M&T Bank (MTB) 10-K2021 FY Annual report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

or

Commission file number 1-9861

M&T BANK CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

716-635-4000

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

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark 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, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Aggregate market value of the Common Stock, $0.50 par value, held by non-affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing price as of the close of business on June 30, 2021: $18,124,066,420.

Number of shares of the Common Stock, $0.50 par value, outstanding as of the close of business on February 11, 2022: 129,034,484 shares.

Documents Incorporated By Reference:

Auditor Firm Id:     238Auditor Name:     PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPAuditor Location:     Buffalo, NY, United States

M&T BANK CORPORATION

Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021

CROSS-REFERENCE SHEET

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PART I

M&T Bank Corporation (“Registrant” or “M&T”) is a New York business corporation which is registered as a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHCA”) and as a bank holding company (“BHC”) under Article III-A of the New York Banking Law (“Banking Law”). The principal executive offices of M&T are located at One M&T Plaza, Buffalo, New York 14203. M&T was incorporated in November 1969. M&T and its direct and indirect subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as the “Company.” As of December 31, 2021 the Company had consolidated total assets of $155.1 billion, deposits of $131.5 billion and shareholders’ equity of $17.9 billion. The Company had 17,115 full-time and 454 part-time employees as of December 31, 2021.

At December 31, 2021, M&T had two wholly owned bank subsidiaries: Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (“M&T Bank”) and Wilmington Trust, National Association (“Wilmington Trust, N.A.”). The banks collectively offer a wide range of retail and commercial banking, trust and wealth management, and investment services to their customers. At December 31, 2021, M&T Bank represented 99% of consolidated assets of the Company.

The Company from time to time considers acquiring banks, thrift institutions, branch offices of banks or thrift institutions, or other businesses within markets currently served by the Company or in other locations that would complement the Company’s business or its geographic reach. The Company has pursued acquisition opportunities in the past, continues to review different opportunities, including the possibility of major acquisitions, and intends to continue this practice.

Subsidiaries

M&T Bank is a banking corporation that is incorporated under the laws of the State of New York. M&T Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Home Loan Bank System, and its deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to applicable limits. M&T acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of M&T Bank in December 1969. The stock of M&T Bank represents a major asset of M&T. M&T Bank operates under a charter granted by the State of New York in 1892, and the continuity of its banking business is traced to the organization of the Manufacturers and Traders Bank in 1856. The principal executive offices of M&T Bank are located at One M&T Plaza, Buffalo, New York 14203. As of December 31, 2021, M&T Bank had 688 domestic banking offices located in New York State, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia and a full-service commercial banking office in Ontario, Canada. As of December 31, 2021, M&T Bank had consolidated total assets of $154.7 billion, deposits of $133.7 billion and shareholder’s equity of $16.8 billion. The deposit liabilities of M&T Bank are insured by the FDIC through its Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”). As a commercial bank, M&T Bank offers a broad range of financial services to a diverse base of consumers, businesses, professional clients, governmental entities and financial institutions located in its markets. Lending is largely focused on consumers residing in New York State, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and on small and medium-size businesses based in those areas, although loans are originated through offices in other states and in Ontario, Canada. In addition, the Company conducts lending activities in various states through other subsidiaries. Trust and other fiduciary services are offered by M&T Bank and through its wholly owned subsidiary, Wilmington Trust Company. M&T Bank and certain of its subsidiaries also offer commercial mortgage loans secured by income producing properties or properties used by borrowers in a trade or business. Additional financial services are provided through other operating subsidiaries of the Company.

Wilmington Trust, N.A., a national banking association and a member of the Federal Reserve System and the FDIC, commenced operations on October 2, 1995. The deposit liabilities of

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Wilmington Trust, N.A. are insured by the FDIC through the DIF. The main office of Wilmington Trust, N.A. is located at 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890. Wilmington Trust, N.A. offers various trust and wealth management services. As of December 31, 2021, Wilmington Trust, N.A. had total assets of $12.0 billion, deposits of $11.1 billion and shareholder’s equity of $779 million.

Wilmington Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T Bank, was incorporated as a Delaware bank and trust company in March 1901 and amended its charter in July 2011 to become a nondepository trust company. Wilmington Trust Company provides a variety of Delaware based trust, fiduciary and custodial services to its clients. As of December 31, 2021, Wilmington Trust Company had total assets of $1.2 billion and shareholder’s equity of $678 million. Revenues of Wilmington Trust Company were $135 million in 2021. The headquarters of Wilmington Trust Company are located at 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890.

M&T Insurance Agency, Inc. (“M&T Insurance Agency”), a wholly owned insurance agency subsidiary of M&T Bank, was incorporated as a New York corporation in March 1955. M&T Insurance Agency provides insurance agency services principally to the commercial market. As of December 31, 2021, M&T Insurance Agency had assets of $41 million and shareholder’s equity of $26 million. M&T Insurance Agency recorded revenues of $37 million during 2021. The headquarters of M&T Insurance Agency are located at 285 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14202.

M&T Realty Capital Corporation (“M&T Realty Capital”), a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T Bank, was incorporated as a Maryland corporation in October 1973. M&T Realty Capital engages in multifamily commercial real estate lending and provides loan servicing to purchasers of the loans it originates. As of December 31, 2021, M&T Realty Capital serviced or sub-serviced $23.7 billion of commercial mortgage loans for non-affiliates and had assets of $944 million and shareholder’s equity of $179 million. M&T Realty Capital recorded revenues of $187 million in 2021. The headquarters of M&T Realty Capital are located at One Light Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

M&T Securities, Inc. (“M&T Securities”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T Bank that was incorporated as a New York business corporation in November 1985. M&T Securities is registered as a broker/dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It provides institutional brokerage and securities services. As of December 31, 2021, M&T Securities had assets of $48 million and shareholder’s equity of $46 million. M&T Securities recorded $50 million of revenue during 2021. The headquarters of M&T Securities are located at One Light Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc. (“WT Investment Advisors”), a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T Bank, was incorporated as a Maryland corporation on June 30, 1995. WT Investment Advisors, a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act, serves as an investment advisor to the Wilmington Funds, a family of proprietary mutual funds, and institutional clients. As of December 31, 2021, WT Investment Advisors had assets of $57 million and shareholder’s equity of $50 million. WT Investment Advisors recorded revenues of $42 million in 2021. The headquarters of WT Investment Advisors are located at 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890.

Wilmington Funds Management Corporation (“Wilmington Funds Management”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T that was incorporated in September 1981 as a Delaware corporation. Wilmington Funds Management is registered as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act and serves as an investment advisor to the Wilmington Funds. Wilmington Funds Management had assets and shareholder’s equity of $23 million as of December 31, 2021. Wilmington Funds Management recorded revenues of $11 million in 2021. The headquarters of Wilmington Funds Management are located at 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19890.

Wilmington Trust Investment Management, LLC (“WTIM”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T and was incorporated in December 2001 as a Georgia limited liability company. WTIM is a

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registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act and provides investment management services to clients, including certain private funds. As of December 31, 2021, WTIM has assets and shareholder’s equity of $8 million. WTIM recorded revenues of $2 million in 2021. WTIM’s headquarters is located at Terminus 27^th Floor, 3280 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30305.

The Registrant and its banking subsidiaries have a number of other special-purpose or inactive subsidiaries. These other subsidiaries did not represent, individually and collectively, a significant portion of the Company’s consolidated assets, net income and shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2021.

Segment Information, Principal Products/Services and Foreign Operations

Information about the Registrant’s business segments is included in note 23 of Notes to Financial Statements filed herewith in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and is further discussed in Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The Registrant’s reportable segments have been determined based upon its internal profitability reporting system, which is organized by strategic business unit. Certain strategic business units have been combined for segment information reporting purposes where the nature of the products and services, the type of customer and the distribution of those products and services are similar. The reportable segments are Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Commercial Real Estate, Discretionary Portfolio, Residential Mortgage Banking and Retail Banking. The Company’s international activities are discussed in note 18 of Notes to Financial Statements filed herewith in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

The only activity that, as a class, contributed 10% or more of the sum of consolidated interest income and other income in any of the last three years was interest on loans and, in 2021, trust income. The amount of income from such sources during those years is recorded in various business segments and is set forth in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Income and Notes to Financial Statements filed herewith in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Supervision and Regulation of the Company

M&T and its subsidiaries are subject to the comprehensive regulatory framework applicable to bank and financial holding companies and their subsidiaries. Regulation of financial institutions such as M&T and its subsidiaries is intended primarily for the protection of depositors, the FDIC’s DIF and the banking and financial system as a whole, and generally is not intended for the protection of shareholders, investors or creditors other than insured depositors.

Proposals to change the applicable regulatory framework may be introduced in the United States Congress and state legislatures, as well as by regulatory agencies. Such initiatives may include proposals to expand or contract the powers of bank holding companies and depository institutions or proposals to substantially change the financial institution regulatory system. Such legislation could change banking statutes and the operating environment of the Company in substantial and unpredictable ways. If enacted, such legislation could increase or decrease the cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities or affect the competitive balance among banks, savings associations, credit unions, and other financial institutions. A change in statutes, regulations or regulatory policies applicable to M&T or any of its subsidiaries could have a material effect on the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Company.

Described hereafter are material elements of the significant federal and state laws and regulations applicable to M&T and its subsidiaries.

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Overview

M&T is registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve”) as a financial holding company and BHC under the BHCA. As such, M&T and its subsidiaries are subject to the supervision, examination, reporting, capital and other requirements of the BHCA and the regulations of the Federal Reserve. In addition, M&T’s banking subsidiaries are subject to regulation, supervision and examination by, as applicable, the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYSDFS”), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”), the FDIC and the Federal Reserve, and their consumer financial products and services are regulated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”). Further, financial services entities such as M&T’s investment advisor subsidiaries and M&T’s broker-dealer are subject to regulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”), among others. Other non-bank affiliates and activities, particularly insurance brokerage and agency activities, are subject to other federal and state laws and regulations as well as licensing and regulation by state insurance and bank regulatory agencies. Although the scope of regulation and the form of supervision may vary from state to state, insurance laws generally grant broad discretion to regulatory authorities in adopting regulations and supervising regulated activities. This supervision generally includes the licensing of insurance brokers and agents and the regulation of the handling of customer funds held in a fiduciary capacity as well as regulations requiring, among other things, maintenance of capital, record keeping, and reporting.

M&T Bank is a New York chartered bank and a member of the Federal Reserve. As a result, it is subject to extensive regulation, examination and oversight by the NYSDFS and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. New York laws and regulations govern many aspects of M&T Bank’s operations, including branching, dividends, subsidiary activities, fiduciary activities, lending, and deposit taking. M&T Bank is also subject to Federal Reserve regulations and guidance, including with respect to capital levels. Its deposits are insured by the FDIC, subject to certain limitations, which also exercises regulatory oversight over certain aspects of M&T Bank’s operations. Certain subsidiaries of M&T Bank are subject to regulation by other federal and state regulators as well. For example, M&T Securities is regulated by the SEC, FINRA, SIPC, and state securities regulators, and WT Investment Advisors is also subject to SEC regulation.

Wilmington Trust, N.A. is a national bank with operations that include fiduciary and related activities with limited lending and deposit business. It is subject to extensive regulation, examination and oversight by the OCC which governs many aspects of its operations, including fiduciary activities, capital levels, office locations, dividends and subsidiary activities. Its deposits are insured by the FDIC, subject to certain limitations, which also exercises regulatory oversight over certain aspects of the operations of Wilmington Trust, N.A.

Permissible Activities under the BHC Act 

In general, the BHCA limits the business of a BHC to banking, managing or controlling banks, and other activities that the Federal Reserve has determined to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. In addition, bank holding companies are obligated by a Federal Reserve policy to serve as a managerial and financial source of strength to their subsidiary depository institutions, including committing resources to support such subsidiaries. This support may be required at times when M&T may not be inclined or able to provide it. In addition, any capital loans by a BHC to a subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary bank. In the event of a BHC’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the BHC to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to a priority of payment.

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Bank holding companies that qualify and elect to be financial holding companies may engage in any activity, or acquire and retain the shares of a company engaged in any activity, that is either (i) financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity (as determined by the Federal Reserve, by regulation or order, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury) or (ii) complementary to a financial activity and does not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally (as solely determined by the Federal Reserve). Activities that are financial in nature include securities underwriting and dealing, insurance underwriting and merchant banking.

M&T elected to become a financial holding company on March 1, 2011. To maintain financial holding company status, a financial holding company and all of its depository institution subsidiaries must be “well capitalized” and “well managed.” The failure to meet such requirements could result in material restrictions on the activities of M&T and may also adversely affect M&T’s ability to enter into certain transactions, including acquisitions, or obtain necessary approvals in connection with those transactions, as well as loss of financial holding company status. Additionally, if each of the Company’s depository institution subsidiaries has not received at least a “satisfactory” rating on its most recent examination under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (the “CRA”), the Company would not be able to commence any new financial activities or acquire a company that engages in such activities, although it would still be allowed to engage in activities closely related to banking and make investments in the ordinary course of conducting banking activities. For recent revisions to the CRA, see the section captioned “Community Reinvestment Act” included herein.

Enhanced Prudential Standards

Under Section 165 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), as amended by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (“EGRRCPA”), U.S. bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of $100 billion or more, including M&T, are subject to enhanced prudential standards. The enhanced prudential standards include risk-based capital and leverage requirements, liquidity standards, risk management and risk committee requirements, stress test requirements and a debt-to-equity limit for companies that the Financial Stability Oversight Council has determined would pose a grave threat to systemic financial stability were they to fail such limits. “Tailoring Rules” adopted by the Federal Reserve and other federal bank regulators in 2019 assign each U.S. BHC with $100 billion or more in total consolidated assets, as well as its bank subsidiaries, to one of four categories based on its size and five other risk-based indicators: (1) cross-jurisdictional activity, (2) weighted short-term wholesale funding, (3) nonbank assets, (4) off-balance sheet exposure, and (5) status as a U.S. global systemically important BHC (“G-SIB”). Under the Tailoring Rules, M&T and its depository institution subsidiaries are subject to Category IV standards, which apply to banking organizations with at least $100 billion in total consolidated assets that do not meet any of the thresholds specified for Categories I through III.  The threshold for Category III is $250 billion or more in total consolidated assets, or $100 billion or more in total consolidated assets and at least $75 billion in weighted short-term wholesale funding, nonbank assets or off-balance sheet exposures.  

Under the Tailoring Rules, Category IV firms, among other things, (1) are not subject to any Liquidity Coverage Ratio (“LCR”) or Net Stable Funding Ratio (“NSFR”) (or, in certain cases, are subject to reduced requirements), (2) remain eligible to opt-out of the requirement to recognize most elements of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”) in regulatory capital, (3) are no longer subject to company-run stress testing requirements, (4) are subject to supervisory stress testing on a biennial basis rather than an annual basis, (5) are subject to requirements to develop and maintain a capital plan on an annual basis and (6) are subject to certain liquidity risk management and risk committee requirements. Category IV firms continue not to be subject to (1) advanced approaches capital requirements, (2) the supplementary leverage ratio (“SLR”) and (3) the

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countercyclical capital buffer (“CCyB”). Other elements of the Tailoring Rules are discussed in further detail throughout this section.  Compared to Category IV firms, Category III firms are subject to the LCR and NSFR, company-run stress testing requirements, annual (instead of biennial) supervisory stress tests, the SLR and the CCyB.

Capital Requirements

M&T and its subsidiary banks are required to comply with applicable capital adequacy standards established by the federal banking agencies (the “Capital Rules”), which are based on the Basel Committee’s December 2010 final capital framework for strengthening international capital standards, referred to as “Basel III”.  The Capital Rules include both risk-based requirements, which compare three measures of capital to risk-weighted assets (“RWAs”), as well as leverage requirements, which, in the case of Category IV bank holding companies such as M&T, consist of the Tier 1 leverage ratio described below.  Pursuant to the Capital Rules, the minimum capital ratios are as follows:

In calculating risk-based capital ratios, M&T must assign risk weights to the Company’s assets and off-balance sheet items. M&T has an ongoing process to review data elements associated with these exposures that from time to time may affect how specific exposures are classified and could lead to increases or decreases of the regulatory risk weights assigned to such exposures.

The Capital Rules also require firms to maintain a “buffer,” consisting solely of CET1 capital, in addition to the minimum risk-based requirements.  Failure to satisfy the buffer requirement in full results in graduated constraints on capital distributions and discretionary executive compensation.  The severity of the constraints depends on the amount of the shortfall and the firm’s “eligible retained income,” defined as the greater of (i) net income for the four preceding quarters, net of distributions and associated tax effects not reflected in net income; and (ii) the average of net income over the preceding four quarters.

As a Category IV BHC, M&T’s buffer requirement, referred to as the “Stress Capital Buffer,” is determined through the Federal Reserve’s supervisory stress tests, discussed below.  For M&T’s bank subsidiaries, the buffer requirement consists of the static capital conservation buffer equal to 2.5% of RWAs.

CET1 consists of common stock instruments that meet the eligibility criteria in the Capital Rules, including common stock and related surplus, net of treasury stock, retained earnings, certain minority interests and, for certain firms, AOCI. As permitted under the Capital Rules, M&T made a one-time permanent election to neutralize certain AOCI components, with the result that those components are not recognized in M&T’s CET1.

The Capital Rules provide for a number of deductions from and adjustments to CET1. As a “non-advanced approaches” firm under the Capital Rules, M&T is subject to rules that provide for simplified capital requirements relating to the threshold deductions for mortgage servicing assets, deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences that a banking organization could not realize through net operating loss carry backs, and investments in the capital of unconsolidated financial institutions, as well as the inclusion of minority interests in regulatory capital.  M&T’s regulatory capital ratios are presented in note 24 of Notes to Financial Statements filed herewith in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

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In December 2017, the Basel Committee published standards that it described as the finalization of the Basel III post-crisis regulatory reforms. Among other things, these standards revise the Basel Committee’s standardized approach for credit risk (including by recalibrating risk weights and introducing new capital requirements for certain “unconditionally cancellable commitments,” such as unused credit card lines of credit) and provide a new standardized approach for operational risk capital. Under the Basel framework, these standards will generally be effective on January 1, 2023, with an aggregate output floor phasing in through January 1, 2028. Under the current U.S. capital rules, operational risk capital requirements and a capital floor apply only to advanced approaches institutions, and not to the Company. The impact of these standards will depend on the manner in which they are implemented by the federal banking regulators.

Stress Testing and Stress Capital Buffer

As part of the enhanced prudential requirements applicable to systemically important financial institutions, the Federal Reserve conducts periodic analyses of bank holding companies with at least $100 billion in total consolidated assets using baseline and severely adverse economic and financial scenarios generated by the Federal Reserve. For Category IV firms, such as M&T, these supervisory stress tests occur on a biennial basis, in even-numbered years. The Federal Reserve may also use additional components in the severely adverse scenario or additional or more complex scenarios designed to capture salient risks to specific business groups. A summary of results of the Federal Reserve’s analysis under the severely adverse stress scenario is publicly disclosed. Under the Tailoring Rules, Category IV firms, including M&T, are no longer subject to company-run stress testing requirements.

Bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of $100 billion or more, including Category IV bank holding companies such as M&T, must annually submit capital plans as part of the Federal Reserve’s process. The comprehensive capital plans include a view of capital adequacy under various scenarios — including a BHC-defined baseline scenario, a baseline scenario provided by the Federal Reserve, at least one BHC-defined stress scenario, and severely adverse scenarios provided by the Federal Reserve. The process is intended to help ensure that these bank holding companies have robust, forward-looking capital planning processes that account for each company’s unique risks and that permit continued operations during times of economic and financial stress. Each of the bank holding companies participating in the process is also required to collect and report certain related data to the Federal Reserve on a quarterly basis. The Stress Capital Buffer is based on a BHC’s stressed losses in the supervisory stress test, plus four quarters of planned common stock dividends, subject to a floor of 2.5% of RWAs.  In August 2021, the Federal Reserve provided M&T with a Stress Capital Buffer of 2.5%, representing the floor under the regulatory capital rules, which became applicable to M&T on October 1, 2021. Accordingly, it currently is subject to a CET1 capital requirement of 7.0% (a sum of the Stress Capital Buffer and the minimum CET 1 capital ratio).

In January 2021, the Federal Reserve issued a final rule to align its process with the categories set forth in the Tailoring Rules. Under the final rule, for Category IV firms, the portion of the Stress Capital Buffer based on the Federal Reserve’s supervisory stress tests will be calculated biennially, in even-numbered years. During a year in which a Category IV firm does not undergo a supervisory stress test, the firm will receive an updated Stress Capital Buffer that reflects the firm’s updated planned common stock dividends. A Category IV firm is also able to elect to participate in the supervisory stress test in a year in which the firm would not normally be subject to the supervisory stress test and consequently receive an updated Stress Capital Buffer.

The Federal Reserve also incorporates an assessment of the qualitative aspects of the firm’s capital planning process into regular, ongoing supervisory activities and through targeted, horizontal assessments of particular aspects of capital planning. M&T’s annual capital plan is currently due in

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April each year. The Federal Reserve publishes the results of its supervisory stress tests by June 30 of each year.

A BHC’s planned capital distributions in its annual capital plan submissions must be consistent with any effective distribution limitations that would apply under the firm’s own baseline projections, including its Stress Capital Buffer.

Distributions

M&T is a legal entity separate and distinct from its banking and other subsidiaries. Historically, the majority of M&T’s revenue has been from dividends paid to M&T by its subsidiary banks. M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust, N.A. are subject to laws and regulations imposing restrictions on the amount of dividends they may declare and pay. Future dividend payments to M&T by its subsidiary banks will be dependent on a number of factors, including the earnings and financial condition of each such bank, and are subject to the limitations referred to in note 24 of Notes to Financial Statements filed herewith in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” and to other statutory powers of bank regulatory agencies.

An insured depository institution is prohibited from making any capital distribution to its owner, including any dividend, if, after making such distribution, the depository institution fails to meet the required minimum level for any relevant capital measure, including the risk-based capital adequacy and leverage standards discussed herein. Dividend payments by M&T to its shareholders and common stock repurchases by M&T are subject to the oversight of the Federal Reserve. M&T’s ability to make capital distributions would likely be impacted in the event that M&T fails to maintain its Stress Capital Buffer above its minimum CET1 risk-based, Tier-1 risk-based and total risk-based capital requirements.

In addition, the Federal Reserve’s capital plan rule also provides that a BHC must receive prior approval for any dividend, stock repurchase, or other capital distribution, other than a capital distribution on a newly issued capital instrument, if the BHC is required to resubmit its capital plan.  Among other circumstances, a firm may be required to resubmit its capital plan in connection with certain acquisitions or dispositions.  

Liquidity

Under the Tailoring Rules, the Company is not subject to the Federal Reserve and other federal banking regulators rules, which implement a U.S. version of the Basel Committee’s LCR requirement, which is intended to ensure that banks hold sufficient amounts of so-called “high quality liquid assets” (“HQLA”) to cover the anticipated net cash outflows during a hypothetical acute 30-day stress scenario or the NSFR, which is designed to promote more medium- and long-term funding of the assets and activities of banks over a one-year time horizon. The Federal Reserve’s enhanced prudential standards, however, require the Company, as a BHC with $100 billion or more in total consolidated assets, to comply with enhanced liquidity and overall risk management standards, which include maintaining a level of highly liquid assets based on projected funding needs for 30 days, and increased involvement by boards of directors in liquidity and overall risk management.  Under the Tailoring Rules, the liquidity risk management and reporting requirements are less stringent for Category IV bank holding companies as compared to bank holding companies in a different Category.  

Cross Guaranty Provision

The cross guaranty provisions in the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”) require each insured depository institution owned by the same BHC to be financially responsible for the failure or resolution costs of any affiliated insured institution. Generally, the amount of the cross guaranty liability is equal to the estimated loss to the DIF for the resolution of the affiliated institution(s) in

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default. The FDIC’s claim under the cross guaranty provision is superior to claims of shareholders of the insured depository institution or its BHC and to most claims arising out of obligations or liabilities owed to affiliates of the institution, but is subordinate to claims of depositors, secured creditors and holders of subordinated debt (other than affiliates) of the commonly controlled insured depository institution. The FDIC may decline to enforce the cross guaranty provision if it determines that a waiver is in the best interest of the DIF.

Volcker Rule

The Volcker Rule limits proprietary trading and investing in and sponsoring certain hedge funds and private equity funds (defined as “covered funds” in the Volcker Rule). The Company does not engage in any significant amount of proprietary trading as defined in the Volcker Rule and implemented the required procedures for those areas in which trading does occur. In addition, the Company does not engage in any significant covered fund activities that are impacted by the Volcker Rule.  

Safety and Soundness Standards

Guidelines adopted by the federal bank regulatory agencies pursuant to the FDIA establish general standards relating to internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, compensation, fees and benefits. In general, these guidelines require, among other things, appropriate systems and practices to identify and manage the risk and exposures specified in the guidelines. Additionally, the agencies adopted regulations that authorize, but do not require, an agency to order an institution that has been given notice by an agency that it is not satisfying any of such safety and soundness standards to submit a compliance plan. If, after being so notified, an institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan or fails in any material respect to implement an acceptable compliance plan, the agency must issue an order directing action to correct the deficiency and may issue an order directing other actions of the types to which an undercapitalized institution is subject. If an institution fails to comply with such an order, the agency may seek to enforce such order in judicial proceedings and to impose civil money penalties.

Limits on Undercapitalized Depository Institutions

The FDIA establishes a system of regulatory remedies to resolve the problems of undercapitalized institutions, referred to as the prompt corrective action. The federal banking regulators have established five capital categories (“well-capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” and “critically undercapitalized”) and must take certain mandatory supervisory actions, and are authorized to take other discretionary actions, with respect to institutions which are undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized. The severity of these mandatory and discretionary supervisory actions depends upon the capital category in which the institution is placed. The federal banking regulators have specified by regulation the relevant capital levels for each category. The FDIA’s prompt corrective action provisions only apply to depository institutions and not to bank holding companies. The Federal Reserve’s regulations applicable to bank holding companies separately define “well capitalized.” A financial holding company that is not well-capitalized and well-managed (or whose bank subsidiaries are not well capitalized and well managed) under applicable prompt corrective action standards may be restricted in certain of its activities and ultimately may lose financial holding company status. Under existing rules, a depository institution that is subject to Category IV standards is deemed to be “well capitalized” if it has (i) a CET1 ratio of at least 6.5%, (ii) a Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 8%, (iii) a Total capital ratio of at least 10%, and (iv) a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 5%.

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An institution that is categorized as undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized is required to submit an acceptable capital restoration plan to its appropriate federal banking regulator. Under the FDIA, in order for the capital restoration plan to be accepted by the appropriate federal banking agency, a BHC must guarantee that a subsidiary depository institution will comply with its capital restoration plan, subject to certain limitations. The BHC must also provide appropriate assurances of performance. An undercapitalized institution is also generally prohibited from increasing its average total assets, accepting brokered deposits or offering interest rates on any deposits significantly higher than prevailing market rates, making acquisitions, establishing any branches or engaging in any new line of business, except in accordance with an accepted capital restoration plan or with the approval of the FDIC. Institutions that are significantly undercapitalized or undercapitalized and either fail to submit an acceptable capital restoration plan or fail to implement an approved capital restoration plan may be subject to a number of requirements and restrictions, including orders to sell sufficient voting stock to become adequately capitalized, requirements to reduce total assets and cessation of receipt of deposits from correspondent banks. Critically undercapitalized depository institutions failing to submit or implement an acceptable capital restoration plan are subject to appointment of a receiver or conservator.

Transactions with Affiliates

There are various legal restrictions on the extent to which M&T and its non-bank subsidiaries or affiliates (M&T Insurance Agency, Inc., M&T Realty Capital Corporation, M&T Securities, Inc., Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc.) may borrow or otherwise obtain funding from M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust, N.A. In general, Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and Federal Reserve Regulation W require that any “covered transaction” by M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust, N.A. (or any of their respective subsidiaries) with an affiliate must in certain cases be secured by designated amounts of specified collateral and must be limited as follows: (i) in the case of any single such affiliate, the aggregate amount of covered transactions of the insured depository institution and its subsidiaries may not exceed 10% of the capital stock and surplus of such insured depository institution, and (ii) in the case of all affiliates, the aggregate amount of covered transactions of an insured depository institution and its subsidiaries may not exceed 20% of the capital stock and surplus of such insured depository institution. “Covered transactions” are defined by statute to include, among other things, a loan or extension of credit, as well as a purchase of securities issued by an affiliate, a purchase of assets (unless otherwise exempted by the Federal Reserve) from the affiliate, certain derivative transactions that create a credit exposure to an affiliate, the acceptance of securities issued by the affiliate as collateral for a loan, and the issuance of a guarantee, acceptance or letter of credit on behalf of an affiliate. All covered transactions, including certain additional transactions (such as transactions with a third party in which an affiliate has a financial interest), must be conducted on terms and under circumstances including credit standards, (i) that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable to such bank or its subsidiary, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with or involving other nonaffiliated companies, or in the absence of comparable transactions, or (ii) that in good faith would be offered to, or would apply to, nonaffiliated companies.

FDIC Insurance Assessments

M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust, N.A. deposits are insured by the DIF of the FDIC up to the limits set forth under applicable law. The FDIC imposes a risk-based premium assessment system that determines assessment rates for financial institutions. Deposit insurance assessments are based on average total assets minus average tangible equity. For larger institutions, such as M&T Bank, the FDIC uses a performance score and a loss-severity score that are used to calculate an initial assessment rate. In calculating these scores, the FDIC uses a bank’s capital level and supervisory

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ratings and certain financial measures to assess an institution’s ability to withstand asset-related stress and funding-related stress. The FDIC has the ability to make discretionary adjustments to the total score based upon significant risk factors that are not adequately captured in the calculations. Under the current system, premiums are assessed quarterly.

Under the FDIA, insurance of deposits may be terminated by the FDIC upon a finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe and unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC.

Acquisitions

Federal and state laws impose notice and approval requirements for mergers and acquisitions involving depository institutions or bank holding companies. For example, the BHCA requires every BHC to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve before: (1) it may acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of any voting shares of any bank or savings institution, if after such acquisition, the BHC will directly or indirectly own or control 5% or more of the voting shares of the institution; (2) it or any of its subsidiaries, other than a bank, may acquire all or substantially all of the assets of any bank or savings institution; or (3) it may merge or consolidate with any other BHC. In addition, financial holding companies are required to obtain prior approval from the Federal Reserve before acquiring certain nonbank financial companies with assets exceeding $10 billion.

The BHCA further provides that the Federal Reserve may not approve any transaction that would result in a monopoly or would be in furtherance of any combination or conspiracy to monopolize or attempt to monopolize the business of banking in any section of the United States, or the effect of which may be substantially to lessen competition or to tend to create a monopoly in any section of the country, or that in any other manner would be in restraint of trade, unless the anticompetitive effects of the proposed transaction are clearly outweighed by the public interest in meeting the convenience and needs of the community to be served. The Federal Reserve is also required to consider the financial and managerial resources and future prospects of the bank holding companies and banks concerned and the convenience and needs of the community to be served. Consideration of financial resources generally focuses on capital adequacy and consideration of convenience and needs issues and includes the parties’ performance under the CRA and compliance with laws, especially consumer protection laws. When evaluating a transaction, the Federal Reserve must also take into account the institutions’ effectiveness in combating money laundering and consider the extent to which the transaction would result in greater or more concentrated risks to the stability of the United States banking or financial system.

Refer to “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Merger” below for discussion related to the Company’s pending application for the proposed merger with People’s United Financial, Inc. (“People’s United”).

Executive and Incentive Compensation

Guidelines adopted by several federal banking agencies 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 stockholder. The Federal Reserve issued comprehensive guidance on incentive compensation policies (the “Incentive Compensation Guidance”) intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of banking organizations do not undermine the safety and soundness of such organizations by encouraging excessive risk-taking. The Incentive Compensation Guidance, which covers all employees that have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of an organization, either individually or as part of a group, is based upon the key principles that a banking organization’s incentive compensation arrangements should (i) provide incentives that do not

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encourage risk-taking beyond the organization’s ability to effectively identify and manage risks, (ii) be compatible with effective internal controls and risk management, and (iii) be supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the organization’s board of directors. These three principles are incorporated into the proposed joint compensation regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act noted below. Any deficiencies in compensation practices that are identified may be incorporated into the organization’s supervisory ratings, which can affect its ability to make acquisitions or perform other actions. The Incentive Compensation Guidance states that enforcement actions may be taken against a banking organization if its incentive compensation arrangements or related risk-management control or governance processes pose a risk to the organization’s safety and soundness and the organization is not taking prompt and effective measures to correct the deficiencies.

The Dodd-Frank Act requires the federal bank regulatory agencies and the SEC to establish joint regulations or guidelines prohibiting incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities having at least $1 billion in total assets, such as M&T and M&T Bank. The agencies proposed rules to implement this requirement but these proposed rules have not been finalized. In addition, the SEC proposed in 2015, but has not finalized, rules directing national securities exchanges and associations to establish listing standards requiring companies to adopt policies that require executive officers to pay back incentive-based compensation that they were awarded erroneously. In October 2021, the SEC reopened the comment period on this proposal.

In addition, the NYSDFS issued guidance emphasizing that its regulated banking institutions, including M&T Bank, must ensure that any incentive compensation arrangements tied to employee performance indicators are subject to effective risk management, oversight and control.

Resolution Planning

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, as amended by EGRRCPA, certain bank holding companies are required to report periodically to the Federal Reserve and the FDIC a resolution plan for their rapid and orderly resolution in the event of material financial distress or failure. In late 2019, the Federal Reserve and FDIC issued modified rules that, among other things, adjusted the review cycles and applicability of the agencies’ resolution planning requirements. Under these rules, Category IV firms such as M&T are not required to submit resolution plans.

The FDIC has separately required insured depository institutions (“IDIs”) with $50 billion or more in total assets, such as M&T Bank, to submit to the FDIC periodic plans for resolution in the event of the institution’s failure. In January 2021, the FDIC lifted its existing moratorium on resolution plans, indicating it will resume the requirement for resolution plan submissions for IDIs with $100 billion or more in assets. The FDIC also announced its intention to engage in targeted engagement and capabilities testing related to resolution planning with select firms, for which M&T Bank participated in mid-2021. In June 2021, the FDIC issued a Statement on Resolution Plans for IDI’s, which, among other things, provides general information regarding the content that filers will be expected to prepare and extends the submission frequency for specified IDI’s to a three-year resolution plan filing cycle. The FDIC has notified M&T Bank that its next resolution plan is due by no later than December 1, 2022.

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Insolvency of an Insured Depository Institution or a Bank Holding Company

If the FDIC is appointed as conservator or receiver for an insured depository institution such as M&T Bank or Wilmington Trust, N.A., upon its insolvency or in certain other events without limitation, the FDIC has the power:

In addition, under federal law, the claims of holders of domestic deposit liabilities and certain claims for administrative expenses against an insured depository institution would be afforded a priority over other general unsecured claims against such an institution, including claims of debt holders of the institution, in the “liquidation or other resolution” of such an institution by any receiver. As a result, whether or not the FDIC ever sought to repudiate any debt obligations of M&T Bank or Wilmington Trust, N.A., the debt holders would be treated differently from, and could receive, if anything, substantially less than, the depositors of the bank.

The Dodd-Frank Act created a new resolution regime (known as “orderly liquidation authority”) for systemically important financial companies, including bank holding companies and their affiliates. Under the orderly liquidation authority, the FDIC may be appointed as receiver for the systemically important institution, and its failed subsidiaries, for purposes of liquidating the entity if, among other conditions, it is determined at the time of the institution’s failure that it is in default or in danger of default and the failure poses a risk to the stability of the U.S. financial system.

If the FDIC is appointed as receiver under the orderly liquidation authority, then the powers of the receiver, and the rights and obligations of creditors and other parties who have dealt with the institution, would be determined under the Dodd-Frank Act provisions, and not under the insolvency law that would otherwise apply. The powers of the receiver under the orderly liquidation authority were based on the powers of the FDIC as receiver for depository institutions under the FDIA. However, the provisions governing the rights of creditors under the orderly liquidation authority were modified in certain respects to reduce disparities with the treatment of creditors’ claims under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code as compared to the treatment of those claims under the new authority. Nonetheless, substantial differences in the rights of creditors exist as between these two regimes, including the right of the FDIC to disregard the strict priority of creditor claims in some circumstances, the use of an administrative claims procedure to determine creditors’ claims (as opposed to the judicial procedure utilized in bankruptcy proceedings), and the right of the FDIC to transfer claims to a “bridge” entity.

An orderly liquidation fund will fund such liquidation proceedings through borrowings from the Treasury Department and risk-based assessments made, first, on entities that received more in the resolution than they would have received in liquidation to the extent of such excess, and second, if necessary, on bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of $50 billion or more, such as M&T. If an orderly liquidation is triggered, M&T could face assessments for the orderly liquidation fund.

The FDIC has developed a strategy under the orderly liquidation authority referred to as the “single point of entry” strategy, under which the FDIC would resolve a failed financial holding

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company by transferring its assets (including shares of its operating subsidiaries) and, potentially, very limited liabilities to a “bridge” holding company; utilize the resources of the failed financial holding company to recapitalize the operating subsidiaries; and satisfy the claims of unsecured creditors of the failed financial holding company and other claimants in the receivership by delivering securities of one or more new financial companies that would emerge from the bridge holding company. Under this strategy, management of the failed financial holding company would be replaced and shareholders and creditors of the failed financial holding company would bear the losses resulting from the failure.

Depositor Preference

Under federal law, depositors and certain claims for administrative expenses and employee compensation against an insured depository institution would be afforded a priority over other general unsecured claims against such an institution in the “liquidation or other resolution” of such an institution by any receiver. If an insured depository institution fails, insured and uninsured depositors, along with the FDIC, will have priority in payment ahead of unsecured, non-deposit creditors, including depositors whose deposits are payable only outside of the United States and the parent BHC, with respect to any extensions of credit they have made to such insured depository institution.

Financial Privacy and Cyber Security

The federal banking regulators have adopted rules that limit the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public and personally identifiable information about consumers to non-affiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to a non-affiliated third party. These regulations affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors. In addition, consumers may also prevent disclosure of certain information among affiliated companies that is assembled or used to determine eligibility for a product or service, such as that shown on consumer credit reports and asset and income information from applications. Consumers also have the option to direct banks and other financial institutions not to share information about transactions and experiences with affiliated companies for the purpose of marketing products or services. Federal law makes it a criminal offense, except in limited circumstances, to obtain or attempt to obtain customer information of a financial nature by fraudulent or deceptive means.

In November 2021, the federal banking agencies issued a final rule requiring banking organizations to notify their primary regulator as soon as possible and within 36 hours of determining that a “notification incident” has occurred.  A notification incident is a “computer-security incident” that has materially disrupted or degraded, or is reasonably likely to materially disrupt or degrade, the banking organization’s ability to deliver services to a material portion of its customer base, jeopardize the viability of key operations of the banking organization, or impact the stability of the financial sector. The final rule also requires specific and immediate notifications by bank service providers that become aware of similar incidents. The rule is effective April 1, 2022, with compliance required by May 1, 2022.

Financial institutions regulated by the NYSDFS, including M&T Bank, are also subject to NYSDFS regulations on cybersecurity matters, including, among other things, requirements to (i) establish and maintain a cyber security program designed to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their information systems; (ii) implement and maintain a written cyber security policy setting forth policies and procedures for the protection of their information systems and nonpublic information; and (iii) designate a Chief Information Security Officer.

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Many states and regulators have been increasingly active in implementing privacy and cybersecurity standards and regulations, including implementing or modifying their data breach notification and data privacy requirements. One example of recent state legislation is the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which became effective on January 1, 2020 and applies to for-profit businesses that conduct business in California and meet certain revenue or data collection thresholds. November 2020 amendments expanding the scope of and requirements under the CCPA will generally become effective on January 1, 2023.

Consumer Protection Laws and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Supervision

In connection with their respective lending and leasing activities, M&T Bank, Wilmington Trust, N.A. and certain of their subsidiaries, are each subject to a number of federal and state laws designed to protect borrowers and promote lending to various sectors of the economy. Such laws include: the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Military Lending Act, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and various state law counterparts. Furthermore, the CFPB has issued integrated disclosure requirements under the Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act that relate to the provision of disclosures to borrowers. There are also consumer protection laws governing deposit taking activities (e.g. Truth in Savings Act), as well securities and insurance laws governing certain aspects of the Company’s consolidated operations.

The CFPB has broad powers to supervise and enforce most federal consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rule-making authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks and savings institutions, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. The CFPB has examination and enforcement authority over all banks and savings institutions with more than $10 billion in assets, including M&T Bank.

In addition, federal law permits states to adopt consumer protection laws and standards that are more stringent than those adopted at the federal level and, in certain circumstances, permits state attorneys general to enforce compliance with both the state and federal laws and regulations.

Community Reinvestment Act

The CRA is intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations. CRA examinations are conducted by the federal agencies that are responsible for supervising the relevant depository institutions: the Federal Reserve, the FDIC and the OCC. For purposes of the CRA, M&T is regulated by the Federal Reserve. A financial institution’s performance in helping to meet the credit needs of its community is evaluated in the context of information about the institution (capacity, constraints and business strategies), its community (demographic and economic data, lending, investment, and service opportunities), and its competitors and peers. Upon completion of a CRA examination, an overall CRA Rating is assigned using a four-tiered rating system. These ratings are: “Outstanding,” “Satisfactory,” “Needs to Improve” and “Substantial Noncompliance.” The CRA evaluation is used in evaluating applications for future approval of bank activities including mergers, acquisitions, charters, branch openings and deposit facilities. An unsatisfactory CRA evaluation could result in the delay or denial of acquisition or merger applications, among other activities. M&T Bank has a current rating of “Outstanding.” M&T Bank is also subject to New York State CRA examination and is assessed using a 1 to 4 scoring system. M&T Bank currently has a rating of 1, or “Outstanding” from the NYSDFS. Wilmington Trust, N.A. has been designated a special purpose trust company since March 3, 2016, and is therefore exempt from the requirements of the CRA. In September 2020, the Federal Reserve released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that sought public comment on ways to

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modernize the Federal Reserve’s CRA regulation. The effects on the Company of any potential change to the CRA rules will depend on the final form of any Federal Reserve rulemaking and cannot be predicted at this time.  

Bank Secrecy Act Regulation and Anti-Money Laundering Obligations

Federal laws and regulations impose obligations on U.S. financial institutions, including banks and broker/dealer subsidiaries, to implement and maintain appropriate policies, procedures and controls which are reasonably designed to prevent, detect and report instances of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and to verify the identity of their customers. These provisions also require the federal financial institution regulatory agencies to consider the effectiveness of a financial institution’s anti-money laundering activities when reviewing bank mergers and BHC acquisitions. Failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could have serious legal and reputational consequences for the institution, including the denial by federal regulators of proposed merger, acquisition, restructuring or other expansionary activity.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), which drafts regulations implementing the USA PATRIOT Act and other anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act legislation, has adopted rules that require financial institutions to, among other things, obtain beneficial ownership information with respect to legal entities with which such institutions conduct business, subject to certain exclusions and exemptions. Bank regulators are focusing their examinations on anti-money laundering compliance, and M&T continues to monitor and augment, where necessary, its Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”) Compliance Program.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (“AMLA”), which amends the BSA, was enacted in January 2021. The AMLA is intended to comprehensively reform and modernize U.S. bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws. Among other things, it codifies a risk-based approach to anti-money laundering compliance for financial institutions; requires the U.S. Department of the Treasury to promulgate priorities for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism policy; requires the development of standards for testing technology and internal processes for BSA compliance; expands enforcement and investigation-related authority, including increasing available sanctions for certain BSA violations; and expands BSA whistleblower incentives and protections. In June 2021, FinCEN issued the priorities for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism policy required under AMLA. The priorities include: corruption, cybercrime, terrorist financing, fraud, transnational crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking and proliferation financing. M&T reviews and monitors its anti-money laundering compliance program to ensure it complies with the changes reflected in the AMLA and the regulations that implement it.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation

The United States has imposed economic sanctions that prohibit transactions with designated foreign countries, nationals and others. These are typically known as the “OFAC” rules based on their administration by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). The OFAC-administered sanctions targeting countries take many different forms. Generally, however, they contain one or more of the following elements: (i) restrictions on trade with or investment in a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from and exports to a sanctioned country and prohibitions on “U.S. persons” engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and (ii) a blocking of assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the sanctioned country have an interest, by prohibiting transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons). Blocked assets (e.g. property and

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bank deposits) cannot be paid out, withdrawn, set off or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences, including denial by federal regulators of proposed merger, acquisition, restructuring, or other expansionary activity. The OFAC rules are included as part of M&T’s BSA/AML Compliance Program, which M&T continues to monitor and augment, where necessary.

Regulation of Insurers and Insurance Brokers

The Company’s operations in the areas of insurance agency/brokerage and reinsurance of credit life insurance are subject to regulation and supervision by various state insurance regulatory authorities. Although the scope of regulation and form of supervision may vary from state to state, insurance laws generally grant broad discretion to regulatory authorities in adopting regulations and supervising regulated activities. This supervision generally includes the licensing of insurance brokers and agents and the regulation of the handling of customer funds held in a fiduciary capacity. Certain of M&T’s subsidiaries that are engaged in insurance-related activities are subject to extensive regulatory supervision and to insurance laws and regulations requiring, among other things, maintenance of capital, record keeping, reporting and examinations.

Federal Reserve Policies

The earnings of the Company are significantly affected by the monetary and fiscal policies of governmental authorities, including the Federal Reserve. Among the instruments of monetary policy used by the Federal Reserve are open-market operations in U.S. Government securities and federal funds, changes in the discount rate on member bank borrowings and changes in reserve requirements against member bank deposits. These instruments of monetary policy are used in varying combinations to influence the overall level of bank loans, investments and deposits, and the interest rates charged on loans and paid for deposits. The Federal Reserve frequently uses these instruments of monetary policy, especially its open-market operations and the discount rate, to influence the level of interest rates and to affect the strength of the economy, the level of inflation or the price of the dollar in foreign exchange markets. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve have had a significant effect on the operating results of banking institutions in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. It is not possible to predict the nature of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies or the effect which they may have on the Company’s business and earnings.

Corporate Governance

M&T’s Corporate Governance Standards and the following corporate governance documents are also available on M&T’s website at the Investor Relations link: Disclosure and Regulation FD Policy; Executive Committee Charter; Nomination, Compensation and Governance Committee Charter; Audit Committee Charter; Risk Committee Charter; Financial Reporting and Disclosure Controls and Procedures Policy; Code of Ethics for CEO and Senior Financial Officers; Code of Business Conduct and Ethics; and Employee Complaint Procedures for Accounting and Auditing Matters. Copies of such governance documents are also available, free of charge, to any person who requests them. Such requests may be directed to M&T Bank Corporation, Shareholder Relations Department, One M&T Plaza, 8th Floor, Buffalo, NY 14203-2399 (Telephone: (716) 842-5138).

Human Capital Resources

M&T recognizes employees are the difference makers that drive its success. The Company’s talent strategy focuses on recruiting, developing, promoting and retaining high-performing, diverse individuals whose strengths align with M&T’s values, purpose and leadership competencies to create and maintain a highly competitive workforce.

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As of December 31, 2021, the Company employed 17,569 full-time and part-time employees.  The Company’s employee base is concentrated in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States, with approximately 58% of employees residing in New York, followed by 12% in Maryland, 10% in Delaware and the remainder primarily concentrated in the other states where M&T Bank maintains a retail bank branch presence. Approximately 4% of the Company’s employee base resides outside of its retail banking footprint.  Inclusive in the above, as of December 31, 2021, the Company employed 115 international employees based in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Germany and France. The Company’s employee base includes 3,793 employees that support customers in the retail branch network. Overall, the average tenure of the Company’s employees is 10 years and the average tenure of the Company’s executive officers is 24 years.

Talent Attraction and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

M&T leverages various channels to effectively identify, develop and recruit high-caliber talent throughout its footprint. Current employees are leveraged to supplement the Company’s normal recruiting processes. The Employee Referral Program typically serves as the primary tool for generating applicants, and it accounted for 29% of new hires in 2021.  In addition, the Company’s Talent Acquisition Ambassador Program, which was implemented in 2020 and currently includes approximately 60 employees throughout different business lines, dedicated over 800 hours towards promoting awareness of M&T career opportunities within the Company’s communities. 

M&T’s recruitment team strives to create and maintain diverse representation at all levels and in all areas of the organization to promote a sense of belonging among employees and maintain a workforce that reflects the communities the Company serves. M&T employees attended 51 individual diversity-based recruiting events in 2021 with target audiences crossing many diversity dimensions, such as Black, LatinX, Veterans, LGBTQ+, individuals with disabilities and women. The Company also works with diversity-focused schools and organizations as part of its efforts to recruit and maintain a diverse workforce.  In 2021, 41% of total corporate hires were people of color and 62% were women, 47% of summer interns were people of color, and 44% of the participants in the Company’s Technology Internship Program were people of color. As of December 31, 2021, the entire Company’s workforce consisted of approximately 60% women and 24% people of color.  

To further drive diversity within the company, M&T also supports several employee resource group charters and chapters, which are voluntary, employee-driven groups organized around a particular shared interest and characteristic, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or differing abilities. Approximately 34% of the Company’s employees and 53% of managers are involved in these groups. The Company’s diversity efforts are led by its Chief Diversity Officer, who is a member of senior leadership, and the Senior Leadership Diversity & Inclusion Council, both of which champion inclusion efforts throughout the Company. M&T’s Board of Directors also receives regular updates on the Company’s diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts.

Development and Engagement

The Company’s performance management philosophy is foundational to its employees’ success, focusing on reinforcing values, providing continuous, transparent feedback and recognizing and rewarding outstanding performance. The Company helps empower employee performance and cultivate employee development through a variety of learning offerings on topics such as technical, job-specific skills and professional development, including courses aligned with the Company’s enterprise-wide leadership competencies. Training content is made available as synchronous, asynchronous, and blended learning solutions to promote employee access. The Company also invests in creating its leaders of tomorrow through various internal programs including its Manager Acceleration Program, Management Development Program, Executive Associate Program,

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Technology Development Program and two additional programs focused on the Company’s high-performing diverse employees – the Rising Leadership Development Program and Equity One.

M&T’s commitment to finding the best talent, creating a positive employee experience and fostering development results in a highly engaged employee base that drives the Company’s success. Since 2001, the Company has conducted 16 “Engagement Surveys,” with average participation rates above 90%, demonstrating a commitment to fostering candid, open and honest, two-way communication with employees to enhance the workplace. All survey results are reviewed with senior management and shared with individual managers, who identify and implement improvements based on employees’ feedback, as well as presented to M&T's Board of Directors. Employees also participate in action planning within individual work groups. In addition, M&T conducts other surveys to monitor and guide the employee experience throughout an employee’s time with the Company. Surveys are conducted at various times, such as new hire onboarding as well as in connection with key events, such as acquisitions.  M&T has also conducted numerous employee surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Employee engagement is also fostered through the Company’s allotment of 40 hours of volunteer time for each employee to make a difference in the communities in which they serve. Although volunteer opportunities recently have been limited by the pandemic, in 2021, M&T employees volunteered approximately 50,000 hours and served on the boards of over 170 non-profit organizations.

Compensation, Health and Wellness

The Company provides comprehensive compensation and benefits programs intended to attract, retain and incentivize its employees. In addition to base pay, these programs (which vary by country and region) include cash incentives, long term equity-based awards, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, a 401(k) Plan, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, parental leave, family care resources, flexible work schedules, employee assistance programs and tuition assistance, among others.

The Company’s wellness program provides employees and their families with resources that may be helpful in navigating life events and are designed to provide support to help improve their well-being. In addition to addressing employees’ physical needs through flexible and convenient medical plan and telemedicine options, M&T endeavors to find ways to contribute to employees’ emotional health and social well-being through various programs offered to employees. The Company partners with several of its medical partners to offer sponsored events and courses, led by medical experts, and also works to help employees manage their financial wellness through free educational resources.

As part of its ongoing response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Company continues to educate employees on safety precautions through communications and webinars while maintaining safety measures including protective equipment and increased sanitation at all work sites. The Company also continued to support work from home practices for employees capable of performing their duties remotely throughout 2021. In 2022, M&T will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and take appropriate measures to protect the safety and health of employees with the goal of bringing many employees back to the office in a hybrid working model, balancing on-site collaboration with employee flexibility.  

Competition

The Company faces extensive and intensive competition in the products and services it offers. The Company competes in offering commercial and personal financial and wealth services with other banking institutions and thrifts and with firms in a number of other industries, such as credit unions, personal loan companies, sales finance companies, leasing companies, securities brokerage firms,

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mutual fund companies, hedge funds, wealth and investment advisory firms, insurance companies and other financial services-related entities. Furthermore, diversified financial services companies are able to offer a combination of these services to their customers on a nationwide basis.  Financial technology companies, using digital, mobile and other technologies, also are increasingly offering traditional banking products and services, which has resulted in the Company contending with a broader range of competitors, including many that are not located within the geographic footprint of the Company’s banking office network.    

Other Information

Through a link on the Investor Relations section of M&T’s website at www.mtb.com, copies of M&T’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, are made available, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such material with, or furnishing it to, the SEC. Copies of such reports and other information are also available at no charge to any person who requests them or at www.sec.gov. Such requests may be directed to M&T Bank Corporation, Shareholder Relations Department, One M&T Plaza, 8th Floor, Buffalo, NY 14203-2399 (Telephone: (716) 842-5138).

Disclosure Pursuant to Subpart 1400 of Regulation S-K

See cross-reference sheet for disclosures incorporated elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Table 1

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED YEAR-END BALANCES

Table 2

SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES AND OFFICES

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Table 3

CONSOLIDATED EARNINGS

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Table 4

COMMON SHAREHOLDER DATA

Table 5

CHANGES IN INTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE(a)

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Risk Factors Summary

Risks Relating to the Merger with People’s United

Risks Relating to COVID-19 Pandemic

Market Risk

Risks Relating to Compliance and the Regulatory Environment

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Credit Risk

Liquidity Risk

Strategic Risk

Operational Risk

Business Risk

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Risk Factors

M&T and its subsidiaries face a number of potential risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. As a financial institution, certain risk elements are inherent in the ordinary course of the Company’s business activities and adverse experience with those risks could have a material impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations, as well as on the values of the Company’s financial instruments and M&T’s securities, including its common stock. The following risk factors set forth some of the risks that could materially and adversely impact the Company, although there may be additional risks that are not presently material or known that may adversely affect the Company. These risk factors include risks relating to M&T’s acquisition of People’s United pursuant to an agreement and plan of merger, dated February 21, 2021, by and among M&T, Bridge Merger Corp., a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of M&T, and People’s United (the “merger agreement” and, such transaction, the “merger”).

Risks Related to the Merger with People’s United

M&T is expected to incur significant costs related to the merger and integration.

M&T has incurred and expects to incur significant, non-recurring costs in connection with negotiating the merger agreement and closing the merger. In addition, M&T will incur integration costs following the completion of the merger as M&T integrates the People’s United business, including facilities and systems consolidation costs and employment-related costs.

There can be no assurances that the expected benefits and efficiencies related to the integration of the businesses will be realized to offset these transaction and integration costs over time. M&T may also incur additional costs to maintain employee morale and to retain key employees. M&T will also incur significant legal, financial advisory, accounting, banking and consulting fees, fees relating to regulatory filings and notices, SEC filing fees, printing and mailing fees and other costs associated with the merger. Some of these costs are payable regardless of whether the merger is completed.

Combining M&T and People’s United may be more difficult, costly or time-consuming than expected, and M&T may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger.

The success of the merger will depend, in part, on the ability to realize the anticipated cost savings from combining the businesses of M&T and People’s United. To realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings from the merger M&T and People’s United must integrate and combine their businesses in a manner that permits cost savings to be realized, without adversely affecting revenues and future growth. If M&T and People’s United are not able to successfully achieve these objectives, the anticipated benefits of the merger may not be realized fully or at all or may take longer to realize than expected. In addition, the actual cost savings of the merger could be less than anticipated, and integration may result in additional and unforeseen expenses.

An inability to realize the full extent of the anticipated benefits of the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, as well as any delays encountered in the integration process, could have an adverse effect upon the revenues, levels of expenses and operating results of M&T following the completion of the merger, which may adversely affect the value of M&T’s common stock following the completion of the merger.

M&T and People’s United have operated and, until the completion of the merger, must continue to operate, independently. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of each company’s ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect the companies’ abilities to maintain relationships with clients, customers, depositors and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger. Integration efforts between the two companies may also divert

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management attention and resources. These integration matters could have an adverse effect on M&T during this transition period and for an undetermined period after completion of the merger.

M&T may be unable to retain M&T and/or People’s United personnel successfully.

The success of the merger will depend in part on M&T’s ability to retain the talents and dedication of key employees currently employed by M&T and People’s United. It is possible that these employees may decide not to remain with M&T or People’s United, as applicable, while the merger is pending or with M&T after the merger is completed. If M&T and People’s United are unable to retain key employees, including management, who are critical to the successful integration and future operations of the companies, M&T and People’s United could face disruptions in their operations, loss of existing customers, loss of key information, expertise or know-how and unanticipated additional recruitment costs. In addition, following the merger, if key employees terminate their employment, M&T’s business activities may be adversely affected, and management’s attention may be diverted from successfully integrating M&T and People’s United to hiring suitable replacements, all of which may cause M&T’s business to suffer. In addition, M&T and People’s United may not be able to locate or retain suitable replacements for any key employees who leave either company.

The COVID-19 pandemic may delay and adversely affect the completion of the merger.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created economic and financial disruptions that have adversely affected, and are likely to continue to adversely affect, the business, financial condition, liquidity, capital and results of operations of M&T and People’s United. If the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cause a continued or extended decline in the economic environment and the financial results of M&T or People’s United, or the business operations of M&T or People’s United are further disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to complete the merger and integrate the businesses of M&T and People’s United may also be delayed and adversely affected. Additional time may be required to obtain the requisite regulatory approval, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) may impose additional requirements on M&T or People’s United that must be satisfied prior to completion of the merger, which could delay and adversely affect the completion of the merger.

Regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Board may not be received, may take longer than expected, or may impose conditions that are not presently anticipated or that could have an adverse effect on M&T following the merger.

Before the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement may be completed, certain regulatory approvals must be obtained. Approvals from the New York State Department of Financial Services and the State of Connecticut Department of Banking, among other regulatory approvals, have been received but the transaction remains subject to approval from the Federal Reserve Board. That approval could be delayed or not obtained at all, including due to: an adverse development in either party’s regulatory standing or in any other factors considered by regulators when granting such approval, including factors not known at the present time and factors that may arise in the future; governmental, political or community group inquiries, investigations or opposition; or changes in legislation or the political environment generally. The Federal Reserve Board has stated that if material weaknesses are identified by examiners before a banking organization applies to engage in expansionary activity, the Federal Reserve Board will expect the banking organization to resolve all such weaknesses before applying for such expansionary activity. The Federal Reserve Board has also stated that if issues arise during the processing of an application for expansionary activity, it will expect the applicant banking organization to withdraw its application pending resolution of any supervisory concerns.

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Any Federal Reserve Board approval, if granted, may impose terms and conditions, limitations, obligations or costs, or place restrictions on the conduct of M&T’s business or require changes to the terms of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that the regulator will not impose any such conditions, limitations, obligations or restrictions and that such conditions, limitations, obligations or restrictions will not have the effect of delaying the completion of any of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, imposing additional material costs on or materially limiting the revenues of M&T following the merger or otherwise reduce the anticipated benefits of the merger if the merger were consummated successfully within the expected timeframe. In addition, there can be no assurance that any such conditions, terms, obligations or restrictions will not result in the delay or abandonment of the merger. Additionally, the completion of the merger is conditioned on the absence of certain orders, injunctions or decrees by any court or regulatory agency of competent jurisdiction that would prohibit or make illegal the completion of any of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

In addition, despite the parties’ commitments to use their reasonable best efforts to comply with conditions imposed by regulators, under the terms of the merger agreement, M&T will not be required, and People’s United will not be permitted without M&T’s prior written consent, to take actions or agree to conditions in connection with obtaining the foregoing permits, consents, approvals and authorizations of governmental entities that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on M&T and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, after giving effect to the merger.

Failure to complete the merger could negatively impact M&T.

If the merger is not completed for any reason, there may be various adverse consequences and M&T may experience negative reactions from the financial markets and from its customers and employees. For example, M&T’s business may have been impacted adversely by the failure to pursue other beneficial opportunities due to the focus of management on the merger, without realizing any of the anticipated benefits of completing the merger. Additionally, if the merger agreement is terminated, the market price of M&T common stock could decline to the extent that the current market price of M&T common stock reflects a market assumption that the merger will be beneficial to M&T and will be completed. M&T could be subject to litigation related to any failure to complete the merger or to proceedings commenced against M&T to perform its obligations under the merger agreement. If the merger agreement is terminated under certain circumstances, M&T may be required to pay a termination fee of $280 million to People’s United.

Additionally, M&T has incurred and will incur substantial expenses in connection with the negotiation and completion of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, as well as the costs and expenses of preparing, filing, printing and mailing the joint proxy statement/prospectus for the merger, and all filing and other fees paid in connection with the merger. If the merger is not completed, M&T would have incurred these expenses without realizing the expected benefits of the merger.

M&T is subject to business uncertainties and contractual restrictions while the merger is pending.

Uncertainty about the effect of the merger on employees and customers may have an adverse effect on M&T. These uncertainties may impair M&T’s ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel until the merger is completed, and could cause customers and others that deal with M&T to seek to change existing business relationships with M&T. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, M&T has agreed to refrain from taking certain actions that may adversely affect its ability to consummate the merger on a timely basis without People’s United’s consent. These restrictions may prevent M&T from pursuing attractive business opportunities that may arise prior to the completion of the merger.

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Litigation related to the merger has been filed against People’s United, the People’s United board of directors and M&T, and additional litigation may be filed against People’s United, the People’s United board of directors, M&T and the M&T board of directors in the future, which could prevent or delay the completion of the merger, result in the payment of damages or otherwise negatively impact the business and operations of M&T.

Litigation related to the merger has been filed against People’s United, the People’s United board of directors and M&T, and additional litigation may be filed against People’s United, the People’s United board of directors, M&T and the M&T board of directors in the future. Among other remedies, litigation that has been filed seeks, and additional litigation by shareholders of M&T and/or stockholders of People’s United in the future may seek damages and/or to enjoin the merger or the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. The outcome of any litigation is uncertain. If any plaintiff were successful in obtaining an injunction prohibiting M&T or People’s United from completing the merger or any other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, then such injunction may delay or prevent the effectiveness of the merger and could result in significant costs to M&T, including costs in connection with the defense or settlement of any shareholder lawsuits filed in connection with the merger. Further, such lawsuits and the defense or settlement of any such lawsuits may have an adverse effect on the financial condition and results of operations of M&T.

Risks Relating to COVID-19 Pandemic

M&T’s business, financial condition, capital and results of operations have been, and will likely continue to be, adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruption to the U.S. and global economy and created significant volatility in the financial markets.  The duration of this disruption and impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

The pandemic has created economic and financial disruptions that have adversely affected, and are likely to continue to adversely affect, the Company’s business, financial condition, capital and results of operations. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to negatively affect the Company’s business, financial condition, capital and results of operations will depend on future developments, including the scope and duration of the pandemic, the emergence of new variants, the effectiveness and distribution of vaccines and other public health measures, the continued effectiveness of M&T’s business continuity plans, the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on the Company’s employees, customers, clients, counterparties, vendors, service providers and other market participants, and actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be reasonably predicted.

Although economic and market conditions have generally improved during 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic, including associated variants, has, at times, resulted in adverse economic and market conditions.  Depending on the duration and severity of the pandemic on general economic and market conditions, consumer and corporate spending and investment and borrowing patterns, there is a risk that adverse conditions could occur, including the following:

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The pandemic is likely to continue to contribute to these risks and impacts and could affect geographic areas in which the Company operates differently as further noted herein under “Market Risk” and “Credit Risk.” As a result, the Company’s credit, liquidity, market, operational and other risks are generally expected to remain elevated until the pandemic subsides. In addition, the Company’s business operations continue to be at risk of adverse disruption if significant portions of the Company’s workforce are unable to work effectively, including because of illness, quarantines, government actions, failures in systems or technology that disrupt remote work arrangements or other effects of the pandemic, or if the Company is unable to keep branches or offices open, including because of risk of infection. The Company faces similar risks if its counterparties, vendors and other service providers are unable to maintain operations due to pandemic-related disruptions.  The pandemic may also delay or adversely affect M&T’s efforts to complete the merger and integrate the businesses of the Company and People’s United, if the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cause a continued or extended decline in the economic environment and the financial results of M&T or People’s United or cause further disruption to the business operations of the Company or People’s United.

Governmental authorities have taken unprecedented measures to provide economic assistance to individual households and businesses, stabilize the markets and support economic growth. The success of those measures is not yet entirely known and those measures, or additional measures that may be introduced, may not be sufficient to fully mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, some measures, such as a suspension of mortgage and other loan payments and foreclosures, may have a negative impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, capital and results of operations. If such measures are not effective in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s borrowers, the Company may also experience higher rates of default and increased credit losses in future periods. The Company also faces an increased risk of litigation and governmental and regulatory scrutiny as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on market and economic conditions and actions governmental authorities take in response to those conditions. Furthermore, various government programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program are complex and the Company’s participation may lead to litigation and governmental, regulatory and third party scrutiny, negative publicity and damage to its reputation.

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The length of the pandemic and the efficacy of the measures being put in place to address it are unknown. It is unknown when there will be a return to normal business activity and a subsiding of the economic stress associated with the pandemic. Prolonged continuation of the pandemic could worsen these risks and impacts. Until the pandemic subsides, the Company may experience reduced revenues in certain of its fee-related businesses and increased customer and client defaults, including defaults in unsecured loans. Even after the pandemic subsides, the U.S. economy may experience a prolonged economic slowdown or recession, and M&T anticipates the Company’s businesses would be materially and adversely affected by a prolonged economic slowdown or recession. To the extent the pandemic adversely affects the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, capital or results of operations, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “Risk Factors” section and M&T’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s business and operations following the completion of the merger with People’s United.

Market Risk

Weakness in the economy has adversely affected the Company in the past and may adversely affect the Company in the future.

Poor business and economic conditions in general or specifically in markets served by the Company could have adverse effects on the Company’s business including:

Volatility and uncertainty related to inflation and the effects of inflation, which may lead to increased costs for businesses and consumers and potentially contribute to poor business and economic conditions generally, may also enhance or contribute to some of the risks discussed herein. For example, higher inflation, or volatility and uncertainty related to inflation, could reduce demand for the Company’s products, adversely affect the creditworthiness of the Company’s borrowers or result in lower values for the Company’s investment securities and other interest-earning assets.

The Company’s business and financial performance is impacted significantly by market interest rates and movements in those rates. The monetary, tax and other policies of governmental agencies, including the Federal Reserve, have a significant impact on interest rates and overall financial market performance over which the Company has no control and which the Company may not be able to anticipate adequately.

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As a result of the high percentage of the Company’s assets and liabilities that are in the form of interest-bearing or interest-related instruments, changes in interest rates, including in the shape of the yield curve or in spreads between different market interest rates, as well as changes linked to inflation, can have a material effect on the Company’s business and profitability and the value of the Company’s assets and liabilities.

For example, changes in interest rates or interest rate spreads may:

The monetary, tax and other policies of the government and its agencies, including the Federal Reserve, have a significant impact on interest rates and overall financial market performance. These governmental policies can thus affect the activities and results of operations of banking organizations such as the Company. An important function of the Federal Reserve is to regulate the national supply of bank credit and certain interest rates. The actions of the Federal Reserve influence the rates of interest that the Company charges on loans and that the Company pays on borrowings and interest-bearing deposits and can also affect the value of the Company’s on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet financial instruments. Also, due to the impact on rates for short-term funding, the Federal Reserve’s policies influence, to a significant extent, the Company’s cost of such funding.

In addition, the Company is routinely subject to examinations from various governmental taxing authorities. Such examinations may result in challenges to the tax return treatment applied by the Company to specific transactions. Management believes that the assumptions and judgment used to record tax-related assets or liabilities have been appropriate. Should tax laws change or the tax authorities determine that management’s assumptions were inappropriate, the result and adjustments required could have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations. M&T cannot predict the nature or timing of future changes in monetary, tax and other policies or the effect that they may have on the Company’s business activities, financial condition and results of operations.

The discontinuation of LIBOR as a permissible rate index in new contracts after 2021, the formal announcement of LIBOR’s cessation date (June 30, 2023), and ongoing uncertainty related to the emergence of one or more alternative benchmark indices to replace LIBOR, could adversely impact the Company’s business and results of operations.

The Company’s floating-rate funding, certain hedging transactions and a significant portion of the  Company’s products, such as floating-rate loans and mortgages, determine the applicable interest rate or payment amount by reference to a benchmark rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), or to an alternative index, currency, basket or other financial metric.

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In July 2017, the Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced that the FCA intended to stop persuading or compelling its panel banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. This announcement created market uncertainty as to whether and to what extent panel banks would continue to provide submissions for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021 and as to the continued existence of LIBOR after 2021. The uncertainty lessened in November 2020, when (i) public statements issued by the ICE Benchmark Administration (“IBA”), the administrator of LIBOR, and the FCA, announced a proposal to, among other things, extend the publication of the most commonly utilized tenors of USD LIBOR until June 30, 2023, and (ii) a joint-statement of the federal bank regulators, including the Federal Reserve, indicated support for the IBA proposal and encouraged banks to (a) transition away from USD LIBOR as soon as practicable, (b) cease (with limited exceptions) entering into new contracts that use USD LIBOR as a reference rate as soon as practicable and no later than December 31, 2021, and (c) for new contracts entered into before December 31, 2021, either utilize a reference rate other than USD LIBOR or include robust fallback language that includes a clearly defined alternative reference rate after USD LIBOR’s discontinuation, noting that failure to do so would create safety and soundness risks. On March 5, 2021, public statements by the FCA and IBA confirmed the future cessation (or non-representativeness) of all USD LIBOR tenors, and specifically, the June 30, 2023 cessation date for the most commonly utilized USD LIBOR tenors, after which USD LIBOR will either no longer exist or no longer be representative of the underlying market it is intended to measure.    

Following the initial FCA announcement in 2017, regulators and various financial industry groups sponsored or formed committees (e.g., the Federal Reserve-sponsored Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“AARC”)) to, among other things, facilitate the identification of an alternative benchmark index to replace LIBOR, and publish recommended practices for transitioning the market away from LIBOR, including (i) the utilization of recommended fallback language for LIBOR-linked financial instruments, and (ii) development of alternative pricing methodologies for recommended alternative benchmarks such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). In 2020, the ARRC finalized and issued recommendations for the use of so-called “hardwired” LIBOR fallback language that, when incorporated into existing LIBOR-based loan documents, provides for, upon LIBOR’s permanent cessation (or an announcement from LIBOR’s administrator or certain governmental authorities that LIBOR is no longer representative of the underlying market), the replacement of LIBOR with SOFR as the benchmark index, with an appropriate spread adjustment that is representative of the historical difference between LIBOR and SOFR, which when added to SOFR would be intended to facilitate a value-neutral transition. In April 2021, M&T adopted hardwired fallback language modeled after the ARRC recommendations for use in all new LIBOR loans.  

SOFR is a measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight, collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-based repurchase transactions.  The fact that SOFR is a secured overnight rate and considered a “risk free” rate, while LIBOR is an unsecured term rate that factors in credit risk, means that SOFR may perform differently than LIBOR, and those differences may be material, particularly in times of economic stress, negatively impacting the Company’s profitability.  

Over the past few years, the AARC’s recommendations and proposals have evolved, and the Company has continued to monitor both ARRC and general market developments.  While the ARRC has maintained its recommendation that SOFR is the preferred replacement for LIBOR, some industry participants are questioning whether a “risk free” SOFR rate is an ideal replacement for LIBOR in the commercial lending market and suggesting that a credit-sensitive component or alternative be considered and developed. One such credit sensitive alternative is the Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index (BSBY), which gained some increased attention and use in the business loan market in the latter half of 2021. Whether BSBY or other alternatives develop and gain any significant traction in the market are unknown and unpredictable at this time, and this adds

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further uncertainty to the LIBOR transition process, both with respect to amending existing LIBOR contracts and pricing new contracts based on SOFR or an alternative reference rate going forward.

LIBOR cessation is also impacting the derivatives market.  In October 2020, The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA), published the IBOR Fallbacks Supplement (Supplement) and IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (Protocol).  The Supplement, which became effective on January 25, 2021, amends existing standard definitions for interest rate derivatives to incorporate robust fallbacks to the SOFR benchmark for derivatives linked to LIBOR. The Protocol enables market participants to incorporate these revisions into their legacy non-cleared derivatives trades with other counterparties that choose to adhere to the Protocol. The fallbacks apply following a permanent cessation of LIBOR or following a determination by the FCA that LIBOR is no longer representative of the underlying market. M&T and M&T Bank adhered to the Protocol on November 5, 2020, and the Company is in the process of remediating its interest rate swap hedging transactions with its end user customers, i.e., borrowers who have hedged their interest rate payment obligations. If the Company is not able to agree to appropriate LIBOR fallbacks with these customers, there will be uncertainty as to how to value and effect the Company’s rights and obligations under legacy derivatives contracts.  With respect to the Company’s cleared interest rate derivatives that reference LIBOR, both the CME and LCH clearinghouses have adopted the same relevant SOFR benchmark fallbacks of the Supplement and Protocol which also became effective on January 25, 2021.        

The Company has outstanding issuances, or acts as an administrative (or calculation) agent or in other capacities, across various maturities of securities referencing LIBOR in which the underlying contracts do not contemplate cessation or contemplate cessation but do so in a manner that may create other risks (“Tough Legacy Contracts”).  Some of these contracts provide for selecting replacement rates in a manner that presents significant challenges or that gives the Company or another party discretion to select a rate or provide for determination of a reference rate.  In April 2021, the New York State legislature passed Senate Bill 297B/Assembly Bill 164B which allows certain New York State law governed Tough Legacy Contracts to transition to SOFR, as the statutory benchmark replacement rate, by operation of law. Similarly, the United States Congress is currently considering the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act of 2021 (H.R. 4616) which, if enacted, would have an analogous effect on the transition of Tough Legacy Contracts, but would expand the applicability beyond the State of New York to contracts governed by the laws of any state, the District of Columbia, or any territory or possession of the United States. Notwithstanding the availability or potential availability of statutory frameworks to address Tough Legacy Contracts, there will likely be continued uncertainty surrounding the transition as these frameworks have not been tested and their effectiveness and ultimate impact is not certain.

The discontinuation of LIBOR as a benchmark could result in changes to the Company’s risk exposures (for example, if the anticipated discontinuation of LIBOR adversely affects the availability or cost of floating-rate funding and, therefore, the Company’s exposure to fluctuations in interest rates) or otherwise result in losses on a product or having to pay more or receive less on securities that the Company has issued or owns. A substantial portion of the Company’s on- and off-balance sheet financial instruments (many of which have terms that extend beyond 2023) are indexed to LIBOR, including interest rate swap agreements and other contracts used for hedging and trading account purposes, loans to commercial customers and consumers (including mortgage loans and other loans), and long-term borrowings. Uncertainty as to the impact of the discontinuation of LIBOR, the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative index, and the operational feasibility of amending existing contracts referencing LIBOR to include hardwired LIBOR fallback language referencing a new replacement index could result in pricing volatility, loss of market share in certain products, adverse tax or accounting impacts, and compliance, legal and operational costs and risks.

The market’s transition from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate will be complex and unpredictable, giving rise to a variety of risks, including operational risks, risks of value transfer

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between contract parties, the potential for customer disputes and litigation, as well as regulatory scrutiny, as the most recent regulatory announcements indicate that there will be increased regulatory focus on LIBOR transition in 2022 and beyond. The Company established an enterprise-wide LIBOR transition program in 2019, which now includes a LIBOR Transition Office with senior management level leadership and dedicated full-time employee staffing.  An impact assessment has been completed to identify on- and off-balance sheet exposures, systems, processes, models, customers, and employees affected by the discontinuation of LIBOR. The Company continues to develop and execute plans to transition products and contracts associated with LIBOR to alternative reference rates.