Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida Announces Share Repurchase Program

Rhea-AI Summary

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF) announced a share repurchase program allowing the repurchase of up to $100 million of its common stock, approximately 6.1% of outstanding shares, set to expire on December 31, 2021. The program enables various purchasing methods, subject to market conditions and the company's financial performance. CEO Dennis Hudson emphasized the program aims to enhance long-term shareholder value while maintaining a strong balance sheet. As of September 30, 2020, Seacoast had $8.3 billion in assets.

Positive

• Share repurchase program of $100 million enhances shareholder value.
• Repurchase represents 6.1% of outstanding common stock, signaling confidence in future performance.
• CEO expresses commitment to robust capital strength among peers.

Negative

• None.

STUART, Fla., Dec. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida ("Seacoast" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SBCF) announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has adopted a share repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, which will expire on December 31, 2021, the Company may repurchase, from time to time, up to $100 million of its shares of common stock, representing approximately 6.1% of the Company’s outstanding common stock as of December 16, 2020.

The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in the open market, by block purchase, in privately negotiated transactions, in one or more transactions from time to time, or pursuant to any trading plan adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Open market purchases will be conducted in accordance with the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act and other applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will be made at the Company’s discretion and will depend on a variety of factors including, without limitation, price, corporate and regulatory requirements, market conditions, Seacoast’s financial performance, and bank capital and liquidity requirements and priorities. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares.

The repurchase program may be suspended, terminated or modified by the Board without notice at any time for any reason, including, without limitation, market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, capital and liquidity objectives, and other factors deemed appropriate by Seacoast’s management.

Commenting on the share repurchase program, Dennis S. Hudson, III, Seacoast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are committed to maintaining a fortress balance sheet while also building long-term shareholder value, and we will continue to support our objective to maintain robust capital strength that ranks among the highest in our peer group. Given our confidence in our forward outlook, we felt it appropriate to add another capital management option for the coming year and as the overall economic recovery becomes clearer.”

About Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF)

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida with approximately $8.3 billion in assets and $6.9 billion in deposits as of September 30, 2020. The Company provides integrated financial services including commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers through advanced banking solutions, and 51 traditional branches of its locally-branded, wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Seacoast Bank. Offices stretch from Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach north through the Daytona Beach area, into Orlando and Central Florida and the adjacent Tampa market, and west to Okeechobee and surrounding counties. More information about the Company is available at www.SeacoastBanking.com.

Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning, and protections, of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, without limitation, statements about future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhanced revenues, economic and seasonal conditions in our markets, and improvements to reported earnings that may be realized from cost controls, tax law changes, new initiatives and for integration of banks that we have acquired, as well as statements with respect to Seacoast's objectives, strategic plans, including Vision 2020, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts, any of which may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related effects on the U.S. economy. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates and intentions about future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Seacoast to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should not expect us to update any forward-looking statements.

All statements other than statements of historical fact could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may", "will", "anticipate", "assume", "should", "support", "indicate", "would", "believe", "contemplate", "expect", "estimate", "continue", "further", "plan", "point to", "project", "could", "intend", "target" or other similar words and expressions of the future. These forward-looking statements may not be realized due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: the effects of future economic and market conditions, including seasonality and the adverse impact of COVID-19 (economic and otherwise); governmental monetary and fiscal policies, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, as well as legislative, tax and regulatory changes (including potential future legislation); changes in accounting policies, rules and practices, including the impact of the adoption of CECL; our participation in the PPP program; the risks of changes in interest rates on the level and composition of deposits, loan demand, liquidity and the values of loan collateral, securities, and interest sensitive assets and liabilities; interest rate risks, sensitivities and the shape of the yield curve; uncertainty related to the impact of LIBOR calculations on securities and loans; changes in borrower credit risks and payment behaviors; changes in the availability and cost of credit and capital in the financial markets; changes in the prices, values and sales volumes of residential and commercial real estate; our ability to comply with any regulatory requirements; the effects of problems encountered by other financial institutions that adversely affect us or the banking industry; our concentration in commercial real estate loans; the failure of assumptions and estimates, as well as differences in, and changes to, economic, market and credit conditions; the impact on the valuation of our investments due to market volatility or counterparty payment risk; statutory and regulatory dividend restrictions; increases in regulatory capital requirements for banking organizations generally; the risks of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, including our ability to continue to identify acquisition targets and successfully acquire desirable financial institutions; changes in technology or products that may be more difficult, costly, or less effective than anticipated; our ability to identify and address increased cybersecurity risks; inability of our risk management framework to manage risks associated with our business; dependence on key suppliers or vendors to obtain equipment or services for our business on acceptable terms; reduction in or the termination of our ability to use the mobile-based platform that is critical to our business growth strategy; the effects of war or other conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, health emergencies, epidemics or pandemics, or other catastrophic events that may affect general economic conditions; unexpected outcomes of and the costs associated with, existing or new litigation involving us; our ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting; potential claims, damages, penalties, fines and reputational damage resulting from pending or future litigation, regulatory proceedings and enforcement actions; the risks that our deferred tax assets could be reduced if estimates of future taxable income from our operations and tax planning strategies are less than currently estimated and sales of our capital stock could trigger a reduction in the amount of net operating loss carryforwards that we may be able to utilize for income tax purposes; the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds and other financial institutions operating in our market areas and elsewhere, including institutions operating regionally, nationally and internationally, together with such competitors offering banking products and services by mail, telephone, computer and the Internet; and the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of reserves for possible loan losses.

Given the many unknowns and risks being heavily weighted to the downside, our forward-looking statements are subject to the risk that conditions will be substantially different than we are currently expecting. If efforts to contain COVID-19 are unsuccessful and restrictions on movement last into the fourth quarter and beyond, the recession would be much longer and much more severe. Ineffective fiscal stimulus, or an extended delay in implementing it, are also major downside risks. The deeper the recession is, and the longer it lasts, the more it will damage consumer fundamentals and sentiment. This could both prolong the recession, and/or make any recovery weaker. Similarly, the recession could damage business fundamentals. And an extended global recession due to COVID-19 would weaken the U.S. recovery. As a result, the outbreak and its consequences, including responsive measures to manage it, have had and are likely to continue to have an adverse effect, possibly materially, on our business and financial performance by adversely affecting, possibly materially, the demand and profitability of our products and services, the valuation of assets and our ability to meet the needs of our customers.

All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020 under "Special Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-looking Statements" and "Risk Factors", and otherwise in our SEC reports and filings. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC's Internet website at www.sec.gov.

Charles M. Shaffer
President and Chief Operating Officer
Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida
(772) 221-7003

FAQ

What is the share repurchase program announced by SBCF?

SBCF announced a share repurchase program allowing up to $100 million in buybacks, effective until December 31, 2021.

How much of SBCF's common stock will be repurchased?

The repurchase program allows SBCF to buy back approximately 6.1% of its outstanding common stock.

What is the purpose of the SBCF share repurchase program?

The purpose is to enhance long-term shareholder value and maintain a strong balance sheet.

What factors will influence the timing of share repurchases by SBCF?

Share repurchase timing will depend on market conditions, price, and SBCF's financial performance.

When does the SBCF share repurchase program expire?

The share repurchase program will expire on December 31, 2021.