Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On January 16, 2009, First BanCorp ("the Corporation") entered into a Letter
Agreement with the United States Department of the Treasury ("Treasury")
pursuant to which Treasury invested $400,000,000 in preferred stock of the
Corporation under the Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program Capital Purchase
Program.
Under the Letter Agreement, which incorporates the Securities Purchase
Agreement - Standard Terms (the "Purchase Agreement"), the Corporation agreed to
issue and sell to Treasury (1) 400,000 shares of the Corporation's Fixed Rate
Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series F, $1,000 liquidation preference
per share (the "Series F Preferred Stock"), and (2) a warrant dated January 16,
2009 (the "Warrant") to purchase 5,842,259 shares of the Corporation's common
stock (the "Warrant shares") at an exercise price of $10.27 per share. The
exercise price of the Warrant was determined based upon the average of the
closing prices of the Corporation's common stock during the 20-trading day
period ended December 19, 2008, the last trading day prior to the date the
Corporation's application to participate in the program was preliminarily
approved. The Purchase Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and is
incorporated by reference into this Item 1.01.
The Series F Preferred Stock qualifies as Tier 1 regulatory capital.
Cumulative dividends on the Series F Preferred Stock will accrue on the
liquidation preference amount on a quarterly basis at a rate of 5% per annum for
the first five years, and thereafter at a rate of 9% per annum, but will only be
paid when, as and if declared by the Corporation's Board of Directors out of
funds legally available therefor. The Series F Preferred Stock will rank pari
passu with the Corporation's existing 7.125% Noncumulative Perpetual Monthly
Income Preferred Stock, Series A, 8.35% Noncumulative Perpetual Monthly Income
Preferred Stock, Series B, 7.40% Noncumulative Perpetual Monthly Income
Preferred Stock, Series C, 7.25% Noncumulative Perpetual Monthly Income
Preferred Stock, Series D, and 7.00% Noncumulative Perpetual Monthly Income
Preferred Stock, Series E, in terms of dividend payments and distributions upon
liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the Corporation. The Purchase
Agreement contains limitations on the payment of dividends on common stock,
including limiting regular quarterly cash dividends to an amount not exceeding
the last quarterly cash dividend paid per share, or the amount publicly
announced (if lower), of common stock prior to October 14, 2008, which is $0.07
per share. Also, upon issuance of the Series F Preferred Stock, the ability of
the Corporation to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for consideration, any
shares of its common stock, preferred stock or trust preferred securities will
be subject to restrictions. These restrictions will terminate on the earlier of
(a) the third anniversary of the closing date of the issuance of the Series F
Preferred Stock and (b) the date on which the Series F Preferred Stock has been
redeemed in whole or Treasury has transferred all of the Series F Preferred
Stock to third parties that are not affiliates of Treasury. The restrictions
described in this paragraph are set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
The shares of Series F Preferred Stock are non-voting, other than having
class voting rights on certain matters that could adversely affect the Series F
Preferred Stock. If dividends on the preferred shares have not been paid for an
aggregate of six quarterly dividend periods or more, whether or not consecutive,
the Corporation's authorized number of directors will be increased automatically
by two and the holders of the Series F Preferred Stock, voting together with
holders of any then outstanding parity stock, will have the right to elect two
directors to fill such newly created directorships at the Corporation's next
annual meeting of stockholders or at a special meeting of stockholders called
for that purpose prior to such annual meeting. These preferred share directors
will be elected annually and will serve until all accrued and unpaid dividends
on the Series F Preferred Stock have been declared and paid in full.
The Series F Preferred Stock may be redeemed by the Corporation after
January 16, 2012. Prior to that date, the Corporation may redeem, subject to the
approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the shares of
Series F Preferred Stock only with proceeds from one or more "Qualified Equity
Offerings," as such term is defined in the Certificate of Designations (attached
hereto as Exhibit 3.1). After January 16, 2012, the Corporation may redeem,
subject to the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,
in whole or in part, out of funds legally available therefore, the shares of
Series F Preferred Stock then outstanding. The restrictions on redemption, which
are set forth in the Certificate of Designations, are incorporated by reference
into this Item 1.01.
The Warrant has a 10-year term and is immediately exercisable upon issuance.
The exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of the
Warrant are subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments. The Warrant is
attached hereto as Exhibit 4.1 and is incorporated by reference into this
Item 1.01.
The Series F Preferred Stock and the Warrant were issued in a private
placement exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended. The Corporation will file a shelf registration
statement registering the resale of the shares of Series F Preferred Stock, the
Warrant and the Warrant shares. Treasury and other future holders of the shares
of Series F Preferred Stock, the Warrant or the Warrant shares also have certain
piggyback and demand registration rights with respect to the securities. None of
the shares of Series F Preferred Stock, the Warrant, or the Warrant shares are
subject to any contractual restriction on transfer, except that the Treasury may
only transfer or exercise an aggregate of one-half of the Warrant shares prior
to the earlier of the date on which the Corporation receives proceeds from one
or more Qualified Equity Offerings in an aggregate amount not less than the
purchase price of the Warrant and the Series F Preferred Stock and December 31,
2009.
Under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, (i) the Corporation amended its
compensation, bonus, incentive and other benefit plans, arrangements and
agreements (including severance and employment agreements), to the extent
necessary to be in compliance with the executive compensation and corporate
governance requirements of Section 111(b) of the Emergency Economic Stability
Act of 2008 and applicable guidance or regulations issued by the Secretary of
Treasury on or prior to January 16, 2009 and (ii) each Senior Executive Officer,
as defined in the Purchase Agreement, executed a written waiver releasing
Treasury and the Corporation from any claims that such officers may otherwise
have as a result the Corporation's amendment of such arrangements and agreements
to be in compliance with Section 111(b). Until such time as Treasury ceases to
own any debt or equity securities of the Corporation acquired pursuant to the
Purchase Agreement, the Corporation must maintain compliance with these
requirements.
Item 3.02. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
The information set forth under "Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive
Agreement" is incorporated into this Item 3.02.
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
The information concerning executive compensation set forth under "Item 1.01.
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement" is incorporated into this Item 5.02.
Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal
Year.
In connection with the issuance of the Series F Preferred Stock, on
January 13, 2009, the Corporation filed a Certificate of Designations (the
"Certificate of Designations") with the Puerto Rico Department of State for the
purpose of amending its Certificate of Incorporation to fix the designations,
preferences, limitations and relative rights of the Series F Preferred Stock.
The Certificate of Designations is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1 and is
incorporated by reference into this Item 5.03.
Item 9.01. Financials Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description
3.1 Certificate of Designations, dated January 13, 2009.
4.1 Warrant dated January 16, 2009 to purchase shares of Common Stock of
First BanCorp.
10.1 Purchase Agreement dated as of January 16, 2009 between First BanCorp
and the United States Department of the Treasury.
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