FIRST BANCORP /NC/ - Quarter Report: 2012 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012

Commission File Number 0-15572

                            FIRST BANCORP                            

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding twelve months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.      ý YES      o NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).     ý YES     o NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).     o YES     ý NO

The number of shares of the registrant's Common Stock outstanding on April 30, 2012 was 16,949,941.

INDEX

FIRST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARIES

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Part I of this report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that include projections, predictions, expectations or beliefs about future events or results or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualifying words (and their derivatives) such as “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” or other statements concerning our opinions or judgment about future events. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, as they will depend on many factors about which we are unsure, including many factors which are beyond our control. Factors that could influence the accuracy of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the financial success or changing strategies of our customers, our level of success in integrating acquisitions, actions of government regulators, the level of market interest rates, and general economic conditions. For additional information about factors that could affect the matters discussed in this paragraph, see the “Risk Factors” section of our 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Part I. Financial Information

Item 1 - Financial Statements

First Bancorp and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

First Bancorp and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Income

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

First Bancorp and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

First Bancorp and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

First Bancorp and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

First Bancorp and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 1 - Basis of Presentation

In the opinion of the Company, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2012 and 2011 and the consolidated results of operations and consolidated cash flows for the periods ended March 31, 2012 and 2011. All such adjustments were of a normal, recurring nature. Reference is made to the 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for a discussion of accounting policies and other relevant information with respect to the financial statements. The results of operations for the periods ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The Company has evaluated all subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued.

Note 2 – Accounting Policies

Note 1 to the 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC contains a description of the accounting policies followed by the Company and discussion of recent accounting pronouncements. During the first quarter of 2012, there were no new standards or guidance issued by the regulatory authorities relevant to the Company.

Note 3 – Reclassifications

Certain amounts reported in the period ended March 31, 2011 have been reclassified to conform to the presentation for March 31, 2012. These reclassifications had no effect on net income or shareholders’ equity for the periods presented, nor did they materially impact trends in financial information.

Note 4 – Acquisition - Pending

On October 21, 2011, the Company entered into a Branch Purchase and Assumption Agreement (“The Agreement”) with Waccamaw Bankshares, Inc., and its subsidiary, Waccamaw Bank. The Agreement provides for First Bank to acquire eleven branches from Waccamaw Bank, which includes assuming all deposits, selected performing loans, and all premises and equipment. Deposits total approximately $180 million and loans total approximately $98 million.

The Agreement provides for the deposits to be purchased at a premium that varies by account type. The estimated blended premium is approximately 1.5% of total deposits.

The Agreement provides for loans to be purchased at par (the amount of principal outstanding and interest receivable) and for premises and equipment to be purchased at net book value. Approximately $31 million of the $98 million in loans being acquired are subject to a provision in the Agreement allowing First Bank to put the loans back to Waccamaw Bank at par value for any reason within 20 months following the closing date of the transaction. The Agreement is subject to regulatory approval and other customary conditions. No assurance can be provided that this Agreement will be approved.

Note 5 – Equity-Based Compensation Plans

At March 31, 2012, the Company had the following equity-based compensation plans: the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan, the First Bancorp 2004 Stock Option Plan, the First Bancorp 1994 Stock Option Plan, and one plan that was assumed from an acquired entity. The Company’s shareholders approved all equity-based compensation plans, except for those assumed from acquired companies. The First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan became effective

upon the approval of shareholders on May 2, 2007. As of March 31, 2012, the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan was the only plan that had shares available for future grants.

The First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan is intended to serve as a means to attract, retain and motivate key employees and directors and to associate the interests of the plans’ participants with those of the Company and its shareholders. The First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan allows for both grants of stock options and other types of equity-based compensation, including stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted performance stock, unrestricted stock, and performance units.

Recent equity grants to employees have either had performance vesting conditions, service vesting conditions, or both. Compensation expense for these grants is recorded over the various service periods based on the estimated number of equity grants that are probable to vest. No compensation cost is recognized for grants that do not vest and any previously recognized compensation cost will be reversed. As it relates to director equity grants, the Company grants common shares, valued at approximately $242,000 on the date of the grant, to each non-employee director in June of each year. Compensation expense associated with these director grants is recognized on the date of grant since there are no vesting conditions.

The Company granted long-term restricted shares of common stock to certain senior executives on February 24, 2011 and February 23, 2012 with a two year minimum vesting period. The total compensation expense associated with the February 24, 2011 grant was $105,500 and the grant will fully vest on February 24, 2013. The Company recorded $12,400 in the first quarter of 2012 and will record $9,700 in each subsequent quarter of 2012. The total compensation expense associated with the February 23, 2012 grant was $89,700 and the grant will fully vest on February 23, 2014. The Company recorded $3,700 in the first quarter of 2012 and will record $11,200 in each subsequent quarter of 2012.

Under the terms of the Predecessor Plans and the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan, options can have a term of no longer than ten years, and all options granted thus far under these plans have had a term of ten years. The Company’s options provide for immediate vesting if there is a change in control (as defined in the plans).

At March 31, 2012, there were 476,624 options outstanding related to the three First Bancorp plans, with exercise prices ranging from $14.35 to $22.12. At March 31, 2012, there were 896,709 shares remaining available for grant under the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan. The Company also has a stock option plan as a result of a corporate acquisition. At March 31, 2012, there were 4,788 stock options outstanding in connection with the acquired plan, with option prices ranging from $10.66 to $15.22.

The Company issues new shares of common stock when options are exercised.

The Company measures the fair value of each option award on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company determines the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model as follows: the risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant; the dividend yield is based on the Company’s dividend yield at the time of the grant (subject to adjustment if the dividend yield on the grant date is not expected to approximate the dividend yield over the expected life of the option); the volatility factor is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock (subject to adjustment if future volatility is reasonably expected to differ from the past); and the weighted-average expected life is based on the historical behavior of employees related to exercises, forfeitures and cancellations.

The Company’s equity grants for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were the issuance of 9,559 shares of long-term restricted stock to certain senior executives on February 23, 2012, at a fair market value of $10.96 per share, which was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on that date.

The Company’s equity grants for the three months ended March 31, 2011 were the issuance of 7,259 shares of long-term restricted stock to certain senior executives on February 24, 2011, at a fair market value of $14.54 per share, which was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on that date.

The Company recorded total stock-based compensation expense of $20,000 and $133,000 for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, which relates to the employee grants discussed above and is recorded as “salaries expense.” Stock based compensation is reflected as an adjustment to cash flows from operating activities on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The Company recognized $8,000 and $48,000 of income tax benefits related to stock based compensation expense in the income statement for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

As noted above, certain of the Company’s stock option grants contain terms that provide for a graded vesting schedule whereby portions of the award vest in increments over the requisite service period. The Company has elected to recognize compensation expense for awards with graded vesting schedules on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. Compensation expense is based on the estimated number of stock options and awards that will ultimately vest. Over the past five years, there have only been minimal amounts of forfeitures, and therefore the Company assumes that all options granted without performance conditions will become vested.

The following table presents information regarding the activity for the first three months of 2012 related to all of the Company’s stock options outstanding:

The Company did not have any stock option exercises during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and received $31,000 as a result of stock option exercises during the three months ended March 31, 2011. The Company recorded no tax benefits from the exercise of nonqualified stock options during the three months ended March 31, 2012 or 2011.

As discussed above, the Company granted 7,259 and 9,559 long-term restricted shares of common stock to certain senior executives on February 24, 2011 and February 23, 2012, respectively.

The following table presents information regarding the activity during 2012 related to the Company’s outstanding restricted stock:

Note 6 – Earnings Per Common Share

Basic earnings per common share were computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is computed by assuming the issuance of common shares for all potentially dilutive common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Currently, the Company’s potentially dilutive common stock issuances relate to grants under the Company’s equity-based compensation plans, including stock options and restricted stock. The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in computing basic and diluted earnings per common share:

For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, there were 384,231 and 515,916 options, respectively, that were antidilutive because the exercise price exceeded the average market price for the period. Antidilutive options have been omitted from the calculation of diluted earnings per share for the respective periods.

Note 7 – Securities

The book values and approximate fair values of investment securities at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 are summarized as follows:

Included in mortgage-backed securities at March 31, 2012 were collateralized mortgage obligations with an amortized cost of $805,000 and a fair value of $829,000. Included in mortgage-backed securities at December 31, 2011 were collateralized mortgage obligations with an amortized cost of $1,462,000 and a fair value of $1,515,000. All of the Company’s mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations, were issued by government-sponsored corporations.

The Company owned Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock with a cost and fair value of $10,904,000 at both March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, which is included in equity securities above and serves as part of the collateral for the Company’s line of credit with the FHLB. The investment in this stock is a requirement for membership in the FHLB system.

The following table presents information regarding securities with unrealized losses at March 31, 2012:

The following table presents information regarding securities with unrealized losses at December 31, 2011:

In the above tables, all of the non-equity securities that were in an unrealized loss position at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 are bonds that the Company has determined are in a loss position due to interest rate factors, the overall economic downturn in the financial sector, and the broader economy in general. The Company has evaluated the collectability of each of these bonds and has concluded that there is no other-than-temporary impairment. The Company does not intend to sell these securities, and it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell these securities before recovery of the amortized cost. The Company has also concluded that each of the equity securities in an unrealized loss position at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was in such a position due to temporary fluctuations in the market prices of the securities. The Company’s policy is to record an impairment charge for any of these equity securities that remains in an unrealized loss position for twelve consecutive months unless the amount is insignificant.

The aggregate carrying amount of cost-method investments was $10,904,000 at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively, which was the FHLB stock discussed above. The Company determined that none of its cost-method investments were impaired at either period end.

The book values and approximate fair values of investment securities at March 31, 2012, by contractual maturity, are summarized in the table below. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

At March 31, 2012 investment securities with a book value of $27,626,000 were pledged as collateral for public deposits. At December 31, 2011, investment securities with a book value of $47,418,000 were pledged as collateral for public and private deposits and securities sold under agreements to repurchase.

There were $9,641,000 in sales of securities during the three months ended March 31, 2012, which resulted in a net gain of $446,000. There were $2,518,000 in sales during the three months ended March 31, 2011, which resulted in a net gain of $8,000. During the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company recorded a net gain of $6,000 and $11,000, respectively, related to the call of municipal securities. Also, during the three

months ended March 31, 2011, the Company recorded a net loss of $5,000 related to write-downs of the Company’s equity portfolio.

Note 8 – Loans and Asset Quality Information

The loans and foreclosed real estate that were acquired in FDIC-assisted transactions are covered by loss share agreements between the FDIC and the Company’s banking subsidiary, First Bank, which afford First Bank significant loss protection. (See the Company’s 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information regarding these transactions.) Because of the loss protection provided by the FDIC, the risk of the Cooperative Bank and The Bank of Asheville loans and foreclosed real estate are significantly different from those assets not covered under the loss share agreements. Accordingly, the Company presents separately loans subject to the loss share agreements as “covered loans” in the information below and loans that are not subject to the loss share agreements as “non-covered loans.”

The following is a summary of the major categories of total loans outstanding:

As of March 31, 2012, December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2011, net loans include unamortized premiums of $833,000, $949,000, and $1,298,000, respectively, related to acquired loans.

The following is a summary of the major categories of non-covered loans outstanding:

The carrying amount of the covered loans at March 31, 2012 consisted of impaired and nonimpaired purchased loans, as follows:

The carrying amount of the covered loans at December 31, 2011 consisted of impaired and nonimpaired purchased loans, as follows:

The following table presents information regarding covered purchased nonimpaired loans since December 31, 2010. The amounts include principal only and do not reflect accrued interest as of the date of the acquisition or beyond.

As reflected in the table above, the Company accreted $2,578,000 of the loan discount on purchased nonimpaired loans into interest income during the first quarter of 2012. As of March 31, 2012, there was remaining loan discount of $86,093,000 related to purchased nonimpaired loans. If these loans continue to be repaid by the borrowers, the Company will accrete the remaining loan discount into interest income over the lives of the respective loans. In such circumstances, a corresponding entry to reduce the indemnification asset will be recorded amounting to 80% of the loan discount accretion, which reduces noninterest income.

The following table presents information regarding all purchased impaired loans since December 31, 2010, substantially all of which are covered loans. The Company has applied the cost recovery method to all purchased impaired loans at their respective acquisition dates due to the uncertainty as to the timing of expected cash flows, as reflected in the following table.

Each of the purchased impaired loans is on nonaccrual status and considered to be impaired. Because of the uncertainty of the expected cash flows, the Company is accounting for each purchased impaired loan under the cost recovery method, in which all cash payments are applied to principal. Thus, there is no accretable yield associated with the above loans. During the first quarter of 2012 and 2011, the Company received no payments that exceeded the initial carrying amount of the purchased impaired loans.

Nonperforming assets are defined as nonaccrual loans, restructured loans, loans past due 90 or more days and still accruing interest, and other real estate. Nonperforming assets are summarized as follows:

(1) At March 31, 2012, December 31, 2011, and March 31, 2011, the contractual balance of the nonaccrual loans covered by FDIC loss share agreements was $68.3 million, $69.0 million, and $106.5 million, respectively.

The following table presents information related to the Company’s impaired loans.

All of the impaired loans noted in the table above were on nonaccrual status at each respective period end except for those classified as restructured loans (see table on previous page for balances).

The remaining tables in this note present information derived from the Company’s allowance for loan loss model. Relevant accounting guidance requires certain disclosures to be disaggregated based on how the Company develops its allowance for loan losses and manages its credit exposure. This model combines loan types in a different manner than the tables previously presented.

The following table presents the Company’s nonaccrual loans as of March 31, 2012.

The following table presents the Company’s nonaccrual loans as of December 31, 2011.

The following table presents an analysis of the payment status of the Company’s loans as of March 31, 2012.