NOTE 17 – Commitments, Guarantees, and Contingencies

Broker-Dealer Commitments and Guarantees

In the normal course of business, we enter into underwriting commitments. Settlement of transactions relating to such underwriting commitments, which were open at December 31, 2025, had no material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

As a part of our fixed income public finance operations, we enter into forward commitments to purchase agency mortgage-backed securities. In order to hedge the market interest rate risk to which we would otherwise be exposed between the date of the commitment and date of sale of the mortgage-backed securities, we enter into to be announced (“TBA”) security contracts with investors for generic mortgage-backed securities at specific rates and prices to be delivered on settlement dates in the future. We may be subject to loss if the timing of, or the actual amount of, the mortgage-backed security differs significantly from the term and notional amount of the TBA security contract to which we entered. These TBA securities and related purchase commitment are accounted for at fair value. As of December 31, 2025, the fair value of the TBA securities and the estimated fair value of the purchase commitments was $156.0 million.

We also provide guarantees to securities clearinghouses and exchanges under their standard membership agreement, which requires members to guarantee the performance of other members. Under the agreement, if another member becomes unable to satisfy its obligations to the clearinghouse, other members would be required to meet shortfalls. Our liability under these agreements is not quantifiable and may exceed the cash and securities we have posted as collateral. However, the potential requirement for us to make payments under these arrangements is considered remote. Accordingly, no liability has been recognized for these arrangements.

Other Commitments

In the ordinary course of business, Stifel Bancorp has commitments to extend credit in the form of commitments to originate loans, standby letters of credit, and lines of credit. See Note 24 in the notes to consolidated financial statements for further details.

Concentration of Credit Risk

We provide investment, capital-raising, and related services to a diverse group of domestic customers, including governments, corporations, and institutional and individual investors. Our exposure to credit risk associated with the non-performance of customers in fulfilling their contractual obligations pursuant to securities transactions can be directly impacted by volatile securities markets, credit markets, and regulatory changes. This exposure is measured on an individual customer basis and on a group basis for customers that share similar attributes. To reduce the potential for risk concentrations, counterparty credit limits have been implemented for certain products and are continually monitored in light of changing customer and market conditions. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we did not have significant concentrations of credit risk with any one customer or counterparty, or any group of customers or counterparties.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 24, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 26, 2025
2023Feb 16, 2024
2022Feb 17, 2023
2021Feb 18, 2022
2020Feb 19, 2021
2019Feb 19, 2020
2018Feb 20, 2019
2017Feb 26, 2018
2016Feb 23, 2017
2015Mar 1, 2016

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.