UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 18, 2017
First Community Corporation
(Exact Name of Registrant As Specified in Its Charter)
South Carolina
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
| 000-28344 | 57-1010751 | |
| (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| 5455 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, South Carolina | 29072 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
(803) 951-2265
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report.)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
x Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company o
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. o
ITEM 2.02. Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On October 18, 2017, First Community Corporation (the “Company”), holding company for First Community Bank, issued a press release announcing its financial results for the period ended September 30, 2017. The Company announced that the Board of Directors has approved a cash dividend for the third quarter of 2017. The Company will pay a $0.09 per share dividend to holders of the Company’s common stock. This dividend is payable on November 15, 2017 to shareholders of record as of November 1, 2017.
A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This communication includes statements made in respect of the proposed merger involving the Company and Cornerstone Bancorp (“Cornerstone”). Certain statements in this news release contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to future plans, goals, projections and expectations, and are thus prospective. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors, include, among others, the following: (1) the businesses of the Company and Cornerstone may not be integrated successfully or such integration may take longer to accomplish than expected; (2) the expected cost savings and any revenue synergies from the merger may not be fully realized within the expected timeframes or at all; (3) disruption from the merger may make it more difficult to maintain relationships with clients, associates, or suppliers; (4) competitive pressures among depository and other financial institutions may increase significantly and have an effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues; (5) the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which we conduct operations may be different than expected resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in the credit quality or a reduced demand for credit, including the resultant effect on the company’s loan portfolio and allowance for loan losses; (6) the rate of delinquencies and amounts of charge-offs, the level of allowance for loan loss, the rates of loan growth, or adverse changes in asset quality in our loan portfolio, which may result in increased credit risk-related losses and expenses; (7) changes in the U.S. legal and regulatory framework; (8) adverse conditions in the stock market, the public debt markets and other capital markets (including changes in interest rate conditions) could have a negative impact on the company; (9) technology and cybersercurity risks, including potential business disruptions, reputational risks, and financial losses, associated with potential attacks on or failures by our computer systems and computer systems of our vendors and other third parties; and (10) risks, uncertainties and other factors disclosed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), or in any of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC since the end of the fiscal year covered by our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, which are available at the SEC’s Internet site (http://www.sec.gov).
Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. We can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by our Company or any person that the future events, plans, or expectations contemplated by our Company will be achieved. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGER AND WHERE TO FIND IT
This material is not a solicitation of any vote or approval of Cornerstone’s shareholders and is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other documents which the Company and Cornerstone may send to their respective shareholders in connection with the proposed merger. This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
In connection with the proposed merger with Cornerstone, the Company filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that includes a proxy statement/prospectus for the shareholders of Cornerstone. BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISION, CORNERSTONE INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/ PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE MERGER AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY. The proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about the Company, are or will be available, without charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference in the proxy statement/ prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to First Community Corporation, 5455 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC 29072, Attention: Michael Crapps.
ITEM 8.01. Other Events.
The information set forth in Item 2.02 of the Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference in this Item 8.01.
ITEM 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
| Item | Exhibit |
| 99.1 | Earnings Press Release for the period ended September 30, 2017. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| FIRST COMMUNITY CORPORATION | |||
| By: | /s/ Joseph G. Sawyer | ||
| Name: | Joseph G. Sawyer | ||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | ||
Dated: October 18, 2017
Exhibit List
99.1 Earnings Press Release for the period ended September 30, 2017.