allowance for credit losses

176,084

171,325

171,412

185,931

204,917

(denominator) .............................................................. $ 1,874,385
Non-performing assets to tangible common

$ 1,760,884

$ 1,681,750

$ 1,650,793

$ 1,735,028

shareholders' equity and allowance for credit
losses ...................................................................

7.71%

8.20%

9.27%

9.12%

9.76%

(1) Presented on a fully taxable equivalent basis, using a 35% Federal tax rate and statutory interest expense disallowances.

39

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("Management’s Discussion") 
relates  to  Fulton  Financial  Corporation  (the  "Corporation"),  a  financial  holding  company  registered  under  the  Bank  Holding 
Company Act and incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1982, and its wholly owned subsidiaries. 
Management’s Discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and other financial information 
presented in this report.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The Corporation has made, and may continue to make, certain forward-looking statements with respect to its financial condition 
and results of operations. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the 
use of words such as "may," "should," "will," "could," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "anticipates," "believes," 
"plans," "expects," "future," "intends" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties, some of 
which are beyond the Corporation's control and ability to predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those 
expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Corporation undertakes no obligation, other than as required by law, to update 
or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Many factors could 
affect future financial results including, without limitation:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 
• 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 
• 

• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 

the impact of adverse conditions in the economy and capital markets on the performance of the Corporation’s loan 
portfolio and demand for the Corporation’s products and services;
increases in non-performing assets, which may require the Corporation to increase the allowance for credit losses, 
charge off loans and incur elevated collection and carrying costs related to such non-performing assets;
investment securities gains and losses, including other-than-temporary declines in the value of securities which may 
result in charges to earnings;
the effects of market interest rates, and the relative balances of interest rate-sensitive assets to interest rate-sensitive 
liabilities, on net interest margin and net interest income;
the effects of changes in interest rates on demand for the Corporation’s products and services;
the effects of changes in interest rates or disruptions in liquidity markets on the Corporation’s sources of funding;
the effects of the extensive level of regulation and supervision to which the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries are 
subject;
the effects of the increasing amounts of time and expense associated with regulatory compliance and risk 
management;
the potential for negative consequences from regulatory violations, investigations and examinations including 
potential supervisory actions and the assessment of fines and penalties;
the additional time, expense and investment required to comply with, and the restrictions on potential growth and 
investment activities resulting from, the existing enforcement orders applicable to the Corporation and three of its 
bank subsidiaries by federal and state bank regulatory agencies requiring improvement in compliance functions and 
other remedial actions, or any future enforcement orders;
the continuing impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on the Corporation's business and results of operations;
the effects of, and uncertainty surrounding, new legislation, changes in regulation and government policy, and changes 
in leadership at the federal banking agencies, which could result in significant changes in banking and financial 
services regulation;
the effects of actions by the federal government, including those of the Federal Reserve Board and other government 
agencies, that impact money supply and market interest rates;
the effects of changes in U.S. federal, state or local tax laws;
the effects of negative publicity on the Corporation’s reputation;
the effects of adverse outcomes in litigation and governmental or administrative proceedings;
the potential to incur losses in connection with repurchase and indemnification payments related to sold loans;
the Corporation's ability to obtain regulatory approvals to consolidate its bank subsidiaries and achieve intended 
reductions in the time, expense and resources associated with regulatory compliance from such consolidations;
the Corporation’s ability to successfully transform its business model;
the Corporation’s ability to achieve its growth plans;
the effects of competition on deposit rates and growth, loan rates and growth and net interest margin;
the Corporation’s ability to manage the level of non-interest expenses, including salaries and employee benefits 
expenses, operating risk losses and goodwill impairment;

40

• 

• 

• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

• 

the effects of changes in accounting policies, standards, and interpretations on the Corporation's financial condition 
and results of operations;
the impact of operational risks, including the risk of human error, inadequate or failed internal processes and systems, 
computer and telecommunications systems failures, faulty or incomplete data and an inadequate risk management 
framework;
the impact of failures of third parties upon which the Corporation relies to perform in accordance with contractual 
arrangements;
the failure or circumvention of the Corporation’s system of internal controls;
the loss of, or failure to safeguard, confidential or proprietary information;
the Corporation’s failure to identify and to address cyber-security risks, including data breaches and cyber attacks;
the Corporation’s ability to keep pace with technological changes; 
the Corporation’s ability to attract and retain talented personnel;
capital and liquidity strategies, including the Corporation’s ability to comply with applicable capital and liquidity 
requirements, and the Corporation’s ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms;
the Corporation’s reliance on its subsidiaries for substantially all of its revenues and its ability to pay dividends or 
other distributions; and
the effects of any downgrade in the Corporation’s credit ratings on its borrowing costs or access to capital markets.

OVERVIEW

The Corporation is a financial holding company comprised of six wholly owned banking subsidiaries which provide a full range 
of retail and commercial financial services in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. The Corporation 
generates the majority of its revenue through net interest income, or the difference between interest earned on loans and investments 
and  interest  paid  on  deposits  and  borrowings.  Growth  in  net  interest  income  is  dependent  upon  balance  sheet  growth  and/or 
maintaining or increasing the net interest margin, which is net interest income (fully taxable-equivalent, or "FTE") as a percentage 
of average interest-earning assets. The Corporation also generates revenue through fees earned on the various services and products 
offered to its customers and through gains on sales of assets, such as loans, investments and properties. Offsetting these revenue 
sources are provisions for credit losses on loans, non-interest expenses and income taxes.

The following table presents a summary of the Corporation’s earnings and selected performance ratios:

2017

Net income (in thousands) .............................................................................................................. $ 171,753
0.98
Diluted net income per share .......................................................................................................... $
0.88%
Return on average assets.................................................................................................................
7.83%
Return on average equity ................................................................................................................
Return on average tangible equity (1) ..............................................................................................
10.33%
Net interest margin (2) .....................................................................................................................
3.28%
Efficiency ratio (1) ...........................................................................................................................
64.5%
0.72%
Non-performing assets to total assets .............................................................................................
0.12%
Annualized net charge-offs to average loans ..................................................................................

$
$

2016
161,625
0.93
0.88%
7.69%
10.30%
3.18%
67.2%
0.76%
0.09%

(1)  Ratio represents a financial measure derived by methods other than Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). See reconciliation of this non-
GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure under the heading, "Supplemental Reporting of Non-GAAP Based Financial 
Measures," in Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

(2)  Presented  on  an  FTE  basis,  using  a  35%  Federal  tax  rate  and  statutory  interest  expense  disallowances.  See  also  the  "Net  Interest  Income"  section  of 

Management’s Discussion.

Following is a summary of the financial highlights for the year ended December 31, 2017:

•  Net  Income  Per  Share  Growth  -  Diluted  net  income  per  share  increased  $0.05,  or  5.4%,  to  $0.98  per  diluted  share, 
compared to $0.93 in 2016. This increase was due to an increase in net income of $10.1 million, or 6.3%, partially offset 
by a $1.5 million, or 0.9%, increase in weighted average diluted shares outstanding in comparison to 2016. The increase 
in net income was driven by a $54.6 million, or 10.5%, increase in net interest income and a $17.8 million, or 9.4%, 
increase in non-interest income, including a $6.5 million increase in investment securities gains, which were offset by a 
$10.1 million increase in the provision for credit losses, a $36.1 million, or 7.4%, increase in non-interest expense and 
a $15.6 million income tax expense charge arising from tax reform legislation enacted late in the fourth quarter, as further 
discussed below.

41

 
•  Net Interest Income Growth - The $54.6 million increase in net interest income resulted from growth in interest-earning 
assets and the impact of a 10 basis point increase in the net interest margin, reflecting the impact of multiple rate increases 
by the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) in 2016 and 2017.

  Net Interest Margin - For the year ended December 31, 2017, the net interest margin increased 10 basis points, 
or 3.1%, in comparison to 2016, driven by a 13 basis point increase in yields on interest-earning assets, partially 
offset by a 3 basis point increase in the cost of funds. 

Loan Growth - Average loans increased $1.1 billion, or 7.8%, in comparison to 2016, with notable increases in 
commercial  and  residential  mortgages,  commercial  -  industrial,  financial  and  agricultural,  and  construction 
loans. The Corporation's loan growth occurred throughout all of its geographic markets.

  Deposit Growth - Average deposits increased $895.7 million, or 6.1%, in comparison to 2016. The increase was 
the  result  of  growth  in  demand  and  savings  accounts,  partially  offset  by  a  decrease  in  time  deposits. At 
December 31, 2017, the loan-to-deposit ratio was to 99.8%, as compared to 97.9% at December 31, 2016.

•  Provision for credit losses - The provision for credit losses increased $10.1 million to $23.3 million for the year ended 
December 31, 2017, primarily driven by growth in the loan portfolio and an increase in the reserve for unfunded lending 
commitments.

•  Non-Interest Income - Non-interest income, excluding securities gains, increased $11.3 million, or 6.0%, in comparison 
to 2016, primarily driven by a $5.1 million net gain recognized on the settlement of litigation, and increases in investment 
management and trust services income, Small Business Administration ("SBA") lending income, debit and credit card 
income and merchant fees.

• 

Investment Securities Gains - Investment securities gains totaled $9.1 million in comparison to $2.6 million in 2016. 
Gains on the sales of financial institution common stocks of $13.6 million were partially offset by approximately $4.5 
million of losses on debt securities sales as a result of repositioning the investment portfolio.

•  Non-Interest Expense - Non-interest expense increased $36.1 million, or 7.4%, in comparison to 2016, driven largely by 
the  amortization  of  tax  credit  investments,  higher  salaries  and  employee  benefits  expense,  state  taxes,  other  outside 
services and the write-off of certain accumulated capital expenditures related to technology initiatives in commercial 
banking.

• 

Income Taxes - Income tax expense for 2017 resulted in an effective tax rate ("ETR") of 26.7%, as compared to 22.4%
for 2016. Included in 2017 income tax expense was a charge of $15.6 million, or 6.7%, of income before income taxes. 
This amount reflects an estimated reduction in the value of the net deferred tax asset as a result of the U.S. corporate 
income tax rate decrease included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Act"). Absent the impact of the rate reduction, 
income tax expense for 2017 would have been approximately $47.1 million, or 20.1%, of income before income taxes. 
The decrease in the ETR, absent the $15.6 million charge, from 2016 to 2017, was related to increases in tax credit 
investments and related net tax credits and the impact of the adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board 
("FASB")  Accounting  Standard  Update  ("ASU")  2016-09,  Improvements  to  Employee  Share-based  Payments 
Accounting, in the first quarter of 2017. See "Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," in the Notes to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of those accounting policies that the Corporation considers to be most important to the presentation 
of its financial condition and results of operations, as they require management’s most difficult judgments as a result of the need 
to make estimates about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain. See additional information regarding these critical 
accounting policies in "Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 
in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Allowance for Credit Losses - The allowance for credit losses consists of the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded 
lending commitments. The allowance for loan losses represents management’s estimate of incurred losses in the loan portfolio as 
of  the  balance  sheet  date  and  is  recorded  as  a  reduction  to  loans. The  reserve  for  unfunded  lending  commitments  represents 
management’s estimate of losses inherent in its unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit and is recorded in other liabilities 
on the consolidated balance sheet. 

42

 
The Corporation’s allowance for loan losses includes: 1) specific allowances allocated to loans evaluated for impairment under 
the  Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board's  Accounting  Standards  Codification  ("FASB  ASC")  Section 310-10-35;  and  2) 
allowances calculated for pools of loans evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Subtopic 450-20.

Management's estimate of incurred losses in the loan portfolio is based on a methodology that includes the following critical 
judgments:

• 

Identification  of  potential  problem  loans  in  a  timely  manner.  For  commercial  loans,  commercial  mortgages  and 
construction loans to commercial borrowers, an internal risk rating process is used. The Corporation believes that internal 
risk ratings are the most relevant credit quality indicator for these types of loans. The migration of loans through the 
various internal risk rating categories is a significant component of the allowance for credit loss methodology for these 
loans, which bases the probability of default on this migration. Assigning risk ratings involves judgment. The Corporation's 
loan review officers provide an independent assessment of risk rating accuracy. Ratings may be changed based on the 
ongoing  monitoring  procedures  performed  by  loan  officers  or  credit  administration  staff,  or  if  specific  loan  review 
assessments identify a deterioration or an improvement in the loan. 

The Corporation does not assign internal risk ratings for residential mortgages, home equity loans, consumer loans, lease 
receivables, and construction loans to individuals secured by residential real estate, as these portfolios consist of a larger 
number  of  loans  with  smaller  balances.  Instead,  these  portfolios  are  evaluated  for  risk  through  the  monitoring  of 
delinquency status.

•  Proper  collateral  valuation  of  impaired  loans  evaluated  for  impairment  under  FASB  ASC  Section 310-10-35.
Substantially all of the Corporation’s impaired loans to borrowers with total outstanding loan balances greater than or 
equal to $1.0 million are measured based on the estimated fair value of each loan’s collateral. Collateral could be in the 
form of real estate, in the case of impaired commercial mortgages and construction loans, or business assets, such as 
accounts receivable or inventory, in the case of commercial loans. Commercial loans may also be secured by real property.

For loans secured by real estate, estimated fair values are determined primarily through appraisals performed by state 
certified  third-party  appraisers,  discounted  to  arrive  at  expected  net  sale  proceeds.  For  collateral-dependent  loans, 
estimated real estate fair values are also net of estimated selling costs. When a real estate secured loan becomes impaired, 
a decision is made regarding whether an updated appraisal of the real estate is necessary. This decision is based on various 
considerations, including: the age of the most recent appraisal; the loan-to-value ratio based on the original appraisal; 
the condition of the property; the Corporation’s experience and knowledge of the real estate market; the purpose of the 
loan; market factors; payment status; the strength of any guarantors; and the existence and age of other indications of 
value such as broker price opinions, among others. The Corporation generally obtains updated appraisals performed by 
state certified third-party appraisers for impaired loans secured predominately by real estate every 12 months.

When updated appraisals are not obtained for loans evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Section 310-10-35 that 
are secured by real estate, fair values are estimated based on the original appraisal values, as long as the original appraisal 
indicated an acceptable loan-to-value position and, in the opinion of the Corporation's internal credit administration staff, 
there has not been a significant deterioration in the collateral value since the original appraisal was performed. Original 
appraisals are typically used only when the estimated collateral value, as adjusted appropriately for the age of the appraisal, 
results in a current loan-to-value ratio that is lower than the Corporation's loan-to-value requirements for new loans, 
generally less than 70%.

•  Proper measurement of allowance needs for pools of loans evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Subtopic 
450-20. For loan loss allocation purposes, loans are segmented into pools with similar characteristics. These pools are 
established by general loan type, or "portfolio segments," as presented in the table under the heading, "Loans, net of 
unearned income," within "Note 4 - Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements  in  Item  8.  "Financial  Statements  and  Supplementary  Data."  Certain  portfolio  segments  are  further 
disaggregated and evaluated collectively for impairment based on "class segments," which are largely based on the type 
of collateral underlying each loan. For commercial loans, class segments include loans secured by collateral and unsecured 
loans. Construction loan class segments include loans secured by commercial real estate, loans to commercial borrowers 
secured by residential real estate and loans to individuals secured by residential real estate. Consumer loan class segments 
are based on collateral types and include direct consumer installment loans and indirect automobile loans.

Commercial loans, commercial mortgages and construction loans to commercial borrowers are further segmented into 
separate pools based on internally assigned risk ratings. Residential mortgages, home equity loans, consumer loans, and 
lease receivables are further segmented into separate pools based on delinquency status. 

43

A loss rate is calculated for each pool through a migration analysis based on historical losses as loans migrate through 
the various risk rating or delinquency categories. Estimated loss rates are based on a probability of default and a loss 
given default. The loss rate is adjusted to consider qualitative factors, such as economic conditions and trends.

•  Overall assessment of the risk profile of the loan portfolio. The allocation of the allowance for credit losses is reviewed 
to evaluate its appropriateness in relation to the overall risk profile of the loan portfolio. The Corporation considers risk 
factors such as: local and national economic conditions; trends in delinquencies and non-accrual loans; the diversity of 
borrower industry types; and the composition of the portfolio by loan type. Prior to 2017, the Corporation maintained an 
unallocated allowance for credit losses for factors and conditions that exist at the balance sheet date, but are not specifically 
identifiable, and to recognize the inherent imprecision in estimating and measuring loss exposure. In 2017, enhancements 
were made to allow for the impact of these factors and conditions to be quantified in the allowance allocation process. 
Accordingly, an unallocated allowance for credit losses is no longer necessary.

For additional details related to the allowance for credit losses, see "Note 4 - Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses," in the Notes 
to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Goodwill - Goodwill recorded in connection with acquisitions is not amortized to expense, but is tested at least annually for 
impairment. A quantitative annual impairment test is not required if, based on a qualitative analysis, the Corporation determines 
that the existence of events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that goodwill is not impaired. The Corporation 
completes its annual goodwill impairment test as of October 31st of each year. The Corporation tests for impairment by first 
allocating its goodwill and other assets and liabilities, as necessary, to defined reporting units. A fair value is then determined for 
each reporting unit. If the fair values of the reporting units exceed their book values, no write-down of the recorded goodwill 
through an impairment charge to non-interest expense is necessary. If the fair values are less than the book values, an additional 
valuation procedure is necessary to assess the proper carrying value of the goodwill. 

Reporting unit valuation is inherently subjective, with a number of factors based on assumptions and management judgments. 
Among  these  are  future  growth  rates  for  the  reporting  units,  selection  of  comparable  market  transactions,  discount  rates  and 
earnings capitalization rates. Changes in assumptions and results due to economic conditions, industry factors and reporting unit 
performance and cash flow projections could result in different assessments of the fair values of reporting units and could result 
in impairment charges.

For additional details related to the annual goodwill impairment test, see "Note 6 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets," in the Notes 
to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Income Taxes – The provision for income taxes is based upon income before income taxes, adjusted for the effect of certain tax-
exempt income, non-deductible expenses and credits. In addition, certain items of income and expense are reported in different 
periods for financial reporting and tax return purposes. The tax effects of these temporary differences are recognized currently in 
the deferred income tax provision or benefit. Deferred tax assets or liabilities are computed based on the difference between the 
financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities using the applicable enacted marginal tax rate.

The Corporation must also evaluate the likelihood that deferred tax assets will be recovered through future taxable income. If any 
such assets are more likely than not to not be recovered, a valuation allowance must be recognized. The assessment of the carrying 
value of deferred tax assets is based on certain assumptions, changes in which could have a material impact on the Corporation’s 
consolidated financial statements.

On a periodic basis, the Corporation evaluates its income tax positions based on tax laws, regulations and financial reporting 
considerations, and records adjustments as appropriate. Recognition and measurement of tax positions is based upon management’s 
evaluations  of  current  taxing  authorities’  examinations  of  the  Corporation’s  tax  returns,  recent  positions  taken  by  the  taxing 
authorities on similar transactions and the overall tax environment. 

Fair Value Measurements – FASB ASC Topic 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy for the inputs to valuation techniques used to 
measure assets and liabilities at fair value based on the following three categories (from highest to lowest priority):

•  Level 1 – Inputs that represent quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

•  Level 2 – Inputs that represent quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, or quoted prices for identical 
instruments  in  non-active  markets.  Also  includes  valuation  techniques  whose  inputs  are  derived  principally  from 
observable market data other than quoted prices, such as interest rates or other market-corroborated means.

•  Level 3 – Inputs that are largely unobservable, as little or no market data exists for the instrument being valued.

44

The Corporation has categorized all assets and liabilities measured at fair value either on a recurring or nonrecurring basis into 
the above three levels. 

The determination of fair value for assets categorized as Level 3 items involves a great deal of subjectivity due to the use of 
unobservable inputs. In addition, determining when a market is no longer active and placing little or no reliance on distressed 
market prices requires the use of management’s judgment. The Corporation's Level 3 assets include available for sale debt securities 
in the form of pooled trust preferred securities, certain single-issuer trust preferred securities issued by financial institutions and 
auction rate securities. The Corporation also categorizes impaired loans, net of allowance allocations, other real estate owned 
("OREO") and mortgage servicing rights ("MSRs") as Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. 

The Corporation engages third-party valuation experts to assist in valuing interest rate swap derivatives and most available-for-
sale investment securities, both measured at fair value on a recurring basis, and MSRs, which are measured at fair value on a non-
recurring basis. The pricing data and market quotes the Corporation obtains from outside sources are reviewed internally for 
reasonableness. 

For additional details see "Note 18 - Fair Value Measurements," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. 
"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for the disclosures required by FASB ASC Topic 820.

New Accounting Standards

For a description of new accounting standards issued, but not yet adopted by the Corporation, see "New Accounting Standards," 
in "Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial 
Statements and Supplementary Data."

45

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is the most significant component of the Corporation’s net income. The Corporation manages the risk associated 
with changes in interest rates through the techniques described within Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About 
Market Risk." 

The following table provides a comparative average balance sheet and net interest income analysis for 2017 compared to 2016
and 2015. Interest income and yields are presented on an FTE basis, using a 35% federal tax rate and statutory interest expense 
disallowances. The discussion following this table is based on these tax-equivalent amounts.

2017

2016

2015

Average
Balance

Interest (1)

Yield/
Rate

Average
Balance

Interest (1)

Yield/
Rate

Average
Balance

Interest (1)

Yield/
Rate

(dollars in thousands)

ASSETS

Interest-earning assets:

$

620,803

4.07% $14,128,064

$ 558,472

3.95% $13,330,973

$ 537,979

4.04%

Loans, net of unearned income (2)....... $15,236,612
Taxable investment securities (3).........
2,132,426
Tax-exempt investment securities (3) ..
Equity securities (3) .............................

407,157

8,331

Total investment securities ....................

2,547,914

Loans held for sale .............................

Other interest-earning assets ..............

20,008

451,015

47,029

17,794

500

65,323

876

5,066

Total interest-earning assets ..................

18,255,549

692,068

Noninterest-earning assets:

Cash and due from banks ...................

Premises and equipment.....................
Other assets (3).....................................

Less: Allowance for loan losses .........

108,523

219,960

1,168,759

(172,424)

Total Assets................................... $19,580,367

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Interest-bearing liabilities:

Demand deposits ................................ $ 3,831,865
Savings deposits .................................

4,468,205

Brokered deposits ...............................

49,126

Time deposits......................................

2,721,724

Total interest-bearing deposits...............

11,070,920

Short-term borrowings .......................

Long-term debt ...................................

533,564

1,034,444

Total interest-bearing liabilities.......

12,638,928

Noninterest-bearing liabilities:

Demand deposits ................................

Other...................................................

4,410,301

337,275

Total Liabilities...................................

17,386,504

Shareholders’ equity ..............................

2,193,863

Total Liabilities and Shareholders'

Equity.......................................... $19,580,367

Net interest income/net interest margin
(FTE).................................................
Tax equivalent adjustment.....................

Net interest income................................

2.21

4.37

6.00

2.56

4.38

1.12

3.79

2,128,497

327,098

13,969

2,469,564

19,697

407,471

44,975

14,865

780

60,620

728

3,779

17,024,796

623,599

2.11

4.54

5.58

2.45

3.70

0.93

3.66

2,093,829

230,633

23,348

2,347,810

19,937

447,354

45,279

12,120

1,295

58,694

801

4,785

16,146,074

602,259

2.16

5.26

5.54

2.50

4.02

1.07

3.73

104,772

227,047

1,179,437

(164,879)

$18,371,173

105,359

226,436

1,103,427

(174,453)

$17,406,843

$

12,976

0.34% $ 3,552,886

$

13,477

613

30,726

57,792

2,779

32,932

93,503

0.30

1.25

1.13

0.52

0.52

3.18

0.74

4,054,970

—

2,825,722

10,433,578

395,727

959,142

11,788,447

4,151,967

330,125

16,270,539

2,100,634

$18,371,173

4,299

5,435

—

30,748

40,482

372

42,941

83,795

0.13%

0.15

—

1.03

0.41

0.11

4.19

0.74

6,654

7,981

—

30,058

44,693

855

36,780

82,328

0.19% $ 3,255,192

$

0.20

—

1.06

0.43

0.21

3.83

0.70

3,677,079

—

2,988,648

9,920,919

323,772

1,023,972

11,268,663

3,826,194

285,103

15,379,960

2,026,883

$17,406,843

598,565

3.28%

541,271

3.18%

518,464

3.21%

(23,201)

$

575,364

(20,499)

$ 520,772

(18,470)

$ 499,994

Includes dividends earned on equity securities.
Includes non-performing loans.
Includes amortized historical cost for available for sale securities; the related unrealized holding gains (losses) are included in other assets.

(1) 
(2) 
(3) 
Note:  The weighted average interest rate on total average interest-bearing liabilities and average non-interest bearing demand deposits (“cost of funds”) was 0.55%, 0.52% and 0.56% 
for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 respectively.

46

 
The following table summarizes the changes in FTE interest income and expense resulting from changes in average balances 
(volumes) and changes in rates:

2017 vs. 2016                                            

2016 vs. 2015                                      

Increase (decrease) due to change in
Rate

Volume

Net

Increase (decrease) due to change in
Rate
Volume

Net

Interest income on:

Loans and leases...................................... $
Taxable investment securities .................
Tax-exempt investment securities...........
Equity securities ......................................
Loans held for sale ..................................
Other interest-earning assets ...................

Total interest income........................ $

Interest expense on:

Demand deposits ..................................... $
Savings deposits ......................................
Brokered deposits....................................
Time deposits ..........................................
Short-term borrowings ............................
Long-term debt........................................

$

$

$

44,822
83
3,268
(309)
12
433
48,309

562
884
613
(781)
379
1,732

Total interest expense....................... $

3,389

$

(in thousands)

17,509
1,971
(339)
29
136
854
20,160

5,760
4,612
—
1,449
1,545
(5,580)
7,786

$

$

$

$

62,331
2,054
2,929
(280)
148
1,287
68,469

6,322
5,496
613
668
1,924
(3,848)
11,175

$

$

$

$

31,676
743
4,551
(524)
(10)
(404)
36,032

$ (11,183) $
(1,047)
(1,806)
10
(63)
(603)

$ (14,692) $

$

423
603
—
(1,711)
106
(2,620)
(3,199) $

1,932
1,943
—
1,021
377
(3,541)
1,732

$

$

20,493
(304)
2,745
(514)
(73)
(1,007)
21,340

2,355
2,546
—
(690)
483
(6,161)
(1,467)

Note: Changes which are partially attributable to both volume and rate are allocated to the volume and rate components presented above based on the percentage 

of the direct changes that are attributable to each component.

Comparison of 2017 to 2016

FTE net interest income increased $57.3 million, or 10.6%, to $598.6 million in 2017. Net interest margin increased 10 basis points 
to 3.28% in 2017 from 3.18% in 2016.

As summarized above, FTE interest income increased $48.3 million as the result of a $1.2 billion, or 7.2%, increase in average 
interest-earning assets, primarily loans. The 13 basis point increase in the yield on interest-earning assets resulted in a $20.2 million
increase in FTE interest income. The yield on the loan portfolio increased 12 basis points, to 4.07%, largely due to the 25 basis 
point increases in the federal funds rate that occurred in each of December 2016 and March and June 2017.

Interest expense increased $11.2 million, with a 4 basis point increase in the rate on average interest-bearing liabilities, contributing 
$7.8 million, to this increase. The increase in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities reflects a 9 basis point increase in the cost of 
interest-bearing deposits primarily due to promotional campaigns and increasing interest rates for deposit balances for which the 
interest rate is linked to an index, which was partially offset by lower long-term borrowing costs due to debt refinancings in 2017 
and prior years. In addition, the $850.5 million, or 7.2%, increase in average interest-bearing liabilities accounted for $3.4 million
of the increase in interest expense.

47

 
 
 
Average loans and average FTE yields, by type, are summarized in the following table: 

2017

2016

Balance

Yield

Balance

Yield
(dollars in thousands)

Increase (Decrease) in
Balance

$

%

Real estate - commercial mortgage ......................... $ 6,161,731
4,236,810
Commercial - industrial, financial and agricultural.
1,779,270
Real estate - residential mortgage............................
1,582,705
Real estate - home equity ........................................
921,879
Real estate - construction.........................................
304,162
Consumer.................................................................
250,055
Leasing and other ....................................................
Total.................................................................. $ 15,236,612

4.04% $ 5,636,696
4.01
4,080,854
3.80
1,464,744
4.38
1,651,112
4.08
824,182
4.99
276,792
5.10
193,684
4.07% $14,128,064

3.98% $ 525,035
155,956
3.78
314,526
3.77
(68,407)
4.08
97,697
3.79
27,370
5.36
5.83
56,371
3.95% $1,108,548

9.3%
3.8
21.5
(4.1)
11.9
9.9
29.1

7.8%

Average loans increased $1.1 billion, or 7.8%, which contributed $44.8 million to the increase in FTE interest income. In addition, 
the average yield on the loan portfolio increased 12 basis points, contributing $17.5 million to the increase in FTE interest income. 
The increase in average yields on loans was driven by the repricing of existing variable and adjustable rate loans as a result of 
increases in the prime rate and the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), which are the indexes used to determine the interest 
rates on many of the loans in the Corporation's portfolio.

The increase in average loans resulted from growth in the commercial mortgage and residential mortgage portfolios, as well as 
the commercial loan, construction and leasing portfolios. The $525.0 million, or 9.3%, growth in commercial mortgages occurred 
in both owner-occupied and investment property types and was realized in all geographic markets, but largely in Pennsylvania.
The $314.5 million, or 21.5%, increase in residential mortgages was also realized across all geographic markets, with the most 
significant increases occurring in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. This growth was, in part, related to new product offerings 
and marketing efforts focused on specific customer segments, including loans to low- to moderate-income and minority borrowers, 
and loans to borrowers located in low- to moderate-income and majority-minority geographies. The $156.0 million, or 3.8%, 
increase in commercial loans was spread across a broad range of industries and concentrated in Pennsylvania. 

Average investment securities increased $78.4 million, or 3.2%, in comparison to 2016, which contributed $3.0 million to the 
increase in FTE interest income. The average yield on investment securities increased 11 basis points, contributing $1.7 million 
to the increase in FTE interest income. Other interest-earning assets increased $43.5 million, or 10.7%, and the yield increased 19
basis points in comparison to 2016. Combined, these increases contributed $1.3 million to the increase FTE interest income.

Interest-bearing deposits contributed $13.1 million to the increase in interest expense, increasing $637.3 million, or 6.1%, in 
comparison to 2016 showing a 15 and 10 basis point increase, respectively, in the rate on average interest-bearing demand and 
savings deposits. These increases contributed $6.3 million and $5.5 million, respectively, to the increase in interest expense.

The average cost of interest-bearing deposits increased 9 basis points to 0.52% in 2017 from 0.43% in 2016, due to increases in 
the rates on all types of interest-bearing deposits. 

48

 
 
 
Average deposits and interest rates, by type, are summarized in the following table:

2017

2016

Balance

Rate

Balance

Rate
(dollars in thousands)

Increase (Decrease) in
Balance

$

%

Noninterest-bearing demand ............................... $ 4,410,301
3,831,865
Interest-bearing demand......................................
4,468,205
Savings and money market accounts ..................
12,710,371
Total demand and savings............................
49,126
Brokered deposits................................................
2,721,724
Time deposits ......................................................
Total deposits ............................................... $ 15,481,221

—% $ 4,151,967
0.34
3,552,886
0.30
4,054,970
0.12
11,759,823
1.25
—
1.13
2,825,722
0.37% $14,585,545

—% $ 258,334
278,979
0.19
413,235
0.20
950,548
0.12
49,126
—
(103,998)
1.06
0.31% $ 895,676

6.2%
7.9
10.2
8.1
N/M
(3.7)
6.1%

N/M - Not meaningful

The $950.5 million, or 8.1%, increase in average total demand and savings account balances was primarily due to a $549.9 million, 
or 10.1%, increase in personal account balances, a $242.8 million, or 5.7%, increase in business account balances, and a $147.7 
million, or 7.4%, increase in state and municipal account balances.

During the third quarter of 2017, the Corporation began accepting deposits under an agreement with a non-bank third party pursuant 
to which excess cash in the accounts of customers of the third party is swept on a collective basis, as frequently as every business 
day, by the third party, into omnibus deposit accounts maintained by one of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks. Under the agreement 
with the third party, generally, no more than $100 million of excess cash in accounts of customers of the third party may be swept 
into the omnibus deposit accounts. The average balance in the omnibus accounts was $49.1 million in 2017 and is shown as 
“brokered deposits” in the above table. This source of customer funding is considered to be both geographically diverse and 
relatively stable, with balances in the omnibus deposit accounts bearing interest at a rate based on the federal funds rate.

Total average short-term borrowings and long-term debt increased $213.1 million, or 15.7%, while the total average cost of these 
funds decreased 50 basis points to 2.28%. The net effect of these offsetting changes was a $1.9 million decrease in interest expense. 
The increase in average balances reflects the need for additional funding to support average loan growth as increases in average 
deposits were somewhat lower.

Average borrowings and interest rates, by type, are summarized in the following table:

2017

2016

Balance

Rate

Balance

Rate
(dollars in thousands)

Increase in Balance

$

%

Short-term borrowings:

Customer repurchase agreements................ $
Customer short-term promissory notes .......
Total short-term customer funding.......
Federal funds purchased..............................
Short-term FHLB advances (1) ....................
Total short-term borrowings ................

188,769
108,649
297,418
163,102
73,044
533,564

0.12% $
0.31
0.19
0.92
0.94
0.52

184,978
72,224
257,202
127,604
10,921
395,727

0.11% $
0.03
0.09
0.45
0.43
0.21

3,791
36,425
40,216
35,498
62,123
137,837

Long-term debt:

FHLB Advances..........................................
Other long-term debt ...................................
Total long-term debt.............................

640,737
393,707
1,034,444
Total..................................... $ 1,568,008

2.31
597,211
4.61
361,931
3.18
959,142
2.28% $ 1,354,869

43,526
3.12
31,776
5.01
75,302
3.83
2.78% $ 213,139

2.0%
50.4
15.6
27.8
N/M
34.8

7.3
8.8
7.9
15.7%

N/M - Not meaningful
(1) Represents FHLB advances with an original maturity term of less than one year.

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
Total average short-term borrowings increased $137.8 million, or 34.8%, due to an increase in average short-term FHLB advances, 
customer short-term promissory notes and federal funds purchased. The cost of average short-term borrowings increased 31 basis 
points to 0.52% in 2017, largely due to the FRB rate increases.

Average other long-term debt increased $31.8 million due mainly to the issuance of $125.0 million of senior notes in March 2017, 
partially offset by the repayment of $100.0 million of 10-year subordinated notes, which matured on May 1, 2017. The 65 basis 
point, or 17.0%, decrease in the average rate on long-term debt was the result of the interest rate differential on the senior notes 
and subordinated notes, and $200 million of FHLB advances that were refinanced in December of 2016, which reduced the weighted 
average rate on these advances from 4.03% to 2.40%.

Comparison of 2016 to 2015 

FTE net interest income increased $22.8 million, or 4.4%, to $541.3 million in 2016. Net interest margin decreased 3 basis points, 
to 3.18% in 2016 from 3.21% in 2015. 

As summarized above, FTE interest income increased $36.0 million as the result of an $878.7 million, or 5.4%, increase in average 
interest-earning assets. This increase was partially offset by a $14.7 million decrease resulting from a 7 basis point decline in 
average yields on interest earning assets.

Average loans and average FTE yields, by type, are summarized in the following table:

2016

2015

Balance

Yield

Balance

Yield
(dollars in thousands)

Increase (Decrease) in
Balance

$

%

Real estate - commercial mortgage ......................... $ 5,636,696
4,080,854
Commercial - industrial, financial and agricultural.
1,651,112
Real estate - home equity ........................................
1,464,744
Real estate - residential mortgage............................
824,182
Real estate - construction.........................................
276,792
Consumer.................................................................
193,684
Leasing and other ....................................................
Total.................................................................. $ 14,128,064

3.98% $ 5,246,054
3.78
3,882,998
4.08
1,700,851
3.77
1,371,321
3.79
726,914
5.36
265,688
5.83
137,147
3.95% $ 13,330,973

4.13% $ 390,642
197,856
3.80
(49,739)
4.10
93,423
3.81
97,268
3.88
11,104
5.57
6.76
56,537
4.04% $ 797,091

7.4%
5.1
(2.9)
6.8
13.4
4.2
41.2
6.0%

Average loans increased $797.1 million, or 6.0%, which contributed $31.7 million to the increase in FTE interest income. This 
increase was partially offset by an $11.2 million decrease in FTE interest income as a result of a 9 basis point decline in the average 
yield on the loan portfolio. The increase in average loans was driven largely by growth in the commercial mortgage, commercial 
loan, construction, residential mortgage and leasing portfolios. The commercial mortgage growth was realized in all geographic 
markets, but largely in Pennsylvania. The decrease in average yields on loans was attributable to repayments of higher-yielding 
loans, refinancing activity at lower rates, and new loan production at rates lower than the overall portfolio yield.

Average investment securities increased $121.8 million, or 5.2%, in comparison to 2015. The average yield on investment securities 
decreased 5 basis points to 2.45% in 2016 from 2.50% in 2015. Other interest earning assets decreased $39.9 million, or 8.9%. 

Interest expense decreased $1.5 million, or 1.8%, to $82.3 million in 2016 from $83.8 million in 2015, despite an increase in total 
average interest-bearing liabilities of $519.8 million, or 4.6%, compared to 2015. The impact of the increase in average balances 
of interest-bearing liabilities was more than offset by a 4 basis point decrease in the average cost of these interest-bearing liabilities. 
This decrease resulted from a shift in funding mix that was more concentrated in lower-cost deposits and short-term borrowings, 
as well as the impact of long-term debt refinancing activities.

50

 
 
 
Average deposits and interest rates, by type, are summarized in the following table:

2016

2015

Balance

Rate

Balance

Rate
(dollars in thousands)

Increase (Decrease) in
Balance

$

%

Noninterest-bearing demand ............................... $ 4,151,967
3,552,886
Interest-bearing demand ......................................
4,054,970
Savings and money market accounts...................
11,759,823
Total demand and savings ............................
2,825,722
Time deposits.......................................................
Total deposits................................................ $ 14,585,545

—% $ 3,826,194
0.19
3,255,192
0.20
3,677,079
0.12
10,758,465
2,988,648
1.06
0.31% $13,747,113

—% $ 325,773
0.13
297,694
0.15
377,891
0.09
1,001,358
(162,926)
1.03
0.29% $ 838,432

8.5%
9.1
10.3
9.3
(5.5)
6.1%

The $1.0 billion, or 9.3%, increase in average total demand and savings account balances was primarily due to a $500.8 million, 
or 10.1%, increase in personal account balances, a $342.1 million, or 8.7%, increase in business account balances, and a $159.4 
million, or 8.6%, increase in state and municipal account balances.

The average cost of interest-bearing deposits increased 2 basis points to 0.43% in 2016 from 0.41% in 2015, primarily due to an 
increase in the rates on all interest-bearing deposits. 

Average borrowings and interest rates, by type, are summarized in the following table:

2016

2015

Balance

Rate

Balance

Rate
(dollars in thousands)

Increase (Decrease) in
Balance

$

%

Short-term borrowings:

Customer repurchase agreements.................. $
Customer short-term promissory notes .........
Total short-term customer funding.........
Federal funds purchased................................
Short-term FHLB advances (1) ......................
Total short-term borrowings ..................

184,978
72,224
257,202
127,604
10,921
395,727

0.11% $
0.03
0.09
0.45
0.43
0.21

161,093
81,530
242,623
65,779
15,370
323,772

0.10% $
0.02
0.07
0.21
0.33
0.11

23,885
(9,306)
14,579
61,825
(4,449)
71,955

Long-term debt:

FHLB Advances............................................
Other long-term debt .....................................
Total long-term debt...............................

597,211
361,931
959,142
Total....................................... $ 1,354,869

622,978
3.12
400,994
5.01
3.83
1,023,972
2.78% $ 1,347,744

3.43
5.38
4.19
3.21% $

(25,767)
(39,063)
(64,830)
7,125

14.8%
(11.4)
6.0
94.0
(28.9)
22.2

(4.1)
(9.7)
(6.3)
0.5%

(1) Represents FHLB advances with an original maturity term of less than one year.

Total average short-term borrowings increased $72.0 million, or 22.2%, primarily due to an increase in Federal funds purchased. 
Total long-term debt decreased $64.8 million as the result of maturing FHLB advances and the maturity of $100.0 million of 
subordinated debt in April 2015. 

The cost of average short-term borrowings increased 10 basis points, to 0.21% in 2016, largely due to the FRB increasing the 
federal funds interest rate by 25 basis points in December 2015. The cost of average long-term debt decreased 36 basis points, to 
3.83% in 2016, as the result of certain refinancing activities for FHLB advances and other long-term debt.

In June 2015, the Corporation issued $150 million of subordinated debt at an effective rate of 4.69%. The proceeds of this issuance 
were used to redeem $150 million of trust preferred securities, with an effective rate of 6.52%, in July 2015.

In the third quarter of 2015, the Corporation executed two transactions to restructure its long-term FHLB advances. First, $200 
million of FHLB advances, with a weighted average rate of 4.45% which matured in the first quarter of 2017, were refinanced 
with new advances maturing from September 2019 to December 2020, at a weighted average rate of 2.95%. This transaction 
reduced interest expense on a quarterly basis by approximately $750,000, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2015. Second, forward 

51

 
 
 
 
 
 
agreements were executed to refinance an additional $200 million of FHLB advances which matured in December 2016. These 
new advances have maturity dates from March 2021 to December 2021 and will reduce the weighted average rate on these advances 
from 4.03% to 2.40% and decreased interest expense on a quarterly basis by approximately $800,000 beginning in the first quarter 
of 2017.

Provision for Credit Losses

The provision for credit losses was $23.3 million in 2017, an increase of $10.1 million in comparison to 2016. The provision for 
credit losses for 2016 was $13.2 million, an increase of $10.9 million in comparison to 2015. The increase in the provision for 
credit losses was primarily driven by loan growth and a $3.5 million increase in loss allocations for off balance sheet exposures. 

The provision for credit losses is recognized as an expense in the consolidated statements of income and is the amount necessary 
to adjust the allowance for credit losses to its appropriate balance, as determined through the Corporation's allowance methodology. 
The Corporation determines the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses based on many quantitative and qualitative 
factors, including, but not limited to: the size and composition of the loan portfolio, changes in risk ratings, changes in collateral 
values,  delinquency  levels,  historical  losses  and  economic  conditions.  See  further  discussion  of  the  Corporation's  allowance 
methodology  under  the  heading  "Critical Accounting  Policies"  above.  For  details  related  to  the  Corporation's  allowance  and 
provision for credit losses, see "Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses," under "Financial Condition" below.

52

Non-Interest Income and Expense

Comparison of 2017 to 2016 

Non-Interest Income

The following table presents the components of non-interest income for 2017 and 2016:

Other service charges and fees:

Merchant fees ..........................................................................
Debit card income....................................................................
Commercial loan interest rate swap fees .................................
Letter of credit fees..................................................................
Foreign exchange income........................................................
Other ........................................................................................
Total other service charges and fees ................................

Service charges on deposit accounts:

Overdraft fees .......................................................................... $
Cash management fees ............................................................
Other ........................................................................................
Total service charges on deposit accounts .......................
Investment management and trust services ..................................
Mortgage banking income:

Gain on sales of mortgage loans..............................................
Mortgage servicing income .....................................................
Total mortgage banking income.......................................

Other non-interest income:

Credit card income ..................................................................
SBA lending income................................................................
Other income ...........................................................................
Total other income............................................................
Total, excluding investment securities gains ....................
Investment securities gains...........................................................

Total........................................................................... $

N/M - Not meaningful

2017

16,845
11,905
11,694
4,403
1,759
6,253
52,859

22,569
14,444
13,993
51,006
49,249

13,036
6,892
19,928

10,920
3,511
11,430
25,861
198,903
9,071
207,974

$

$

Increase (Decrease)
%

2016
(dollars in thousands)

$

16,136
11,236
11,560
4,504
1,555
6,482
51,473

22,175
14,183
14,988
51,346
45,270

15,685
3,730
19,415

10,252
2,425
7,447
20,124
187,628
2,550
190,178

$

$

709
669
134
(101)
204
(229)
1,386

394
261
(995)
(340)
3,979

(2,649)
3,162
513

668
1,086
3,983
5,737
11,275
6,521
17,796

4.4
6.0
1.2
(2.2)
13.1
(3.5)
2.7

1.8%
1.8
(6.6)
(0.7)
8.8

(16.9)
84.8
2.6

6.5
N/M
53.5
28.5
6.0
N/M
9.4%

Excluding investment securities gains, non-interest income increased $11.3 million, or 6.0%, for the year ended December 31, 
2017, as compared to the same period in 2016. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the Corporation recognized a net gain of $5.1 million 
upon the settlement of litigation, included in other income in the table above. Excluding this settlement, non-interest income 
increased $6.2 million, or 3.3%, in 2017.

Other service charges and fees increased $1.4 million, or 2.7%, mainly due to increases in merchant fees and debit card income, 
as transaction volumes increased.

Investment management and trust services income increased $4.0 million, or 8.8%, with growth in both trust and brokerage income, 
due to overall market performance and an increase in assets under management to $7.1 billion at December 31, 2017, compared 
to $6.2 billion at December 31, 2016.

Gains on sales of mortgage loans decreased $2.6 million, or 16.9%, compared to the same period in 2016, as both volumes and 
pricing spreads decreased. Mortgage servicing income increased $3.2 million compared to the same period in 2016 due mainly to 
a $1.3 million reduction to the MSR valuation allowance in 2017, as compared to net increases to the valuation allowance of $1.3 
million in 2016, recorded as reductions to servicing income. Excluding the impact of the MSR valuation allowance adjustments 

53

 
 
 
 
 
in both periods, mortgage servicing income increased $560,000, or 11.1%, reflecting lower MSR amortization due to slowing 
prepayments. For more information, see Note 7, "Mortgage Servicing Rights," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 
in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Investment securities gains totaled $9.1 million, in comparison to $2.6 million in 2016, as the Corporation recognized gains on 
the sales of financial institution common stocks. These gains were partially offset by approximately $4.5 million of pre-tax net 
losses as result of the Corporation repositioning its investment portfolio through the sale of certain debt securities during 2017. 
See Note 4, "Investment Securities," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and 
Supplementary Data" for additional details.

Non-Interest Expense

The following table presents the components of non-interest expense for 2017 and 2016:

2017

2016
(dollars in thousands)

$

Increase

%

Salaries and employee benefits..................................................... $
Net occupancy expense.................................................................
Data processing and software .......................................................
Other outside services...................................................................
Equipment expense.......................................................................
Professional fees ...........................................................................
FDIC insurance.............................................................................
Amortization of tax credit investments.........................................
State taxes .....................................................................................
Marketing......................................................................................
Operating risk loss ........................................................................
Other .............................................................................................

Total ....................................................................................... $

290,130
49,708
38,735
27,501
12,935
12,688
11,049
11,028
10,051
8,034
4,342
49,378
525,579

$

$

283,353
47,611
36,919
23,883
12,788
11,004
9,767
—
6,405
7,044
2,815
47,930
489,519

$

$

6,777
2,097
1,816
3,618
147
1,684
1,282
11,028
3,646
990
1,527
1,448
36,060

2.4%
4.4
4.9
15.1
1.1
15.3
13.1
N/M
56.9
14.1
54.2
3.0
7.4%

N/M - Not meaningful

The $6.8 million, or 2.4%, increase in salaries and employee benefits during the year ended December 31, 2017, in comparison 
to the same period during 2016, primarily resulted from a $7.5 million, or 3.2%, increase in salaries, resulting from annual merit 
increases and an increase in staffing levels. The average number of full-time equivalent employees increased 2.3%, to 3,569, in 
2017, as compared to 3,490 in 2016. These increases were partially offset by decreases in incentive compensation.

The $2.1 million, or 4.4%, increase in net occupancy expense was primarily driven by increases in rent expense, property tax 
expense and other occupancy expenses.

The $1.8 million, or 4.9%, increase in data processing and software resulted from higher transaction volumes, contractual increases 
in third-party service provider costs and the implementation of additional systems.

Other outside services increased $3.6 million, or 15.1%, largely due to consulting services related to pre-bank consolidation efforts, 
technology initiatives and continued investments in commercial banking technology initiatives.

Professional fees consist of legal and audit fees.  Increases were realized mainly in legal fees in 2017 as a result of various legal 
proceedings, including those discussed in Note 17 "Commitments and Contingencies" in the Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

FDIC insurance expense increased $1.3 million, or 13.1%, reflecting the Corporation's largest banking subsidiary exceeding $10 
billion in assets and becoming subject to the higher premium assessments applicable to institutions of that size, and balance sheet 
growth.

As a result of changes in the types of tax credit investments and related accounting requirements, amortization expense for certain 
types of tax credit investments, totaling $11.0 million, is now classified in non-interest expense, rather than income taxes.

54

 
 
 
 
 
State taxes increased $3.6 million, or 56.9%, due to legislated increases in the Pennsylvania bank shares tax rate and certain sales 
tax liabilities. 

Marketing expense increased $990,000, or 14.1%, compared to the same period in 2016, due to an increase in the number of 
marketing promotions. In 2017, many of these promotions were focused on deposit generation.

The $1.4 million increase in other expense was primarily driven by the $3.4 million write-off of certain accumulated capital 
expenditures related to in-process technology initiatives in commercial banking due to a strategic shift to an alternative solution. 
This compares to $1.8 million of property write-downs in 2016 related to a branch closure and the reconfiguration of a building 
as part of a long-term facilities plan.

Comparison of 2016 to 2015 

Non-Interest Income

The following table presents the components of non-interest income:

Other service charges and fees:

Merchant fees ..........................................................................
Commercial loan interest rate swap fees.................................
Debit card income ...................................................................
Letter of credit fees .................................................................
Foreign currency processing income ......................................
Other........................................................................................
Total other service charges and fees ...............................

Service charges on deposit accounts:

Overdraft fees.......................................................................... $
Cash management fees............................................................
Other........................................................................................
Total service charges on deposit accounts.......................
Investment management and trust services..................................
Mortgage banking income:

Gain on sales of mortgage loans .............................................
Mortgage servicing income.....................................................
Total mortgage banking income.......................................

Other non-interest income:
Credit card income.......................................................................
SBA lending income ....................................................................
Other income................................................................................
Total other income ...........................................................
Total, excluding investment securities gains....................
Investment securities gains ..........................................................

Total............................................................................. $

N/M - Not meaningful

2016

16,136
11,560
11,236
4,504
1,555
6,482
51,473

22,175
14,183
14,988
51,346
45,270

15,685
3,730
19,415

10,252
2,425
7,447
20,124
187,628
2,550
190,178

$

$

Increase (Decrease)
%

2015
(dollars in thousands)

$

15,037
5,518
10,748
4,809
1,436
6,444
43,992

21,500
13,342
15,255
50,097
44,056

13,264
4,944
18,208

9,638
100
6,682
16,420
172,773
9,066
181,839

$

$

1,099
6,042
488
(305)
119
38
7,481

675
841
(267)
1,249
1,214

2,421
(1,214)
1,207

614
2,325
765
3,704
14,855
(6,516)
8,339

7.3
109.5
4.5
(6.3)
8.3
0.6
17.0

3.1%
6.3
(1.8)
2.5
2.8

18.3
(24.6)
6.6

6.4
N/M
11.4
22.6
8.6
(71.9)
4.6%

The $675,000, or 3.1%, increase in overdraft fee income during the year ended December 31, 2016, in comparison to the same 
period in 2015, consisted of a $461,000 increase in fees assessed on personal accounts and a $214,000 increase in fees assessed 
on commercial accounts, due to higher volumes. Cash management fees increased $841,000, or 6.3%, compared to 2015 due to 
higher transaction volumes and fee increases implemented in 2016.

55

 
 
 
The $1.1 million, or 7.3%, increase in merchant fee income, the $488,000, or 4.5%, increase in debit card income and the $614,000, 
or 6.4%, increase in credit card income were all due to increases in the volumes of transactions in comparison to 2015.

The $6.0 million increase in commercial loan interest rate swap fees was due to growth in commercial loans and the attractiveness 
of interest rate swaps in the current rate environment, whereby borrowers executed swaps to lock in fixed rates, while the Corporation 
continues to earn a floating rate. See "Note 10 - Derivative Financial Instruments," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 
in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional details.

The $1.2 million, or 2.8%, increase in investment management and trust services income reflected a $1.6 million, or 6.4%, increase 
in trust commissions and money market income, partially offset by a $355,000, or 1.8%, decrease in brokerage fees. The increase 
in trust commission income was driven by a 9.3% in increase assets under management, as well as improvements in market values 
of existing assets.

Gains on sales of mortgage loans increased $2.4 million, or 18.3%, due to a 23.7% increase in pricing spreads compared to the 
prior year, partially offset by a $43.3 million, or 4.4%, decrease in new loan volumes. Mortgage servicing income decreased $1.2 
million, or 24.6%, mainly due to a $1.3 million net valuation allowance recognized in 2016. See "Note 7 - Mortgage Servicing 
Rights," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional 
details regarding the impairment charge.

SBA lending income increased $1.8 million compared to 2015. Other income increased $1.3 million, or 20.2%, due mainly to an 
increase in the cash surrender value of insurance contracts on directors and employees.

Gains on sales of investment securities decreased $6.5 million compared to 2015. See "Note 3 - Investment Securities," in the 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional details.

Non-Interest Expense

The following table presents the components of non-interest expense:

Salaries and employee benefits..................................................... $
Net occupancy expense.................................................................
Other outside services...................................................................
Data processing and software .......................................................
Equipment expense.......................................................................
FDIC insurance.............................................................................
Professional fees ...........................................................................
Marketing......................................................................................
Loss on redemption of trust preferred securities ..........................
Other .............................................................................................

Total ....................................................................................... $

N/M - Not meaningful

2016

283,353
47,611
23,883
36,919
12,788
9,767
11,004
7,044
—
57,150
489,519

$

$

Increase (Decrease)
%

2015
(dollars in thousands)

$

260,832
47,777
27,785
34,640
14,514
11,470
11,244
7,324
5,626
58,948
480,160

$

$

22,521
(166)
(3,902)
2,279
(1,726)
(1,703)
(240)
(280)
(5,626)
(1,798)
9,359

8.6%
(0.3)
(14.0)
6.6
(11.9)
(14.8)
(2.1)
(3.8)
N/M
(3.1)
1.9%

The $22.5 million, or 8.6%, increase in salaries and employee benefits during the year ended December 31, 2016 was primarily 
driven by an $18.8 million, or 8.6%, increase in salaries, resulting from higher average salaries per full-time equivalent employee, 
normal merit increases and an increase in incentive compensation. The average number of full-time equivalent employees increased 
to 3,490 for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to 3,460 for the year ended December 31, 2015. Benefits expenses 
increased $3.7 million, or 8.9%, due to an increase in health care expense, employer contributions to the Corporation's 401(k) 
retirement plan, defined benefit plan expense, employee education and other employee benefits.

The $3.9 million, or 14.0%, decrease in other outside services in comparison to 2015 was due to lower expenses associated with 
the Corporation's BSA/AML compliance program remediation efforts, and lower costs for information technology and human 
resources initiatives.

56

 
 
The $2.2 million, or 14.6%, increase in software resulted from investments in technology, which are reflected in higher amortization, 
as well as increases in maintenance costs.

Equipment expense decreased $1.7 million, or 11.9%, primarily due to lower depreciation expense, as certain assets became fully 
depreciated. FDIC insurance expense decreased $1.7 million, or 14.8%, due to a reduction in the assessment rate beginning in the 
third quarter of 2016. Other real estate owned and repossession expense decreased $1.7 million, or 46.9%, when compared to 
2015, due to lower holding costs and an increase in net gains on sales. This expense category can experience volatility from period 
to period based on the timing of foreclosures and sales of properties and payments of expenses.

In July 2015, the Corporation redeemed $150.0 million of TruPS. In connection with this redemption, a loss of $5.6 million was 
recognized as a component of non-interest expense with no comparable expense in 2016.

Other non-interest expense increased $1.5 million mainly as a result of $1.8 million of property write downs related to a branch 
closure and the reconfiguration of a building as part of a long-term facilities plan.

Income Taxes

On December 22, 2017, the President signed the Tax Act. The Tax Act, among other things; lowers the U.S. corporate income tax 
rate from a top rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%, limits the deductibility of FDIC insurance premiums, and eliminates the exception 
under prior law that permitted publicly held corporations to deduct compensation paid to certain executive officers in excess of 
$1 million if that compensation was performance based. Based on the Corporation's projections for 2018, it anticipates the new 
limitations on the deductibility of FDIC insurance premiums and certain compensation paid to the Corporation's executive officers 
will have an immaterial impact on its effective tax rate.

Income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2017 totaled $62.7 million, an increase of $16.1 million, or 34.5%, from 2016. 
This increase was primarily a result of recording in the fourth quarter of 2017 a charge of $15.6 million for the re-measurement 
of the net deferred tax asset due to the reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate as a result of the passage of the Tax Act. 
This increase in income tax was partially offset by increases in tax credit investments and related net tax credits and the adoption 
of the FASB ASU 2016-09, "Improvements to Employee Share-based Payments Accounting," in the first quarter of 2017. The 
Corporation’s ETR was 26.7% for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to 22.4% in 2016 and 25.0% in 2015. Absent 
the $15.6 million charge, the ETR would have been 20.1% in 2017. The ETR is generally lower than the federal statutory rate of 
35%  due  to  tax-exempt  interest  income  earned  on  loans,  investments  in  tax-free  municipal  securities,  credits  earned  from 
investments in community development projects that generate tax credits under various federal programs and excess tax benefits 
realized on stock-based compensation. In 2017, amortization of certain new tax credit investments was recorded in non-interest 
expense, rather than as a component of income tax expense. 

The Corporation is evaluating the impact of the Tax Act on its 2018 ETR. While the ETR is expected to be lower than in 2017 as 
a result of the decrease in the U.S. corporate statutory tax rate, the level of tax credit investment amortization and related tax credits 
may impact the ETR.

For additional information regarding income taxes and further discussion regarding the impact of the Tax Act, see "Note 12 - 
Income Taxes," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

57

FINANCIAL CONDITION

The table below presents condensed consolidated ending balance sheets.

December 31,

2017

2016
(dollars in thousands)

Increase (Decrease)
%

$

Assets

Cash and due from banks .................................................... $
Other interest-earning assets................................................
Loans held for sale...............................................................

108,291

$

118,763

$

354,566

31,530

291,252

28,697

Investment securities ...........................................................

2,547,956

2,559,227

Loans, net of allowance.......................................................

15,598,337

14,530,593

Premises and equipment ......................................................

Goodwill and intangible assets............................................

222,802

531,556

Other assets..........................................................................

641,867
Total Assets................................................................... $ 20,036,905

217,806

531,556

666,353

$ 18,944,247

(10,472)
63,314

2,833
(11,271)
1,067,744

4,996

—
(24,486)
$ 1,092,658

(8.8)%

21.7

9.9

(0.4)

7.3

2.3

—

(3.7)

5.8 %

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

Deposits ............................................................................... $ 15,797,532
Short-term borrowings.........................................................
617,524

Long-term debt ....................................................................

Other liabilities ....................................................................
    Total Liabilities .............................................................
    Total Shareholders’ Equity ............................................

2,229,857
      Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity ............. $ 20,036,905

$ 15,012,864

$

784,668

5.2 %

1,038,346

353,646

17,807,048

16,823,132

541,317

929,403

339,548

2,121,115

76,207

108,943

14,098

983,916

108,742

14.1

11.7

4.2

5.8

5.1

$ 18,944,247

$ 1,092,658

5.8 %

Other Interest-Earning Assets

The $63.3 million, or 21.7%, increase in other interest-earning assets was primarily due to higher balances on deposit with the 
FRB and higher interest-bearing deposits with other banks. 

Investment Securities

The following table presents the carrying amount of investment securities, which were all classified as available for sale, as of 
December 31:

U.S. Government sponsored agency securities .................................................................................... $
State and municipal securities ..............................................................................................................

Corporate debt securities ......................................................................................................................

Collateralized mortgage obligations.....................................................................................................

408,949

97,309

602,623

391,641

109,409

593,860

Residential mortgage-backed securities ...............................................................................................

1,120,796

1,317,838

Commercial mortgage-backed securities..............................................................................................

Auction rate securities ..........................................................................................................................

212,755

98,668

24,563

97,256

262,765

96,955

821,509

1,158,835
—

98,059

2017

2016
(in thousands)

2015

5,938

$

134

$

25,136

Total debt securities ...........................................................................................................................

2,547,038

2,534,701

2,463,259

Equity securities ...................................................................................................................................

918
Total................................................................................................................................................. $2,547,956

24,526

21,514

$2,559,227

$2,484,773

Total investment securities decreased $11.3 million, or 0.4%, to $2.5 billion at December 31, 2017. Residential mortgage-backed 
securities decreased $197.0 million, or 15.0%, as the Corporation began investing in U.S. agency-backed commercial mortgage-
backed  securities  in  order  to  diversify  the  investment  portfolio.  U.S.  agency-backed  commercial  mortgage-backed  securities 
increased $188.2 million compared to December 31, 2016. Equity securities decreased $23.6 million as the Corporation sold 
holdings in its financial institutions stocks to take advantage of increases in values. The net pre-tax unrealized loss on available 

58

 
 
 
 
 
 
for sale investment securities was $27.8 million as of December 31, 2017, compared to $35.0 million as of December 31, 2016. 
The improvement in the unrealized loss reflected, in part, the realized loss of $4.6 million on the sale of certain collateralized 
mortgage obligations as part of repositioning investments in that sector. In addition, there was significant improvement in municipal 
bond pricing at the end of 2017 due to anomalous trading activity in that sector corresponding to the impact of the Tax Act on tax-
free bond issuance, which offset the adverse pricing impact of rising rates on other components of the portfolio.

Loans

The following table presents loans outstanding, by type, as of the dates shown, and the changes in balances for the most recent 
year:

December 31,

2017 vs. 2016
Increase (Decrease)

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

$

%

(dollars in thousands)

Real estate – commercial mortgage.................... $ 6,364,804

$ 6,018,582

$ 5,462,330

$ 5,197,155

$ 5,101,922

$

346,222

5.8%

Commercial – industrial, financial and

agricultural .....................................................
Real estate – residential mortgage......................

4,300,297

4,087,486

4,088,962

3,725,567

3,628,420

1,954,711

1,601,994

1,376,160

1,377,068

1,337,380

Real estate – home equity

1,559,719

1,625,115

1,684,439

1,736,688

1,764,197

Real estate – construction...................................

1,006,935

Consumer............................................................

Leasing, other and overdrafts .............................

313,783

295,669

843,649

291,470

250,366

799,988

268,588

173,651

690,601

265,431

131,583

573,672

283,124

103,301

212,811

352,717

(65,396)

163,286

22,313

45,303

Gross loans ...................................................

15,795,918

14,718,662

13,854,118

13,124,093

12,792,016

1,077,256

Unearned income................................................

(27,671)

(19,390)

(15,516)

(12,377)

(9,796)

(8,281)

5.2

22.0

(4.0)

19.4

7.7

18.1

7.3

42.7

Loans, net of unearned income..................... $ 15,768,247

$ 14,699,272

$ 13,838,602

$ 13,111,716

$ 12,782,220

$ 1,068,975

7.3%

Total loans, net of unearned income, increased $1.1 billion, or 7.3%, as of December 31, 2017 compared to December 31, 2016, 
largely as the result of improved business activity across all markets in the Corporation's footprint. Commercial mortgage loans 
increased  $346.2  million,  or  5.8%,  in  comparison  to  December 31,  2016  across  all  geographic  markets,  but  primarily  in 
Pennsylvania. Commercial loans increased $212.8 million, or 5.2%, primarily in Pennsylvania. Residential mortgages increased 
$352.7 million, or 22.0%, across all geographic markets. Construction loans increased $163.3 million, or 19.4%, also across all 
geographic markets with the largest increases recognized in Maryland and New Jersey.

The Corporation does not have a concentration of credit risk with any single borrower, industry or geographic location within its 
footprint. As of December 31, 2017, approximately $7.4 billion, or 46.8%, of the loan portfolio was comprised of commercial 
mortgage and construction loans. The Corporation's policies limit the maximum total lending commitment to an individual borrower 
to $50.0 million as of December 31, 2017. In addition, the Corporation has established lower total lending limits for certain types 
of lending commitments, and lower total lending limits based on the Corporation's internal risk rating of an individual borrower 
at the time the lending commitment is approved. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had 140 relationships with total 
borrowing commitments between $20.0 million and $50.0 million.

59

 
 
 
The following table summarizes the industry concentrations within the commercial loan portfolio as of December 31:

Services...........................................................................................................................................
Retail...............................................................................................................................................
Manufacturing.................................................................................................................................
Health care ......................................................................................................................................
Construction (1)................................................................................................................................
Wholesale .......................................................................................................................................
Real estate (2)...................................................................................................................................
Agriculture......................................................................................................................................
Arts and entertainment....................................................................................................................
Transportation.................................................................................................................................
Financial services............................................................................................................................
Other ...............................................................................................................................................
Total .........................................................................................................................................

2017

2016

22.9%

15.4

9.5

9.1

8.3

7.4

6.2

5.2

2.4

2.2

2.2

9.2

21.8%

15.1

9.2

10.5

9.0

7.0

6.7

5.0

2.6

2.3

2.1

8.7

100.0%

100.0%

(1)   Includes commercial loans to borrowers engaged in the construction industry.
(2)   Includes commercial loans to borrowers engaged in the business of: renting, leasing or managing real estate for others; selling and/or buying real estate for 

others; and appraising real estate.

Commercial loans and commercial mortgage loans also include shared national credits, which are participations in loans or loan 
commitments of at least $20 million that are shared by three or more banks. The Corporation only participates in shared national 
credits to borrowers located in its geographic markets. Below is a summary of the Corporation's outstanding purchased shared 
national credits as of December 31:

2017

2016

(in thousands)

Commercial - industrial, financial and agricultural......................................................................... $
Real estate - commercial mortgage .................................................................................................

156,277

110,658

Total ............................................................................................................................................ $

266,935

$

$

155,353

81,573

236,926

Total shared national credits increased $30.0 million, or 12.7%, in comparison to 2016. As of December 31, 2017, none of the 
shared national credits were past due.

Construction loans include loans to commercial borrowers secured by residential real estate, loans to commercial borrowers secured 
by commercial real estate and other construction loans, which represent loans to individuals secured by residential real estate.

The  following  table  presents  outstanding  construction  loans  and  delinquency  rates,  by  class  segment,  as  of  December  31: 

2017

Delinquency
Rate

$

% of Total

$

(dollars in thousands)

2016

Delinquency
Rate

% of Total

765,816
Commercial..................................... $
163,102
Commercial - residential.................
78,017
Other ...............................................
  Total Real estate - construction..... $ 1,006,935

0.1%
7.5
0.8
1.3%

76.1% $
16.2
7.7

100.0% $

644,490
142,189
56,970
843,649

0.2%
6.0
1.9
1.3%

76.4%
16.9
6.7
100.0%

60

Provision and Allowance for Credit Losses

The Corporation accounts for the credit risk associated with lending activities through the allowance for credit losses and the 
provision for credit losses. 

A summary of the Corporation’s loan loss experience follows:

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

(dollars in thousands)

Loans, net of unearned income outstanding at end of year....................... $ 15,768,247

$ 14,699,272

$ 13,838,602

$ 13,111,716

$ 12,782,220

Average balance of loans, net of unearned income................................... $ 15,236,612

$ 14,128,064

$ 13,330,973

$ 12,885,180

$ 12,578,524

Balance of allowance for credit losses at beginning of year..................... $

171,325

$

171,412

$

185,931

$

204,917

$

225,439

Loans charged off:

Commercial – industrial, financial and agricultural ........................

19,067

15,276

15,639

24,516

Real estate - home equity and consumer..........................................

Real estate – commercial mortgage .................................................

Real estate – construction ................................................................

Leasing, other and overdrafts...........................................................

Real estate – residential mortgage ...................................................

4,567

2,169

3,765

3,035

687

7,712

3,580

1,218

3,815

2,326

5,831

4,218

201

2,656

3,612

7,811

6,004

1,209

2,135

2,918

Total loans charged off..................................................................

33,290

33,927

32,157

44,593

Recoveries of loans previously charged off:

Commercial – industrial, financial and agricultural ........................

Real estate - home equity and consumer..........................................

Real estate – commercial mortgage .................................................

Real estate – construction ................................................................

Leasing, other and overdrafts...........................................................

Real estate – residential mortgage ...................................................

Total recoveries .............................................................................

Net loans charged off ................................................................................

Provision for credit losses.........................................................................

7,771

1,969

1,668

1,582

968

786

14,744

18,546

23,305

Balance at end of year............................................................................... $

176,084

Components of Allowance for Credit Losses:

Allowance for loan losses ......................................................................... $
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments (1) ........................................
Allowance for credit losses....................................................................... $

169,910

6,174

176,084

$

$

$

8,981

2,466

3,373

3,924

842

1,072

20,658

13,269

13,182

171,325

168,679

2,646

171,325

5,264

2,492

2,801

2,824

685

1,322

15,388

16,769

2,250

171,412

169,054

2,358

171,412

$

$

$

4,256

2,347

1,960

3,177

916

451

13,107

31,486

12,500

185,931

184,144

1,787

185,931

$

$

$

$

$

$

30,383

10,070

20,829

6,572

2,653

9,705

80,212

9,281

2,378

3,494

2,682

807

548

19,190

61,022

40,500

204,917

202,780

2,137

204,917

Selected Asset Quality Ratios:

Net charge-offs to average loans...............................................................

Allowance for loan losses to loans outstanding........................................

Allowance for credit losses to loans outstanding......................................
Non-performing assets (2) to total assets ...................................................
Non-performing assets (2) to total loans and OREO..................................
Non-accrual loans to total loans................................................................

Allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans ...............................
Non-performing assets (2) to tangible equity and allowance for credit 

losses (3) ................................................................................................

0.12%

1.08%

1.12%

0.72%

0.92%

0.79%

0.09%

1.15%

1.17%

0.76%

0.98%

0.82%

0.13%

1.22%

1.24%

0.87%

1.13%

0.94%

0.24%

1.40%

1.42%

0.88%

1.15%

0.92%

0.49%

1.59%

1.60%

1.00%

1.32%

1.05%

130.67%

130.15%

118.37%

134.26%

132.82%

7.71%

8.20%

9.27%

9.12%

9.76%

Includes accruing loans past due 90 days or more.

(1)  Reserve for unfunded lending commitments recorded within other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
(2) 
(3)  Ratio represents a financial measure derived by methods other than Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). See reconciliation of this non-
GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure under the heading, "Supplemental Reporting of Non-GAAP Based Financial 
Measures," in Item 6. "Selected Financial Data."

The provision for credit losses increased $10.1 million in comparison to 2016 due mainly to loan growth and an increase in the 
reserve for unfunded lending commitments. The $3.5 million increase in the reserve for unfunded lending commitments in 2017 
as compared to 2016 resulted from a single relationship that experienced financial difficulty, increasing the likelihood that the 
Corporation would need to fund letters of credit. Net charge-offs increased $5.3 million, or 39.8%, to $18.5 million in 2017 from 
$13.3 million in 2016. This increase was primarily due to a $5.0 million, or 79.4%, increase in commercial loan net charge-offs, 
61

 
and a $4.9 million increase in construction loan net charge-offs, partially offset by decreases in net charge-offs in consumer and 
home equity loans of $2.6 million, or 50.5%, and a $1.4 million decrease in residential mortgage loan net charge-offs. The $18.5 
million of net charge-offs were primarily in the Pennsylvania ($16.9 million, or 91.3% of the total), and New Jersey ($1.5 million, 
or 8.2% of the total) markets, partially offset by net recoveries in the Virginia and Delaware markets.

The following table presents non-performing assets as of December 31:

2017

2016

Non-accrual loans (1) (2) (3) ........................................... $
Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing (2)
Total non-performing loans.................................
OREO .........................................................................

Total non-performing assets................................ $

124,749
10,010
134,759
9,823
144,582

$

$

120,133
11,505
131,638
12,815
144,453

2015
(in thousands)
129,523
$
15,291
144,814
11,099
155,913

$

$

$

2014

2013

121,080
17,402
138,482
12,022
150,504

$

$

133,753
20,524
154,277
15,052
169,329

(1) 

In 2017, the total interest income that would have been recorded if non-accrual loans had been current in accordance with their original terms was approximately 
$6.2 million. The amount of interest income on non-accrual loans that was recognized in 2017 was approximately $4.4 million.

(2)  Accrual of interest is generally discontinued when a loan becomes 90 days past due. When interest accruals are discontinued, unpaid interest previously 
credited to income is reversed. Non-accrual loans may be restored to accrual status when all delinquent principal and interest has been paid currently for six 
consecutive months or the loan is considered to be adequately secured and in the process of collection. Certain loans, primarily adequately collateralized 
residential mortgage loans, may continue to accrue interest after reaching 90 days past due.

(3)  Excluded from non-performing assets as of December 31, 2017 were $66.4 million of loans modified under trouble debt restructurings ("TDRs"). These 
loans were evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Section 310-10-35, but continue to accrue interest and are, therefore, not included in non-accrual 
loans.

The following table presents TDRs as of December 31:

2017

2016

Real estate – residential mortgage .............................................. $ 26,016
15,558
Real estate - home equity ............................................................
13,959
Real estate – commercial mortgage ............................................
10,820
Commercial – industrial, financial and agricultural....................
26
Consumer ....................................................................................
—
Real estate – construction ...........................................................
66,379
Total accruing TDRs ..............................................................
Non-accrual TDRs (1) ..................................................................
29,051
Total TDRs ............................................................................. $ 95,430

$ 27,617
8,594
15,957
6,627
39
726
59,560
27,850
$ 87,410

(1) 

Included within non-accrual loans in the preceding table. 

2015
(in thousands)
$ 28,511
4,556
17,563
5,953
33
3,942
60,558
31,035
$ 91,593

2014

2013

$ 31,308
2,975
18,822
5,237
38
9,241
67,621
24,616
$ 92,237

$

$

28,815
1,365
19,758
8,045
11
10,117
68,111
30,209
98,320

Total TDRs modified during 2017 and still outstanding as of December 31, 2017 were $29.6 million. Of these loans, $5.9 million, 
or 19.8%, had a payment default during 2017, which the Corporation defines as a single missed scheduled payment, subsequent 
to modification. TDRs modified during 2016 and still outstanding as of December 31, 2016 totaled $12.4 million. Of these loans, 
$6.0 million, or 48.4%, had a payment default subsequent to modification during 2016.

62

 
 
 
The following table presents the changes in non-accrual loans for the years ended December 31:

Commercial -
Industrial,
Financial and
Agricultural

Real Estate -
Commercial
Mortgage

Real Estate -
Construction

Real Estate -
Residential
Mortgage

Real Estate -
Home
Equity

(in thousands)

Consumer

Leasing

Total

Balance of non-accrual loans

at December 31, 2015......... $

Additions...........................

Payments ...........................
Charge-offs (1)....................
Transfers to OREO............

Transfers to accrual status.

Balance of non-accrual loans

at December 31, 2016.........

Additions...........................

Payments ...........................
Charge-offs (1)....................
Transfers to OREO............

Transfers to accrual status.

Balance of non-accrual loans

at December 31, 2017......... $

42,199

$

40,731

$

12,044

$

21,914

$

11,210

$

— $

1,425

$ 129,523

32,831

(14,328)

(15,276)

(552)

(2,525)

42,349

48,717

(19,092)

(19,067)

(3)

—

25,151

(14,682)

(3,580)

(2,992)

(5,692)

38,936

20,596

(20,164)

(2,169)

(1,464)

(913)

6,921

(6,257)

(1,218)

(1,684)

—

9,806

10,657

(4,352)

(3,765)

(149)

—

5,611

(3,532)

(2,326)

(2,925)

(311)

18,431

3,817

(2,848)

(687)

(2,729)

(293)

8,983

(2,512)

(4,912)

(1,199)

(959)

10,611

5,264

(1,518)

(2,340)

(1,895)

(987)

2,803

(1)

(2,800)

—

(2)

—

2,227

—

808

(24)

(2,209)

—

—

—

1,553

—

(2,227)

(1,553)

—

—

—

—

83,108

(41,336)

(32,321)

(9,352)

(9,489)

120,133

92,831

(47,974)

(31,808)

(6,240)

(2,193)

52,904

$

34,822

$

12,197

$

15,691

$

9,135

$

— $

— $ 124,749

(1) Excludes charge-offs of loans on accrual status.

Non-accrual loans increased $4.6 million, or 3.8%, in 2017 due mainly to an increase in non-accrual loan additions from $83.1 
million in 2016 to $92.8 million in 2017. The non-accrual loan additions occurred mostly in commercial and construction loans, 
and were not driven by one specific account or event. Non-accrual loan balances continued to be reduced through payments, return 
to accrual status and charge-offs. Non-accrual loans to total loans decreased to 0.79% at December 31, 2017 from 0.82% in 2016.

The following table presents non-performing loans, by type, as of the dates shown, and the changes in non-performing loans for 
the most recent year:

2017

2016

December 31,
2015

2014
(dollars in thousands)

2013

2017 vs. 2016
Increase (Decrease)

$

%

Commercial – industrial, financial and

Real estate – commercial mortgage .......
Real estate – residential mortgage .........
Real estate – home equity ......................
Real estate – construction ......................
Consumer ...............................................
Leasing...................................................

agricultural ......................................... $ 54,309
35,447
20,971
11,507
12,197
296
32
Total non-performing loans ............ $ 134,759

$ 43,460

$ 44,071

$ 30,388

$ 38,021

39,319
23,655
13,154
9,842
1,891
317
$ 131,638

41,170
28,484
14,683
12,460
2,440
1,506
$ 144,814

45,237
28,995
14,740
16,399
2,590
133
$ 138,482

44,068
31,347
16,983
21,267
2,543
48
$ 154,277

$ 10,849
(3,872)
(2,684)
(1,647)
2,355
(1,595)
(285)
3,121

$

25.0%
(9.8)
(11.3)
(12.5)
23.9
(84.3)
(89.9)
2.4%

Non-performing loans increased $3.1 million, or 2.4%, in comparison to December 31, 2016.  As a percentage of total loans, non-
performing loans were 0.85% in 2017 and 0.90% in 2016.

Non-performing commercial loans increased $10.8 million, or 25.0%, in comparison to December 31, 2016. The increase occurred 
mainly in the Pennsylvania market ($11.2 million, or 44.7%) and was partially offset by decreases in the Delaware and Maryland 
markets.  In  comparison  to  December 31,  2016,  non-performing  construction  loans  increased  $2.4  million,  or  23.9%. 
Geographically, the increase occurred mainly in the New Jersey ($2.0 million) and Virginia ($1.4 million) markets, partially offset 
by decreases in the Delaware and Maryland markets.

These  increases  in  commercial  and  construction  non-performing  loans  were  partially  offset  by  decreases  in  commercial  and 
residential mortgages, home equity, consumer loans and leasing. Non-performing commercial mortgages decreased $3.9 million, 

63

 
 
 
or 9.8%, with decreases occurring in the Maryland ($2.7 million, or 73.8%), Delaware ($1.6 million, or 23.2%) and New Jersey 
($1.6 million, or 10.6%) markets, partially offset by increases in the Virginia and Pennsylvania markets.

Residential mortgage loans decreased $2.7 million, or 11.3%, in comparison to December 31, 2016. Geographically, the decrease 
occurred mainly in the New Jersey ($1.9 million, or 28.8%) and Maryland ($1.2 million, or 58.1%) markets.

In comparison to December 31, 2016, non-performing home equity, consumer loans and leases decreased $3.5 million, or 23.0%. 
Geographically, the decrease occurred mainly in the Pennsylvania market.

The following table summarizes OREO, by property type, as of December 31:

2017

2016

Residential properties...................................................................................................................... $
Commercial properties ....................................................................................................................
Undeveloped land ...........................................................................................................................

Total OREO ............................................................................................................................. $

$

(in thousands)
4,562
3,331
1,930
9,823

$

7,655
2,651
2,509
12,815

Total OREO as of December 31, 2017 decreased $3.0 million, or 23.3%, compared to December 31, 2016 as a result of various 
factors related to general economic conditions but largely an increase in buyer activity resulting in OREO properties selling in a 
shorter period of time.

As noted under the heading "Critical Accounting Policies" within Management's Discussion, the Corporation's ability to identify 
potential problem loans in a timely manner is key to maintaining an adequate allowance for credit losses. For commercial loans, 
commercial mortgages and construction loans to commercial borrowers, an internal risk rating process is used to monitor credit 
quality. For a complete description of the Corporation's risk ratings, refer to the "Allowance for Credit Losses" section within 
"Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial 
Statements and Supplementary Data." The evaluation of credit risk for residential mortgages, home equity loans, construction 
loans to individuals, consumer loans and lease receivables is based on aggregate payment history, through the monitoring of 
delinquency levels and trends.

Total internally risk rated loans were $11.6 billion and $10.9 billion as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The following 
table presents internal risk ratings of special mention or lower for commercial loans, commercial mortgages and construction loans 
to commercial borrowers, by class segment, as of December 31:

Special Mention

2017 vs. 2016
Increase (Decrease)

Substandard or Lower

2017 vs. 2016
Increase (Decrease)

Total Criticized Loans

2017

2016

$

%

2017

2016

$

%

2017

2016

(dollars in thousands)

Real estate - commercial mortgage ..... $ 147,604

$ 132,484

$ 15,120

11.4 % $ 150,804

$ 122,976

$ 27,828

22.6% $ 298,408

$ 255,460

Commercial - secured..........................

121,842

128,873

(7,031)

Commercial -unsecured.......................

5,478

4,481

997

(5.5)

22.2

179,113

118,527

60,586

51.1

300,955

2,759

3,531

(772)

(21.9)

8,237

247,400

8,012

Total commercial - industrial,

financial and agricultural ............

127,320

133,354

(6,034)

(4.5)

181,872

122,058

59,814

49.0

309,192

255,412

Construction - commercial residential.

Construction - commercial ..................

5,259

846

15,447

3,412

(10,188)

(2,566)

(66.0)

(75.2)

14,084

3,752

13,172

5,115

912

6.9

(1,363)

(26.6)

19,343

4,598

28,619

8,527

Total real estate - construction

(excluding construction - other)..

6,105

18,859

(12,754)

(67.6)

17,836

18,287

(451)

(2.5)

23,941

37,146

Total ..................................................... $ 281,029

$ 284,697

$ (3,668)

(1.3)% $ 350,512

$ 263,321

$ 87,191

33.1% $ 631,541

$ 548,018

% of total risk rated loans ....................

2.4%

2.6%

3.0%

2.4%

5.4%

5.0%

As of December 31, 2017, total loans with risk ratings of special mention and substandard or lower were $83.5 million, or 15.2%, 
higher than 2016, primarily the result of downgrades across various industries and geographic markets as part of the Corporation's 
normal credit risk management processes. 

64

 
The following table presents, by class segment, a summary of delinquency status and rates, as a percentage of total loans, for loans 
that do not have internal risk ratings as of December 31:

Delinquent (1)

Non-performing (2)

Total Past Due

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

$

%

$

%

$

%

$

%

$

%

$

%

(dollars in thousands)

Real estate - home

equity................ $ 12,655

0.81% $

9,274

0.57% $ 11,507

0.74% $ 13,154

0.81% $ 24,162

1.55% $

22,428

1.38%

Real estate -
residential
mortgage ..........

Real estate -

construction -
other .................

Consumer - direct .

Consumer -

18,852

0.97

20,344

1.27

20,971

1.07

23,655

1.48

39,823

2.04

43,999

2.75

203

315

0.26

0.57

—

—

1,752

1.81

411

70

0.53

0.13

1,096

1,563

1.92

1.61

614

385

0.79

0.70

1,096

3,315

1.92

3.42

indirect .............

3,681

1.42

3,599

1.85

226

0.09

328

0.17

3,907

1.51

3,927

2.02

Total
Consumer........

Leasing, other and
Overdrafts ........

3,996

1.28

5,351

1.83

296

0.09

1,891

0.65

4,292

1.37

7,242

2.48

855

0.32

1,068

0.46

32

0.01

317

0.14

887

0.33

1,385

0.60

Total...................... $ 36,561

0.87% $ 36,037

0.95% $ 33,217

0.80% $ 40,113

1.05% $ 69,778

1.67% $

76,150

2.00%

(1) 
(2) 

Includes all accruing loans 30 days to 89 days past due.
Includes all accruing loans 90 days or more past due and all non-accrual loans.

The following table summarizes the allocation of the allowance for loan losses:

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

% of
Loans In
Each

Category Allowance

Allowance

% of
Loans In
Each

% of
Loans In
Each

% of
Loans In
Each

Category Allowance

Category Allowance

Category Allowance

% of
Loans In
Each
Category

(dollars in thousands)

Real estate -

commercial
mortgage.................. $

Commercial -

industrial, financial
and agricultural........

Real estate - residential
mortgage..................

Consumer, home

equity, leasing &
other.........................

Real estate -
construction..................

Unallocated ..................

58,793

40.3% $

46,842

40.9% $

47,866

39.5% $

53,493

39.6% $

55,659

39.9%

66,280

16,088

27.2

12.4

54,353

22,929

27.8

10.9

57,098

29.5

51,378

21,375

9.9

29,072

28.4

10.5

50,330

33,082

28.4

10.5

22,129

13.7

33,567

14.7

27,458

15.3

33,085

16.2

34,852

16.7

6,620

—

6.4

N/A

6,455

4,533

5.7

N/A

6,529

8,728

5.8

N/A

9,756

7,360

5.3

N/A

12,649

16,208

4.5

N/A

N/A – Not applicable

$ 169,910

100.0% $ 168,679

100.0% $ 169,054

100.0% $ 184,144

100.0% $ 202,780

100.0%

Management believes that the $169.9 million allowance for loan losses as of December 31, 2017 is sufficient to cover incurred 
losses in the loan portfolio. See additional disclosures in "Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," and "Note 4 - 
Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and 
Supplementary Data;" and "Critical Accounting Policies" above.

Other Assets

Other assets decreased $24.5 million, or 3.7%, to $641.9 million as of December 31, 2017, primarily driven by a $15.6 million
decrease in net deferred tax assets resulting from the Tax Act.

65

 
 
Deposits and Borrowings

The following table summarizes the increase in ending deposits, by type:

2017

Increase (Decrease)
%

$

2016
(dollars in thousands)

Noninterest-bearing demand.......................................................... $ 4,437,294
4,018,107
Interest-bearing demand.................................................................
4,586,746
Savings and money market accounts .............................................
13,042,147
Total demand, savings and money market accounts...............
90,473
Brokered deposits...........................................................................
2,664,912
Time deposits .................................................................................
Total deposits........................................................................ $ 15,797,532

$ 4,376,137
3,703,712
4,179,773
12,259,622
—
2,753,242
$ 15,012,864

$

$

61,157
314,395
406,973
782,525
90,473
(88,330)
784,668

1.4%
8.5
9.7
6.4
N/M
(3.2)
5.2%

N/M - Not meaningful

Noninterest-bearing demand deposits increased $61.2 million, or 1.4%, primarily due to a $60.1 million increase in personal 
account balances and a $56.8 million increase in business account balances, partially offset by a $63.6 million decrease in state 
and municipal account balances. Interest-bearing demand accounts increased $314.4 million, or 8.5%, due to a $234.8 million, or 
18.0%, increase in state and municipal account balances, a $70.8 million, or 3.4%, increase in personal account balances, and an 
$8.8 million, or 2.7%, increase in business account balances. The $407.0 million, or 9.7%, increase in savings and money market 
account  balances  was  primarily  due  to  a  $478.0  million,  or  17.0%,  increase  in  personal  account  balances,  largely  driven  by 
promotional efforts throughout the year.

Brokered  deposits  totaled  $90.5  million  as  of  December 31,  2017. As  previously  noted,  during  the  third  quarter  of  2017,  the 
Corporation began accepting deposits pursuant to an agreement with a non-bank third party, which are considered to be brokered 
deposits. For more details, see "Net Interest Income" under "Results of Operations" above.

The following table summarizes the changes in ending borrowings, by type:

2017

Increase (Decrease)
%

$

2016
(dollars in thousands)

Short-term borrowings:

Customer repurchase agreements.............................................. $
Customer short-term promissory notes .....................................
Total short-term customer funding.....................................
Federal funds purchased............................................................
Total short-term borrowings .........................................

172,017
225,507
397,524
220,000
617,524

$

195,734
67,013
262,747
278,570
541,317

Long-term debt:

FHLB advances.........................................................................
Other long-term debt .................................................................
Total long-term debt...........................................................

652,113
261,233
913,346
Total borrowings....................................................... $ 1,530,870

567,240
362,163
929,403
$ 1,470,720

$

$

(23,717)
158,494
134,777
(58,570)
76,207

84,873
(100,930)
(16,057)
60,150

(12.1)%
N/M

51.3
(21.0)
14.1

15.0
(27.9)
(1.7)
4.1 %

N/M - Not meaningful

The $76.2 million, or 14.1%, increase in total short-term borrowings resulted from a $158.5 million increase in customer short-
term promissory notes, partially offset by a $23.7 million, or 12.1%, and a $58.6 million, or 21.0%, decrease in customer repurchase 
agreements and Federal funds purchased, respectively. The $84.9 million increase in FHLB advances provided additional funding 
to support loan growth. The increase in other long-term debt was primarily the result of the issuance of $125.0 million of senior 
notes in March of 2017, partially offset by the repayment of the $100.0 million of 10-year subordinated notes, which matured on 
May 1, 2017.

Other Liabilities

Other liabilities increased $14.1 million, or 4.2%, to $353.6 million as of December 31, 2017. The increase resulted primarily from 
a $28.2 million increase in commitments to fund tax credit investments.

66

 
 
 
Shareholders’ Equity

Total shareholders’ equity increased $108.7 million, or 5.1%, to $2.2 billion, or 11.1%, of total assets, as of December 31, 2017. 
The increase was due primarily to $171.8 million of net income, $8.5 million of common stock issued and a $5.5 million net 
increase in accumulated other comprehensive income, partially offset by $82.2 million of common stock cash dividends.

In November 2017, the Corporation's board of directors approved an extension to a share repurchase program pursuant to which 
the Corporation is authorized to repurchase up to $50.0 million of its outstanding shares of common stock, or approximately 2.3% 
of its outstanding shares, through December 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2017, 1.5 million shares had been repurchased under 
this  program  for  a  total  cost  of  approximately  $18.5  million,  or  $12.48  per  share.  Up  to  an  additional  $31.5  million  of  the 
Corporation's common stock may be repurchased under this program through December 31, 2018.

The Corporation and its subsidiary banks are subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by various banking regulators. 
Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can trigger certain actions by regulators that could have a material effect on the 
Corporation’s financial statements. The regulations require that banks and bank holding companies maintain minimum amounts 
and ratios of total, Tier I and Common Equity Tier I capital (as defined in the regulations) to risk-weighted assets (as defined), and 
Tier I capital to average assets (as defined). 

The following table summarizes the Corporation’s capital ratios in comparison to regulatory requirements at December 31:

Total capital (to risk-weighted assets)..............................
Tier I capital (to risk-weighted assets).............................
Common equity tier I (to risk-weighted assets)...............
Tier I capital (to average assets) ......................................

2017
13.0%
10.4%
10.4%
8.9%

2016
13.2%
10.4%
10.4%
9.0%

Regulatory
Minimum
for Capital
Adequacy
8.0%
6.0%
4.5%
4.0%

Fully Phased-
in, with Capital 
Conservation 
Buffers
10.5%
8.5%
7.0%
4.0%

In July 2013, the FRB approved final rules (the "U.S. Basel III Capital Rules") establishing a new comprehensive capital framework 
for U.S. banking organizations and implementing the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision's December 2010 framework for 
strengthening  international  capital  standards.  The  U.S.  Basel  III  Capital  Rules  substantially  revise  the  risk-based  capital 
requirements applicable to bank holding companies and depository institutions. 

The minimum regulatory capital requirements established by the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules became effective for the Corporation 
on January 1, 2015, and will be fully phased in on January 1, 2019. 

The U.S. Basel III Capital Rules require the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries to: 

•  Meet a minimum Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.50% of risk-weighted assets and a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.00% 

of risk-weighted assets; 

•  Continue to require a minimum Total capital ratio of 8.00% of risk-weighted assets and a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 

4.00% of average assets; and

•  Comply with a revised definition of capital to improve the ability of regulatory capital instruments to absorb losses as a 
result  of  which  certain  non-qualifying  capital  instruments,  including  cumulative  preferred  stock  and TruPS,  will  be 
excluded as a component of Tier 1 capital for institutions of the Corporation's size.

When fully phased in on January 1, 2019, the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries will also be required to maintain a "capital 
conservation buffer" of 2.50% above the minimum risk-based capital requirements, which must be maintained to avoid restrictions 
on capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments.

The U.S. Basel III Capital Rules use a standardized approach for risk weightings that expand the risk-weightings for assets and 
off-balance sheet exposures from the previous 0%, 20%, 50% and 100% categories to a much larger and more risk-sensitive number 
of categories, depending on the nature of the assets and off-balance sheet exposures, resulting in higher risk weights for a variety 
of asset categories. 

As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation and each of its bank subsidiaries met the minimum requirements of the U.S. Basel III 
Capital Rules, and each of the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries’ capital ratios exceeded the amounts required to be considered "well 
capitalized" as defined in the regulations. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation's capital levels also met the fully-phased in 

67

minimum capital requirements, including the capital conservation buffers, as prescribed in the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules. See 
"Note  11  -  Regulatory  Matters,"  in  the  Notes  to  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  Item  8.  "Financial  Statements  and 
Supplementary Data."

Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The  Corporation  has  various  financial  obligations  that  require  future  cash  payments. These  obligations  include  payments  for 
liabilities recorded on the Corporation’s consolidated balance sheets as well as contractual obligations for purchased services or 
for operating leases.

The following table summarizes the Corporation's significant contractual obligations to third parties, by type, that were fixed and 
determinable as of December 31, 2017:

One Year
or Less

One to
Three Years

Payments Due In
Three to
Five Years
(in thousands)

Over Five
Years

Total

Deposits with no stated maturity (1) .................. $ 13,132,620
Time deposits (2)................................................
1,085,369
Short-term borrowings (3)..................................
617,524
Long-term debt (3) .............................................
99,217
Operating leases (4)............................................
17,417
Purchase obligations (5) .....................................
26,825
Uncertain tax positions (6) .................................
2,550

$

— $

— $

1,302,923
—
344,313
30,322
43,884
—

199,478
—
329,129
23,751
10,204
—

— $ 13,132,620
2,664,912
617,524
1,038,344
117,395
80,913
2,550

77,142
—
265,685
45,905
—
—

Includes demand deposits, savings accounts and brokered deposits, which can be withdrawn at any time.

(1) 
(2)  See additional information regarding time deposits in "Note 8 - Deposits," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements 

and Supplementary Data."

(3)  See additional information regarding borrowings in "Note 9 - Short-Term Borrowings and Long-Term Debt," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

(4)  See additional information regarding operating leases in "Note 16 - Leases," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements 

(5) 
(6) 

and Supplementary Data."
Includes information technology, telecommunication and data processing outsourcing contracts. 
Includes accrued interest. See additional information related to uncertain tax positions in "Note 12 - Income Taxes," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

In addition to the contractual obligations listed in the preceding table, the Corporation is a party to financial instruments with off-
balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include 
commitments to extend credit and standby and commercial letters of credit, which involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit 
and interest rate risk that are not recognized on the consolidated balance sheets. Commitments to extend credit are agreements to 
lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Standby letters of credit are conditional 
commitments issued to guarantee the financial or performance obligation of a customer to a third party. Commercial letters of 
credit are conditional commitments issued to facilitate foreign or domestic trade transactions for customers. Commitments and 
standby and commercial letters of credit do not necessarily represent future cash needs, as they may expire without being drawn.

The following table presents the Corporation’s commitments to extend credit and letters of credit as of December 31, 2017 (in 
thousands):

Commercial and other .............................................................................................................................. $
Home equity .............................................................................................................................................
Commercial mortgage and construction ..................................................................................................

Total commitments to extend credit................................................................................................... $

Standby letters of credit............................................................................................................................ $
Commercial letters of credit .....................................................................................................................

Total letters of credit ......................................................................................................................... $

3,689,700
1,422,284
1,093,045
6,205,029

326,973
41,801
368,774

68

 
 
 
 
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Market risk is the exposure to economic loss that arises from changes in the values of certain financial instruments. The types of 
market risk exposures generally faced by financial institutions include interest rate risk, equity market price risk, debt security 
market price risk, foreign currency price risk and commodity price risk. Due to the nature of its operations, foreign currency price 
risk and commodity price risk are not significant to the Corporation.

Interest Rate Risk, Asset/Liability Management and Liquidity

Interest rate risk creates exposure in two primary areas. First, changes in rates have an impact on the Corporation’s liquidity 
position and could affect its ability to meet obligations and continue to grow. Second, movements in interest rates can create 
fluctuations in the Corporation’s net interest income and changes in the economic value of its equity.

The  Corporation  employs  various  management  techniques  to  minimize  its  exposure  to  interest  rate  risk. An Asset/Liability 
Management  Committee  ("ALCO")  is  responsible  for  reviewing  the  interest  rate  sensitivity  and  liquidity  positions  of  the 
Corporation, approving asset and liability management policies, and overseeing the formulation and implementation of strategies 
regarding balance sheet positions. 

The Corporation uses two complementary methods to measure and manage interest rate risk. They are simulation of net interest 
income and estimates of economic value of equity. Using these measurements in tandem provides a reasonably comprehensive 
summary of the magnitude of the Corporation's interest rate risk, level of risk as time evolves, and exposure to changes in interest 
rates.

Simulation of net interest income is performed for the next 12-month period. A variety of interest rate scenarios are used to measure 
the effects of sudden and gradual movements upward and downward in the yield curve. These results are compared to the results 
obtained in a flat or unchanged interest rate scenario. Simulation of net interest income is used primarily to measure the Corporation’s 
short-term earnings exposure to rate movements. The Corporation’s policy limits the potential exposure of net interest income, in 
a non-parallel instantaneous shock, to 10% of the base case net interest income for a 100 basis point shock in interest rates, 15% 
for a 200 basis point shock and 20% for a 300 basis point shock. A "shock" is an immediate upward or downward movement of 
interest rates. The shocks do not take into account changes in customer behavior that could result in changes to mix and/or volumes 
in the balance sheet, nor does it take into account the potential effects of competition on the pricing of deposits and loans over the 
forward 12-month period.

Contractual maturities and repricing opportunities of loans are incorporated in the simulation model as are prepayment assumptions, 
maturity data and call options within the investment portfolio. Assumptions based on past experience are incorporated into the 
model for non-maturity deposit accounts. The assumptions used are inherently uncertain and, as a result, the model cannot precisely 
measure future net interest income or precisely predict the impact of fluctuations in market interest rates on net interest income. 
Actual results will differ from the model's simulated results due to timing, amount and frequency of interest rate changes as well 
as changes in market conditions and the application and timing of various management strategies.

The following table summarizes the expected impact of abrupt interest rate changes on net interest income (due to the current 
level of interest rates, the 200 and 300 basis point downward shock scenarios are not shown) as of December 31, 2017:

Rate Shock (1)
+300 bp ........................................................................................................
+200 bp ........................................................................................................
+100 bp ........................................................................................................
–100 bp.........................................................................................................

Annual change
in net interest income
+ $92.2 million
+ $63.5 million
+ $32.6 million
–  $50.4 million

% Change in net
interest income

+ 14.7%
+ 10.1%
+ 5.2%
– 8.0%

(1)  These results include the effect of implicit and explicit interest rate floors that limit further reduction in interest rates.

Economic value of equity estimates the discounted present value of asset and liability cash flows. Discount rates are based upon 
market prices for like assets and liabilities. Abrupt changes or "shocks" in interest rates, both upward and downward, are used to 
determine the comparative effect of such interest rate movements relative to the unchanged environment. This measurement tool 
is used primarily to evaluate the longer-term repricing risks and options in the Corporation’s balance sheet. The Corporation's 
policy limits the economic value of equity that may be at risk, in a non-parallel instantaneous shock, to 10% of the base case 
economic value of equity for a 100 basis point shock in interest rates, 20% for a 200 basis point shock and 30% for a 300 basis 

69

point shock. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation was within economic value of equity policy limits for every 100 basis 
point shock.

Interest Rate Swaps

The Corporation enters into interest rate swaps with certain qualifying commercial loan customers to meet their interest rate risk 
management  needs. The  Corporation  simultaneously  enters  into  interest  rate  swaps  with  dealer  counterparties,  with  identical 
notional amounts and terms. The net result of these interest rate swaps is that the customer pays a fixed rate of interest and the 
Corporation receives a floating rate. These interest rate swaps are derivative financial instruments that are recorded at their fair 
value in other assets and liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Changes in fair value during the period are recorded in 
other non-interest expense on the consolidated statements of income.

Liquidity

The Corporation must maintain a sufficient level of liquid assets to meet the cash needs of its customers, who, as depositors, may 
want to withdraw funds or who, as borrowers, need credit availability. Liquidity is provided on a continuous basis through scheduled 
and unscheduled principal and interest payments on investments and outstanding loans and through the availability of deposits 
and borrowings. The Corporation also maintains secondary sources that provide liquidity on a secured and unsecured basis to 
meet short-term and long-term needs.

The Corporation maintains liquidity sources in the form of demand and savings deposits, time deposits, repurchase agreements 
and short-term promissory notes. The Corporation can access additional liquidity from these sources, if necessary, by increasing 
the rates of interest paid on those accounts and borrowings. The positive impact to liquidity resulting from paying higher interest 
rates could have a detrimental impact on the net interest margin and net interest income if rates on interest-earning assets do not 
increase in proportion. Borrowing availability with the FHLB and the FRB, along with Federal funds lines at various correspondent 
banks, provides the Corporation with additional liquidity.

Each of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks is a member of the FHLB and has access to FHLB overnight and term credit facilities.
As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had $652.1 million of short- and long-term advances outstanding from the FHLB with 
an additional borrowing capacity of approximately $3.6 billion under these facilities. Advances from the FHLB are secured by 
qualifying commercial real estate and residential mortgage loans, investments and other assets.

As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had aggregate availability under federal funds lines of $1.2 billion, with $220.0 million 
borrowed against that amount. A combination of commercial real estate loans, commercial loans and securities are pledged to the 
FRB of Philadelphia to provide access to FRB Discount Window borrowings. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had 
$617.4 million of collateralized borrowing availability at the Discount Window, and no outstanding borrowings. 

Liquidity must also be managed at the Corporation parent company level. For safety and soundness reasons, banking regulations 
limit the amount of cash that can be transferred from subsidiary banks to the parent company in the form of loans and dividends. 
Generally, these limitations are based on the subsidiary banks’ regulatory capital levels and their net income. See "Note 11 - 
Regulatory Matters - Dividend and Loan Limitations" in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial 
Statements and Supplementary Data" for additional information concerning limitations on the dividends that may be paid to the 
Corporation, and loans that may be granted to the Corporation and its affiliates, by the Corporation's subsidiary banks. Management 
continues to monitor the liquidity and capital needs of the parent company and will implement appropriate strategies, as necessary, 
to remain adequately capitalized and to meet its cash needs.

The Corporation’s sources and uses of funds were discussed in general terms in the "Net Interest Income" section of Management’s 
Discussion and Analysis. The consolidated statements of cash flows provide additional information. The Corporation’s operating 
activities during 2017 generated $258.8 million of cash, mainly due to net income. Cash used in investing activities was $1.2 
billion, due to net increases in loans and investment securities. Net cash provided by financing activities was $897.1 million due 
mainly to increases in deposits.

70

The following table presents the expected maturities of available for sale investment securities, at estimated fair value, as of 
December 31, 2017 and the weighted average yields of such securities (calculated based on historical cost):

Maturing

Within One Year

After One But
Within Five Years

After Five But
Within Ten Years

After Ten Years

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

Amount

Yield

(dollars in thousands)

U.S. Government sponsored agency

securities .................................................... $

State and municipal (1) ...................................
Auction rate securities (2) ...............................
Corporate debt securities ...............................

1

1.29% $

3

1.91% $

5,934

2.53% $

—

—%

13,771

3.90

24,115

3.91

40,081

5.69

330,982

—

—

—

—

—

—

3,148

8.09

9,447

3.18

67,149

3.84

98,668

17,565

4.78

2.90

4.28

Total....................................................... $
Collateralized mortgage obligations (3).......... $
602,623
Residential mortgage-backed securities (3) .... $ 1,120,796
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (3) .. $
212,755

16,920

4.67% $

33,565

3.71% $ 113,164

4.41% $ 447,215

4.31%

2.18%

2.24%

2.34%

(1)  Weighted average yields on tax-exempt securities have been computed on a fully taxable-equivalent basis assuming a federal tax rate of 35% and statutory 

interest expense disallowances.

(2)  Maturities of auction rate securities are based on contractual maturities.
(3)  Maturities for mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations are dependent upon the interest rate environment and prepayments on the 
underlying loans. For the purpose of this table, all balances and weighted average rates are shown in one period. As of December 31, 2017, the weighted 
average remaining lives of collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage-backed securities were four and five years, respectively. 

The Corporation’s investment portfolio consists mainly of mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations 
which have stated maturities that may differ from actual maturities due to borrowers’ ability to prepay obligations. Cash flows 
from such investments are dependent upon the performance of the underlying mortgage loans and are generally influenced by the 
level of interest rates. As rates increase, cash flows generally decrease as prepayments on the underlying mortgage loans decrease. 
As rates decrease, cash flows generally increase as prepayments increase.

The following table presents the approximate contractual maturities of fixed rate loans and loan types subject to changes in interest 
rates as of December 31, 2017:

One Year
or Less

One
Through
Five Years

More Than
Five Years

Total

(in thousands)

Commercial - industrial, financial and agricultural

Adjustable and floating rate ...................................... $
Fixed rate...................................................................

Total ................................................................... $

Real estate – mortgage (1):

Adjustable and floating rate ...................................... $
Fixed rate...................................................................

Total ................................................................... $

Real estate – construction:

947,790
219,626
1,167,416

1,383,727
506,451
1,890,178

Adjustable and floating rate ...................................... $
Fixed rate...................................................................

Total ................................................................... $

295,248
89,667
384,915

$

$

$

$

$

$

2,069,501
335,488
2,404,989

4,016,947
1,109,590
5,126,537

356,802
10,048
366,850

$

$

$

$

$

$

441,292
286,600
727,892

2,306,955
555,564
2,862,519

238,650
16,520
255,170

$

$

$

$

$

$

3,458,583
841,714
4,300,297

7,707,629
2,171,605
9,879,234

890,700
116,235
1,006,935

(1) Includes commercial mortgages, residential mortgages and home equity loans.

71

 
 
 
 
 
 
Contractual maturities of time deposits as of December 31, 2017 were as follows (in thousands):

Year
2018.......................................................................................................................................................................... $ 1,085,369
866,233
2019..........................................................................................................................................................................
436,690
2020..........................................................................................................................................................................
122,516
2021..........................................................................................................................................................................
76,962
2022..........................................................................................................................................................................
77,142
Thereafter .................................................................................................................................................................
$ 2,664,912

Contractual maturities of time deposits of $100,000 or more outstanding, included in the table above, as of December 31, 2017 
were as follows (in thousands):

Three months or less ................................................................................................................................................ $
Over three through six months .................................................................................................................................
Over six through twelve months ..............................................................................................................................
Over twelve months .................................................................................................................................................

147,094
111,628
194,555
728,579
Total................................................................................................................................................................... $ 1,181,856

Equity Market Price Risk

Equity market price risk is the risk that changes in the values of equity investments could have a material impact on the financial 
position or results of operations of the Corporation. The Corporation's exposure to equity market price risk has been greatly reduced 
over  the  past  several  years.    The  fair  value  of  equity  investments  in  the  investments  securities  portfolio  were  $918,000  at 
December 31, 2017. 

In addition to its equity portfolio, investment management and trust services income may be impacted by fluctuations in the equity 
markets. A portion of this revenue is based on the value of the underlying investment portfolios, many of which include equity 
investments. If the values of those investment portfolios decrease, whether due to factors influencing the U.S. or international 
securities markets in general or otherwise, the Corporation’s revenue would be negatively impacted. Total assets under management 
were $7.1 billion at December 31, 2017. In addition, the Corporation’s ability to sell its brokerage services in the future will be 
dependent, in part, upon consumers’ level of confidence in financial markets.

Debt Security Market Price Risk

Debt security market price risk is the risk that changes in the values of debt securities, unrelated to interest rate changes, could 
have  a  material  impact  on  the  financial  position  or  results  of  operations  of  the  Corporation. The  Corporation’s  debt  security 
investments consist primarily of  U.S. government sponsored agency issued mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage 
obligations, state and municipal securities, U.S. government debt securities, auction rate securities and corporate debt securities. 
All of the Corporation's investments in mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations have principal payments 
that are guaranteed by U.S. government sponsored agencies.

State and Municipal Securities

As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation owned state and municipal securities issued by various states and municipalities with 
a total fair value of $408.9 million. Ongoing uncertainty with respect to the financial strength of state and municipal bond insurers 
places much greater emphasis on the underlying strength of issuers. Continued pressure on local tax revenues of issuers due to 
adverse economic conditions could have an adverse impact on the underlying credit quality of issuers. The Corporation evaluates 
existing and potential holdings primarily based on the underlying creditworthiness of the issuing state or municipality and then, 
to a lesser extent, on any credit enhancement. State and municipal securities can be supported by the general obligation of the 
issuing state or municipality, allowing the securities to be repaid by any means available to the issuing state or municipality. As 
of  December 31,  2017,  approximately  98%  of  state  and  municipal  securities  were  supported  by  the  general  obligation  of 
corresponding  states  or  municipalities. Approximately  61%  of  these  securities  were  school  district  issuances,  which  are  also 
supported by the states of the issuing municipalities.

72

 
Auction Rate Securities

As  of  December 31,  2017,  the  Corporation’s  investments  in  student  loan  auction  rate  securities,  also  known  as  auction  rate 
certificates ("ARCs"), had a cost basis of $107.4 million and an estimated fair value of $98.7 million. The fair values of the ARCs 
currently in the portfolio were derived using significant unobservable inputs based on an expected cash flows model which produced 
fair values that may not represent those that could be expected from settlement of these investments in the current market. The 
expected cash flows model produced fair values which assumed a return to market liquidity sometime within the next five years. 
The Corporation believes that the trusts underlying the ARCs will self-liquidate as student loans are repaid. 

The credit quality of the underlying debt associated with the ARCs is also a factor in the determination of their estimated fair 
value. As of December 31, 2017, all of the ARCs were rated above investment grade, with approximately $5.6 million, or 6%, 
"AAA" rated and $93.0 million, or 94%, "AA" rated. All of the loans underlying the ARCs have principal payments which are 
guaranteed by the federal government. At December 31, 2017, all of the Corporation's ARCs were current and making scheduled 
interest payments.

Corporate Debt Securities

The Corporation holds corporate debt securities in the form of single-issuer trust preferred securities and subordinated debt issued 
by financial institutions. As of December 31, 2017, these securities had an amortized cost of $96.4 million and an estimated fair 
value of $97.3 million.

See "Note 3 - Investment Securities," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial Statements and 
Supplementary Data" for further discussion related to the Corporation’s other-than-temporary impairment evaluations for debt 
securities, and see "Note 18 - Fair Value Measurements," in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. "Financial 
Statements and Supplementary Data" for further discussion related to the fair values of debt securities.

73

 Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 (dollars in thousands, except per-share data)

December 31,

2017

2016

Assets
Cash and due from banks ...................................................................................................... $
Interest-bearing deposits with other banks............................................................................
Federal Reserve Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank stock.................................................
Loans held for sale ................................................................................................................
Available for sale investment securities................................................................................
Loans, net of unearned income .............................................................................................
Allowance for loan losses .....................................................................................................
Net Loans ..................................................................................................................
Premises and equipment........................................................................................................
Accrued interest receivable ...................................................................................................
Goodwill and intangible assets .............................................................................................
Other assets ...........................................................................................................................

108,291
293,805
60,761
31,530
2,547,956
15,768,247
(169,910)
15,598,337
222,802
52,910
531,556
588,957
Total Assets................................................................................................................ $ 20,036,905

$

118,763
233,763
57,489
28,697
2,559,227
14,699,272
(168,679)
14,530,593
217,806
46,294
531,556
620,059
$ 18,944,247

Liabilities
Deposits:

Noninterest-bearing........................................................................................................ $
Interest-bearing ..............................................................................................................
Total Deposits............................................................................................................

4,437,294
11,360,238
15,797,532

$

4,376,137
10,636,727
15,012,864

Short-term borrowings:

Federal funds purchased ................................................................................................
Other short-term borrowings..........................................................................................
Total Short-Term Borrowings....................................................................................
Accrued interest payable .......................................................................................................
Other liabilities......................................................................................................................
Federal Home Loan Bank advances and long-term debt ......................................................
Total Liabilities .........................................................................................................

Shareholders’ Equity
Common stock, $2.50 par value, 600 million shares authorized, 220.9 million shares

220,000
397,524
617,524
9,317
344,329
1,038,346
17,807,048

278,570
262,747
541,317
9,632
329,916
929,403
16,823,132

issued in 2017 and 219.9 million shares issued in 2016 ................................................
552,232
1,478,389
Additional paid-in capital......................................................................................................
821,619
Retained earnings ..................................................................................................................
(32,974)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss................................................................................
Treasury stock, 45.7 million shares in 2017 and 45.8 million shares in 2016 ......................
(589,409)
2,229,857
Total Shareholders’ Equity ........................................................................................
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity................................................................ $ 20,036,905

549,707
1,467,602
732,099
(38,449)
(589,844)
2,121,115
$ 18,944,247

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

74

 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(dollars in thousands, except per-share data)

Interest Income
Loans, including fees ..................................................................................................................... $
Investment securities:

Taxable...................................................................................................................................
Tax-exempt ............................................................................................................................
Dividends ...............................................................................................................................
Loans held for sale .........................................................................................................................
Other interest income.....................................................................................................................
Total Interest Income...........................................................................................

Interest Expense
Deposits..........................................................................................................................................
Short-term borrowings ...................................................................................................................
Long-term debt...............................................................................................................................
Total Interest Expense .........................................................................................
Net Interest Income .............................................................................................
Provision for credit losses..............................................................................................................
Net Interest Income After Provision for Credit Losses........................................

Non-Interest Income
Other service charges and fees.......................................................................................................
Service charges on deposit accounts..............................................................................................
Investment management and trust services....................................................................................
Mortgage banking income .............................................................................................................
Other ..............................................................................................................................................
Non-interest income before investment securities gains .......................................................
Investment securities gains, net .....................................................................................................
Total Non-Interest Income...................................................................................

Non-Interest Expense
Salaries and employee benefits......................................................................................................
Net occupancy expense..................................................................................................................
Data processing and software ........................................................................................................
Other outside services ....................................................................................................................
Equipment expense ........................................................................................................................
Professional fees ............................................................................................................................
FDIC insurance expense ................................................................................................................
Amortization of tax credit investments..........................................................................................
State taxes ......................................................................................................................................
Marketing.......................................................................................................................................
Loss on redemption of trust preferred securities............................................................................
Other ..............................................................................................................................................
Total Non-Interest Expense .................................................................................
Income Before Income Taxes...............................................................................
Income taxes ..................................................................................................................................

Net Income........................................................................................................... $

Per Share:
Net Income (Basic) ........................................................................................................................ $
Net Income (Diluted) .....................................................................................................................
Cash Dividends ..............................................................................................................................

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2017

2016

2015

603,961

$

543,385

$

524,060

47,028
11,566
369
876
5,066
668,866

57,791
2,779
32,932
93,502
575,364
23,305
552,059

52,859
51,006
49,249
19,928
25,861
198,903
9,071
207,974

290,130
49,708
38,735
27,501
12,935
12,688
11,049
11,028
10,051
8,034
—
53,720
525,579
234,454
62,701
171,753

0.98
0.98
0.47

$

$

44,975
9,662
571
728
3,779
603,100

44,693
855
36,780
82,328
520,772
13,182
507,590

51,473
51,346
45,270
19,415
20,124
187,628
2,550
190,178

283,353
47,611
36,919
23,883
12,788
11,004
9,767
—
6,405
7,044
—
50,745
489,519
208,249
46,624
161,625

0.93
0.93
0.41

$

$

45,279
7,879
985
801
4,785
583,789

40,482
372
42,941
83,795
499,994
2,250
497,744

43,992
50,097
44,056
18,208
16,420
172,773
9,066
181,839

260,832
47,777
34,640
27,785
14,514
11,244
11,470
—
7,297
7,324
5,626
51,651
480,160
199,423
49,921
149,502

0.85
0.85
0.38

75

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands)

Net Income..............................................................................................................................................

$ 171,753

$ 161,625

$ 149,502

2017

2016

2015

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax:

Unrealized (losses) gains on available for sale investment securities:

Unrealized gain (loss) on securities...................................................................................................

10,432

(14,891)

Reclassification adjustment for securities gains included in net income ..........................................

(5,894)

Non-credit related unrealized gain (loss) on other-than-temporarily impaired debt securities.........

Net unrealized gains (losses) on available for sale investment securities .........................................

Unrealized gains on derivative financial instruments:

Amortization of unrealized loss on derivative financial instruments................................................

Reclassification adjustment for loss on derivative financial instruments included in net income....

Net unrealized gains on derivative financial instruments..................................................................

Defined benefit pension plan and postretirement benefits:

Unrecognized pension and postretirement (cost) income .................................................................

Amortization of net unrecognized pension and postretirement income............................................

Net unrealized gains on defined benefit pension and postretirement plans ......................................

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)...........................................................................................

185

4,723

—

—

—

(609)

1,361

752

5,475

(1,657)

(185)

(7,717)

(5,892)

239

(16,733)

(13,370)

16

—

16

(931)

1,216

285

75

2,456

2,531

4,680

1,864

6,544

(16,432)

(4,295)

Total Comprehensive Income .......................................................................................................

$ 177,228

$ 145,193

$ 145,207

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

76

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands, except per share data)

Common Stock

Shares
Outstanding

Amount

Additional
Paid-in
Capital

Retained
Earnings

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)

Treasury
Stock

Total

Balance at December 31, 2014.............................................

178,924

$

545,555

$ 1,420,523

$

558,810

$

(17,722)

$

(510,501)

$

1,996,665

Net income ....................................................................

Other comprehensive loss .............................................

149,502

(4,295)

Stock issued, including related tax benefits ..................

1,018

1,586

Stock-based compensation awards................................

Acquisition of treasury stock.........................................

Settlement of accelerated stock repurchase agreement .

Common stock cash dividends - $0.38 per share ..........

(3,976)

(1,790)

4,229

5,938

20,000

(66,724)

4,993

(50,000)

(20,000)

149,502

(4,295)

10,808

5,938

(50,000)

—

(66,724)

Balance at December 31, 2015.............................................

174,176

$

547,141

$ 1,450,690

$

641,588

$

(22,017)

$

(575,508)

$

2,041,894

Net income ....................................................................

Other comprehensive loss .............................................

161,625

(16,432)

Stock issued, including related tax benefits ..................

1,350

2,566

Stock-based compensation awards................................

Acquisition of treasury stock.........................................

(1,486)

Common stock cash dividends - $0.41 per share ..........

10,356

6,556

(71,114)

4,209

(18,545)

161,625

(16,432)

17,131

6,556

(18,545)

(71,114)

Balance at December 31, 2016.............................................

174,040

$

549,707

$ 1,467,602

$

732,099

$

(38,449)

$

(589,844)

$

2,121,115

Net income ....................................................................

Other comprehensive income........................................

Stock issued...................................................................

1,130

2,525

Stock-based compensation awards................................

Common stock cash dividends - $0.47 per share ..........

171,753

(82,233)

5,578

5,209

5,475

435

171,753

5,475

8,538

5,209

(82,233)

Balance at December 31, 2017.............................................

175,170

$

552,232

$ 1,478,389

$

821,619

$

(32,974)

$

(589,409) $

2,229,857

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

77

 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:

Net Income .................................................................................................................. $
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

171,753

$

161,625

$

149,502

2017

2016

2015

Provision for credit losses ...................................................................................
Depreciation and amortization of premises and equipment ................................
Net amortization of investment security premiums ............................................
Deferred income tax expense ..............................................................................
Re-measurement of net deferred tax asset...........................................................
Investment securities gains, net...........................................................................
Gains on sales of mortgage loans held for sale ...................................................
Proceeds from sales of mortgage loans held for sale ..........................................
Originations of mortgage loans held for sale ......................................................
Amortization of intangible assets........................................................................
Amortization of issuance costs and discount of long-term debt .........................
Stock-based compensation ..................................................................................
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation ..........................................
Increase in accrued interest receivable................................................................
Loss on redemption of trust preferred securities.................................................
Decrease (increase) in other assets......................................................................
Decrease in accrued interest payable ..................................................................
(Decrease) increase in other liabilities ................................................................
Total adjustments......................................................................................
Net cash provided by operating activities ................................................

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:

Proceeds from sales of securities available for sale ............................................
Proceeds from maturities and paydowns of securities available for sale............
Purchase of securities available for sale..............................................................
(Increase) decrease in short-term investments ....................................................
Net increase in loans ...........................................................................................
Net purchases of premises and equipment ..........................................................
Net cash used in investing activities .........................................................

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:

Net increase in demand and savings deposits .....................................................
Net increase (decrease) in time deposits .............................................................
Increase in short-term borrowings.......................................................................
Additions to long-term debt ................................................................................
Repayments of long-term debt ............................................................................
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock....................................................
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation ..........................................
Dividends paid.....................................................................................................
Acquisition of treasury stock...............................................................................
Net cash provided by financing activities.................................................
Net (decrease) increase in Cash and Due From Banks ...............................................
Cash and Due From Banks at Beginning of Year........................................................
Cash and Due From Banks at End of Year.................................................................. $

Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information

Cash paid during period for:

23,305
28,096
10,107
24,896
15,635
(9,071)
(13,036)
644,400
(634,197)
—
845
5,209
—
(6,616)
—
29,227
(315)
(31,412)
87,073
258,826

184,734
417,673
(584,921)
(63,314)
(1,087,521)
(33,092)
(1,166,441)

782,525
2,143
76,207
223,251
(115,153)
8,538
—
(80,368)
—
897,143
(10,472)
118,763
108,291

Interest................................................................................................................. $
Income taxes........................................................................................................

93,817
6,537

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

13,182
27,403
10,430
11,054
—
(2,550)
(15,685)
709,316
(705,442)
—
617
6,556
(964)
(3,527)
—
(29,940)
(1,092)
4,427
23,785
185,410

115,844
558,854
(782,765)
1,264
(873,939)
(19,674)
(1,000,416)

992,253
(111,706)
43,654
215,884
(236,640)
16,167
964
(69,382)
(18,545)
832,649
17,643
101,120
118,763

83,420
16,193

$

$

$

$

2,250
27,605
7,330
13,424
—
(9,066)
(13,264)
757,850
(743,950)
247
582
5,938
(201)
(949)
5,626
(22,987)
(7,321)
4,928
28,042
177,544

66,480
439,533
(683,839)
130,567
(743,655)
(27,113)
(818,027)

971,312
(206,501)
167,944
347,778
(540,079)
10,607
201
(65,361)
(50,000)
635,901
(4,582)
105,702
101,120

91,116
13,378

78

 
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Business: Fulton Financial Corporation ("Parent Company") is a multi-bank financial holding company which provides a full 
range of banking and financial services to businesses and consumers through its six wholly owned banking subsidiaries: Fulton 
Bank, N.A., Fulton Bank of New Jersey, The Columbia Bank, Lafayette Ambassador Bank, FNB Bank, N.A. and Swineford 
National Bank. In addition, the Parent Company owns the following non-bank subsidiaries: Fulton Financial Realty Company, 
Central Pennsylvania Financial Corp., FFC Management, Inc., FFC Penn Square, Inc. and Fulton Insurance Services Group, Inc. 
Collectively, the Parent Company and its subsidiaries are referred to as the Corporation.

The Corporation’s primary sources of revenue are interest income on loans, investment securities and other interest-earning assets 
and fee income earned on its products and services. Its expenses consist of interest expense on deposits and borrowed funds, 
provision for credit losses, other operating expenses and income taxes. The Corporation’s primary competition is other financial 
services providers operating in its region. Competitors also include financial services providers located outside the Corporation’s 
geographic market as a result of the growth in electronic delivery systems. The Corporation is subject to the regulations of certain 
federal and state agencies and undergoes periodic examinations by such regulatory authorities.

The Corporation offers, through its banking subsidiaries, a full range of retail and commercial banking services in Pennsylvania, 
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. Industry diversity is the key to the economic well-being of these markets, and the 
Corporation is not dependent upon any single customer or industry.

Basis  of  Financial  Statement  Presentation:  The  consolidated  financial  statements  have  been  prepared  in  conformity  with 
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") and include the accounts of the Parent Company 
and all wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The preparation 
of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the 
reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosed amount of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial 
statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 
The  Corporation  evaluates  subsequent  events  through  the  date  of  the  filing  of  this  report  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission ("SEC").

Federal Reserve Bank ("FRB") and Federal Home Loan Bank Stock: Certain of the Corporation's wholly owned banking 
subsidiaries are members of the FRB and Federal Home Loan Bank and are required by federal law to hold stock in these institutions 
according to predetermined formulas. These restricted investments are carried at cost on the consolidated balance sheets and are 
periodically evaluated for impairment. Each of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank 
for the region encompassing the headquarters of the subsidiary bank. Memberships are maintained with the Atlanta, New York 
and Pittsburgh regional Federal Home Loan Banks (collectively referred to as the "FHLB").

Investments: Debt securities are classified as held to maturity at the time of purchase when the Corporation has both the intent 
and  ability  to  hold  these  investments  until  they  mature.  Such  debt  securities  are  carried  at  cost,  adjusted  for  amortization  of 
premiums and accretion of discounts using the effective yield method. The Corporation does not engage in trading activities, 
however, since the investment portfolio serves as a source of liquidity, all debt securities and marketable equity securities are 
classified as available for sale. Securities available for sale are carried at estimated fair value with the related unrealized holding 
gains and losses reported in shareholders’ equity as a component of other comprehensive income, net of tax. Realized securities 
gains and losses are computed using the specific identification method and are recorded on a trade date basis.

Securities are evaluated periodically to determine whether declines in value are other-than-temporary. For its investments in equity 
securities, most notably its investments in stocks of financial institutions, the Corporation evaluates the near-term prospects of the 
issuers in relation to the severity and duration of the impairment. Equity securities with fair values less than cost are considered 
to be other-than-temporarily impaired if the Corporation does not have the ability and intent to hold the investments for a reasonable 
period of time that would be sufficient for a recovery of fair value.

Impaired debt securities are determined to be other-than-temporarily impaired if the Corporation concludes at the balance sheet 
date that it has the intent to sell, or believes it will more likely than not be required to sell, an impaired debt security before a 
recovery of its amortized cost basis. Credit losses on other-than-temporarily impaired debt securities are recorded through earnings, 
regardless of the intent or the requirement to sell. Credit loss is measured as the difference between the present value of an impaired 
debt security’s expected cash flows and its amortized cost. Non-credit related other-than-temporary impairment charges are recorded 

79

 
as decreases to accumulated other comprehensive income as long as the Corporation has no intent or expected requirement to sell 
the impaired debt security before a recovery of its amortized cost basis.

Fair Value  Option: The  Corporation  has  elected  to  measure  mortgage  loans  held  for  sale  at  fair  value.  Derivative  financial 
instruments related to mortgage banking activities are also recorded at fair value, as detailed under the heading "Derivative Financial 
Instruments," below. The Corporation determines fair value for its mortgage loans held for sale based on the price that secondary 
market investors would pay for loans with similar characteristics, including interest rate and term, as of the date fair value is 
measured. Changes in fair values during the period are recorded as components of mortgage banking income on the consolidated 
statements of income. Interest income earned on mortgage loans held for sale is classified in interest income on the consolidated 
statements of income.

Loans and Revenue Recognition: Loan and lease financing receivables are stated at their principal amount outstanding, except 
for mortgage loans held for sale, which are carried at fair value. Interest income on loans is accrued as earned. Unearned income 
on lease financing receivables is recognized on a basis which approximates the effective yield method.

In general, a loan is placed on non-accrual status once it becomes 90 days delinquent as to principal or interest. In certain cases a 
loan may be placed on non-accrual status prior to being 90 days delinquent if there is an indication that the borrower is having 
difficulty making payments, or the Corporation believes it is probable that all amounts will not be collected according to the 
contractual terms of the loan agreement. When interest accruals are discontinued, unpaid interest previously credited to income 
is reversed. Non-accrual loans may be restored to accrual status when all delinquent principal and interest has been paid currently 
for six consecutive months or the loan is considered secured and in the process of collection. The Corporation generally applies 
payments received on non-accruing loans to principal until such time as the principal is paid off, after which time any payments 
received are recognized as interest income. If the Corporation believes that all amounts outstanding on a non-accrual loan will 
ultimately be collected, payments received subsequent to its classification as a non-accrual loan are allocated between interest 
income and principal.

A loan that is 90 days delinquent may continue to accrue interest if the loan is both adequately secured and is in the process of 
collection. Past due status is determined based on contractual due dates for loan payments. An adequately secured loan is one that 
has collateral with a supported fair value that is sufficient to discharge the debt, and/or has an enforceable guarantee from a 
financially responsible party. A loan is considered to be in the process of collection if collection is proceeding through legal action 
or through other activities that are reasonably expected to result in repayment of the debt or restoration to current status in the near 
future.

Loans and lease financing receivables deemed to be a loss are written off through a charge against the allowance for loan losses. 
Closed-end consumer loans are generally charged off when they become 120 days past due (180 days for open-end consumer 
loans) if they are not adequately secured by real estate. All other loans are evaluated for possible charge-off when it is probable 
that the balance will not be collected, based on the ability of the borrower to pay and the value of the underlying collateral. Principal 
recoveries of loans previously charged off are recorded as increases to the allowance for loan losses.

Loan Origination Fees and Costs: Loan origination fees and the related direct origination costs are deferred and amortized over 
the life of the loan as an adjustment to interest income generally using the effective yield method. For mortgage loans sold, net 
loan origination fees and costs are included in the gain or loss on sale of the related loan.

Troubled Debt Restructurings ("TDRs"): Loans whose terms are modified are classified as TDRs if the Corporation grants the 
borrowers  concessions  and  it  is  determined  that  those  borrowers  are  experiencing  financial  difficulty.  Concessions,  whether 
negotiated or imposed by bankruptcy, granted under a TDR typically involve a temporary deferral of scheduled loan payments, 
an extension of a loan’s stated maturity date or a reduction in the interest rate. Non-accrual TDRs can be restored to accrual status 
if principal and interest payments, under the modified terms, are current for six consecutive months after modification. 

Allowance for Credit Losses: The allowance for credit losses consists of the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded 
lending commitments. The allowance for loan losses represents management’s estimate of incurred losses in the loan portfolio as 
of  the  balance  sheet  date  and  is  recorded  as  a  reduction  to  loans. The  reserve  for  unfunded  lending  commitments  represents 
management’s estimate of incurred losses in its unfunded loan commitments and other off-balance sheet credit exposures, such 
as letters of credit, and is recorded in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The allowance for credit losses is increased 
by charges to expense, through the provision for credit losses, and decreased by charge-offs, net of recoveries. Management 
believes that the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments are adequate as of the balance sheet 
date; however, future changes to the allowance or reserve may be necessary based on changes in any of the factors discussed in 
the following paragraphs.

Maintaining an appropriate allowance for credit losses is dependent upon various factors, including the ability to identify potential 
problem loans in a timely manner. For commercial loans, commercial mortgages and construction loans to commercial borrowers, 
80

an internal risk rating process is used. The Corporation believes that internal risk ratings are the most relevant credit quality 
indicator for these types of loans. The migration of loans through the various internal risk rating categories is a significant component 
of the allowance for credit loss methodology for these loans, which bases the probability of default on this migration. Assigning 
risk ratings involves judgment. The Corporation's loan review officers provide a separate assessment of risk rating accuracy. Risk 
ratings may be changed based on the ongoing monitoring procedures performed by loan officers or credit administration staff, or 
if specific loan review assessments identify a deterioration or an improvement in the loan. 

The following is a summary of the Corporation's internal risk rating categories:

• 

• 

• 

Pass: These loans do not currently pose undue credit risk and can range from the highest to average quality, depending 
on the degree of potential risk.

Special Mention: These loans have an undue and unwarranted credit risk, but not to the point of justifying a classification 
of substandard. Loans in this category are currently acceptable, but are nevertheless potentially weak. 

Substandard or Lower: These loans are inadequately protected by current sound worth and paying capacity of the borrower. 
There exists a well-defined weakness or weaknesses that jeopardize the normal repayment of the debt. 

The Corporation does not assign internal risk ratings for smaller balance, homogeneous loans, such as: home equity, residential 
mortgage, consumer, lease receivables and construction loans to individuals secured by residential real estate. For these loans, the 
most relevant credit quality indicator is delinquency status. The migration of loans through the various delinquency status categories 
is a significant component of the allowance for credit loss methodology for these loans, which bases the probability of default on 
this migration.

The Corporation’s allowance for loan losses includes: 1) specific allowances allocated to loans evaluated for impairment under 
the  Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board's  Accounting  Standards  Codification  ("FASB  ASC")  Section 310-10-35;  and  2) 
allowances calculated for pools of loans evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Subtopic 450-20.

A loan is considered to be impaired if it is probable that all amounts will not be collected according to the contractual terms of the 
loan agreement. Impaired loans consist of all loans on non-accrual status and accruing TDRs. An allowance for loan losses is 
established for an impaired loan if its carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value. Impaired loans to borrowers with total 
outstanding  commitments  greater  than  or  equal  to  $1.0  million  are  evaluated  individually  for  impairment.  Impaired  loans  to 
borrowers with total outstanding commitments less than $1.0 million are pooled and evaluated for impairment collectively. 

All  loans  evaluated  for  impairment  under  FASB ASC  Section  310-10-35  are  measured  for  losses  on  a  quarterly  basis. As  of 
December 31, 2017 and 2016, substantially all of the Corporation’s impaired loans to borrowers with total outstanding loan balances 
greater than or equal to $1.0 million were measured based on the estimated fair value of each loan’s collateral. Collateral could 
be in the form of real estate, in the case of impaired commercial mortgages and construction loans, or business assets, such as 
accounts receivable or inventory, in the case of commercial and industrial loans. Commercial and industrial loans may also be 
secured by real property. 

For loans secured by real estate, estimated fair values are determined primarily through appraisals performed by state certified 
third-party appraisers, discounted to arrive at expected net sale proceeds. For collateral dependent loans, estimated real estate fair 
values are also net of estimated selling costs. When a real estate secured loan becomes impaired, a decision is made regarding 
whether an updated appraisal of the real estate is necessary. This decision is based on various considerations, including: the age 
of the most recent appraisal; the loan-to-value ratio based on the original appraisal; the condition of the property; the Corporation’s 
experience and knowledge of the real estate market; the purpose of the loan; market factors; payment status; the strength of any 
guarantors; and the existence and age of other indications of value such as broker price opinions, among others. The Corporation 
generally obtains updated appraisals performed by state certified third-party appraisers for impaired loans secured predominantly 
by real estate every 12 months.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, approximately 94% and 62%, respectively, of impaired loans with principal balances greater 
than or equal to $1.0 million, whose primary collateral is real estate, were measured at estimated fair value using appraisals 
performed by state certified third-party appraisers that had been updated within the preceding 12 months. 

When updated appraisals are not obtained for loans secured by real estate and evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Section 
310-10-35, fair values are estimated based on the original appraisal values, as long as the original appraisal indicated an acceptable 
loan-to-value position and, in the opinion of the Corporation's internal credit administration staff, there has not been a significant 
deterioration in the collateral value since the original appraisal was performed. Original appraisals are typically used only when 
the estimated collateral value, as adjusted appropriately for the age of the appraisal, results in a current loan-to-value ratio that is 
lower than the Corporation's loan-to-value requirements for new loans, generally less than 70%. 

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For impaired loans with principal balances greater than or equal to $1.0 million secured by non-real estate collateral, such as 
accounts receivable or inventory, estimated fair values are determined based on borrower financial statements, inventory listings, 
accounts receivable agings or borrowing base certificates. Indications of value from these sources are generally discounted based 
on the age of the financial information or the quality of the assets. Liquidation or collection discounts are applied to these assets 
based upon existing loan evaluation policies.

All loans not evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Section 310-10-35 are evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC 
Subtopic 450-20, using a pooled loss evaluation approach. In general, these loans include residential mortgages, home equity 
loans, consumer loans, and lease receivables. Accruing commercial loans, commercial mortgages and construction loans are also 
evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Subtopic 450-20.

The Corporation segments its loan portfolio by general loan type, or "portfolio segments," as presented in the table under the 
heading, "Loans, net of unearned income," within Note 4, "Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses." Certain portfolio segments 
are further disaggregated and evaluated collectively for impairment based on "class segments," which are largely based on the 
type of collateral underlying each loan. For commercial loans, class segments include loans secured by collateral and unsecured 
loans. Construction loan class segments include loans secured by commercial real estate, loans to commercial borrowers secured 
by residential real estate and loans to individuals secured by residential real estate. Consumer loan class segments are based on 
collateral types and include direct consumer installment loans and indirect automobile loans.

The Corporation calculates allowance for loan loss allocation needs for loans evaluated under FASB ASC Subtopic 450-20 through 
the following procedures:

•  The loans are segmented into pools with similar characteristics, as noted above. Commercial loans, commercial mortgages 
and construction loans to commercial borrowers are further segmented into separate pools based on internally assigned 
risk ratings. Residential mortgages, home equity loans, consumer loans, and lease receivables are further segmented into 
separate pools based on delinquency status. 

•  A loss rate is calculated for each pool through an analysis of historical losses as loans migrate through the various risk 
rating or delinquency categories. Estimated loss rates are based on a probability of default and a loss rate forecast. 

•  The loss rate is adjusted to consider qualitative factors, such as economic conditions and trends.

•  The resulting adjusted loss rate is applied to the balance of the loans in the pool to arrive at the allowance allocation for 

the pool. 

The allocation of the allowance for credit losses is reviewed to evaluate its appropriateness in relation to the overall risk profile 
of the loan portfolio. The Corporation considers risk factors such as: local and national economic conditions; trends in delinquencies 
and non-accrual loans; the diversity of borrower industry types; and the composition of the portfolio by loan type. Prior to 2017, 
the Corporation maintained an unallocated allowance for credit losses for factors and conditions that exist at the balance sheet 
date, but are not specifically identifiable, and to recognize the inherent imprecision in estimating and measuring loss exposure. In 
2017, enhancements were made to allow for the impact of these factors and conditions to be quantified in the allowance allocation 
process. Accordingly, an unallocated allowance for credit losses is no longer necessary. This change did not have a material impact.

Premises  and  Equipment:  Premises  and  equipment  are  stated  at  cost,  less  accumulated  depreciation  and  amortization. The 
provision for depreciation and amortization is generally computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives 
of the related assets, which are a maximum of 50 years for buildings and improvements, 8 years for furniture and 5 years for 
equipment. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life or the non-cancelable lease term. 

Other Real Estate Owned ("OREO"): Assets acquired in settlement of mortgage loan indebtedness are recorded as OREO and 
are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets, initially at the lower of the estimated fair value of the asset, less 
estimated selling costs, or the carrying amount of the loan. Costs to maintain the assets and subsequent gains and losses on sales 
are included in other non-interest expense on the consolidated statements of income.

Mortgage Servicing Rights ("MSRs"): The estimated fair value of MSRs related to residential mortgage loans sold and serviced 
by the Corporation is recorded as an asset upon the sale of such loans. MSRs are amortized as a reduction to servicing income 
over the estimated lives of the underlying loans.

MSRs are stratified and evaluated for impairment by comparing each stratum's carrying amount to its estimated fair value. Fair 
values are determined through a discounted cash flows valuation completed by a third-party valuation expert. Significant inputs 
to the valuation include expected net servicing income, the discount rate and the expected lives of the underlying loans. Expected 

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life is based on the contractual terms of the loans, as adjusted for prepayment projections. To the extent the amortized cost of the 
MSRs exceeds their estimated fair value, a valuation allowance is established through a charge against servicing income, included 
as a component of mortgage banking income on the consolidated statements of income. If subsequent valuations indicate that 
impairment no longer exists, the valuation allowance is reduced through an increase to servicing income.

Derivative Financial Instruments: The Corporation manages its exposure to certain interest rate and foreign currency risks 
through the use of derivatives. None of the Corporation's outstanding derivative contracts are designated as hedges and none are 
entered into for speculative purposes. Derivative instruments are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in 
earnings as components of non-interest income or non-interest expense on the consolidated statements of income.

Derivative  contracts  create  counterparty  credit  risk  with  both  the  Corporation's  customers  and  with  institutional  derivative 
counterparties. The Corporation manages counterparty credit risk through its credit approval processes, monitoring procedures 
and obtaining adequate collateral, when the Corporation determines it is appropriate to do so and in accordance with counterparty 
contracts.

Mortgage Banking Derivatives

In  connection  with  its  mortgage  banking  activities,  the  Corporation  enters  into  commitments  to  originate  certain  fixed-rate 
residential mortgage loans for customers, also referred to as interest rate locks. In addition, the Corporation enters into forward 
commitments for the future sales or purchases of mortgage-backed securities to or from third-party counterparties to hedge the 
effect of changes in interest rates on the values of both the interest rate locks and mortgage loans held for sale. Forward sales 
commitments may also be in the form of commitments to sell individual mortgage loans at a fixed price at a future date. The 
amount necessary to settle each interest rate lock is based on the price that secondary market investors would pay for loans with 
similar characteristics, including interest rate and term, as of the date fair value is measured. Gross derivative assets and liabilities 
are recorded in other assets and other liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance sheets, with changes in fair values during 
the period recorded in mortgage banking income on the consolidated statements of income. 

Interest Rate Swaps

The Corporation enters into interest rate swaps with certain qualifying commercial loan customers to meet their interest rate risk 
management  needs. The  Corporation  simultaneously  enters  into  interest  rate  swaps  with  dealer  counterparties,  with  identical 
notional amounts and terms. The net result of these interest rate swaps is that the customer pays a fixed rate of interest and the 
Corporation receives a floating rate. These interest rate swaps are derivative financial instruments and the gross fair values are 
recorded in other assets and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, with changes in fair value during the period recorded 
in other non-interest expense on the consolidated statements of income. Fulton Bank, N.A. ("Fulton Bank"), the Corporation's 
largest banking subsidiary, exceeded $10 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2016 and was required to clear all eligible 
interest rate swap contracts with a central counterparty, effective January 1, 2017. As a result, Fulton Bank became subject to the 
regulations of Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") on that date.

Foreign Exchange Contracts

The Corporation enters into foreign exchange contracts to accommodate the needs of its customers. Foreign exchange contracts 
are commitments to buy or sell foreign currency on a specific date at a contractual price. The Corporation offsets its foreign 
exchange  exposure  with  customers  by  entering  into  contracts  with  correspondent  financial  institutions  to  mitigate  its  foreign 
exchange risk. The Corporation also holds certain amounts of foreign currency with international correspondent banks ("Foreign 
Currency Nostro Accounts"). The Corporation limits the total overnight net foreign currency open positions, which is defined as 
an  aggregate  of  all  outstanding  contracts  and  Foreign  Currency  Nostro Account  balances,  to  $500,000.  Gross  fair  values  are 
recorded in other assets and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, with changes in fair values during the period 
recorded in other service charges and fees on the consolidated statements of income. 

Balance Sheet Offsetting: Although certain financial assets and liabilities may be eligible for offset on the consolidated balance 
sheets because they are subject to master netting arrangements or similar agreements, the Corporation elects to not offset such 
qualifying assets and liabilities. 

The Corporation is a party to interest rate swap transactions with financial institution counterparties and customers. Under these 
agreements, the Corporation has the right to net-settle multiple contracts with the same counterparty in the event of default on, or 
termination of, any one contract. Cash collateral is posted by the party with a net liability position in accordance with contract 
thresholds and can be used to settle the fair value of the interest rate swap agreements in the event of default. A daily settlement 
occurs through a clearing agent for changes in the fair value of centrally cleared derivatives. As a result, the total fair values of 

83

interest  rate  swap  derivative  assets  and  derivative  liabilities  recognized  on  the  consolidated  balance  sheet  are  not  equal  and 
offsetting.

The Corporation is also a party to foreign currency exchange contracts with financial institution counterparties, under which the 
Corporation has the right to net-settle multiple contracts with the same counterparty in the event of default on, or termination of, 
any one contract. As with interest rate swap contracts, cash collateral is posted by the party with a net liability position in accordance 
with contract thresholds and can be used to settle the fair value of the foreign currency exchange contracts in the event of default. 
For additional details, see "Note 10 - Derivative Financial Instruments."

The Corporation also enters into agreements with customers in which it sells securities subject to an obligation to repurchase the 
same or similar securities, referred to as repurchase agreements. Under these agreements, the Corporation may transfer legal 
control over the assets but still maintain effective control through agreements that both entitle and obligate the Corporation to 
repurchase the assets. Therefore, repurchase agreements are reported as secured borrowings, classified in short-term borrowings 
on the consolidated balance sheets, while the securities underlying the repurchase agreements remain classified with investment 
securities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Corporation has no intention of setting off these amounts, therefore, these 
repurchase agreements are not eligible for offset. 

Income Taxes: The Corporation accounts for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, "Income Taxes" ("ASC 
Topic 740"). Under ASC Topic 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial 
statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of existing assets and liabilities and are measured at the prevailing enacted tax rates 
that will be in effect when these differences are settled or realized. ASC Topic 740 also requires that deferred tax assets be reduced 
by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. 

The realizability of the net deferred tax assets is evaluated quarterly by assessing the valuation allowance and by adjusting the 
amount of the allowance, if necessary. The Corporation considers all available positive and negative evidence including projected 
future taxable income and available tax planning strategies that could be implemented to realize the net deferred tax assets. The 
evaluation of both positive and negative evidence is a requirement pursuant to ASC Topic 740 in determining whether it is more-
likely-than-not the net deferred tax assets will be realized. In the event the Corporation determines that the deferred income tax 
assets would be realized in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, an adjustment to the valuation allowance would be 
recorded, which would reduce the provision for income taxes. 

ASC Topic 740 also creates a single model to address uncertainty in tax positions, and clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in 
income taxes recognized in an enterprise's financial statements by prescribing the minimum recognition threshold a tax position 
is required to meet before being recognized in an enterprise's financial statements. It also provides guidance on derecognition, 
measurement,  classification,  interest  and  penalties,  accounting  in  interim  periods,  disclosure  and  transition.  The  liability  for 
unrecognized tax benefits is included in other liabilities within the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Stock-Based Compensation: The Corporation grants equity awards to employees, consisting of stock options, restricted stock, 
restricted stock units ("RSUs") and performance-based restricted stock units ("PSUs") under its Amended and Restated Equity 
and  Cash  Incentive  Compensation  Plan  ("Employee  Equity  Plan").  In  addition,  employees  may  purchase  stock  under  the 
Corporation’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP"). 

The Corporation also grants stock equity awards to non-employee members of its board of directors under the 2011 Directors’ 
Equity Participation Plan ("Directors’ Plan"). Under the Directors’ Plan, the Corporation can grant equity awards to non-employee 
holding company and subsidiary bank directors in the form of stock options, restricted stock or common stock. 

Stock option fair values are estimated through the use of the Black-Scholes valuation methodology as of the date of grant. Stock 
options carry terms of up to ten years. The fair value of restricted stock, RSUs and a majority of PSUs are based on the trading 
price of the Corporation's stock on the date of grant. The fair value of certain PSUs are estimated through the use of the Monte 
Carlo valuation methodology as of the date of grant.

Equity awards issued under the Employee Equity Plan are generally granted annually and become fully vested over or after a 
three-year vesting period. The vesting period for non-performance-based awards represents the period during which employees 
are required to provide service in exchange for such awards. Equity awards under the Directors' Plan generally vest immediately 
upon grant. Certain events, as defined in the Employee Equity Plan and the Directors' Plan, result in the acceleration of the vesting 
of equity awards. Restricted stock, RSUs and PSUs earn dividends during the vesting period, which are forfeitable if the awards 
do not vest.

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The fair value of stock options, restricted stock and RSUs granted to employees is recognized as compensation expense over the 
vesting period for such awards. Compensation expense for PSUs is also recognized over the vesting period, however, compensation 
expense for PSUs may vary based on the expectations for actual performance relative to defined performance measures.

Net Income Per Share: Basic net income per common share is calculated as net income divided by the weighted average number 
of shares outstanding. 

Diluted net income per share is calculated as net income divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding plus the 
incremental number of shares added as a result of converting common stock equivalents, calculated using the treasury stock 
method. The Corporation’s common stock equivalents consist of outstanding stock options, restricted stock, RSUs and PSUs. 
PSUs are required to be included in weighted average diluted shares outstanding if performance measures, as defined in each PSU 
award agreement, are met as of the end of the period.

A reconciliation of weighted average common shares outstanding used to calculate basic and diluted net income per share follows:

Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic) ........................................
Impact of common stock equivalents....................................................................
Weighted average common shares outstanding (diluted)......................................

2017

174,721
1,211
175,932

2016
(in thousands)
173,325
1,093
174,418

2015

175,721
1,053
176,774

In  2016  and  2015,  534,000  and  1.7  million  stock  options,  respectively,  were  excluded  from  the  diluted  earnings  per  share 
computation as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. There were no stock options excluded from the diluted net income per 
share computation in 2017.

Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information: The Corporation does not have any operating segments 
which  require  disclosure  of  additional  information. While  the  Corporation  owns  six  separate  banks,  each  engages  in  similar 
activities, provides similar products and services, and operates in the same general geographic area. The Corporation’s non-banking 
activities are immaterial and, therefore, separate information is not required to be disclosed.

Financial Guarantees: Financial guarantees, which consist primarily of standby and commercial letters of credit, are accounted 
for by recognizing a liability equal to the fair value of the guarantees and crediting the liability to income over the term of the 
guarantee. Fair value is estimated based on the fees currently charged to enter into similar agreements with similar terms. 

Business Combinations and Intangible Assets: The Corporation accounts for its acquisitions using the purchase accounting 
method. Purchase accounting requires that all assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including certain intangible assets that must 
be recognized, be recorded at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. Any purchase price exceeding the fair value of 
net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill.

Goodwill is not amortized to expense, but is tested for impairment at least annually. A quantitative annual impairment test is not 
required if, based on a qualitative analysis, the Corporation determines that the existence of events and circumstances indicate 
that it is more likely than not that goodwill is not impaired. Write-downs of the balance, if necessary as a result of the impairment 
test, are charged to expense in the period in which goodwill is determined to be impaired. The Corporation performs its annual 
test of goodwill impairment as of October 31st of each year. If certain events occur which indicate goodwill might be impaired 
between annual tests, goodwill must be tested when such events occur. Based on the results of its annual impairment tests, the 
Corporation concluded that there was no impairment in 2017, 2016 or 2015. See "Note 6 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets," for 
additional details.

Intangible assets are amortized over their estimated lives. Some intangible assets have indefinite lives and are, therefore, not 
amortized. All  intangible  assets  must  be  evaluated  for  impairment  if  certain  events  occur. Any  impairment  write-downs  are 
recognized as non-interest expense on the consolidated statements of income.

Variable Interest Entities ("VIEs"): FASB ASC Topic 810 provides guidance on when to consolidate certain VIEs in the financial 
statements of the Corporation. VIEs are entities in which equity investors do not have a controlling financial interest or do not 
have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance activities without additional financial support from other parties. VIEs are 
assessed for consolidation under ASC Topic 810 when the Corporation holds variable interests in these entities. The Corporation 
consolidates VIEs when it is deemed to be the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is determined to be the party 

85

 
that has the power to make decisions that most significantly affect the economic performance of the VIE and has the obligation 
to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that in either case could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Subsidiary Trusts 

The  Parent  Company  owns  all  of  the  common  stock  of  three  subsidiary  trusts,  which  have  issued  securities  (Trust  Preferred 
Securities) in conjunction with the Parent Company issuing junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures to the trusts. The 
terms of the junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures are the same as the terms of the Trust Preferred Securities ("TruPS"). 
The Parent Company’s obligations under the debentures constitute a full and unconditional guarantee by the Parent Company of 
the obligations of the trusts. The provisions of ASC Topic 810 related to subsidiary trusts, as interpreted by the SEC, disallow 
consolidation  of  subsidiary  trusts  in  the  financial  statements  of  the  Corporation. As  a  result,  TruPS  are  not  included  on  the 
Corporation’s consolidated balance sheets. The junior subordinated debentures issued by the Parent Company to the subsidiary 
trusts, which have the same total balance and rate as the combined equity securities and TruPS issued by the subsidiary trusts, 
remain in long-term debt. See "Note 9 - Short-Term Borrowings and Long-Term Debt," for additional information.

Tax Credit Investments

The Corporation makes investments in certain community development projects that generate tax credits under various federal 
programs, including qualified affordable housing projects, New Markets Tax Credit ("NMTC") projects and historic rehabilitation 
projects (collectively, "Tax Credit Investments"). These investments are made throughout the Corporation's market area as a means 
of supporting the communities it serves. The Corporation typically acts as a limited partner or member of a limited liability company 
in its Tax Credit Investments and does not exert control over the operating or financial policies of the partnership or limited liability 
company. Tax credits earned are subject to recapture by federal taxing authorities based upon compliance requirements to be met 
at the project level. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Corporation’s Tax Credit Investments, included in other assets on the 
consolidated  balance  sheets  and  representing  total  committed  equity  investments,  totaled  $205.8  million  and  $186.4  million, 
respectively. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had future funding commitments, included in other liabilities on the 
consolidated balance sheets, of approximately $68.8 million.

Because the Corporation owns 100% of the equity interests in its New Markets Tax Credit investments, these investments were 
consolidated based on FASB ASC Topic 810 as of December 31, 2017 and 2016. Investments in affordable housing projects were 
not consolidated based on management's assessment of the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 810.

Tax Credit Investments are tested for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not 
that the carrying amount of the investment will not be realized. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the current 
carrying value exceeds its aggregated remaining value of the tax benefits of the investment. There were no impairment losses 
recognized for the Corporation’s Tax Credit Investments in 2017, 2016 or 2015.

Amortization expense for qualified affordable housing projects is recorded as a component of income taxes on the consolidated 
statements of income. This expense, net of federal tax benefits, totaled $13.4 million, $11.2 million and $9.8 million in 2017, 2016
and 2015, respectively.

Amortization expense for NMTC and historical rehabilitation investments entered into prior to 2017 was recorded as a component 
of income taxes on the consolidated statements of income.  The expense on these prior investments, net of federal tax benefits, 
totaled $2.2 million, $3.1 million and $2.6 million in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Amortization expense for these types of 
investments entered into after 2016 is recorded in non-interest expense on the consolidation statement of income.  This expense 
totaled $11.0 million in 2017.

The income tax credits earned on Tax Credit Investments, recorded as a reduction to income taxes on the consolidated statements 
of income, were $41.4 million in 2017, $31.8 million in 2016 and $26.0 million in 2015.

Fair Value Measurements: FASB ASC Topic 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy for the inputs to valuation techniques used 
to measure assets and liabilities at fair value using the following three categories (from highest to lowest priority):

•  Level 1 – Inputs that represent quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

•  Level 2 – Inputs that represent quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, or quoted prices for identical 
instruments  in  non-active  markets.  Also  includes  valuation  techniques  whose  inputs  are  derived  principally  from 
observable market data other than quoted prices, such as interest rates or other market-corroborated means.

•  Level 3 – Inputs that are largely unobservable, as little or no market data exists for the instrument being valued.

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The Corporation has categorized all assets and liabilities required to be measured at fair value on both a recurring and nonrecurring 
basis into the above three levels. See "Note 18 - Fair Value Measurements," for additional details.

Recently Adopted Accounting  Standards:  In  March  2016,  the  FASB  issued ASC  Update  2016-09,  "Stock  Compensation: 
Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting." The purpose of this standards update is to simplify several aspects 
of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either 
equity or liability, and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASC Update 2016-09 was effective for interim and annual 
reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. For the Corporation, this standards update 
was effective with its March 31, 2017 quarterly report on Form 10-Q. As a result of adopting ASC Update 2016-09, excess tax 
benefits from stock-based compensation totaling $1.3 million were recognized in 2017 as a reduction to income taxes, rather then 
as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards: In May 2014, the FASB issued ASC Update 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with 
Customers." This standards update establishes a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising 
from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. 
The core principle prescribed by this standards update is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods 
or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for 
those goods or services. The standard applies to all contracts with customers, except those that are within the scope of other topics 
in the FASB ASC. The standard also requires significantly expanded disclosures about revenue recognition. The FASB has issued 
amendments to this standard (ASC Updates 2016-08, 2016-10, 2016-11, 2016-12 and 2017-13). These amendments provide further 
clarification to the standard. For public business entities, ASC Update 2014-09 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods 
beginning after December 15, 2017. For the Corporation, this standards update is effective with its March 31, 2018 quarterly report 
on  Form  10-Q. The  Corporation  evaluated  the  impact  of  the  adoption  of ASC  Update  2014-09  on  its  consolidated  financial 
statements and did not identify any significant changes in the timing of revenue recognition as a result of this amended guidance. 
The Corporation adopted this standards update on January 1, 2018, under the modified retrospective approach, and the adoption 
of ASC Update 2014-09 did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update 2016-01, "Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of 
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." ASC Update 2016-01 provides guidance regarding the income statement impact of 
equity investments held by an entity and the recognition of changes in fair value of financial liabilities when the fair value option 
is elected. This standards update will require equity investments to be measured at fair value, with changes recorded in net income. 
ASC Update 2016-01 is effective for public business entities' annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 
2017, with earlier adoption permitted. The Corporation adopted this standards update on January 1, 2018 and the adoption of ASC 
Update 2016-01 did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update 2016-02, "Leases." This standards update requires a lessee to recognize the assets 
and liabilities that arise from all leases with a term greater than 12 months. The core principle requires the lessee to recognize a 
liability to make lease payments and a "right-of-use" asset. The accounting applied by the lessor is relatively unchanged. The 
standards update also requires expanded qualitative and quantitative disclosures. In September of 2017, the FASB issued clarifying 
guidance to this standard (ASC Update 2017-13). For public business entities, ASC Update 2016-02 is effective for interim and 
annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. ASC Update 2016-02 mandates a modified retrospective transition 
for all entities, which requires restatement of all comparative periods in the year of adoption. Early adoption is permitted. For the 
Corporation, this standards update is effective with its March 31, 2019 quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The Corporation is currently 
evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASC Update 2016-02 on its consolidated financial statements. The Corporation currently 
operates a number of branches that are leased, with the leases accounted for as operating leases that are not recognized on the 
consolidated balance sheet. Under ASC Update 2016-02, right-of-use assets and lease liabilities will need to be recognized on the 
consolidated balance sheet for these branches, which will also have an impact on regulatory capital ratios. The recognition of 
operating leases on the consolidated balance sheet is expected to be the most significant impact of the adoption of this standards 
update.

In  June  2016,  the  FASB  issued ASC  Update  2016-13,  "Financial  Instruments  -  Credit  Losses."  The  new  impairment  model 
prescribed by this standards update is a single impairment model for all financial assets (i.e., loans and investments). The recognition 
of credit losses would be based on an entity’s current estimate of expected losses (referred to as the Current Expected Credit Loss 
model, or "CECL"), as opposed to recognition of losses only when they are probable (current practice). ASC Update 2016-13 is 
effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Corporation 
intends to adopt this standards update effective with its March 31, 2020 quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The Corporation is currently 
evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASC Update 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements.

87

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and 
Cash Payments." This standards update provides guidance regarding the presentation of certain cash receipts and cash payments 
in the statement of cash flows, addressing eight specific cash flow classification issues, in order to reduce existing diversity in 
practice. ASC Update 2016-15 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early 
adoption is permitted. The Corporation intends to adopt this standards update effective with its March 31, 2018 quarterly report 
on Form 10-Q and does not expect the adoption of ASC Update 2016-15 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial 
statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASC Update 2016-18, "Statement of Cash Flows - Restricted Cash." This standards update 
provides guidance regarding the presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The update requires companies to 
include amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents, along with cash and cash equivalents, when 
reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. It also requires an 
entity to disclose the nature of the restrictions on cash and cash equivalents. ASC Update 2016-18 is effective for interim and 
annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Corporation intends to adopt this 
standards update effective with its March 31, 2018 quarterly report on Form 10-Q and does not expect the adoption of ASC Update 
2016-18 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASC Update 2017-04, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other." This standards update eliminates 
Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test which measures the impairment amount. Identifying and measuring impairment will take 
place in a single quantitative step. In addition, no separate qualitative assessment for reporting units with zero or negative carrying 
amount is required. Entities must disclose the existence of these reporting units and the amount of goodwill allocated to them. 
This update should be applied on a prospective basis, and an entity is required to disclose the nature of and reason for the change 
in accounting principle upon transition. ASC Update 2017-04 is effective for annual or interim goodwill impairment tests in 
reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Corporation intends to adopt this standards 
update effective with its 2020 goodwill impairment test and does not expect the adoption of ASC Update 2017-04 to have a material 
impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASC Update 2017-07, "Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Costs and Net Periodic 
Benefit Cost." This standards update requires a company to present service cost separately from the other components of net 
benefit  cost.  In  addition,  the  update  provides  explicit  guidance  on  how  to  present  the  service  cost  component  and  the  other 
components of net benefit cost in the income statement and allow only the service cost component of net benefit cost to be eligible 
for capitalization. ASC Update 2017-07 is effective for annual or interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. 
Early adoption is permitted. The Corporation intends to adopt this standards update effective with its March 31, 2018 quarterly 
report on Form 10-Q and does not expect the adoption of ASC Update 2017-07 to have a material impact on its consolidated 
financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASC Update 2017-08, "Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities." This 
standards update requires that a company amortize the premium on callable debt securities to the earliest call date versus current 
U.S. GAAP, which requires amortization over the contractual life of the securities. The amortization period for callable debt 
securities purchased at a discount would not be impacted by the new accounting standards update. This amendment is to be adopted 
on a modified retrospective basis with a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of 
adoption. ASC Update 2017-08 is effective for annual or interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early 
adoption is permitted. The Corporation intends to adopt this standards update effective with its March 31, 2019 quarterly report 
on Form 10-Q and does not expect the adoption of ASC Update 2017-08 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial 
statements.

In  February  2018,  the  FASB  issued ASC  Update  2018-02,  "Reclassification  of  Certain Tax  Effects  from Accumulated  Other 
Comprehensive  Income." This  standards  update  permits  a  reclassification  from  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  to 
retained earnings of the stranded tax effects resulting from the application of the new federal corporate income tax rate. ASC 
Update 2018-02 is effective for annual or interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. 
The Corporation intends to adopt this standards update effective with its March 31, 2018 quarterly report on Form 10-Q and does 
not expect the adoption of ASC Update 2018-02 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications: Certain amounts in the 2016 and 2015 consolidated financial statements and notes have been reclassified to 
conform to the 2017 presentation.

88

NOTE 2 – RESTRICTIONS ON CASH AND DUE FROM BANKS

The Corporation’s subsidiary banks are required to maintain reserves against their deposit liabilities. These reserves are in the 
form of cash and balances with the FRB, included in interest-bearing deposits with other banks. The amounts of such reserves as 
of December 31, 2017 and 2016 were $124.4 million and $113.3 million, respectively.

NOTE 3 – INVESTMENT SECURITIES

The following tables present the amortized cost and estimated fair values of investment securities, which were all classified as 
available for sale, as of December 31:

Amortized
Cost

Gross
Unrealized
Gains

Gross
Unrealized
Losses

Estimated
Fair
Value

(in thousands)

2017
5,962
U.S. Government sponsored agency securities ........................... $
405,860
State and municipal securities .....................................................
96,353
Corporate debt securities .............................................................
611,927
Collateralized mortgage obligations............................................
1,132,080
Residential mortgage-backed securities ......................................
215,351
Commercial mortgage-backed securities ....................................
107,410
Auction rate securities .................................................................
2,574,943
   Total debt securities..................................................................
776
Equity securities ..........................................................................
   Total.......................................................................................... $ 2,575,719

2016
132
U.S. Government sponsored agency securities ........................... $
405,274
State and municipal securities .....................................................
112,016
Corporate debt securities .............................................................
604,095
Collateralized mortgage obligations............................................
1,328,192
Residential mortgage-backed securities ......................................
25,100
Commercial mortgage-backed securities ....................................
107,215
Auction rate securities .................................................................
2,582,024
   Total debt securities..................................................................
12,231
Equity securities ..........................................................................
   Total .......................................................................................... $ 2,594,255

$

$

$

$

2
5,638
2,832
491
3,957
—
—
12,920
142
13,062

2
2,043
1,978
1,943
6,546
—
—
12,512
12,295
24,807

$

$

$

$

(26) $

5,938
408,949
97,309
602,623
1,120,796
212,755
98,668
2,547,038
918
(40,825) $ 2,547,956

(2,549)
(1,876)
(9,795)
(15,241)
(2,596)
(8,742)
(40,825)
—

— $

(15,676)
(4,585)
(12,178)
(16,900)
(537)
(9,959)
(59,835)
—

134
391,641
109,409
593,860
1,317,838
24,563
97,256
2,534,701
24,526
(59,835) $ 2,559,227

Securities carried at $1.8 billion at both December 31, 2017 and 2016 were pledged as collateral to secure public and trust deposits 
and customer repurchase agreements. 

89

 
The amortized cost and estimated fair values of debt securities as of December 31, 2017, by contractual maturity, are shown in 
the following table. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay 
obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

Amortized
Cost

Estimated
Fair Value

(in thousands)

Due in one year or less.................................................................................................................... $
Due from one year to five years .....................................................................................................
Due from five years to ten years.....................................................................................................
Due after ten years ..........................................................................................................................

16,837
33,191
112,181
453,376
615,585
1,132,080
215,351
611,927
Total debt securities ................................................................................................................. $ 2,574,943

Residential mortgage-backed securities(1) ......................................................................................
Commercial mortgage-backed securities(1) .....................................................................................
Collateralized mortgage obligations (1) ...........................................................................................

$

16,920
33,565
113,164
447,215
610,864
1,120,796
212,755
602,623
$ 2,547,038

(1)   Maturities for mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations are dependent upon the interest rate environment and prepayments on the 

underlying loans. 

The following table presents information related to gross gains and losses on the sales of equity and debt securities:

Gross
Realized
Gains

Gross
Realized
Losses
(in thousands)

Net
Gains
(Losses)

2017:
Equity securities .................................................................................................... $
Debt securities.......................................................................................................

Total ............................................................................................................... $

2016:
Equity securities .................................................................................................... $
Debt securities.......................................................................................................

Total ............................................................................................................... $

2015:
Equity securities .................................................................................................... $
Debt securities.......................................................................................................

Total ............................................................................................................... $

13,558
315
13,873

2,005
581
2,586

6,496
2,571
9,067

$

$

$

$

$

$

— $

(4,802)
(4,802) $

13,558
(4,487)
9,071

(10) $
(26)
(36) $

(1) $
—
(1) $

1,995
555
2,550

6,495
2,571
9,066

90

 
 
 
The following table presents a summary of the cumulative credit related other-than-temporary impairment charges, recognized as 
components of earnings, for debt securities held by the Corporation at December 31:

2017

2016
(in thousands)

2015

Balance of cumulative credit losses on debt securities, beginning of year ........................ $ (11,510) $ (11,510) $ (16,242)
4,730
Reductions for securities sold during the period ................................................................
Reductions for increases in cash flows expected to be collected that are recognized

—

—

over the remaining life of the security............................................................................

2
Balance of cumulative credit losses on debt securities, end of year .................................. $ (11,510) $ (11,510) $ (11,510)

—

—

The credit related other-than-temporary impairment charges for debt securities were determined based on expected cash flows 
models. 

The following table presents the gross unrealized losses and estimated fair values of investments, aggregated by investment category 
and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position, as of December 31, 2017. There 
were no gross unrealized losses on equity securities as of December 31, 2017.

Less Than 12 months

12 Months or Longer

Total

Estimated
Fair Value

Unrealized
Losses

Estimated
Fair Value

Unrealized
Losses

Estimated
Fair Value

Unrealized
Losses

(in thousands)

U.S. Government sponsored
agency securities ...................... $
State and municipal securities ..

Corporate debt securities ..........
Collateralized mortgage

obligations.............................

Residential mortgage-backed
securities...................................

5,830

$

(26) $

— $

— $

5,830

$

11,650

4,544

(50)

(48)

118,297

32,163

(2,499)
(1,828)

129,947

36,707

(26)
(2,549)
(1,876)

303,932

(2,408)

187,690

(7,387)

491,622

(9,795)

511,378

(4,348)

500,375

(10,893)

1,011,753

(15,241)

Commercial mortgage-backed
securities...................................
Auction rate securities ..............

—
Total................................... $ 1,028,319

190,985

(2,118)

—

21,770

98,668

$

(8,998) $

958,963

$

212,755

(478)
(8,742)
98,668
(31,827) $ 1,987,282

$

(2,596)
(8,742)
(40,825)

For  comparative  purposes,  the  following  table  presents  gross  unrealized  losses  and  the  estimated  fair  value  of  investments, 
aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position, 
at December 31, 2016.

Less Than 12 months

12 Months or Longer

Total

Estimated
Fair Value

Unrealized
Losses

Estimated
Fair Value

Unrealized
Losses

Estimated
Fair Value

Unrealized
Losses

247,509

$

(15,676) $

— $

— $

247,509

$

11,922

(110)

34,629

(4,475)

46,551

(in thousands)

State and municipal securities .. $
Corporate debt securities ..........
Collateralized mortgage

obligations.............................

Mortgage-backed securities......

Auction rate securities ..............

—
Total................................... $ 1,563,846

166,905

1,137,510

(3,899)

(17,437)

—

258,237

—

97,256

$

(37,122) $

390,122

$

425,142

(8,279)
—
(9,959)
97,256
(22,713) $ 1,953,968

1,137,510

$

(15,676)
(4,585)

(12,178)
(17,437)
(9,959)
(59,835)

The Corporation’s collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage-backed securities have contractual terms that generally do 
not permit the issuer to settle the securities at a price less than the amortized cost of the investment. Because the decline in fair 
91

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
value of these securities is attributable to changes in interest rates and not credit quality, and because the Corporation does not 
have the intent to sell and does not believe it will more likely than not be required to sell any of these securities prior to a recovery 
of their fair value to amortized cost, the Corporation did not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired as 
of December 31, 2017.

As of December 31, 2017, all student loan auction rate certificates ("ARCs") were rated above investment grade. All of the loans 
underlying the ARCs have principal payments which are guaranteed by the federal government.  All of the loans were current and 
making scheduled payments and, based on management’s evaluations, were not subject to any other-than-temporary impairment 
charges as of December 31, 2017. The Corporation does not have the intent to sell and does not believe it will more likely than 
not be required to sell these securities prior to a recovery of their fair value to amortized cost, which may be at maturity.

The majority of the Corporation’s available for sale corporate debt securities are issued by financial institutions. The following 
table presents the amortized cost and estimated fair values of corporate debt securities as of December 31:

2017

2016

Amortized
Cost

Estimated
Fair Value

Amortized
Cost

Estimated
Fair Value

Single-issuer trust preferred securities ........................................ $
Subordinated debt........................................................................
Senior notes .................................................................................
Pooled trust preferred securities ..................................................
Corporate debt securities issued by financial institutions ....
Other corporate debt securities....................................................

Available for sale corporate debt securities.......................... $

31,335
49,013
12,031
—
92,379
3,974
96,353

$

$

$

(in thousands)
30,703
49,533
12,392
707
93,335
3,974
97,309

$

43,746
46,231
18,037
—
108,014
4,002
112,016

$

$

39,829
46,723
18,433
422
105,407
4,002
109,409

Single-issuer trust preferred securities had an unrealized loss of $632,000 as of December 31, 2017. Four of the 18 single-issuer 
trust preferred securities held were rated below investment grade by at least one ratings agency, with an amortized cost of $4.9 
million and an estimated fair value of $4.7 million as of December 31, 2017. All of the single-issuer trust preferred securities rated 
below investment grade were rated "BB" or "Ba." Two single-issuer trust preferred securities with an amortized cost of $3.8 million
and an estimated fair value of $3.1 million as of December 31, 2017 were not rated by any ratings agency.

Based on management’s evaluations, no corporate debt securities were subject to any other-than-temporary impairment charges
as of December 31, 2017. The Corporation does not have the intent to sell and does not believe it will more likely than not be 
required to sell any of these securities prior to a recovery of their fair value to amortized cost, which may be at maturity.

92

 
 
 
NOTE 4 – LOANS AND ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

Loans, net of unearned income

Loans, net of unearned income are summarized as follows as of December 31:

2017

2016

(in thousands)

Real estate – commercial mortgage ............................................................................................... $ 6,364,804
4,300,297
Commercial – industrial, financial and agricultural.......................................................................
1,954,711
Real estate – residential mortgage..................................................................................................
1,559,719
Real estate – home equity...............................................................................................................
1,006,935
Real estate – construction...............................................................................................................
313,783
Consumer .......................................................................................................................................
291,556
Leasing and other ...........................................................................................................................
4,113
Overdrafts.......................................................................................................................................
15,795,918
Loans, gross of unearned income............................................................................................
(27,671)
Unearned income............................................................................................................................
Loans, net of unearned income ............................................................................................... $ 15,768,247

$ 6,018,582
4,087,486
1,601,994
1,625,115
843,649
291,470
246,704
3,662
14,718,662
(19,390)
$ 14,699,272

The Corporation has extended credit to the officers and directors of the Corporation and to their associates. These related-party 
loans are made on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable 
transactions with unrelated persons and do not involve more than the normal risk of collection. The aggregate dollar amount of 
these loans, including unadvanced commitments, was $113.6 million and $154.4 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, 
respectively. During 2017, additions totaled $4.9 million and repayments totaled $45.8 million in related-party loans.

The total portfolio of mortgage loans serviced by the Corporation for unrelated third parties was $4.6 billion and $4.7 billion as 
of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The following table presents the components of the allowance for credit losses as of December 31:

Allowance for loan losses ..................................................................................... $
Reserve for unfunded lending commitments ........................................................
Allowance for credit losses ................................................................................... $

169,910
6,174
176,084

2017

2016
(in thousands)
168,679
$
2,646
171,325

$

The following table presents the activity in the allowance for credit losses for the years ended December 31:

Balance at beginning of year................................................................................. $
Loans charged off..................................................................................................
Recoveries of loans previously charged off ..........................................................
Net loans charged off .....................................................................................
Provision for credit losses .....................................................................................
Balance at end of year ........................................................................................... $

2017

171,325
(33,290)
14,744
(18,546)
23,305
176,084

2016
(in thousands)
171,412
$
(33,927)
20,658
(13,269)
13,182
171,325

$

2015

169,054
2,358
171,412

2015

185,931
(32,157)
15,388
(16,769)
2,250
171,412

$

$

$

$

93

 
 
 
The following table presents the activity in the allowance for loan losses by portfolio segment for the years ended December 31 
and loans, net of unearned income, and their related allowance for loan losses, by portfolio segment, as of December 31:

Real Estate -
Commercial
Mortgage

Commercial -
Industrial,
Financial and
Agricultural

Real Estate -
Home
Equity

Real Estate -
Residential
Mortgage

Real Estate -
Construction

(in thousands)

Consumer

Leasing
and other
and
Overdrafts

Unallocated

Total

Balance at December 31, 2015..........................

$

47,866

$

57,098

$

22,405

$

21,375

$

6,529

$

2,585

$

2,468

$

8,728

$

169,054

—

—

—

(33,927)

20,658

(13,269)

—

—

—

(33,290)

14,744

(18,546)

Loans charged off..............................................

(3,580)

(15,276)

(4,912)

(2,326)

(1,218)

(2,800)

(3,815)

Recoveries of loans previously charged off ......

3,373

8,981

1,171

1,072

Net loans charged off ........................................

Provision for loan losses (1) ...............................

(207)

(817)

(6,295)

(3,741)

(1,254)

3,550

8,137

2,808

(2,780)

Balance at December 31, 2016..........................

46,842

54,353

26,801

22,929

6,455

3,924

2,706

1,295

842

(1,505)

(2,973)

2,494

3,574

3,697

3,192

(4,195)

12,894

4,533

168,679

Loans charged off..............................................

(2,169)

(19,067)

(2,340)

(687)

(3,765)

(2,227)

(3,035)

Recoveries of loans previously charged off ......

1,668

7,771

Net loans charged off ........................................

(501)

(11,296)

Provision for loan losses (1) ...............................

12,452

23,223

813

(1,527)

(7,147)

786

99

1,582

1,156

968

(2,183)

(1,071)

(2,067)

(6,940)

2,348

(458)

832

(4,533)

19,777

Balance at December 31, 2017..........................

$

58,793

$

66,280

$

18,127

$

16,088

$

6,620

$

2,045

$

1,957

$

— $

169,910

Allowance for loan losses at December 31, 2017

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Subtopic 450-20 .......................................... $

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Section 310-10-35 .......................................

50,681

$

54,874

$

7,003

$

6,193

$

5,653

$

2,028

$

1,957

$

— $

128,389

8,112

11,406

11,124

9,895

967

17

—

N/A

41,521

$

58,793

$

66,280

$

18,127

$

16,088

$

6,620

$

2,045

$

1,957

$

— $

169,910

Loans, net of unearned income at December 31, 2017

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Subtopic 450-20 .......................................... $

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Section 310-10-35 .......................................

6,316,023

$

4,236,572

$

1,535,026

$

1,913,004

$

994,738

$

313,757

$

267,998

N/A

$ 15,577,118

48,781

63,725

24,693

41,707

12,197

26

—

N/A

191,129

$

6,364,804

$

4,300,297

$

1,559,719

$

1,954,711

$

1,006,935

$

313,783

$

267,998

N/A

$ 15,768,247

Allowance for loan losses at December 31, 2016

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Subtopic 450-20 .......................................... $

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Section 310-10-35 .......................................

36,680

$

40,700

$

17,290

$

11,032

$

4,587

$

3,548

$

3,192

$

4,533

$

121,562

10,162

13,653

9,511

11,897

1,868

26

—

N/A

47,117

$

46,842

$

54,353

$

26,801

$

22,929

$

6,455

$

3,574

$

3,192

$

4,533

$

168,679

Loans, net of unearned income at December 31, 2016

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Subtopic 450-20 .......................................... $

Evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC

Section 310-10-35 .......................................

5,963,689

$

4,038,511

$

1,605,910

$

1,555,946

$

833,117

$

291,430

$

230,976

N/A

$ 14,519,579

54,893

48,975

19,205

46,048

10,532

40

—

N/A

179,693

$

6,018,582

$

4,087,486

$

1,625,115

$

1,601,994

$

843,649

$

291,470

$

230,976

N/A

$ 14,699,272

(1) 

For the year ended December 31, 2017, the provision for loan losses excluded a $3.5 million increase in the reserve for unfunded lending commitments. 
The total provision for credit losses, comprised of allocations for both funded and unfunded loans, was $23.3 million for the year ended December 31, 
2017. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the provision for loan losses excluded a $288,000 increase in the reserve for unfunded lending commitments.
The total provision for credit losses was $13.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.

N/A – Not applicable.

94

 
Impaired Loans

The following table presents total impaired loans by class segment as of December 31: 

2017

2016

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

Recorded
Investment

Related
Allowance

Unpaid
Principal
Balance

Recorded
Investment

Related
Allowance

(in thousands)

With no related allowance recorded:
Real estate - commercial mortgage ........ $
Commercial - secured.............................
Real estate - residential mortgage ..........
Construction - commercial residential ...

With a related allowance recorded:
Real estate - commercial mortgage ........
Commercial - secured.............................
Commercial - unsecured.........................
Real estate - home equity .......................
Real estate - residential mortgage ..........
Construction - commercial residential ...
Construction - commercial .....................
Construction - other................................
Consumer - indirect ................................
Consumer - direct ...................................

26,728

$

22,886

$

44,936

4,575

12,477

88,716

33,710

28,819
997

28,282

42,597

6,846

45

417

11

15

39,550

4,575

8,100

75,111

25,895

23,442
733

24,693

37,132

3,667

19

411

11

15

— $
—

—

—

8,112

11,013
393

11,124

9,895

813

7

147

7

10

28,757

$

25,447

$

29,296

4,689

6,271

69,013

37,132

27,767
1,122

23,971

48,885

10,103

681

1,096

19

21

25,526

4,689

4,795

60,457

29,446

22,626
823

19,205

41,359

4,206

435

1,096

19

21

Total........................................................ $

230,455

$

191,129

$

41,521

$

219,810

$

179,693

$

141,739

116,018

41,521

150,797

119,236

—

—

—

—

10,162

13,198
455

9,511

11,897

1,300

145

423

12

14

47,117

47,117

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, there were $75.1 million and $60.5 million, respectively, of impaired loans that did not have 
a related allowance for loan loss. The estimated fair values of the collateral securing these loans exceeded their carrying amount, 
or the loans have been charged down to realizable collateral values. Accordingly, no specific valuation allowance was considered 
to be necessary.

95

 
The following table presents average impaired loans, by class segment, for the years ended December 31:

2017

2016

2015

Average
Recorded
Investment

Interest 
Income
Recognized (1)

Average
Recorded
Investment

Interest 
Income
Recognized (1)

Average
Recorded
Investment

Interest 
Income
Recognized (1)

With no related allowance recorded:
Real estate - commercial mortgage ........... $
Commercial - secured ...............................
Commercial - unsecured ...........................
Real estate - residential mortgage .............
Construction - commercial residential ......
Construction - commercial........................

With a related allowance recorded:
Real estate - commercial mortgage ...........
Commercial - secured ...............................
Commercial - unsecured ...........................
Real estate - home equity ..........................
Real estate - residential mortgage .............
Construction - commercial residential ......
Construction - commercial........................
Construction - other ..................................
Consumer - indirect...................................
Consumer - direct......................................
Leasing, other and overdrafts....................

22,793

$

31,357

—

4,631

7,016

239

66,036

27,193

23,321

791

21,704

39,093

5,051

152

957

15

18

285

281

182

—

107

12

—

582

338

135

2

534

903

11

—

—

1

1

—

(in thousands)

$

24,232

$

19,825

—

5,598

6,285

—

55,940

31,737

25,857

887

17,912

42,191

5,295

524

682

15

18

854

294

104

—

126

48

—

572

384

130

4

285

908

41

—

—

1

1

—

$

25,345

$

15,654

17

5,389

11,685

915

59,005

39,232

25,660

1,749

13,887

46,252

6,455

931

263

16

17

285

118,580
Total........................................................... $ 184,616

1,925

125,972

1,754

134,747

$

2,507

$

181,912

$

2,326

$ 193,752

$

315

97

—

124

148

—

684

475

150

6

144

1,041

79

—

—

1

1

—

1,897

2,581

(1) 

Interest income recognized for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 represents amounts earned on accruing TDRs. Impaired loans consist 
of loans on non-accrual status and accruing TDRs. 

96

  
Credit Quality Indicators and Non-performing Assets

The following table presents internal credit risk ratings as of December 31:

Pass

Special Mention

Substandard or Lower

Total

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

(dollars in thousands)

Real estate - commercial

mortgage .................................. $

6,066,396

$ 5,763,122

$

147,604

$

132,484

$

150,804

$

122,976

$

6,364,804

$ 6,018,582

Commercial - secured ...................

3,831,485

Commercial -unsecured ................

159,620

3,686,152

145,922

121,842

5,478

128,873

4,481

179,113

2,759

118,527

3,531

4,132,440

3,933,552

167,857

153,934

Total commercial - industrial,

financial and agricultural ...

Construction - commercial

residential.................................

Construction - commercial ...........

Total real estate - construction
(excluding construction -
other)..................................

3,991,105

3,832,074

127,320

133,354

181,872

122,058

4,300,297

4,087,486

143,759

761,218

113,570

635,963

5,259

846

15,447

3,412

14,084

3,752

13,172

5,115

163,102

765,816

142,189

644,490

904,977

749,533

6,105

18,859

17,836

18,287

928,918

786,679

Total .............................................. $ 10,962,478

$ 10,344,729

$

281,029

$

284,697

$

350,512

$

263,321

$ 11,594,019

$ 10,892,747

% of Total......................................

94.6%

95.0%

2.4%

2.6%

3.0%

2.4%

100.0%

100.0%

The following table presents delinquency and non-performing status for loans that do not have internal credit risk ratings, by class 
segment, as of December 31:

Performing

Delinquent (1)

Non-performing (2)

Total

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

2017

2016

(dollars in thousands)

Real estate - home equity ............ $

1,535,557

$ 1,602,687

$

12,655

$

9,274

$

11,507

$

13,154

$

1,559,719

$ 1,625,115

Real estate - residential

mortgage ................................

1,914,888

1,557,995

18,852

20,344

20,971

23,655

1,954,711

1,601,994

Real estate - construction - other.

Consumer - direct........................

Consumer - indirect.....................

Total consumer .....................

Leasing, other and overdrafts......

77,403

54,828

254,663

309,491

267,111

55,874

93,572

190,656

284,228

229,591

203

315

3,681

3,996

855

—

1,752

3,599

5,351

1,068

411

70

226

296

32

1,096

1,563

328

1,891

317

78,017

55,213

258,570

313,783

267,998

56,970

96,887

194,583

291,470

230,976

Total ............................................ $

4,104,450

$ 3,730,375

$

36,561

$

36,037

$

33,217

$

40,113

$

4,174,228

$ 3,806,525

% of Total....................................

98.3%

98.0%

0.9%

0.9%

0.8%

1.1%

100.0%

100.0%

(1) 
(2) 

Includes all accruing loans 30 days to 89 days past due.
Includes all accruing loans 90 days or more past due and all non-accrual loans.

The following table presents total non-performing assets as of December 31:

Non-accrual loans ........................................................................................................................... $
Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing.........................................................................
Total non-performing loans .....................................................................................................
Other real estate owned ..................................................................................................................

Total non-performing assets .................................................................................................... $

2017

2016

(in thousands)

124,749
10,010
134,759
9,823
144,582

$

$

120,133
11,505
131,638
12,815
144,453

97

 
 
The following table presents past due status and non-accrual loans, by portfolio segment and class segment, as of December 31:

2017

30-59
Days Past
Due

60-89
Days Past
Due

Past Due
and
Accruing

Non-
accrual

Days

Total Past
Due

Current

Total

(in thousands)

Real estate - commercial mortgage.................................... $

9,456

$

4,223

$

625

$

34,822

$

35,447

$

49,126

$ 6,315,678

$ 6,364,804

Commercial - secured ........................................................

Commercial - unsecured ....................................................

Total Commercial - industrial, financial and agricultural..

Real estate - home equity...................................................

4,778

305

5,083

9,640

Real estate - residential mortgage ......................................

11,961

Construction - commercial.................................................

Construction - commercial residential ...............................

Construction - other ...........................................................

Total Real estate - construction..........................................

Consumer - direct...............................................................

Consumer - indirect............................................................

Total Consumer..................................................................

Leasing, other and overdrafts.............................................

483

—

203

686

260

3,055

3,315

568

5,254

10

5,264

3,015

6,891

—

439

—

439

55

626

681

287

1,360

45

1,405

2,372

5,280

—

—

—

—

70

226

296

32

52,255

649

52,904

9,135

15,691

19

53,615

694

54,309

11,507

20,971

19

63,647

4,068,793

4,132,440

1,009

166,848

167,857

64,656

4,235,641

4,300,297

24,162

1,535,557

1,559,719

39,823

1,914,888

1,954,711

502

765,314

765,816

11,767

11,767

12,206

150,896

163,102

411

411

614

77,403

78,017

12,197

12,197

13,322

993,613

1,006,935

—

—

—

—

70

226

296

32

385

3,907

4,292

887

54,828

55,213

254,663

258,570

309,491

313,783

267,111

267,998

$

40,709

$

20,800

$

10,010

$

124,749

$

134,759

$

196,268

$15,571,979

$15,768,247

2016

30-59
Days Past
Due

60-89
Days Past
Due

Past Due
and
Accruing

Non-
accrual

Days

Total Past
Due

Current

Total

(in thousands)

Real estate - commercial mortgage.................................... $

6,254

$

1,622

$

383

$

38,936

$

39,319

$

47,195

$ 5,971,387

$ 6,018,582

Commercial - secured ........................................................

Commercial - unsecured ....................................................

Total Commercial - industrial, financial and agricultural..

Real estate - home equity...................................................

6,660

898

7,558

6,596

Real estate - residential mortgage ......................................

15,600

Construction - commercial.................................................

Construction - commercial residential ...............................

Construction - other ...........................................................

Total Real estate - construction..........................................

Consumer - direct...............................................................

Consumer - indirect............................................................

Total Consumer..................................................................

Leasing, other and overdrafts.............................................

743

233

—

976

1,211

3,200

4,411

543

2,616

35

2,651

2,678

4,744

—

51

—

51

541

399

940

525

959

152

1,111

2,543

5,224

—

36

—

36

1,563

328

1,891

317

41,589

760

42,349

10,611

18,431

435

8,275

1,096

9,806

—

—

—

—

42,548

912

43,460

13,154

23,655

435

8,311

1,096

9,842

1,563

328

1,891

317

51,824

3,881,728

3,933,552

1,845

152,089

153,934

53,669

4,033,817

4,087,486

22,428

1,602,687

1,625,115

43,999

1,557,995

1,601,994

1,178

8,595

1,096

643,312

644,490

133,594

142,189

55,874

56,970

10,869

832,780

843,649

3,315

3,927

7,242

1,385

93,572

96,887

190,656

194,583

284,228

291,470

229,591

230,976

$

41,938

$

13,211

$

11,505

$

120,133

$

131,638

$

186,787

$14,512,485

$14,699,272

98

 
 
 
 
The following table presents TDRs as of December 31:

2017

2016

Real-estate - residential mortgage .................................................................................................. $
Real estate - home equity ...............................................................................................................
Commercial ....................................................................................................................................
Real-estate - commercial mortgage................................................................................................
Consumer - direct ...........................................................................................................................
Construction - commercial residential ...........................................................................................
Total accruing TDRs..................................................................................................................
Non-accrual TDRs (1)......................................................................................................................

Total TDRs ................................................................................................................................ $

(1) 

Included within non-accrual loans in the preceding table. 

$

(in thousands)
26,016
15,558
10,820
13,959
26
—
66,379
29,051
95,430

$

27,617
8,594
6,627
15,957
39
726
59,560
27,850
87,410

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, there were $8.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively, of commitments to lend additional 
funds to borrowers whose loans were modified under TDRs.
The following table presents TDRs by class segment and type of concession for loans that were modified during the years ended 
December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015:

2017

2016

2015

Number of
Loans

Post-
Modification
Recorded
Investment

Post-
Modification
Recorded
Investment

Number of
Loans

Post-
Modification
Recorded
Investment

Number of
Loans

(dollars in thousands)

Commercial:

Extend maturity with rate concession ......................................

— $

Extend maturity without rate concession .................................

Bankruptcy ...............................................................................

Real estate - commercial mortgage:

Extend maturity with rate concession ......................................

Extend maturity without rate concession .................................

Bankruptcy ...............................................................................

Real estate - home equity:

Extend maturity with rate concession ......................................

Extend maturity without rate concession .................................

Bankruptcy ...............................................................................
Real estate – residential mortgage:

Extend maturity with rate concession ......................................

Extend maturity without rate concession .................................

Bankruptcy ...............................................................................
Construction - commercial residential:

Extend maturity without rate concession .................................

Bankruptcy ...............................................................................
Consumer:

23

1

—

9

1

—

69

28

2

5

3

1

1

—

15,058

490

—

2,899

12

—

5,843

1,813

468

1,044

392

1,204

411

Bankruptcy ...............................................................................

—

—

— $

12

—

—

—

—

—

89

47

—

2

6

—

—

2

—

3,904

—

—

—

—

—

4,484

2,671

—

315

981

—

—

23

2

$

10

—

5

4

—

2

3

52

4

3

7

1

—

3

127

3,823

—

2,014

639

—

36

203

2,501

750

262

2,508

1,535

—

18

Total ............................................................................................

143

$

29,634

158

$

12,378

96

$

14,416

99

 
 
The following table presents TDRs, by class segment, that were modified during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 
2015 and had a post-modification payment default during their respective year of modification. The Corporation defines a payment 
default as a single missed scheduled payment:

2017

2016

2015

Number
of Loans

Recorded
Investment

Number
of Loans

Recorded
Investment

Number
of Loans

Recorded
Investment

(dollars in thousands)

Construction - commercial residential....................................

Construction - other ................................................................

Real estate - commercial mortgage.........................................

Real estate - residential mortgage...........................................

Commercial.............................................................................

Real estate - home equity........................................................

Consumer ................................................................................

Total ........................................................................................

1

1

2

5

6

25

—

40

$

1,192

— $

411

549

577

1,571

1,575

—

—

1

8

7

28

1

—

—

118

1,500

2,523

1,836

19

$

5,875

45

$

5,996

NOTE 5 – PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT

The following is a summary of premises and equipment as of December 31:

—

—

359

445

3,549

763

—

— $

—

4

4

8

13

—

29

$

5,116

Land ................................................................................................................................................ $
Buildings and improvements ..........................................................................................................
Furniture and equipment.................................................................................................................
Construction in progress .................................................................................................................

Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization .........................................................................

$

NOTE 6 – GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

2017

2016

$

(in thousands)
35,560
307,332
150,876
19,916
513,684
(290,882)
222,802

36,097
293,836
137,282
21,096
488,311
(270,505)
217,806

$

Goodwill totaled $530.6 million and non-amortizing trade name intangible assets totaled $963,000 as of both December 31, 2017 
and 2016. All of the Corporation’s reporting units passed the 2017 goodwill impairment test, resulting in no goodwill impairment 
charges in 2017. All reporting units, with total allocated goodwill of $530.6 million, had fair values that exceeded net book values 
by approximately 75% in the aggregate.

The estimated fair values of the Corporation’s reporting units are subject to uncertainty, including future changes in fair values of 
banks in general and future operating results of reporting units, which could differ significantly from the assumptions used in the 
current valuation of reporting units.

100

 
NOTE 7 – MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS

The following table summarizes the changes in MSRs, which are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets:

Amortized cost:
Balance at beginning of year ................................................................................................ $
Originations of mortgage servicing rights ............................................................................
Amortization expense ...........................................................................................................
Balance at end of year........................................................................................................... $

Valuation allowance:
Balance at beginning of year ................................................................................................ $
Net deductions (additions) to the valuation allowance.........................................................

Balance at end of year........................................................................................................... $

2017

2016

(in thousands)

38,822
4,968
(6,127)
37,663

$

$

(1,291) $

1,291

— $

40,944
5,485
(7,607)
38,822

—

(1,291)
(1,291)

Net MSRs at end of year....................................................................................................... $

37,663

$

37,531

MSRs represent the economic value of existing contractual rights to service mortgage loans that have been sold. Accordingly, 
actual and expected prepayments of the underlying mortgage loans can impact the value of MSRs. The Corporation accounts for 
MSRs at the lower of amortized cost or fair value.

The fair value of MSRs is estimated by discounting the estimated cash flows from servicing income, net of expense, over the 
expected life of the underlying loans at a discount rate commensurate with the risk associated with these assets. Expected life is 
based on the contractual terms of the loans, as adjusted for prepayment projections. Based on its fair value analysis, the Corporation 
determined that a valuation allowance was no longer necessary as of December 31, 2017 and reduced it by $1.3 million net additions 
recorded in 2016. Reductions and additions to the valuation allowance are recorded as increases and decreases, respectively, to 
mortgage banking income on the consolidated statements of income.

The estimated fair value of MSRs was $41.6 million and $38.2 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Total MSR amortization expense, recognized as a reduction to mortgage banking income in the consolidated statements of income, 
was $6.1 million and $7.6 million in 2017 and 2016, respectively. Estimated MSR amortization expense for the next five years, 
based on balances as of December 31, 2017 and the estimated remaining lives of the underlying loans, follows (in thousands):

Year
2018.......................................................................................................................................................................... $
2019..........................................................................................................................................................................
2020..........................................................................................................................................................................
2021..........................................................................................................................................................................
2022..........................................................................................................................................................................

6,342
5,905
5,423
4,893
4,311

101

 
 
NOTE 8 – DEPOSITS

Deposits consisted of the following as of December 31:

2017

2016

(in thousands)

Noninterest-bearing demand........................................................................................................... $ 4,437,294
4,018,107
Interest-bearing demand .................................................................................................................
4,586,746
Savings and money market accounts..............................................................................................
13,042,147
Total demand and savings ...........................................................................................................
90,473
Brokered deposits ...........................................................................................................................
2,664,912
Time deposits..................................................................................................................................
Total Deposits.............................................................................................................................. $ 15,797,532

$ 4,376,137
3,703,712
4,179,773
12,259,622
—
2,753,242
$ 15,012,864

Included in time deposits were certificates of deposit equal to or greater than $100,000 of $1.2 billion as of both December 31, 
2017 and 2016. Time deposits of $250,000 or more were $373.9 million and $374.4 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, 
respectively. The scheduled maturities of time deposits as of December 31, 2017 were as follows (in thousands):

Year
2018.......................................................................................................................................................................... $ 1,085,369
866,233
2019..........................................................................................................................................................................
436,690
2020..........................................................................................................................................................................
122,516
2021..........................................................................................................................................................................
76,962
2022..........................................................................................................................................................................
77,142
Thereafter .................................................................................................................................................................
$ 2,664,912

NOTE 9 – SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS AND LONG-TERM DEBT 

Short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and the related maximum amounts outstanding at the end of any 
month in each of the three years then ended are presented below. The securities underlying the repurchase agreements remain in 
available for sale investment securities.

2017

December 31,
2016

2015

Maximum Outstanding
2016

2017

2015

(in thousands)

Federal funds purchased.......................... $
Short-term FHLB advances (1) ................
Customer repurchase agreements............
Customer short-term promissory notes ...

$

220,000
—
172,017
225,507
617,524

$ 278,570
—
195,734
67,013
$ 541,317

$

$

197,235
110,000
111,496
78,932
497,663

$

387,110
250,000
233,274
237,298

$

449,184
—
221,989
77,887

$

266,338
200,000
212,509
93,176

(1) Represents FHLB advances with an original maturity term of less than one year.

As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had aggregate availability under Federal funds lines of $1.2 billion, with $220.0 million
borrowed against that amount. A combination of commercial real estate loans, commercial loans and securities were pledged to 
the  FRB  of  Philadelphia  to  provide  access  to  FRB  Discount  Window  borrowings. As  of  December 31,  2017  and  2016,  the 
Corporation had $617.4 million and $1.2 billion, respectively, of collateralized borrowing availability at the Discount Window, 
and no outstanding borrowings. 

102

 
 
 
 
 
The following table presents information related to customer repurchase agreements:

2017

Amount outstanding as of December 31............................................................... $ 172,017
Weighted average interest rate as of December 31 ...............................................
Average amount outstanding during the year........................................................ $ 188,974
Weighted average interest rate during the year .....................................................

0.13%

0.12%

2016
(dollars in thousands)
$

195,734

$

2015

111,496

0.10%

0.15%

$

184,978

$

161,093

0.11%

0.10%

FHLB advances with an original maturity of one year or more and long-term debt included the following as of December 31:

2017

2016

(in thousands)

FHLB advances .............................................................................................................................. $
Subordinated debt ...........................................................................................................................
Senior notes ....................................................................................................................................
Junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures ........................................................................
Unamortized discounts and issuance costs .....................................................................................

652,113
250,000
125,000
16,496
(5,263)
$ 1,038,346

$

$

567,240
350,000
—
16,496
(4,333)
929,403

Excluded  from  the  preceding  table  is  the  Parent  Company’s  revolving  line  of  credit  with  one  of  its  subsidiary  banks. As  of 
December 31, 2017 and 2016, there were no amounts outstanding under this line of credit. This line of credit, with a total commitment 
of $75.0 million, is secured by insurance investments and equity securities and bears interest at London Interbank Offered Rate 
("LIBOR") for maturities of one month plus 2.00%. The amount that the Corporation is permitted to borrow under this commitment 
at any given time is subject to a formula based on a percentage of the value of the collateral pledged. Although balances drawn 
on the line of credit and related interest income and expense are eliminated in the consolidated financial statements, this borrowing 
arrangement is senior to the subordinated debt and the junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures.

FHLB advances mature through March 2027 and carry a weighted average interest rate of 2.31%. As of December 31, 2017, the 
Corporation had additional borrowing capacity of approximately $3.6 billion with the FHLB. Advances from the FHLB are secured 
by FHLB stock, qualifying residential mortgages, investments and other assets.

The following table summarizes the scheduled maturities of FHLB advances with an original maturity of one year or more and 
long-term debt as of December 31, 2017 (in thousands):

Year
2018 ................................................................................................................................................................ $
2019 ................................................................................................................................................................
2020 ................................................................................................................................................................
2021 ................................................................................................................................................................
2022 ................................................................................................................................................................
Thereafter........................................................................................................................................................

$

99,217
202,275
142,039
199,054
130,076
265,685
1,038,346

In March 2017, the Corporation issued $125.0 million of senior notes, with a fixed rate of 3.60% and an effective rate of 3.95%, 
as a result of discounts and issuance costs, which mature on March 16, 2022. Interest is paid semi-annually in September and 
March. In June 2015, the Corporation issued $150.0 million of ten-year subordinated notes, which mature on November 15, 2024
and carry a fixed rate of 4.50% and an effective rate of approximately 4.69% as a result of discounts and issuance costs.  Interest 
is paid semi-annually in May and November. In November 2014, the Corporation issued $100.0 million of ten-year subordinated 
notes, which mature on November 15, 2024 and carry a fixed rate of 4.50% and an effective rate of approximately 4.87% as a 
result of discounts and issuance costs. Interest is paid semi-annually in May and November. 

On May 1, 2017, $100.0 million of the Corporation's outstanding ten-year subordinated notes originally issued in May 2007 with 
an effective rate of approximately 5.96%, matured and were fully repaid. 

During the third quarter of 2015, $150.0 million of TruPS, with a scheduled maturity of February 1, 2036 and an effective rate of 
approximately 6.52%, were redeemed. As a result of this transaction, the Corporation recorded a $5.6 million loss on redemption, 

103

 
 
 
included as a component of non-interest expense. The loss on redemption consisted of $1.8 million of unamortized issuance costs 
and $2.5 million, net of a $1.3 million tax effect, of unamortized losses on a cash flow hedge recorded in accumulated other 
comprehensive income. 

As of December 31, 2017, the Parent Company owned all of the common stock of three subsidiary trusts, which have issued TruPS 
in conjunction with the Parent Company issuing junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures to the trusts. The TruPS are 
redeemable on specified dates, or earlier if certain events arise. 

The following table provides details of the debentures as of December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

Debentures Issued to

Fixed/
Variable
Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust....... Variable
Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust II ... Variable
Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust III.. Variable

Interest
Rate

Amount

Maturity

Callable

3.99% $

3.48%

3.36%

6,186

4,124

6,186

$

16,496

06/30/34

03/15/35

06/15/35

03/31/18

03/31/18

03/31/18

Call
Price

100.0

100.0

100.0

104

NOTE 10 – DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The following table presents the notional amounts and fair values of derivative financial instruments as of December 31:

2017

2016

Notional
Amount

Asset
(Liability)
Fair Value

Notional
Amount

Asset
(Liability)
Fair Value

(in thousands)

Interest Rate Locks with Customers
Positive fair values ...................................................................... $
Negative fair values.....................................................................
Net interest rate locks with customers..................................

129,469
8,957

$

$

1,059
(59)
1,000

87,119
18,239

$

Forward Commitments
Positive fair values ......................................................................
Negative fair values.....................................................................
Net forward commitments....................................................

Interest Rate Swaps with Customers
Positive fair values ......................................................................
Negative fair values.....................................................................
Net interest rate swaps with customers ................................

Interest Rate Swaps with Dealer Counterparties
Positive fair values(1) (3)................................................................
Negative fair values(2) (3) ..............................................................
Net interest rate swaps with dealer counterparties ...............

Foreign Exchange Contracts with Customers
Positive fair values ......................................................................
Negative fair values.....................................................................
Net foreign exchange contracts with customers...................

Foreign Exchange Contracts with Correspondent Banks
Positive fair values ......................................................................
Negative fair values.....................................................................
Net foreign exchange contracts with correspondent banks ..
Net derivative fair value asset .........................................

3,856
100,808

1,316,548
716,634

716,634
1,316,548

4,852
5,914

7,960
6,048

$

34
(213)
(179)

24,505
(18,978)
5,527

18,941
(19,764)
(823)

276
(119)
157

184
(255)
(71)
5,611

70,031
19,964

876,744
583,060

583,060
876,744

11,674
4,659

7,040
12,869

$

863
(227)
636

2,223
(112)
2,111

24,397
(16,998)
7,399

16,998
(24,397)
(7,399)

504
(221)
283

241
(447)
(206)
2,824

(1)   Includes centrally cleared interest rate swaps with a notional amount of $24.4 million and a fair value of $0 as of December 31, 2017. 
(2)   Includes centrally cleared interest rate swaps with a notional amount of $377.1 million and a fair value of $0 as of December 31, 2017.
(3)   The variation margin posted as collateral on centrally cleared interest rate swaps, which represents the fair value of such swaps, is legally characterized as 
settlements of the outstanding derivative contracts instead of cash collateral. Accordingly, the fair values of centrally cleared interest rate swaps were offset by 
variation margins totaling $4.6 million as of December 31, 2017, reducing the fair value of such swaps to $0. There were no centrally cleared interest rate swaps 
as of December 31, 2016.

The following table presents the fair value gains and losses on derivative financial instruments for the years ended December 31:

2017

2016

2015

(in thousands)

Statement of Income
Classification

Interest rate locks with customers................................... $

364

$

(639) $

(110) Mortgage banking income

Forward commitments ....................................................

(2,290)

1,930

1,345 Mortgage banking income

Interest rate swaps with customers (1) .............................

(1,872)

(25,461)

13,342 Other non-interest expense

Interest rate swaps with counterparties (1).......................

6,576

25,461

(13,342) Other non-interest expense

Foreign exchange contracts with customers ...................

Foreign exchange contracts with correspondent banks ..

(126)

135

353

(487)

(439) Other service charges and fees

711 Other service charges and fees

Net fair value gains on derivative financial instruments $

2,787

$

1,157

$

1,507

(1) Not included is the $4.6 million expense related to the variation margin settlement.

105

 
 
 
 
 
The Corporation has elected to record mortgage loans held for sale at fair value. The following table presents a summary of 
mortgage loans held for sale and the impact of the fair value election on the consolidated financial statements as of and for the 
years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:

Cost (1)

Fair Value

Balance Sheet
Classification

Fair Value
Gain (Loss)

Statement of Income
Classification

(in thousands)

31,069

$

31,530 Loans held for sale

$

472 Mortgage banking income

December 31, 2017:
Mortgage loans held for sale ... $
December 31, 2016:

Mortgage loans held for sale ...

28,708

28,697 Loans held for sale

(313) Mortgage banking income

(1)  Cost basis of mortgage loans held for sale represents the unpaid principal balance.

The fair values of interest rate swap agreements and foreign exchange contracts the Corporation enters into with customers and 
dealer counterparties may be eligible for offset on the consolidated balance sheets as they are subject to master netting arrangements 
or similar agreements. The Corporation elects to not offset assets and liabilities subject to such arrangements on the consolidated 
financial statements. The following table presents the financial instruments that are eligible for offset, and the effects of offsetting, 
on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31:

Gross Amounts
Recognized
on the
Consolidated
Balance Sheets

Gross Amounts Not Offset
 on the Consolidated
Balance Sheets

Financial
Instruments (1)

Cash
Collateral (2)

Net
Amount

2017
Interest rate swap derivative assets.................................................. $
Foreign exchange derivative assets with correspondent banks .......
   Total.............................................................................................. $

Interest rate swap derivative liabilities ............................................ $
Foreign exchange derivative liabilities with correspondent banks..
   Total.............................................................................................. $

2016
Interest rate swap derivative assets.................................................. $
Foreign exchange derivative assets with correspondent banks .......
   Total.............................................................................................. $

Interest rate swap derivative liabilities ............................................ $
Foreign exchange derivative liabilities with correspondent banks..
   Total .............................................................................................. $

(in thousands)

(16,844) $
(184)
(17,028) $

(16,844) $
(184)
(17,028) $

— $ 26,602
—
—
— $ 26,602

(6,588) $ 15,310
71
(6,588) $ 15,381

—

(15,117) $
(241)
(15,358) $

(15,117) $
(241)
(15,358) $

— $ 26,278
—
—
— $ 26,278

(4,010) $ 22,268
—
(4,216) $ 22,268

(206)

43,446
184
43,630

38,742
255
38,997

41,395
241
41,636

41,395
447
41,842

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

(1)  For interest rate swap assets, amounts represent any derivative liability fair values that could be offset in the event of counterparty or customer default. For 
interest rate swap liabilities, amounts represent any derivative asset fair values that could be offset in the event of counterparty or customer default.
(2)  Amounts represent cash collateral (posted by the Corporation) or received from the counterparty on interest rate swap transactions and foreign exchange 
contracts with financial institution counterparties. Interest rate swaps with customers are collateralized by the same collateral securing the underlying loans 
to those borrowers. Cash and securities collateral amounts are included in the table only to the extent of the net derivative fair values.

106

 
NOTE 11 – REGULATORY MATTERS

Regulatory Capital Requirements

The Corporation’s subsidiary banks are subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by banking regulators. Failure to 
meet minimum capital requirements can trigger certain mandatory – and possibly additional discretionary – actions by regulators 
that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Corporation’s financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines 
and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the subsidiary banks must meet specific capital guidelines that involve 
quantitative measures of the subsidiary banks’ assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance sheet items as calculated under regulatory 
accounting practices. The subsidiary banks’ capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the 
regulators about components, risk weightings, and other factors.

U.S. Basel III Capital Rules

In July 2013, the Federal Reserve Board approved  final rules (the "U.S. Basel III Capital Rules") establishing a new comprehensive 
capital framework for U.S. banking organizations and implementing the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision's December 
2010 framework for strengthening international capital standards. The U.S. Basel III Capital Rules substantially revised the risk-
based capital requirements applicable to bank holding companies and depository institutions. 

The minimum regulatory capital requirements established by the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules became effective for the Corporation 
on January 1, 2015, and become fully phased in on January 1, 2019. When fully phased in, the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules will 
require the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries to: 

•  Meet a minimum Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.50% of risk-weighted assets and a minimum Tier 1 capital of 

6.00% of risk-weighted assets; 

•  Continue to require a minimum Total capital ratio of 8.00% of risk-weighted assets and a minimum Tier 1 leverage capital 

ratio of 4.00% of average assets;

•  Maintain a "capital conservation buffer" of 2.50% above the minimum risk-based capital requirements, which must be 

maintained to avoid restrictions on capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments; and

•  Comply with a revised definition of capital to improve the ability of regulatory capital instruments to absorb losses.  
Certain  non-qualifying  capital  instruments,  including  cumulative  preferred  stock  and  TruPS,  will  be  excluded  as  a 
component of Tier 1 capital for institutions of the Corporation's size. 

The U.S. Basel III Capital Rules use a standardized approach for risk weightings that expand the risk-weightings for assets and 
off-balance sheet exposures from the previous 0%, 20%, 50% and 100% categories to a much larger and more risk-sensitive 
number of categories, depending on the nature of the assets and off-balance sheet exposures, resulting in higher risk weights for 
a variety of asset categories.

When fully phased in on January 1, 2019, the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries will also be required to maintain a "capital 
conservation buffer" of 2.50% above the minimum risk-based capital requirements. The required minimum capital conservation 
buffer began to be phased in incrementally, starting at 0.625%, on January 1, 2016, and increasing to 1.25% on January 1, 2017, 
and will continue to increase to 1.875% on January 1, 2018 and 2.50% on January 1, 2019. The rules provide that the failure to 
maintain the "capital conservation buffer" will result in restrictions on capital distributions and discretionary cash bonus payments 
to executive officers. As a result, under the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules, if any of the Corporation's bank subsidiaries fails to 
maintain the required minimum capital conservation buffer, the Corporation will be subject to limits, and possibly prohibitions, 
on its ability to obtain capital distributions from such subsidiaries. If the Corporation does not receive sufficient cash dividends 
from its bank subsidiaries, it may not have sufficient funds to pay dividends on its capital stock, service its debt obligations or 
repurchase its common stock. In addition, the restrictions on payments of discretionary cash bonuses to executive officers may 
make it more difficult for the Corporation to retain key personnel.

As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation's capital levels meet the fully phased-in minimum capital requirements, including the 
new capital conservation buffers, as prescribed in the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, each of the Corporation’s subsidiary banks was well capitalized under the regulatory framework 
for prompt corrective action based on their capital ratio calculations. To be categorized as well capitalized, these banks must 
maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier I risk-based, Common Equity Tier I risk-based and Tier I leverage ratios as set forth in 
the following table. There are no conditions or events since December 31, 2017 that management believes have changed the 
institutions’ categories. 

107

The  following  table  presents  the  Total  risk-based,  Tier  I  risk-based,  Common  Equity  Tier  I  risk-based  and  Tier  I  leverage 
requirements for the Corporation and its four significant subsidiaries with total assets in excess of $1 billion, as of December 31, 
2017, under the U.S. Basel III Capital Rules:

2017

For Capital
Adequacy Purposes

Actual

Well Capitalized

Amount

Ratio

Amount

Ratio

Amount

Ratio

(dollars in thousands)

Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets):

Corporation.................................................................... $ 2,179,147
Fulton Bank, N.A. .........................................................

1,234,536

Fulton Bank of New Jersey ...........................................

The Columbia Bank.......................................................

Lafayette Ambassador Bank..........................................

385,858

234,647

173,097

13.0% $ 1,338,560

8.0%

N/A

N/A

12.3

12.4

12.2

14.6

805,125

248,640

153,441

94,720

8.0

8.0

8.0

8.0

$ 1,006,406

10.0%

310,801

191,801

118,400

10.0

10.0

10.0

Tier I Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets):

Corporation.................................................................... $ 1,737,060
Fulton Bank, N.A...........................................................

1,142,230

Fulton Bank of New Jersey ...........................................

The Columbia Bank.......................................................

Lafayette Ambassador Bank..........................................

346,867

215,651

162,292

10.4% $ 1,003,920

6.0%

N/A

11.3

11.2

11.2

13.7

603,843

186,480

115,081

71,040

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

$

805,125

248,640

153,441

94,720

N/A

8.0%

8.0

8.0

8.0

Common Equity Tier I Capital (to Risk-weighted Assets):

Corporation.................................................................... $ 1,737,060
Fulton Bank, N.A...........................................................

1,098,230

Fulton Bank of New Jersey ...........................................

The Columbia Bank.......................................................

Lafayette Ambassador Bank..........................................

346,867

215,651

162,292

10.4% $

752,940

4.5%

N/A

N/A

10.9

11.2

11.2

13.7

452,883

139,860

86,310

53,280

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

$

654,164

6.5%

202,020

124,671

76,960

6.5

6.5

6.5

8.9% $

778,451

4.0%

N/A

458,016

158,027

92,797

64,191

4.0

4.0

4.0

4.0

$

572,520

197,534

115,996

80,239

N/A

5.0%

5.0

5.0

5.0

Tier I Capital (to Average Assets):

Corporation.................................................................... $ 1,737,060
Fulton Bank, N.A...........................................................

1,142,230

Fulton Bank of New Jersey ...........................................

The Columbia Bank.......................................................

346,867

215,651

10.0

8.8

9.3

Lafayette Ambassador Bank..........................................

162,292

10.1

N/A – Not applicable as "well capitalized" applies to banks only.

108

  
 
The  following  table  presents  the  Total  risk-based,  Tier  I  risk-based,  Common  Equity  Tier  1  risk-based  and  Tier  I  leverage 
requirements as of December 31, 2016, under U.S. Basel III Capital Rules:

2016

For Capital
Adequacy Purposes

Actual

Well Capitalized

Amount

Ratio

Amount

Ratio

Amount

Ratio

(dollars in thousands)

Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets):

Corporation........................................................................... $ 2,074,526
1,142,326
Fulton Bank, N.A. ................................................................
385,807
Fulton Bank of New Jersey ..................................................
203,890
The Columbia Bank..............................................................
175,254
Lafayette Ambassador Bank.................................................

13.2% $ 1,255,292
747,359
12.2
234,782
13.1
133,836
12.2
96,100
14.6

Tier I Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets):

Corporation........................................................................... $ 1,637,150
1,050,175
Fulton Bank, N.A..................................................................
348,992
Fulton Bank of New Jersey ..................................................
185,983
The Columbia Bank..............................................................
166,186
Lafayette Ambassador Bank.................................................

Common Equity Tier I Capital (to Risk-weighted Assets):

Corporation........................................................................... $ 1,637,150
1,006,175
Fulton Bank, N.A..................................................................
348,992
Fulton Bank of New Jersey ..................................................
185,983
The Columbia Bank..............................................................
166,186
Lafayette Ambassador Bank.................................................

Tier I Capital (to Average Assets):

Corporation........................................................................... $ 1,637,150
1,050,175
Fulton Bank, N.A..................................................................
348,992
Fulton Bank of New Jersey ..................................................
185,983
The Columbia Bank..............................................................
166,186
Lafayette Ambassador Bank.................................................

10.4% $
11.2
11.9
11.1
13.8

10.4% $
10.8
11.9
11.1
13.8

9.0% $
10.1
9.4
8.6
10.9

941,469
560,519
176,086
100,377
72,075

706,102
420,389
132,065
72,282
54,056

727,745
415,981
148,472
86,310
61,129

$

$

$

$

8.0%
8.0
8.0
8.0
8.0

6.0%
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.0

4.5%
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5

4.0%
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0

N/A
934,199
293,427
167,294
120,125

N/A
747,359
234,782
133,836
96,100

N/A
607,229
190,760
108,741
78,081

N/A
519,977
185,590
107,888
76,412

N/A
10.0%
10.0
10.0
10.0

N/A
8.0%
8.0
8.0
8.0

N/A
6.5%
6.5
6.5
6.5

N/A
5.0%
5.0
5.0
5.0

N/A – Not applicable as "well capitalized" applies to banks only.

Dividend and Loan Limitations

The dividends that may be paid by subsidiary banks to the Parent Company are subject to certain legal and regulatory limitations.   
Dividend limitations vary, depending on the subsidiary bank’s charter and primary regulator and whether or not it is a member of 
the Federal Reserve System. Generally, subsidiaries are prohibited from paying dividends when doing so would cause them to 
fall below the regulatory minimum capital levels. Additionally, limits may exist on paying dividends in excess of net income for 
specified periods. The total amount available for payment of dividends by subsidiary banks was approximately $283 million as 
of December 31, 2017, based on the subsidiary banks maintaining enough capital to be considered well capitalized under the U.S. 
Basel III Capital Rules.

Under current Federal Reserve regulations, the subsidiary banks are limited in the amount they may loan to their affiliates, including 
the Parent Company. Loans to a single affiliate may not exceed 10%, and the aggregate of loans to all affiliates may not exceed 
20% of each bank subsidiary’s regulatory capital. 

109

NOTE 12 – INCOME TAXES

On December 22, 2017, the President signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Act"), which among other things, lowered 
the U.S. corporate income tax rate from a top rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%. The reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax 
rate required the Corporation to re-measure its deferred tax assets and liabilities utilizing the lower tax rate as of December 22, 
2017. As of December 31, 2017, the Corporation had not completed its accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act; however, the 
Corporation was able to reasonably estimate the effects of the re-measurement of its deferred tax balances and recorded a charge 
of $15.6 million to income tax expense.

The components of the provision for income taxes are as follows:

Current tax expense:

Federal .......................................................................................................... $
State ..............................................................................................................

Deferred tax expense:

Federal ..........................................................................................................
State ..............................................................................................................

Income tax expense.............................................................................................. $

2017

2016
(in thousands)

2015

19,553
2,617
22,170

39,885
646
40,531
62,701

$

$

33,872
1,698
35,570

7,968
3,086
11,054
46,624

$

$

34,455
2,042
36,497

12,752
672
13,424
49,921

The differences between the effective income tax rate and the federal statutory income tax rate are as follows:

2017

2016

2015

Statutory tax rate ...................................................................................................
Tax credit investments...........................................................................................
Tax-exempt income...............................................................................................
State income taxes, net of federal benefit .............................................................
Bank owned life insurance ....................................................................................
Re-measurement of net deferred tax asset due to the Tax Act ..............................
Change in valuation allowance .............................................................................
Executive compensation .......................................................................................
Other, net...............................................................................................................
Effective income tax rate ......................................................................................

35.0%
(7.8)
(6.6)
(0.5)
(0.4)
6.7
1.2
0.1
(1.0)
26.7%

35.0%
(7.0)
(6.5)
1.2
(0.6)
—
0.3
0.1
(0.1)
22.4%

35.0%
(5.2)
(6.0)
1.9
(0.6)
—
(0.9)
0.1
0.7
25.0%

110

 
The net deferred tax asset recorded by the Corporation is included in other assets and consists of the following tax effects of 
temporary differences as of December 31:

Deferred tax assets:

Allowance for credit losses ..................................................................................................... $
State loss carryforwards ..........................................................................................................
Deferred compensation............................................................................................................
Postretirement and defined benefit plans ................................................................................
Other accrued expenses ...........................................................................................................
Unrealized holding losses on securities available for sale ......................................................
Other-than-temporary impairment of investments ..................................................................
Other ........................................................................................................................................
Total gross deferred tax assets..........................................................................................

Deferred tax liabilities:

Direct leasing...........................................................................................................................
Mortgage servicing rights........................................................................................................
Acquisition premiums/discounts .............................................................................................
Premises and equipment ..........................................................................................................
Intangible assets.......................................................................................................................
Other ........................................................................................................................................
Total gross deferred tax liabilities ....................................................................................
Net deferred tax asset, before valuation allowance..........................................................
Valuation allowance .........................................................................................................
Net deferred tax asset ....................................................................................................... $

2017

2016

(in thousands)

40,554
11,855
7,663
7,274
6,977
5,830
2,045
6,742
88,940

21,917
8,204
6,030
3,099
1,155
10,420
50,825
38,115
(11,855)
26,260

$

$

62,726
9,820
12,017
12,659
9,520
12,260
5,187
8,500
132,689

27,663
13,369
9,167
5,625
1,810
12,530
70,164
62,525
(8,950)
53,575

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some or all of 
the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of 
future  taxable  income  and/or  capital  gain  income  during  periods  in  which  those  temporary  differences  become  deductible. 
Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies, 
such as those that may be implemented to generate capital gains, in making this assessment.

The valuation allowance relates to state deferred tax assets and net operating loss carryforwards for which realizability is uncertain.
As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Corporation had state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $369 million
and $391 million, respectively, which are available to offset future state taxable income, and expire at various dates through 2037. 

The Corporation has $2.0 million of deferred tax assets resulting from unrealized other-than-temporary impairment losses on 
investment securities, which would be characterized as capital losses for tax purposes. If realized, the income tax benefits of these 
potential capital losses can only be recognized for tax purposes to the extent of capital gains generated during carryback and 
carryforward periods. The Corporation currently believes that it has the ability to generate sufficient offsetting capital gains in 
future periods through the execution of certain tax planning strategies, which may include the sale and leaseback of some or all 
of its branch and office properties. As such, no valuation allowance for the deferred tax assets related to the realized or unrealized 
capital losses is considered to be necessary as of December 31, 2017.

Based on the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred 
tax assets are deductible, management believes it is more likely than not that the Corporation will realize the benefits of its deferred 
tax assets, net of the valuation allowance, as of December 31, 2017. 

111

 
Uncertain Tax Positions

The following summarizes the changes in unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31:

2017

2016
(in thousands)

2015

Balance at beginning of year .............................................................................................. $
Current period tax positions ...............................................................................................
Lapse of statute of limitations ............................................................................................
Balance at end of year ........................................................................................................ $

2,438
523
(411)
2,550

$

$

2,373
456
(391)
2,438

$

$

1,944
492
(63)
2,373

As of December 31, 2017, if recognized, all of the Corporation’s unrecognized tax benefits would impact the effective tax rate. 
Not included in the table above is $540,000 of federal income tax benefit on unrecognized state tax benefits which, if recognized, 
would also impact the effective tax rate. Interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits is recorded as a component of income 
tax expense. Penalties, if incurred, would also be recognized in income tax expense. The Corporation recognized approximately 
$42,000 and $43,000 in 2017 and 2016, respectively, for interest and penalties in income tax expense related to unrecognized tax 
positions. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, total accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions were 
approximately $616,000 and $574,000, respectively.

The Corporation and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the federal and various state jurisdictions. In most cases, unrecognized 
tax benefits are related to tax years that remain subject to examination by the relevant taxing authorities. With few exceptions, the 
Corporation is no longer subject to federal, state and local examinations by tax authorities for years before 2014.

NOTE 13 – EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The following summarizes the Corporation’s expense under its retirement plans for the years ended December 31:

401(k) Retirement Plan ......................................................................................... $
Pension Plan ..........................................................................................................

$

2017

8,121
4,168
12,289

2016
(in thousands)
7,418
$
4,310
11,728

$

$

$

2015

6,423
4,102
10,525

The 401(k) Retirement Plan is a defined contribution plan under which eligible employees may defer a portion of their pre-tax 
covered compensation on an annual basis, with employer matches of up to 5% of employee compensation. Employee and employer 
contributions under these features are 100% vested. Prior to January 1, 2015, this plan also included a profit sharing component 
whereby additional employer contributions not to exceed 5% of each eligible employee’s covered compensation, were provided 
for certain employees. 

Contributions to the Defined Benefit Pension Plan ("Pension Plan") are actuarially determined and funded annually, if necessary. 
The Corporation recognizes the funded status of its Pension Plan on the consolidated balance sheets and recognizes the changes 
in that funded status through other comprehensive income. The Pension Plan has been curtailed, with no additional benefits accruing 
to participants.

112

 
Pension Plan

The net periodic pension cost for the Pension Plan, as determined by consulting actuaries, consisted of the following components 
for the years ended December 31:

Service cost (1) ....................................................................................................... $
Interest cost ...........................................................................................................
Expected return on assets ......................................................................................
Net amortization and deferral................................................................................
Net periodic pension cost ...................................................................................... $

2017

2016
(in thousands)
688
3,520
(2,318)
2,420
4,310

$

2015

579
3,405
(3,009)
3,127
4,102

$

$

— $

3,320
(1,804)
2,652
4,168

(1)  The Pension Plan was curtailed effective January 1, 2008. Pension plan service cost for all years presented was related to administrative costs associated 
with the plan and not due to the accrual of additional participant benefits. Beginning January 1, 2017 the administrative costs were netted with the expected 
return on assets. 

The following table summarizes the changes in the projected benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets for the plan years 
ended December 31:

2017

2016

Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year........................................................................... $
Service cost (1).................................................................................................................................
Interest cost.....................................................................................................................................
Benefit payments ............................................................................................................................
Change in assumptions ...................................................................................................................
Experience gain ..............................................................................................................................
Projected benefit obligation at end of year ..................................................................................... $

$

(in thousands)
85,363
—
3,320
(3,751)
5,008
(458)
89,482

$

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year................................................................................. $
Employer contributions (2) ..............................................................................................................
Actual return on plan assets............................................................................................................
Benefit payments ............................................................................................................................
Fair value of plan assets at end of year........................................................................................... $

48,684
3,816
5,312
(3,751)
54,061

$

$

84,736
688
3,520
(5,172)
1,635
(44)
85,363

46,971
5,169
1,716
(5,172)
48,684

(1)    The Pension Plan was curtailed effective January 1, 2008. Pension plan service cost for all years presented was related to administrative costs associated 
with the plan and not due to the accrual of additional participant benefits. Beginning January 1, 2017 the administrative costs were netted with the expected 
return on assets.

(2)  The Corporation funds at least the minimum amount required by federal law and regulations. The Corporation contributed $3.8 million and $5.2 million to 

the Pension Plan during 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The following table presents the funded status of the Pension Plan, included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, 
as of December 31:

Projected benefit obligation............................................................................................................ $
Fair value of plan assets..................................................................................................................
Funded status .................................................................................................................................. $

(89,482) $
54,061
(35,421) $

(85,363)
48,684
(36,679)

2017

2016

(in thousands)

113

 
 
 
 
The  following  table  summarizes  the  changes  in  the  unrecognized  net  loss  included  as  a  component  of  accumulated  other 
comprehensive loss:

Unrecognized Net Loss 
Net of tax

Before tax

Balance as of December 31, 2015 .................................................................................................. $
Recognized as a component of 2016 periodic pension cost ...........................................................
Unrecognized gains arising in 2016 ...............................................................................................
Balance as of December 31, 2016 ..................................................................................................
Recognized as a component of 2017 periodic pension cost ...........................................................
Unrecognized losses arising in 2017 ..............................................................................................
Balance as of December 31, 2017 .................................................................................................. $

$

(in thousands)
30,396
(2,420)
2,193
30,169
(2,652)
1,042
28,559

$

19,758
(1,573)
1,425
19,610
(1,724)
678
18,564

The total amount of unrecognized net loss that will be amortized as a component of net periodic pension cost in 2018 is expected 
to be $2.8 million. 

The following rates were used to calculate net periodic pension cost and the present value of benefit obligations as of December 31:

Discount rate-projected benefit obligation............................................................
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets ..................................................

3.50%
5.00%

4.00%
5.00%

4.25%
6.00%

2017

2016

2015

The discount rates used were determined using the Citigroup Average Life discount rate table, as adjusted based on the Pension 
Plan's expected benefit payments and rounded to the nearest 0.25%. 

The 5.00% long-term rate of return on plan assets used to calculate the net periodic pension cost was based on historical returns, 
adjusted for expectations of long-term asset returns based on the December 31, 2017 weighted average asset allocations. The 
expected long-term return is considered to be appropriate based on the asset mix and the historical returns realized.

The following table presents a summary of the fair values of the Pension Plan’s assets as of December 31:

2017

2016

Estimated
Fair Value

% of Total
Assets
(dollars in thousands)

Estimated
Fair Value

% of Total
Assets

Equity mutual funds .................................................................... $
Equity common trust funds .........................................................
Equity securities ...................................................................
Cash and money market funds ....................................................
Fixed income mutual funds .........................................................
Corporate debt securities .............................................................
U.S. Government agency securities.............................................
Fixed income securities and cash .........................................
Other alternative investment funds..............................................

$

19,219
9,612
28,831
5,675
11,136
2,999
249
20,059
5,171
54,061

$

53.3%

37.1%
9.6%
100.0% $

12,689
7,936
20,625
7,149
10,540
3,252
496
21,437
6,622
48,684

42.4%

44.0%
13.6%
100.0%

Investment allocation decisions are made by a retirement plan committee. The goal of the investment allocation strategy is to 
match certain benefit obligations with maturities of fixed income securities. Pension Plan assets are invested with a balanced 
objective, with target asset allocations of approximately 50% in equities, 40% in fixed income securities and cash and 10% in 
alternative investments. Alternative investments may include managed futures, commodities, real estate investment trusts, master 
limited partnerships, and long-short strategies with traditional stocks and bonds. All alternative investments are in the form of 
mutual funds, not individual contracts, to enable daily liquidity. 

114

 
 
 
 
 
 
The fair values for all assets held by the Pension Plan, excluding equity common trust funds, are based on quoted prices for identical 
instruments  and  would  be  categorized  as  Level  1  assets  under  FASB ASC Topic  810.  Equity  common  trust  funds  would  be 
categorized as Level 2 assets under FASB ASC Topic 810.

Estimated future benefit payments are as follows (in thousands):

Year
2018.......................................................................................................................................................................... $
2019..........................................................................................................................................................................
2020..........................................................................................................................................................................
2021..........................................................................................................................................................................
2022..........................................................................................................................................................................
2023 – 2027..............................................................................................................................................................

$

3,773
3,858
4,220
4,424
4,530
24,571
45,376

Postretirement Benefits

The Corporation provides medical benefits and life insurance benefits under a postretirement benefits plan ("Postretirement Plan") 
to certain retired full-time employees who were employees of the Corporation prior to January 1, 1998. Prior to February 1, 2014, 
certain full-time employees became eligible for these discretionary benefits if they reached retirement age while working for the 
Corporation. The Corporation recognizes the funded status of the postretirement plan on the consolidated balance sheets and 
recognizes the changes in that funded status through other comprehensive income.

In 2015, the Corporation amended the postretirement plan to eliminate a death benefit provision and to fix the cost of health 
insurance premiums paid for by each participant. This amendment resulted in a $2.5 million decrease in the postretirement benefit 
obligation that will be amortized to income over the estimated average remaining life of plan participants, or approximately 14 
years.

The components of the net (benefit) expense for postretirement benefits other than pensions are as follows:

Interest cost ........................................................................................................... $
Net amortization and deferral................................................................................
Net postretirement benefit..................................................................................... $

2017

2016
(in thousands)
85
$
(551)
(466) $

$

68
(565)
(497) $

2015

206
(258)
(52)

The following table summarizes the changes in the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets 
for the years ended December 31:

2017

2016

Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation at beginning of year ............................................ $
Interest cost.....................................................................................................................................
Benefit payments ............................................................................................................................
Experience gain ..............................................................................................................................
Change in assumptions ...................................................................................................................
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation at end of year....................................................... $

$

(in thousands)
1,926
68
(216)
(104)
26
1,700

$

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year................................................................................. $
Employer contributions ..................................................................................................................
Benefit payments ............................................................................................................................
Fair value of plan assets at end of year........................................................................................... $

$

3
213
(216)

— $

115

2,875
85
(282)
(732)
(20)
1,926

15
270
(282)
3

 
 
 
The following table presents the funded status of the Postretirement Plan, included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance 
sheets as of December 31:

Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation.............................................................................. $
Fair value of plan assets..................................................................................................................

Funded status ........................................................................................................................... $

2017

2016

(in thousands)
(1,700) $
—
(1,700) $

(1,926)
3
(1,923)

The following table summarizes the changes in items recognized as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss:

Before tax

Unrecognized
Prior Service
Cost

Unrecognized
Net Loss
(Gain)

(in thousands)

Total

Net of tax

Balance as of December 31, 2015......................................................................................... $
Recognized as a component of 2016 postretirement benefit cost.........................................

Unrecognized gains arising in 2016......................................................................................

(5,334) $

(508) $

(5,842) $

(3,798)

465

—

86

(761)

551

(761)

358

(495)

Balance as of December 31, 2016.........................................................................................

(4,869)

(1,183)

(6,052)

(3,935)

Recognized as a component of 2017 postretirement benefit cost.........................................
Unrecognized gains arising in 2017......................................................................................

465

—

101

(77)

566

(77)

368

(50)

Balance as of December 31, 2017......................................................................................... $

(4,404) $

(1,159) $

(5,563) $

(3,617)

The following rates were used to calculate net periodic postretirement benefit cost and the present value of benefit obligations as 
of December 31:

Discount rate-projected benefit obligation............................................................
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets ..................................................

3.50%
3.00%

4.25%
3.00%

4.25%
3.00%

2017

2016

2015

The discount rates used to calculate the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation were determined using the Citigroup Average 
Life discount rate table, as adjusted based on the Postretirement Plan's expected benefit payments and rounded to the nearest 
0.25%. 

Estimated future benefit payments under the Postretirement Plan are as follows (in thousands):

Year
2018.......................................................................................................................................................................... $
2019..........................................................................................................................................................................
2020..........................................................................................................................................................................
2021..........................................................................................................................................................................
2022..........................................................................................................................................................................
2023 – 2027..............................................................................................................................................................

$

196
184
171
159
147
574
1,431

116

 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE 14 – SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The following table presents the components of other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31: 

Before-Tax
Amount

Tax Effect

(in thousands)

Net of Tax
Amount

2017:

Unrealized gain on securities .............................................................................................................. $

16,051

$

(5,619)

$

Reclassification adjustment for securities gains included in net income (1) ........................................

Non-credit related unrealized loss on other-than-temporarily impaired debt securities .....................

Unrecognized pension and postretirement cost...................................................................................

Amortization of net unrecognized pension and postretirement income (2)..........................................

(9,071)

285

(937)

2,092

3,177

(100)

328

(731)

Total Other Comprehensive Income.............................................................................................. $

8,420

$

(2,945)

$

10,432

(5,894)

185

(609)

1,361

5,475

2016:

Unrealized loss on securities ............................................................................................................... $

(22,907)

$

8,016

$

(14,891)

Reclassification adjustment for securities gains included in net income (1) ........................................

Non-credit related unrealized loss on other-than-temporarily impaired debt securities .....................

Amortization of unrealized loss on derivative financial instruments (3)..............................................

Unrecognized pension and postretirement cost...................................................................................

Amortization of net unrecognized pension and postretirement income (2)..........................................

(2,550)

(285)

25

(1,432)

1,869

893

100

(9)

501

(653)

Total Other Comprehensive Loss .................................................................................................. $

(25,280)

$

8,848

2015:

Unrealized loss on securities ............................................................................................................... $

(11,872)

$

Reclassification adjustment for securities gains included in net income (1) ........................................

Reclassification adjustment for loss on derivative financial instruments included in net income (2)..

Non-credit related unrealized gains on other-than-temporarily impaired debt securities ...................

Amortization of unrealized loss on derivative financial instruments (3)..............................................

Unrecognized pension and postretirement income .............................................................................

Amortization of net unrecognized pension and postretirement income (2)..........................................

(9,066)

3,778

368

115

7,200

2,869

4,155

3,174

(1,322)

(129)

(40)

(2,520)

(1,005)

$

$

(1,657)

(185)

16

(931)

1,216

(16,432)

(7,717)

(5,892)

2,456

239

75

4,680

1,864

Total Other Comprehensive Loss .................................................................................................. $

(6,608)

$

2,313

$

(4,295)

(1)  Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Before-tax amounts included in "Investment securities gains, net" on the 

consolidated statements of income. See "Note 3 - Investment Securities," for additional details.

(2)  Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Before-tax amounts included in "Salaries and employee benefits" on the 

consolidated statements of income. See "Note 13 - Employee Benefit Plans," for additional details.

(3)  Amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Before-tax amounts included in "Interest Expense" on the consolidated statements 

of income. 

117

The following table presents changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, for the 
years ended December 31: 

Unrealized
Gain
(Losses) on
Investment
Securities
Not Other-
Than-
Temporarily
Impaired

Unrealized
Non-Credit
Gains
(Losses) on
Other-Than-
Temporarily
Impaired
Debt
Securities

Unrealized
Effective
Portions of
Losses on
Forward-
Starting
Interest Rate
Swaps

(in thousands)

Unrecognized
Pension and
Postretirement
Plan Income
(Cost)

Total

Balance as of December 31, 2014..................................................................... $

5,980

$

1,349

$

(2,546) $

(22,505) $ (17,722)

Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications............................

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)..

Reclassification adjustment for loss on derivative financial instruments.........

Balance as of December 31, 2015.....................................................................

Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications ...........................................

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)..

Balance as of December 31, 2016.....................................................................

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications .....................................

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)..

(7,717)

(4,762)

—

(6,499)

(14,891)

(1,657)

(23,047)

10,432

(5,894)

239

(1,130)

—

458

(185)

—

273

185

—

—

75

2,456

(15)

—

15

—

—

—

4,680

1,864

—

(15,961)

(931)

1,217

(2,798)

(3,953)

2,456

(22,017)

(16,007)

(425)

(15,675)

(38,449)

(609)

1,361

10,008

(4,533)

Balance as of December 31, 2017..................................................................... $

(18,509)

$

458

$

— $

(14,923) $ (32,974)

Common Stock Repurchase Plans 

In November 2017, the Corporation's board of directors approved an extension to a share repurchase program pursuant to which 
the Corporation is authorized to repurchase up to $50.0 million of its outstanding shares of common stock, or approximately 2.3%
of its outstanding shares, through December 31, 2018. Repurchased shares will be added to treasury stock, at cost. As permitted 
by securities laws and other legal requirements, and subject to market conditions and other factors, purchases may be made from 
time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions, including, without limitation, through accelerated share repurchase 
transactions. The share repurchase program may be discontinued at any time.  As of December 31, 2017, 1.5 million shares had 
been repurchased under this program for a total cost of $18.5 million, or $12.48 per share. Up to an additional $31.5 million of 
the Corporation's common stock may be repurchased under this program through December 31, 2018.

In April 2015, the Corporation announced that its board of directors had approved a share repurchase program pursuant to which 
the Corporation was authorized to repurchase up to $50.0 million of its outstanding shares of common stock, or approximately 
2.3% of its outstanding shares, through December 31, 2015. During 2015, the Corporation repurchased approximately 4.0 million
shares under this program for a total cost of $50.0 million, or $12.57 per share, completing this program. 

118

NOTE 15 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

The following table presents compensation expense and related tax benefits for all equity awards recognized in the consolidated 
statements of income:

Compensation expense.......................................................................................... $
Tax benefit.............................................................................................................
Stock-based compensation, net of tax................................................................... $

5,209
(3,994)
1,215

2017

2016
(in thousands)
6,556
$
(2,679)
3,877

$

$

$

2015

5,938
(2,011)
3,927

The tax benefits as a percentage of compensation expense, as shown in the preceding table, were 76.7%, 40.9% and 33.9% in 
2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. These percentages differ from the Corporation’s 35% statutory federal tax rate. Tax benefits 
are only recognized over the vesting period for awards that ordinarily will generate a tax deduction when exercised, in the case 
of non-qualified stock options, or upon vesting, in the case of restricted stock, RSUs and PSUs. Tax benefits less than the 35%
statutory federal tax rate resulted from incentive stock options, for which a tax benefit is not recognized during the vesting period. 
Tax benefits in excess of the 35% statutory federal tax rate resulted from incentive stock option exercises that triggered a tax 
deduction when they were exercised, and excess tax benefits realized on vesting RSUs and PSUs during the period.

The following table presents compensation expense and related tax benefits for restricted stock awards, RSUs and PSUs recognized 
in the consolidated statements of income, and included as a component of total stock-based compensation in the preceding table:

Compensation expense.......................................................................................... $
Tax benefit.............................................................................................................
Restricted stock compensation, net of tax............................................................. $

4,922
(1,559)
3,363

2017

2016
(in thousands)
6,165
$
(2,158)
4,007

$

$

$

2015

4,646
(1,626)
3,020

The following table provides information about stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2017:

Outstanding as of December 31, 2016 ........................................
Exercised ..............................................................................
Forfeited ...............................................................................
Expired .................................................................................
Outstanding as of December 31, 2017 ........................................
Exercisable as of December 31, 2017 .........................................

Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
(in millions)

10.98
11.45
10.64
13.97
10.66
10.66

4.1 years
4.1 years

$
$

6.4
6.4

Stock
Options
1,330,183
(411,292)
(14,574)
(26,115)
878,202
878,202

$

$
$

The following table provides information about nonvested stock options, restricted stock, RSUs and PSUs granted under the 
Employee Equity Plan and Directors' Plan for the year ended December 31, 2017: 

Nonvested Stock Options

Restricted Stock/RSUs/PSUs

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

Options

Nonvested as of December 31, 2016...........................................
Granted .................................................................................
Vested ...................................................................................
Forfeited ...............................................................................
Nonvested as of December 31, 2017...........................................

$

82,447
—
(81,847)
(600)

— $

3.14
—
3.14
3.14
—

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

$

$

12.74
15.85
12.51
14.15
13.91

Shares
1,525,715
501,664
(603,308)
(117,134)
1,306,937

119

 
 
 
 
The vested and forfeited stock option shown in the table above were granted in 2014. There were no stock options granted in 2017, 
2016, or 2015. The fair value of stock options granted in 2014 was estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes valuation 
methodology.

As of December 31, 2017, there was $7.4 million of total unrecognized compensation cost (pre-tax) related to restricted stock, 
RSUs and PSUs that will be recognized as compensation expense over a weighted average period of two years. As of December 31, 
2017, the Employee Equity Plan had 11.1 million shares reserved for future grants through 2023, and the Directors’ Plan had 
360,000 shares reserved for future grants through 2021.

The following table presents information about stock options exercised:

Number of options exercised ................................................................................
Total intrinsic value of options exercised.............................................................. $
Cash received from options exercised .................................................................. $
Tax deduction realized from options exercised..................................................... $

411,292
2,955
4,644
2,825

$
$
$

920,924
4,619
10,240
4,328

$
$
$

490,151
1,442
4,936
1,389

2017

2016
(dollars in thousands)

2015

Upon exercise, the Corporation issues shares from its authorized, but unissued, common stock to satisfy the options.

The fair value of certain PSUs with market-based performance conditions granted under the Employee Equity Plan was estimated 
on the grant date using the Monte Carlo valuation methodology performed by a third-party valuation expert. This valuation is 
dependent upon certain assumptions, as summarized in the following table:

Risk-free interest rate ............................................................................................

Volatility of Corporation’s stock ...........................................................................
Expected life of PSUs ...........................................................................................

2017

1.43%
22.45%
3 Years

2016
0.92%
20.75%
3 Years

2015
0.86%
20.08%
3 Years

The expected life of the PSUs with fair values measured using the Monte Carlo valuation methodology was based on the defined 
performance  period  of  three  years.  Volatility  of  the  Corporation’s  stock  was  based  on  historical  volatility  for  the  period 
commensurate with the expected life of the PSUs. The risk-free interest rate is the zero-coupon U.S. Treasury rate commensurate 
with the expected life of the PSUs on the date of the grant. Based on the assumptions above, the Corporation calculated an estimated 
fair value per PSU with market-based performance conditions granted in 2017, 2016 and 2015 of $17.25, $11.23 and $10.66, 
respectively.

Under the ESPP, eligible employees can purchase stock of the Corporation at 85% of the fair market value of the stock on the date 
of purchase. The ESPP is considered to be a compensatory plan and, as such, compensation expense is recognized for the 15%
discount on shares purchased. The following table summarizes activity under the ESPP:

ESPP shares purchased..........................................................................................
Average purchase price per share (85% of market value)..................................... $
Compensation expense recognized (in thousands) ............................................... $

2017

98,000
15.28
261

$
$

2016
109,665
12.37
240

$
$

2015
121,890
10.86
234

120

 
 
NOTE 16 – LEASES

Certain branch offices and equipment are leased under agreements that expire at varying dates through 2036. Most leases contain 
renewal provisions at the Corporation’s option. Total rental expense was approximately $18.7 million in 2017, $18.4 million in 
2016 and $18.1 million in 2015.

Future minimum payments as of December 31, 2017 under non-cancelable operating leases with initial terms exceeding one year 
are as follows (in thousands):

Year
2018.......................................................................................................................................................................... $
2019..........................................................................................................................................................................
2020..........................................................................................................................................................................
2021..........................................................................................................................................................................
2022..........................................................................................................................................................................
Thereafter .................................................................................................................................................................

$

17,417
15,730
14,592
12,988
10,763
45,905
117,395

NOTE 17 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

The Corporation is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing 
needs of its customers.

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established 
in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a 
fee. Since a portion of the commitments is expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not 
necessarily represent future cash requirements. The Corporation evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case 
basis. The amount of collateral, if any, obtained upon extension of credit is based on management’s credit evaluation of the customer. 
Collateral held varies but may include accounts receivable, inventory, property, equipment and income producing commercial 
properties. 

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued to guarantee the financial or performance obligation of a customer 
to a third party. Commercial letters of credit are conditional commitments issued to facilitate foreign and domestic trade transactions 
for customers. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is similar to that involved in extending loan facilities. These 
obligations are underwritten consistently with commercial lending standards. The maximum exposure to loss for standby and 
commercial letters of credit is equal to the contractual (or notional) amount of the instruments.

The Corporation records a reserve for unfunded commitments, included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, 
which represents management’s estimate of losses inherent in commitments to extend credit and letters of credit. See "Note 4 - 
Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses," for additional information.

The following table presents commitments to extend credit and letters of credit:

Commercial and other..................................................................................................................... $ 3,689,700
1,422,284
Home equity....................................................................................................................................
1,093,045
Commercial mortgage and construction.........................................................................................
Total commitments to extend credit ........................................................................................ $ 6,205,029

$ 3,673,815
1,368,465
1,033,287
$ 6,075,567

Standby letters of credit .................................................................................................................. $
Commercial letters of credit ...........................................................................................................

Total letters of credit................................................................................................................ $

326,973
41,801
368,774

$

$

356,359
38,901
395,260

2017

2016

(in thousands)

121

 
 
Residential Lending

Residential  mortgages  are  originated  and  sold  by  the  Corporation  and  consist  primarily  of  conforming,  prime  loans  sold  to 
government sponsored agencies such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan 
Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). The Corporation also sells certain residential mortgages to non-government sponsored 
agency investors. 
The Corporation provides customary representations and warranties to government sponsored agencies and investors that specify, 
among other things, that the loans have been underwritten to the standards established by the government sponsored agency or 
investor. The Corporation may be required to repurchase a loan or reimburse the government sponsored agency or investor for a 
credit loss incurred on a loan, if it is determined that the representations and warranties have not been met. Such repurchases or 
reimbursements generally result from an underwriting or documentation deficiency. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, total 
outstanding repurchase requests totaled approximately $543,000.

From 2000 to 2011, the Corporation sold loans to the FHLB of Pittsburgh under its Mortgage Partnership Finance Program ("MPF 
Program"). No loans were sold under this program since 2011. The Corporation provided a "credit enhancement" for residential 
mortgage loans sold under the MPF Program whereby it would assume credit losses in excess of a defined "First Loss Account," 
or "FLA" balance, up to specified amounts. The FLA is funded by the FHLB of Pittsburgh based on a percentage of the outstanding 
principal balance of loans sold. As of December 31, 2017, the unpaid principal balance of loans sold under the MPF Program was 
approximately $84 million. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the reserves for estimated credit losses related to loans sold under 
the MPF Program were $1.2 million and $1.7 million, respectively. Required reserves are calculated based on delinquency status 
and  estimated  loss  rates  established  through  the  Corporation's  existing  allowance  for  credit  loss  methodology  for  residential 
mortgage loans.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the reserve for losses on residential mortgage loans sold was $2.1 million and $2.5 million, 
respectively,  including  both  reserves  for  credit  losses  under  the  MPF  Program  and  reserves  for  representation  and  warranty 
exposures. Management believes that the reserves recorded as of December 31, 2017 are adequate. However, declines in collateral 
values, the identification of additional loans to be repurchased, or a deterioration in the credit quality of loans sold under the MPF 
Program could necessitate additional reserves, established through charges to earnings, in the future. 

Legal Proceedings

The Corporation and its subsidiaries are involved in various legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business of the Corporation. 
The Corporation periodically evaluates the possible impact of pending litigation matters based on, among other factors, the advice 
of counsel, available insurance coverage and recorded liabilities and reserves for probable legal liabilities and costs. In addition, 
from time to time, the Corporation is the subject of investigations or other forms of regulatory or governmental inquiry covering 
a range of possible issues and, in some cases, these may be part of similar reviews of the specified activities of other industry 
participants. These inquiries could lead to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings, and could possibly result in fines, penalties, 
restitution  or  the  need  to  alter  the  Corporation’s  business  practices,  and  cause  the  Corporation  to  incur  additional  costs. The 
Corporation’s practice is to cooperate fully with regulatory and governmental investigations.

As of the date of this report, the Corporation believes that any liabilities, individually or in the aggregate, which may result from 
the final outcomes of pending proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the Corporation. 
However, legal proceedings are often unpredictable, and it is possible that the ultimate resolution of any such matters, if unfavorable, 
may be material to the Corporation’s results of operations for any particular period, depending, in part, upon the size of the loss 
or liability imposed and the operating results for the applicable period.

BSA/AML Enforcement Orders

The Corporation and three of its bank subsidiaries are subject to regulatory enforcement orders issued during 2014 and 2015 by 
their respective federal and state bank regulatory agencies relating to identified deficiencies in the Corporation’s centralized Bank 
Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering compliance program (the "BSA/AML Compliance Program"), which was designed to 
comply with the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and related anti-money laundering regulations 
(collectively, the "BSA/AML Requirements"). The regulatory enforcement orders, which are in the form of consent orders or 
orders to cease and desist issued upon consent ("Consent Orders"), generally require, among other things, that the Corporation 
and the affected bank subsidiaries undertake a number of required actions to strengthen and enhance the BSA/AML Compliance 
Program, and, in some cases, conduct retrospective reviews of past account activity and transactions, as well as certain reports 
filed in accordance with the BSA/AML Requirements, to determine whether suspicious activity and certain transactions in currency 
were properly identified and reported in accordance with the BSA/AML Requirements. The Corporation and the affected bank 
subsidiaries  have  implemented  numerous  enhancements  to  the  BSA/AML  Compliance  Program,  completed  the  retrospective 
122

reviews required under the Consent Orders, and continue to strengthen and refine the BSA/AML Compliance Program to achieve 
a sustainable program in accordance with the BSA/AML Requirements. In addition to requiring strengthening and enhancement 
of the BSA/AML Compliance Program, while the Consent Orders remain in effect, the Corporation is subject to certain restrictions 
on expansion activities of the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries. Further, any failure to comply with the requirements of any 
of the Consent Orders involving the Corporation or the affected bank subsidiaries could result in further enforcement actions, the 
imposition of material restrictions on the activities of the Corporation or its bank subsidiaries, or the assessment of fines or penalties.

As previously disclosed, on October 27, 2017, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "OCC") terminated the Consent 
Orders that it issued on July 14, 2014 to three of the Corporation's bank subsidiaries, Fulton Bank, N.A., FNB Bank, N.A. and 
Swineford National Bank, relating to deficiencies in the BSA/AML Compliance Programs at those bank subsidiaries.

Fair Lending Investigation

During the second quarter of 2015, Fulton Bank, N.A., the Corporation’s largest bank subsidiary, received a letter from the U.S. 
Department of Justice (the "Department") indicating that the Department had initiated an investigation regarding potential violations 
of fair lending laws (specifically, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act) by Fulton Bank, N.A. in certain 
geographies. Fulton Bank, N.A. has been and is cooperating with the Department and responding to the Department’s requests 
for information. During the third quarter of 2016, the Department informed the Corporation, Fulton Bank, N.A., and three of the 
Corporation’s other bank subsidiaries, Fulton Bank of New Jersey, The Columbia Bank and Lafayette Ambassador Bank, that the 
Department was expanding its investigation of potential lending discrimination on the basis of race and national origin to encompass 
additional geographies that were not included in the initial letter from the Department. In addition to requesting information 
concerning the lending activities of these bank subsidiaries, the Department also requested information concerning the Corporation 
and the residential mortgage lending activities conducted under the Fulton Mortgage Company brand, the trade name used by all 
of the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries for residential mortgage lending. The investigation relates to lending activities during the 
period January 1, 2009 to the present. The Corporation and the identified bank subsidiaries are cooperating with the Department 
and responding to the Department’s requests for information. The Corporation and its bank subsidiaries are not able at this time 
to determine the terms on which this investigation will be resolved or the timing of such resolution, or to reliably estimate the 
amounts of any settlement, fines or other penalties or the cost of any other remedial actions, if enforcement action is taken. In 
addition, should the investigation result in an enforcement action against the Corporation or its bank subsidiaries, or a settlement 
with the Department, the ability of the Corporation and its bank subsidiaries to engage in certain expansion or other activities may 
be restricted.

Agostino, et al. Litigation

Fulton Bank, N.A. (the "Bank"), the Corporation’s largest bank subsidiary, and two unrelated, third-party defendants, Ameriprise 
Financial Services, Inc. ("Ameriprise") and Riverview Bank ("Riverview"), were named as defendants in a lawsuit brought on 
behalf of a group of 67 plaintiffs filed on March 31, 2016, in the Court of Common Pleas for Dauphin County, Pennsylvania 
(Agostino, et al. v. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., et al., No. 2016-CV-2048-CV). The plaintiffs in this action were clients 
of Jeffrey M. Mottern, a now-deceased attorney, who is alleged to have operated a fraud scheme over a period of years through 
the sale of fictitious high-yield investments or by otherwise misappropriating funds entrusted to Mr. Mottern. The lawsuit sought 
damages from the defendants, including the Bank, alleged to be in excess of $11.3 million, treble damages and attorneys’ fees 
with respect to alleged violations of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, punitive damages, 
plus interest and costs.

In October 2017, the Bank and the plaintiffs agreed to settle the lawsuit. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement between 
the Bank and the plaintiffs, the claims against the Bank were dismissed with prejudice on December 13, 2017, and the Bank made 
the agreed-upon settlement payment. Also during December 2017, the Corporation received reimbursement from the Corporation’s 
insurance carrier for the full amount of the agreed-upon settlement payment.

123

NOTE 18 – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

All assets and liabilities measured at fair value on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis have been categorized based on the 
method of their fair value determination.

The following tables summarizes the Corporation’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis and reported 
on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31:

Mortgage loans held for sale ....................................................... $
Available for sale investment securities:

Equity securities ...................................................................

U.S. Government sponsored agency securities ....................

State and municipal securities ..............................................

Corporate debt securities ......................................................

Collateralized mortgage obligations.....................................
Residential mortgage-backed securities ...............................

Commercial mortgage-backed securities .............................

Auction rate securities ..........................................................

2017

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

— $

(in thousands)
31,530

$

— $

31,530

918

—

—

—

—
—

—

—

—

5,938

408,949

93,552

602,623
1,120,796

212,755

—

—

—

—

3,757

—
—

—

98,668

102,425

—

918

5,938

408,949

97,309

602,623
1,120,796

212,755

98,668

2,547,956

63,990

Total available for sale investment securities..............................

Other assets..................................................................................

918

2,444,613

19,451

44,539

Total assets .................................................................... $
Other liabilities ............................................................................ $

20,369

$ 2,520,682

19,357

$

39,014

$

$

102,425

$ 2,643,476

— $

58,371

Mortgage loans held for sale ....................................................... $
Available for sale investment securities:

2016

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

— $

(in thousands)
28,697

$

— $

28,697

Equity securities ...................................................................

24,526

U.S. Government sponsored agency securities ....................

State and municipal securities ..............................................

Corporate debt securities ......................................................
Collateralized mortgage obligations.....................................

Residential mortgage-backed securities ...............................

Commercial mortgage-backed securities .............................

Auction rate securities ..........................................................

—

—

—
—

—

—

—

Total available for sale investment securities..............................

Other assets..................................................................................

24,526

17,111

—

134

391,641

106,537
593,860

1,317,838

24,563

—

2,434,573

44,481

—

—

—

2,872
—

—

—

97,256

100,128

—

24,526

134

391,641

109,409
593,860

1,317,838

24,563

97,256

2,559,227

61,592

Total assets .................................................................... $
Other liabilities ............................................................................ $

41,637

$ 2,507,751

17,032

$

41,734

$

$

100,128

$ 2,649,516

— $

58,766

The valuation techniques used to measure fair value for the items in the table above are as follows:

•  Mortgage loans held for sale – This category consists of mortgage loans held for sale that the Corporation has elected to 
measure at fair value. Fair values as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 were measured as the price that secondary market 
investors were offering for loans with similar characteristics. See "Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" 
for details related to the Corporation’s election to measure assets and liabilities at fair value.

•  Available for sale investment securities – Included within this asset category are both equity and debt securities. Level 
2 available for sale debt securities are valued by a third-party pricing service commonly used in the banking industry. 

124

 
 
 
 
 
 
The pricing service uses pricing models that vary based on asset class and incorporate available market information, 
including quoted prices of investment securities with similar characteristics. Because many fixed income securities do 
not trade on a daily basis, pricing models use available information, as applicable, through processes such as benchmark 
yield curves, benchmarking of like securities, sector groupings, and matrix pricing.

Standard  market  inputs  include:  benchmark  yields,  reported  trades,  broker/dealer  quotes,  issuer  spreads,  two-sided 
markets, benchmark securities, bids, offers and reference data, including market research publications.  For certain security 
types, additional inputs may be used, or some of the standard market inputs may not be applicable.

Management tests the values provided by the pricing service by obtaining securities prices from an alternative third-party 
source and comparing the results. This test is done for approximately 80% of the securities valued by the pricing service. 
Generally, differences by security in excess of 5% are researched to reconcile the difference.

•  Equity securities – Equity securities consist of stocks of financial institutions ($7,000 at December 31, 2017
and $23.5 million at December 31, 2016) and other equity investments ($911,000 at December 31, 2017 and 
$1.0 million at December 31, 2016). These Level 1 investments are measured at fair value based on quoted 
prices for identical securities in active markets. 

•  U.S.  Government  securities/U.S.  Government  sponsored  agency  securities/State  and  municipal  securities/
Collateralized  mortgage  obligations/Residential  mortgage-backed  securities/Commercial  mortgage-backed 
securities – These debt securities are classified as Level 2 investments. Fair values are determined by a third-
party pricing service, as detailed above.

•  Corporate debt securities – This category consists of subordinated and senior debt issued by financial institutions 
($61.9 million at December 31, 2017 and $65.2 million at December 31, 2016), single-issuer trust preferred 
securities issued by financial institutions ($30.7 million at December 31, 2017 and $39.8 million at December 31, 
2016), pooled trust preferred securities issued by financial institutions ($707,000 at December 31, 2017 and 
$422,000 at December 31, 2016) and other corporate debt issued by non-financial institutions ($4.0 million at 
December 31, 2017 and 2016).

Level 2 investments include subordinated debt and senior debt, other corporate debt issued by non-financial 
institutions and $27.7 million and $37.3 million of single-issuer trust preferred securities held at December 31, 
2017 and 2016, respectively. The fair values for these corporate debt securities are determined by a third-party 
pricing service, as detailed above. 

Level  3  investments  include  the  Corporation's  investments  in  pooled  trust  preferred  securities  ($707,000  at 
December 31, 2017 and $422,000 at December 31, 2016) and certain single-issuer trust preferred securities 
($3.1 million at December 31, 2017 and $2.5 million at December 31, 2016). The fair values of these securities 
were  determined  based  on  quotes  provided  by  third-party  brokers  who  determined  fair  values  based 
predominantly on internal valuation models which were not indicative prices or binding offers. The Corporation’s 
third-party pricing service cannot derive fair values for these securities primarily due to inactive markets for 
similar investments. Level 3 values are tested by management primarily through trend analysis, by comparing 
current values to those reported at the end of the preceding calendar quarter, and determining if they are reasonable 
based on price and spread movements for this asset class. 

•  Auction rate securities – Due to their illiquidity, ARCs are classified as Level 3 investments and are valued 
through the use of an expected cash flows model prepared by a third-party valuation expert. The assumptions 
used in preparing the expected cash flows model include estimates for coupon rates, time to maturity and market 
rates of return. The most significant unobservable input to the expected cash flows model is an assumed return 
to market liquidity sometime within the next five years. If the assumed return to market liquidity was lengthened 
beyond the next five years, this would result in a decrease in the fair value of these ARCs. The Corporation 
believes that the trusts underlying the ARCs will self-liquidate as student loans are repaid. Level 3 values are 
tested by management through the performance of a trend analysis of the market price and discount rate. Changes 
in the price and discount rates are compared to changes in market data, including bond ratings, parity ratios, 
balances and delinquency levels. 

•  Other assets – Included within this category are the following: 

•  Level 1 assets, consisting of mutual funds that are held in trust for employee deferred compensation plans ($19.0 
million at December 31, 2017 and $16.4 million at December 31, 2016) and the fair value of foreign currency 
exchange contracts ($460,000 at December 31, 2017 and $745,000 at December 31, 2016). The mutual funds 
and foreign exchange prices used to measure these items at fair value are based on quoted prices for identical 
instruments in active markets. 

125

•  Level 2 assets, representing the fair value of mortgage banking derivatives in the form of interest rate locks and 
forward commitments with secondary market investors ($1.1 million at December 31, 2017 and $3.1 million at 
December 31, 2016) and the fair value of interest rate swaps ($43.4 million at December 31, 2017 and $41.4 
million at December 31, 2016). The fair values of the interest rate locks, forward commitments and interest rate 
swaps represent the amounts that would be required to settle the derivative financial instruments at the balance 
sheet date. See "Note 10 - Derivative Financial Instruments," for additional information.

•  Other liabilities – Included within this category are the following: 

•  Level 1 employee deferred compensation liabilities which represent amounts due to employees under deferred 
compensation plans ($19.0 million at December 31, 2017 and $16.4 million at December 31, 2016) and the fair 
value of foreign currency exchange contracts ($374,000 at December 31, 2017 and $668,000 at December 31, 
2016). The fair values of these liabilities are determined in the same manner as the related assets, as described 
under the heading "Other assets," above. 

•  Level 2 liabilities, representing the fair value of mortgage banking derivatives in the form of interest rate locks 
and forward commitments with secondary market investors ($272,000 at December 31, 2017 and $339,000 at 
December 31, 2016) and the fair value of interest rate swaps ($38.7 million at December 31, 2017 and $41.4 
million at December 31, 2016). The fair values of these liabilities are determined in the same manner as the 
related assets, which are described under the heading "Other assets" above. 

The following table presents the changes in available for sale investment securities measured at fair value on a recurring basis 
using unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the years ended December 31:

Pooled Trust
Preferred
Securities

Balance as of December 31, 2015 .................................................................. $
Unrealized adjustments to fair value (1)..........................................................
Discount accretion (2)......................................................................................
Balance as of December 31, 2016 ..................................................................
Unrealized adjustments to fair value (1)..........................................................
Discount accretion (2)......................................................................................
Balance as of December 31, 2017 .................................................................. $

706
(286)
2
422

285
—
707

Single-issuer
Trust
Preferred
Securities
(in thousands)
2,630
$
(190)
10
2,450

588
12
3,050

$

Auction Rate 
Securities

$

$

98,059
(1,246)
443
97,256

1,217
195
98,668

(1)  Pooled trust preferred securities, single-issuer trust preferred securities and ARCs are classified as available for sale investment securities; as such, the
unrealized adjustment to fair value was recorded as an unrealized holding gain (loss) and included as a component of available for sale investment 
securities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Included as a component of net interest income on the consolidated statements of income.

(2) 

Certain assets are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis but are subject to fair value measurement in certain circumstances, 
such as upon their acquisition or when there is evidence of impairment. The following table presents the Corporation's assets 
measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis and reported on the consolidated balance sheets at December 31:

2017

2016

Net loans.....................................................................................................................................
OREO .........................................................................................................................................
MSRs..........................................................................................................................................
Total assets ..........................................................................................................................

$

$

$

(in thousands)
149,608
9,823
37,663
197,094

$

132,576
12,815
37,532
182,923

The valuation techniques used to measure fair value for the items in the table above are as follows:

•  Net loans – This category consists of loans that were evaluated for impairment under FASB ASC Section 310-10-35 and 
have been classified as Level 3 assets. The amount shown is the balance of impaired loans, net of the related allowance 
for loan losses. See "Note 4 - Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses," for additional details.

126

 
 
 
 
•  OREO – This category includes OREO ($9.8 million at December 31, 2017 and $12.8 million at December 31, 2016) 
classified as Level 3 assets. Fair values for OREO were based on estimated selling prices less estimated selling costs for 
similar assets in active markets.

•  MSRs - This category includes MSRs ($37.7 million at December 31, 2017 and $37.5 million at December 31, 2016), 
classified as Level 3 assets. MSRs are initially recorded at fair value upon the sale of residential mortgage loans to 
secondary  market  investors.  MSRs  are  amortized  as  a  reduction  to  servicing  income  over  the  estimated  lives  of  the 
underlying loans. MSRs are stratified and evaluated for impairment by comparing each stratum's carrying amount to its 
estimated fair value. Fair values are determined at the end of each quarter through a discounted cash flows valuation 
performed by a third-party valuation expert. Significant inputs to the valuation included expected net servicing income, 
the discount rate and the expected life of the underlying loans. Expected life is based on the contractual terms of the 
loans, as adjusted for prepayment projections. The weighted average annual constant prepayment rate and the weighted 
average discount rate used in the December 31, 2017 valuation were 11.7% and 9.5%, respectively. Management tests 
the reasonableness of the significant inputs to the third-party valuation in comparison to market data.

As required by FASB ASC Section 825-10-50, the following table details the book values and the estimated fair values of the 
Corporation’s financial instruments as of December 31, 2017 and 2016. A general description of the methods and assumptions 
used to estimate such fair values is also provided.

2017

2016

Book Value

Estimated
Fair Value

Book Value

Estimated
Fair Value

(in thousands)

108,291
293,805
60,761
31,530
2,547,956
15,598,337
52,910
215,464

FINANCIAL ASSETS
Cash and due from banks (1) ........................................................ $
Interest-bearing deposits with other banks (1) ..............................
FRB and FHLB stock (2) ..............................................................
Loans held for sale (3)...................................................................
Available for sale investment securities (2) ..................................
Net Loans (4).................................................................................
Accrued interest receivable (1) .....................................................
Other financial assets (1)...............................................................
FINANCIAL LIABILITIES
Demand and savings deposits (1).................................................. $ 13,042,147
Brokered deposits (1) ....................................................................
90,473
Time deposits (5) ...........................................................................
2,664,912
Short-term borrowings (1).............................................................
617,524
Accrued interest payable (1) .........................................................
9,317
Other financial liabilities (3) .........................................................
227,569
FHLB advances and long-term debt (5)........................................
1,038,346

$

108,291
293,805
60,761
31,530
2,547,956
15,380,974
52,910
215,464

$ 13,042,147
90,473
2,673,359
617,524
9,317
227,569
1,025,640

$

118,763
233,763
57,489
28,697
2,559,227
14,530,593
46,294
206,132

$ 12,259,622
—
2,753,242
541,317
9,632
216,080
929,403

$

118,763
233,763
57,489
28,697
2,559,227
14,387,454
46,294
206,132

$ 12,259,622
—
2,769,757
541,317
9,632
216,080
928,167

(1)  Short-term financial instrument, defined as those with remaining maturities of 90 days or less and excluding those recorded at fair value on the 

consolidated balance sheets. Book value is considered to be a reasonable estimate of fair value.

(2)  Restricted investments, carried at cost on the consolidated balance sheets.
(3)  These financial instruments, or certain financial instruments within these categories, are measured at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets. 

Descriptions of the fair value determinations for these financial instruments are disclosed above.

(4)  Fair value measured using unobservable inputs (level 3). Includes impaired loans, which are measured on a nonrecurring basis. 
(5)  Fair value measured using observable inputs (level 2).

Fair values of financial instruments are significantly affected by the assumptions used, principally the timing of future cash flows 
and discount rates. Because assumptions are inherently subjective in nature, the estimated fair values cannot be substantiated by 
comparison to independent market quotes and, in many cases, the estimated fair values could not necessarily be realized in an 
immediate  sale  or  settlement  of  the  instrument.  The  aggregate  fair  value  amounts  presented  do  not  necessarily  represent 
management’s estimate of the underlying value of the Corporation.

127

 
 
 
 
 
Fair values for loans were estimated by discounting future cash flows using the current rates at which similar loans would be made 
to borrowers and similar deposits would be issued to customers for the same remaining maturities. Fair values estimated in this 
manner do not fully incorporate an exit price approach to fair value, as defined in FASB ASC Topic 820.

The fair values of time deposits and FHLB advances and long-term debt were estimated by discounting the remaining contractual 
cash flows using a rate at which instruments with similar remaining maturities could be issued as of the balance sheet date. These 
would be categorized within Level 2 liabilities under FASB ASC Topic 820.

NOTE 19 – CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION - PARENT COMPANY ONLY

CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS

December 31,

2017

2016

(in thousands)

ASSETS
Cash.................................................................................................................................................. $
Other assets ......................................................................................................................................
Receivable from subsidiaries ...........................................................................................................

22,857

$

5,959
53,880

8,568

5,648
46,715

Investments in:

Bank subsidiaries ......................................................................................................................

2,399,053

2,265,264

Non-bank subsidiaries...............................................................................................................

426,846
Total Assets ............................................................................................................................. $ 2,908,595

417,615
$ 2,743,810

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Long-term debt ................................................................................................................................. $
Payable to non-bank subsidiaries .....................................................................................................
Other liabilities.................................................................................................................................
Total Liabilities.......................................................................................................................
Shareholders’ equity .........................................................................................................................

2,229,857
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity ............................................................................. $ 2,908,595

206,766

85,871
678,738

183,152

77,538
622,695

2,121,115
$ 2,743,810

386,101

$

362,005

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF INCOME 

Income:

Dividends from subsidiaries........................................................................................ $
Other (1)........................................................................................................................

66,500

$ 115,000

$ 114,000

171,490

148,577

141,241

2017

2016
(in thousands)

2015

Expenses.............................................................................................................................
Income before income taxes and equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries.
Income tax benefit ..............................................................................................................

237,990
199,981
38,009
(5,448)
43,457

263,577
177,835
85,742
(10,543)
96,285

255,241
176,457
78,784
(11,834)
90,618

Equity in undistributed net income (loss) of:

Bank subsidiaries ........................................................................................................

111,226

Non-bank subsidiaries.................................................................................................
17,070
Net Income .................................................................................................................. $ 171,753

58,477

6,863

$ 161,625

60,806
(1,922)
$ 149,502

(1) Consists primarily of management fees received from subsidiary banks.

128

 
 
 
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Cash Flows From Operating Activities:

Net Income ......................................................................................................................... $ 171,753
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

$ 161,625

$ 149,502

2017

2016
(in thousands)

2015

Amortization of issuance costs and discount of long-term debt....................................

845

—

Stock-based compensation ............................................................................................

Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation.....................................................
Increase in other assets ..................................................................................................
Equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries .......................................................

Loss on redemption of trust preferred securities ...........................................................

Increase (decrease) in other liabilities and payable to non-bank subsidiaries...............

Total adjustments....................................................................................................

Net cash provided by operating activities ..............................................................

Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:

Repayments of long-term debt ......................................................................................

Additions to long-term debt...........................................................................................

4,740
—
(17,882)
(128,298)
—

31,241
(109,354)
62,399
—

(100,000)
123,251

6,556
(964)
(16,585)
(65,340)
—
(5,928)
(82,261)
79,364
—

—

5,938
(201)
2,806
(58,884)
5,626

106,490

61,775

211,277
—

— (254,640)
— 147,779

Net proceeds from issuance of common stock ..............................................................

9,007

16,167

10,607

Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation.....................................................

Dividends paid...............................................................................................................

Acquisition of treasury stock.........................................................................................

Net cash used in financing activities ......................................................................
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents ..........................................
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year .........................................................
8,568
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year.................................................................... $ 22,857

(48,110)
14,289

—
(80,368)

964
(69,382)
— (18,545)
(70,796)
8,568

—

201
(65,361)
(50,000)
(211,414)
(137)
137

$

8,568

$

—

129

 
Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The management of Fulton Financial Corporation is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over 
financial reporting. Fulton Financial Corporation’s internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding 
the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. 
generally accepted accounting principles.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because 
of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management assessed the effectiveness of the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, 
using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control 
– Integrated Framework (2013). Based on this assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2017, the Corporation’s 
internal control over financial reporting is effective based on those criteria.

/s/ E. PHILIP WENGER       

E. Philip Wenger
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

/s/ PHILMER H. ROHRBAUGH      

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh
Senior Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer 

130

 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the shareholders and board of directors 
Fulton Financial Corporation:

Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Fulton Financial Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) 
as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, 
and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes (collectively, the 
“consolidated  financial  statements”).  We  also  have  audited  the  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of 
December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of 
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.  

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position 
of the Company as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the 
three-year period ended December 31, 2017, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, 
the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, 
based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control  -  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

Basis for Opinions 

The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control 
over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the 
accompanying Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on 
the Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based 
on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws 
and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether 
due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. 

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement 
of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. 
Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial 
statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, 
as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial 
reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness 
exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits 
also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits 
provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability 
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted 
accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain 
to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets 
of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial 
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are 
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable 
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that 
could have a material effect on the financial statements.

131

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements. Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because 
of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ KPMG LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 1, 2018

132

QUARTERLY CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
(in thousands, except per-share data)

2017
Interest income .................................................................. $
Interest expense.................................................................

Net interest income ...........................................................

Provision for credit losses .................................................

Non-interest income ..........................................................

Non-interest expenses .......................................................

Income before income taxes .............................................

Income tax expense ...........................................................
Net income ........................................................................ $
Per share data:

Net income (basic) ..................................................... $
Net income (diluted) ..................................................

Cash dividends ...........................................................

2016
Interest income .................................................................. $
Interest expense.................................................................

Net interest income ...........................................................

Provision for credit losses .................................................

Non-interest income ..........................................................

Non-interest expenses .......................................................

Income before income taxes .............................................

Income tax expense ...........................................................
Net income ........................................................................ $
Per share data:

Net income (basic) ..................................................... $
Net income (diluted) ..................................................

Cash dividends ...........................................................

March 31

June 30

September 30

December 31

Three Months Ended

158,487

$

163,881

$

171,511

$

174,987

20,908

137,579

4,800

46,673

122,275

57,177

13,797

43,380

0.25

0.25

0.11

$

$

22,318

141,563

6,700

52,371

132,695

54,539

9,072

45,467

0.26

0.26

0.11

$

$

24,702

146,809

5,075

51,974

132,157

61,551

12,646

48,905

0.28

0.28

0.11

$

$

25,574

149,413

6,730

56,956

138,452

61,187

27,186

34,001

0.19

0.19

0.14

149,311

$

149,309

$

151,468

$

153,012

20,257

129,054

1,530

43,137

120,413

50,248

11,991

38,257

0.22

0.22

0.09

$

$

20,393

128,916

2,511

46,137

121,637

50,905

11,155

39,750

0.23

0.23

0.10

$

$

20,903

130,565

4,141

48,149

119,848

54,725

13,257

41,468

0.24

0.24

0.10

$

$

20,775

132,237

5,000

52,755

127,621

52,371

10,221

42,150

0.24

0.24

0.12

133

 
 
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Not applicable.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Corporation carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Corporation’s management, 
including the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and 
procedures,  as  defined  in  Exchange Act  Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e).  Based  upon  the  evaluation,  the  Corporation’s  Chief 
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2017, the Corporation’s disclosure controls and 
procedures are effective. Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information 
required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized 
and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms.

The  "Management  Report  on  Internal  Control  over  Financial  Reporting"  and  the  "Report  of  Independent  Registered  Public 
Accounting Firm" may be found in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" of this document.

Changes in Internal Controls

There was no change in the Corporation’s "internal control over financial reporting" (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) 
under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially 
affect, the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information

Not applicable.

134

 
PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Incorporated by reference herein is the information appearing under the headings "Information about Nominees, Directors and 
Independence Standards," "Related Person Transactions," "Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance," "Code 
of Conduct," "Procedure for Shareholder Nominations," and "Other Board Committees" within the Corporation’s 2018 Proxy 
Statement. The information concerning executive officers required by this Item is provided under the caption "Executive Officers" 
within Item 1, Part I, "Business" in this Annual Report.

The Corporation has adopted a code of ethics (Code of Conduct) that applies to all directors, officers and employees, including 
the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Corporate Controller. A copy of the Code of Conduct may be 
obtained  free  of  charge  by  writing  to  the  Corporate  Secretary  at  Fulton  Financial  Corporation,  P.O.  Box  4887,  Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania 17604-4887, and is also available via the internet at www.fult.com.

Item 11. Executive Compensation

Incorporated by reference herein is the information appearing under the headings "Information Concerning Compensation" and 
"Human Resources Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation" within the Corporation’s 2018 Proxy Statement.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

Incorporated by reference herein is the information appearing under the heading "Security Ownership of Directors, Nominees, 
Management and Certain Beneficial Owners" within the Corporation’s 2018 Proxy Statement, and information appearing under 
the  heading  "Securities Authorized  for  Issuance  under  Equity  Compensation  Plans"  within  Item 5,  "Market  for  Registrant’s 
Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" in this Annual Report.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

Incorporated by reference herein is the information appearing under the headings "Related Person Transactions" and "Information 
about Nominees, Directors and Independence Standards" within the Corporation’s 2018 Proxy Statement, and the information 
appearing in "Note 4 - Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, 
"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" in this Annual Report.

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services

Incorporated  by  reference  herein  is  the  information  appearing  under  the  heading  "Relationship  With  Independent  Public 
Accountants" within the Corporation’s 2018 Proxy Statement.

135

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a) The following documents are filed as part of this report:

1. Financial Statements — The following consolidated financial statements of Fulton Financial Corporation and subsidiaries 

are incorporated herein by reference in response to Item 8 above:

(i) Consolidated Balance Sheets - December 31, 2017 and 2016.

(ii) Consolidated Statements of Income - Years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.
(iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - Years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

(iii) Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity - Years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

(iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - Years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

(v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

(vi) Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

2. Financial  Statement  Schedules  — All  financial  statement  schedules  for  which  provision  is  made  in  the  applicable 
accounting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not required under the related instructions or are 
inapplicable and have therefore been omitted. 

3.1

3.2

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.4

10.4.1

10.5

Articles of Incorporation, as amended and restated, of Fulton Financial Corporation as amended – Incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report Form 8-K filed June 24, 2011.

Bylaws of Fulton Financial Corporation as amended – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Fulton Financial 
Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed September 23, 2014.

An Indenture entered into on November 17, 2014 between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington Trust, 
National Association as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $250 million aggregate 
principal amount of 4.50% subordinated notes due November 15, 2024 – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 
of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 17, 2014.

First  Supplemental  Indenture  entered  into  on  November  17,  2014  between  Fulton  Financial  Corporation  and 
Wilmington Trust, National Association as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $250 
million aggregate principal amount of 4.50% subordinated notes due November 15, 2024 - Incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 4.2 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 17, 2014.

Form of Note (Included in Exhibit 4.2).

An Indenture entered into on March 16, 2017 between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington Trust, National 
Association as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $125 million aggregate principal 
amount of 3.60% senior notes due March 16, 2022 - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Fulton Financial 
Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 16, 2017.
First Supplemental Indenture entered into on March 16, 2017 between Fulton Financial Corporation and 
Wilmington Trust Company as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $125 million 
aggregate principal amount of 3.60% senior notes due March 16, 2022 - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 
of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 16, 2017.
Form of Note (Included in Exhibit 4.2).

Amended Employment Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and E. Philip Wenger dated November 12, 
2008 – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-
K filed November 14, 2008.

Employment  Agreement  between  Fulton  Financial  Corporation  and  Craig  A.  Roda  dated  August  1,  2011  – 
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
August 5, 2011.

Employment Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Philmer H. Rohrbaugh dated November 1, 2012 
– Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
October 22, 2012.
Form of Executive Employment Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and certain Executive 
Officers of Fulton Financial Corporation - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial 
Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 4, 2018. 
Schedule of Executive Employment Agreements between Fulton Financial Corporation and certain Executive 
Officers of Fulton Financial Corporation - filed herewith.

Form of Key Employee Change in Control Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and certain 
Executive Officers of Fulton Financial Corporation, Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Fulton 
Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 4, 2018. 

136

10.5.1

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9

10.10

10.11

10.12

10.13

10.14

10.15
10.16

10.17

10.18

12
21

23
31.1
31.2
32.1

32.2

101

Schedule  of  Key  Employee  Change  in  Control Agreements  between  Fulton  Financial  Corporation  and  certain 
Executive Officers of Fulton Financial Corporation - filed herewith. 
Form of Death Benefit Only Agreement to Senior Management - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 of the 
Fulton Financial Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation Plan – Incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 3, 2013.
Amendment No. 1 to Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation 
Plan - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Quarterly Report on Form 10-
Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2016.
Amendment No. 2 to Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation 
Plan - filed herewith. 
Form of Option Award and Form of Restricted Stock Award under the Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and 
Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation Plan between Fulton Financial Corporation and Officers of the 
Corporation – Incorporated by reference to Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, of the Fulton Financial Corporation 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 19, 2013.
Amended and Restated Fulton Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan – Incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit A to Fulton Financial Corporation’s definitive proxy statement, filed March 26, 2014.

Fulton Financial Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated effective December 1, 2015 
– Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Fiserv Solutions, Inc. dated July 11, 2016 - Incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly 
period ended September 30, 2016. Portions of this exhibit have been redacted and are subject to a confidential 
treatment request filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 24b-2 under the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The redacted material was filed separately with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission. 
Fulton Financial Corporation 2011 Directors' Equity Participation Plan – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to 
Fulton Financial Corporation’s definitive proxy statement, filed March 24, 2011.
Amendment No. 1 to Fulton Financial Corporation 2011 Directors' Equity Participation Plan - filed herewith. 
Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Directors of the Corporation 
as of July 1, 2011 – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Quarterly Report 
on Form 10-Q for quarterly period ended June 30, 2011.
Forms of Time-Vested Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and Performance Share Restricted Stock Unit Award 
Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Certain Employees of the Corporation as of March 18, 2014 
– Incorporated by reference to Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current 
Report on Form 8-K filed March 24, 2014.
Form of Master Confirmation between Fulton Financial Corporation and Goldman, Sachs & Co. - Incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 17, 
2014.
Computation of Consolidated Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges - filed herewith.
Subsidiaries of the Registrant.

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Interactive data file containing the following financial statements formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting 
Language): (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016; (ii) the Consolidated 
Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015; (iii) the Consolidated Statements of 
Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015;(iv) the Consolidated Statements 
of Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015; (v) the Consolidated Statements 
of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015; and, (iv) the Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements – filed herewith.

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary

Not applicable.

137

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this 
Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

SIGNATURES

Dated: March 1, 2018

FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
(Registrant)

By:

/S/ E. PHILIP WENGER        
E. Philip Wenger,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been executed below by the following 
persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature

Capacity

Date

/S/ LISA CRUTCHFIELD

Lisa Crutchfield

/S/ MICHAEL J. DEPORTER

Michael J. DePorter

/S/ DENISE L. DEVINE

Denise L. Devine

/S/ PATRICK J. FREER

Patrick J. Freer

/S/ GEORGE W. HODGES

George W. Hodges

/S/ ALBERT MORRISON, III
Albert Morrison, III

/S/ JAMES R. MOXLEY, III
James R. Moxley, III

/S/ PHILMER H. ROHRBAUGH
Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Director

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

Executive Vice President 
and Controller
(Principal Accounting Officer)

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Senior Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)

138

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Signature

Capacity

Date

/S/ R. SCOTT SMITH, JR.

R. Scott Smith, Jr.

/S/ SCOTT A. SNYDER

Scott A. Snyder

/S/ RONALD H. SPAIR

Ronald H. Spair

/S/ MARK F. STRAUSS

Mark F. Strauss

/S/ ERNEST J. WATERS

Ernest J. Waters

/S/ E. PHILIP WENGER

E. Philip Wenger

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer (Principal Executive
Officer)

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

139

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibits Required Pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K

3.1 Articles of Incorporation, as amended and restated, of Fulton Financial Corporation as amended – Incorporated by 

reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report Form 8-K filed June 24, 2011.

3.2 Bylaws of Fulton Financial Corporation as amended – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Fulton Financial 

Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed September 23, 2014.

4.1 An Indenture entered into on November 17, 2014 between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington Trust, National 
Association as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $250 million aggregate principal 
amount of 4.50% subordinated notes due November 15, 2024 – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Fulton 
Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 17, 2014.

4.2 First Supplemental Indenture entered into on November 17, 2014 between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington 
Trust, National Association as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $250 million aggregate 
principal amount of 4.50% subordinated notes due November 15, 2024 - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of 
the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 17, 2014.

4.3 Form of Note (Included in Exhibit 4.2).

4.4 An Indenture entered into on March 16, 2017 between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington Trust, National 
Association as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $125 million aggregate principal 
amount of 3.60% senior notes due March 16, 2022 - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Fulton Financial 
Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 16, 2017.

4.5 First Supplemental Indenture entered into on March 16, 2017 between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington 
Trust Company as trustee, relating to the issuance by Fulton Financial Corporation of $125 million aggregate principal 
amount of 3.60% senior notes due March 16, 2022 - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Fulton Financial 
Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 16, 2017.

4.6 Form of Note (Included in Exhibit 4.2).

10.1 Amended Employment Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and E. Philip Wenger dated November 12, 
2008 – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
November 14, 2008.

10.2 Employment Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Craig A. Roda dated August 1, 2011 – Incorporated 

by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 5, 2011.

10.3 Employment Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Philmer H. Rohrbaugh dated November 1, 2012 – 
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed October 
22, 2012.

10.4 Form of Executive Employment Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and certain Executive Officers of 
Fulton Financial Corporation - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current 
Report on Form 8-K filed January 4, 2018. 

10.4.1 Schedule of Executive Employment Agreements between Fulton Financial Corporation and certain Executive Officers 

of Fulton Financial Corporation - filed herewith.

10.5 Form of Key Employee Change in Control Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and certain Executive 
Officers of Fulton Financial Corporation, Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Fulton Financial Corporation 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 4, 2018. 

140

10.5.1

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9

10.10

10.11

10.12

10.13

10.14

10.15

10.16

10.17

10.18

12

21

23
31.1
31.2
32.1
32.2
101

Schedule  of  Key  Employee  Change  in  Control Agreements  between  Fulton  Financial  Corporation  and  certain 
Executive Officers of Fulton Financial Corporation - filed herewith. 
Form of Death Benefit Only Agreement to Senior Management - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 of the 
Fulton Financial Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation Plan – Incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 3, 2013.
Amendment No. 1 to Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation 
Plan - Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Quarterly Report on Form 10-
Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2016.

Amendment No. 2 to Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation 
Plan - filed herewith. 
Form of Option Award and Form of Restricted Stock Award under the Fulton Financial Corporation Amended and 
Restated Equity and Cash Incentive Compensation Plan between Fulton Financial Corporation and Officers of the 
Corporation – Incorporated by reference to Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, of the Fulton Financial Corporation 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 19, 2013.
Amended and Restated Fulton Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan – Incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit A to Fulton Financial Corporation’s definitive proxy statement, filed March 26, 2014.

Fulton Financial Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated effective December 1, 2015 – 
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.
Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Fiserv Solutions, Inc. dated July 11, 2016 - Incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period 
ended September 30, 2016. Portions of this exhibit have been redacted and are subject to a confidential treatment 
request filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 24b-2 under the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934, as amended. The redacted material was filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Fulton Financial Corporation 2011 Directors' Equity Participation Plan – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to 
Fulton Financial Corporation’s definitive proxy statement, filed March 24, 2011.
Amendment No. 1 to Fulton Financial Corporation 2011 Directors' Equity Participation Plan - filed herewith. 

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Directors of the Corporation 
as of July 1, 2011 – Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Quarterly Report 
on Form 10-Q for quarterly period ended June 30, 2011.

Forms of Time-Vested Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement and Performance Share Restricted Stock Unit Award 
Agreement between Fulton Financial Corporation and Certain Employees of the Corporation as of March 18, 2014 
– Incorporated by reference to Exhibits 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current 
Report on Form 8-K filed March 24, 2014.
Form of Master Confirmation between Fulton Financial Corporation and Goldman, Sachs & Co. - Incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 17, 2014.

Computation of Consolidated Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges - filed herewith.
Subsidiaries of the Registrant.

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Interactive data file containing the following financial statements formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting 
Language): (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016; (ii) the Consolidated 
Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015; (iii) the Consolidated Statements of 
Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015;(iv) the Consolidated Statements 
of Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015; (v) the Consolidated Statements 
of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015; and, (iv) the Notes to Consolidated Financial 
Statements – filed herewith.

141

Exhibit 12

COMPUTATION OF CONSOLIDATED RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

Earnings:

     Income before income taxes

     Interest expense, including interest on deposits

     Estimated interest component of net rental expense (1)

Amortization of debt discount (premium) and expenses, including amounts
capitalized

          Earnings

For the Year Ended December 31,

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

$ 234,454

$ 208,249

$ 199,423

$ 210,500

$ 212,925

93,502

6,143

82,328

6,047

83,795

5,935

81,211

5,932

82,495

6,202

855

617

585

334

315

334,954

297,241

289,738

297,977

301,937

     Less: Interest expense on deposits

(57,791)

(44,693)

(40,482)

(35,110)

(36,770)

          Earnings, excluding interest on deposits

$ 277,163 v$ 252,548 v$ 249,256

$ 262,867

$ 265,167

Fixed Charges:

     Interest expense, including capitalized interest

     Interest portion of rent expense (1)

Amortization of debt discount (premium) and expenses, including amounts
capitalized

          Total fixed charges

93,503

6,143

82,328

6,047

83,795

5,935

81,211

5,932

82,495

6,202

855

617

585

334

315

100,501

88,992

90,315

87,477

89,012

     Less: Interest expense on deposits

(57,791)

(44,693)

(40,482)

(35,110)

(36,770)

          Earnings, excluding interest on deposits

$

42,710

$

44,299

$

49,833

$

52,367

$

52,242

Earnings to fixed charges:

     Including interest on deposits

     Excluding interest on deposits

3.33

6.49

3.34

5.70

3.21

5.00

3.41

5.02

3.39

5.08

(1) The proportion, estimated at one-third, of rental expense deemed representative of interest.

The ratio of earnings to fixed charges is computed by dividing earnings by the aggregate of fixed charges.  For purposes 
of computing these ratios, earnings consist of income before income taxes, plus fixed charges.  Fixed charges consist 
of interest expense, the proportion, estimated at one-third, of rental expense deemed representative of interest, and 
amortization of premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness.  

Exhibit 21 - Subsidiaries of the Registrant

The following are the subsidiaries of Fulton Financial Corporation:

Subsidiary

State of Incorporation or
Organization

Name Under Which Business is
Conducted

Fulton Bank, N.A.

One Penn Square

P.O. Box 4887

Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604

Swineford National Bank

1255 North Susquehanna Trail

P.O Box 241

Hummels Wharf, Pennsylvania 17831

United States of America

FNB Bank, N.A.

Fulton Financial Advisors

Clermont Wealth Strategies

Fulton Mortgage Company

United States of America

Swineford National Bank

Fulton Mortgage Company

Lafayette Ambassador Bank

Pennsylvania

2005 City Line Road

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18017

Lafayette Ambassador Bank

Fulton Mortgage Company

Fulton Financial Realty Company

Pennsylvania

Fulton Financial Realty Company

One Penn Square

P.O. Box 4887

Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604

FNB Bank, N.A.

354 Mill Street

P.O. Box 279

Danville, Pennsylvania 17821

United States of America

FNB Bank, N.A.

Fulton Mortgage Company

Central Pennsylvania Financial Corp.

Pennsylvania

Central Pennsylvania Financial Corp.

100 W. Independence Street

Shamokin, PA 17872

Fulton Bank of New Jersey

New Jersey

533 Fellowship Road

Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054

Fulton Bank of New Jersey

Fulton Mortgage Company

Exhibit 21 - Subsidiaries of the Registrant (Continued)

Subsidiary

FFC Management, Inc.

P.O. Box 609

Georgetown, DE 19947

State of Incorporation or
Organization

Name Under Which Business is
Conducted

Delaware

FFC Management, Inc.

Fulton Insurance Services Group, Inc.

Pennsylvania

Fulton Insurance Services Group, Inc.

One Penn Square

P.O. Box 7989

Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604

FFC Penn Square, Inc.
P.O. Box 609

Georgetown, DE 19947

The Columbia Bank

7168 Gateway Drive

Columbia, MD 21046

Delaware

FFC Penn Square, Inc.

Maryland

The Columbia Bank

Fulton Mortgage Company

Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust

Delaware

Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust

7168 Gateway Drive

Columbia, MD 21046

Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust II
7168 Gateway Drive

Columbia, MD 21046

Delaware

Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust II

Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust III

Delaware

Columbia Bancorp Statutory Trust III

7168 Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046

Exhibit 23

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors

Fulton Financial Corporation:

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statements (No. 333-05471, No. 333-05481, No. 
333-44788, No. 333-81377, No. 333-64744, No. 333-76594, No. 333-76600, No. 333-76596, No. 333-107625, No. 
333-114206, No. 333-116625, No. 333-121896, No. 333-126281, No. 333-131706, No. 333-135839, No. 
333-145542, No. 333-168237, No. 333-175065, No. 333-189457, No. 333-128894 and No. 333-197728) on Form 
S-8 and on the registration statements (No. 333-37835, No. 333-61268, No. 333-123532, No. 333-130718, No. 
333-156339, No. 333-189459, No. 333-189488, No. 333-156396, No. 333-197730 and No. 333-221393) on Form 
S-3 of Fulton Financial Corporation of our report dated March 1, 2018, with respect to the consolidated balance 
sheets of Fulton Financial Corporation as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and the related consolidated statements 
of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year 
period ended December 31, 2017, and the related notes (collectively, the “consolidated financial statements”), and 
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, which report appears in the 
December 31, 2017 annual report on Form 10 K of Fulton Financial Corporation.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 1, 2018

Exhibit 31.1 – Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, E. Philip Wenger certify that:

1. 

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Fulton Financial Corporation; 

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material 
fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not 
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present 
in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the 
periods presented in this report; 

4.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and 
procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as 
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: 

a.  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be 
designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its 
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in 
which this report is being prepared; 

b.  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting 
to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of  financial 
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted 
accounting principles;

c.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report 
our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period 
covered by this report based on such evaluation; and 

d.  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred 
during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control 
over financial reporting; and; 

5.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over 
financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons 
performing the equivalent functions): 

a.  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial 
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize 
and report financial information; and 

b.  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role 

in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.  

Date: March 1, 2018

  /s/ E. Philip Wenger

E. Philip Wenger
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

 
 
Exhibit 31.2 – Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Philmer H. Rohrbaugh, certify that:

1. 

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Fulton Financial Corporation; 

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material 
fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not 
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present 
in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the 
periods presented in this report; 

4.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and 
procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as 
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: 

a.  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be 
designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its 
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in 
which this report is being prepared; 

b.  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting 
to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of  financial 
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted 
accounting principles; 

c.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report 
our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period 
covered by this report based on such evaluation; and 

d.  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred 
during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control 
over financial reporting; and; 

5.  The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over 
financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons 
performing the equivalent functions): 

a.  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial 
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize 
and report financial information; and 

b.  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role 

in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Date: March 1, 2018

  /s/ Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 

 
 
 
Exhibit 32.1 – Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, E. Philip Wenger, Chief Executive Officer of Fulton Financial Corporation, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted 
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, certify that:

The Form 10-K of Fulton Financial Corporation, containing the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 
2017, fully complies with the requirements of Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The information 
contained in the Form 10-K fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Fulton 
Financial Corporation.

Dated: March 1, 2018 

/s/ E. Philip Wenger

E. Philip Wenger
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 

 
Exhibit 32.2 – Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Philmer H. Rohrbaugh, Chief Financial Officer of Fulton Financial Corporation, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted 
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, certify that:

The Form 10-K of Fulton Financial Corporation, containing the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 
2017, fully complies with the requirements of Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The information 
contained in the Form 10-K fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Fulton 
Financial Corporation.

Dated: March 1, 2018 

/s/ Philmer H. Rohrbaugh

Philmer H. Rohrbaugh
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 
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The Columbia Bank  •  FNB Bank, N.A.  •  Fulton Bank, N.A.

Fulton Bank of New Jersey  •  Lafayette Ambassador Bank  •  Swineford National Bank 

Lorem ipsum

The Columbia Bank  •  FNB Bank, N.A.  •  Fulton Bank, N.A.
Fulton Bank of New Jersey  •  Lafayette Ambassador Bank  •  Swineford National Bank 

The Columbia Bank  •  FNB Bank, N.A.  •  Fulton Bank, N.A.
Fulton Bank of New Jersey  •  Lafayette Ambassador Bank  •  Swineford National Bank 

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