First Western Financial, Inc. Announces Stock Repurchase Program

Rhea-AI Summary

First Western Financial (NASDAQ: MYFW) announced a stock repurchase program allowing the company to buy back up to 400,000 shares, about 5.0% of its outstanding shares. The Federal Reserve has approved this initiative. CEO Scott C. Wylie emphasized the company's improved profitability and tangible book value, suggesting the repurchase is a strategic move to enhance shareholder value and reflect the true market potential of the stock. The program, effective for one year, will adapt based on market conditions and regulatory requirements.

Positive

• Authorization to repurchase up to 400,000 shares, enhancing shareholder value.
• CEO's statement indicates a significant increase in profitability and tangible book value.
• Strategic deployment of capital expected to be accretive to earnings.

Negative

• None.

DENVER, Nov. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYFW), a financial services holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado (“First Western” or “the Company”), announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program that authorizes the Company to repurchase up to 400,000 shares of its common stock, which represents approximately 5.0% of the Company’s outstanding shares. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System advised the Company that it has no objection to the Company’s stock repurchase program.

Scott C. Wylie, CEO of First Western, said, “Through the first nine months of 2020, we have generated a significant increase in our level of profitability and tangible book value per share, which we do not believe is accurately reflected in the current market price of our common stock. We believe that repurchasing our shares is an attractive long-term investment for the Company and represents an opportunity to deploy capital that will be accretive to both earnings and tangible book value per share. Given the strength of our balance sheet and our expectation for continued positive trends in our financial performance, we have the ability to implement a share repurchase program while still being well positioned to manage through the impact of the pandemic.”

Stock repurchases under this program may be made from time to time on the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, or in any other manner that complies with applicable securities laws, at the discretion of the Company. The program will be in effect for a one-year period, with the timing of purchases and the number of shares repurchased under the program dependent upon a variety of factors including price, trading volume, corporate and regulatory requirements and market conditions. The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time without notice.

About First Western Financial, Inc.

First Western is a financial services holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with operations in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming and California. First Western and its subsidiaries provide a fully integrated suite of wealth management services on a private trust bank platform, which includes a comprehensive selection of deposit, loan, trust, wealth planning and investment management products and services. First Western’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MYFW.” For more information, please visit www.myfw.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release regarding our expectations and beliefs about our future financial performance and financial condition, as well as trends in our business and markets are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “opportunity,” “could,” or “may.” The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on current information and on assumptions that we make about future events and circumstances that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond our control. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, our actual financial results in the future could differ, possibly materially, from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and could cause us to make changes to our future plans. Those risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects; integration risks in connection with acquisitions; the risk of geographic concentration in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming and California; the risk of changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity; the risk in our ability to continue to originate residential real estate loans and sell such loans; risks specific to commercial loans and borrowers; the risk of claims and litigation pertaining to our fiduciary responsibilities; the risk of competition for investment managers and professionals; the risk of fluctuation in the value of our investment securities; the risk of changes in interest rates; and the risk of the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses and the risk in our ability to maintain a strong core deposit base or other low-cost funding sources. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties to which our business and future financial performance are subject is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 12, 2020 (“Form 10-K”), and other documents we file with the SEC from time to time. We urge readers of this news release to review the “Risk Factors” section our Form 10-K and any updates to those risk factors set forth in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our other filings with the SEC. Also, our actual financial results in the future may differ from those currently expected due to additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not currently aware or which we do not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to our business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, which speak only as of today’s date, or to make predictions based solely on historical financial performance. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:
Financial Profiles, Inc.
Tony Rossi
310-622-8221

MYFW@finprofiles.com
IR@myfw.com

FAQ

What is the stock repurchase program for MYFW?

First Western Financial announced a program to repurchase up to 400,000 shares, approximately 5.0% of its outstanding shares.

Why did MYFW initiate a stock buyback?

The stock buyback aims to enhance shareholder value and reflects the company's strong profitability and book value.

How long will the MYFW stock repurchase program be in effect?

The stock repurchase program will be in effect for one year.

Who approved MYFW's stock buyback program?

The Federal Reserve Board has advised that it has no objection to MYFW's stock repurchase program.

How will MYFW execute the stock repurchase program?

Repurchases may occur on the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, or other methods that comply with applicable securities laws.