PEOPLES BANCORP OF NORTH CAROLINA INC - Annual Report: 2007 (Form 10-K)
UNITED
STATES
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SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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Washington,
D.C. 20549
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FORM
10-K
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ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
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OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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For
the fiscal year ended: December 31,
2007
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Peoples Bancorp of
North Carolina, Inc.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as
Specified in Its Charter)
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North
Carolina
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(State
or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
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000-27205
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56-2132396
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(Commission
File No.)
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(IRS
Employer Identification No.)
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518 West C Street,
Newton, North Carolina
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28658
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(Address
of Principal Executive Offices)
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(Zip
Code)
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(828)
464-5620
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(Registrant’s
Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
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Securities
Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
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Securities
Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
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Common Stock, no par
value
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(title
of class)
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Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as
defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
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Yes
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o |
No
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x
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Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act
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Yes
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o |
No
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x
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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 12 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.
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Yes
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x
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No
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o | ||||||||||||||
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers in response to Item 405
of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to
the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information
statements incorporated by reference in
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Part
III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form
10-K. x
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Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, and
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting
company.
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Large Accelerated Filer | o | Accelerated Filer | x | Non-Accelerated Filer | o | Smaller Reporting Company | o |
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
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Yes
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o |
No
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x
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State
the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held
by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common
equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked prices of such common
equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently
completed second fiscal quarter. $89,182,566 based on the
closing price of such common stock on June 30, 2007, which was $19.80 per
share.
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Indicate
the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of
common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
5,599,234 shares of
common stock, outstanding at February 29,
2008.
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DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions
of the Annual Report of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. for the year
ended December 31, 2007 (the “Annual Report”), which will be included as
Appendix A to the Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders,
are incorporated by reference into Part I and Part II and included as Exhibit 13
to the Form 10-K.
Portions
of the Proxy Statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Peoples
Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. to be held on May 1, 2008 (the “Proxy
Statement”), are incorporated by reference into Part III.
This
report contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial
condition, results of operations
and business of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (the
“Company”). These forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management of the
Company and on the information available to management at the time that these
disclosures were prepared. These statements can be identified by the use of
words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate” and “believe,” variations of these
words and other similar expressions. Readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking
statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially include, but are not limited to, (1) competition in the markets
served by Peoples Bank (the “Bank”), (2) changes in the interest rate
environment, (3) general national, regional or local economic conditions may be
less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration
in credit quality and the possible impairment of collectibility of loans, (4)
legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards,
(5) significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory
environment and tax laws, (6) the impact of changes in monetary and fiscal
policies, laws, rules and regulations and (7) other risks and factors identified
in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements.
2
PEOPLES BANCORP OF NORTH CAROLINA, INC. | |||||
FORM 10-K CROSS REFERENCE INDEX | |||||
Notice of 2008 | |||||
Annual Meeting, | |||||
2007 Form | Proxy Statement | ||||
10-K | and Annual Report | ||||
Page | Page | ||||
PART I | |||||
Item 1 - Business | 3 - 9 | N/A | |||
Item 1A - Risk Factors | 10 - 12 | N/A | |||
Item 1B - Unresolved Staff Comments | 12 | N/A | |||
Item 2 - Properties | 12 - 13 | N/A | |||
Item 3 - Legal Proceedings | 13 | N/A | |||
Item 4 - Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders | 13 | N/A | |||
PART II | |||||
Item 5 - Market for the Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and | |||||
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities | 14 | A-25 | |||
Item 6 - Selected Financial Data | 15 | A-3 | |||
Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and | |||||
Results of Operations | 15 | A-4 - A-25 | |||
Item 7A - Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk | 15 | A-23 | |||
Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | 15 | A-27 - A-56 | |||
Item 9 - Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting | |||||
and Financial Disclosure | 15 | N/A | |||
Item 9A - Controls and Procedures | 15 | N/A | |||
Item 9B - Other Information | 15 | N/A | |||
PART III | |||||
Item 10 - Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant | 16 | A-57 | |||
Item 11 - Executive Compensation | 16 | 11 - 31 | |||
Item 12 - Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management | 16 | 4 - 7 | |||
Item 13 - Certain Relationships and Related Transactions | 16 | 32 | |||
Item 14 - Principal Accountant Fees and Services | 16 | 35 | |||
PART IV | |||||
Item 15 - Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules | 17 - 19 | N/A | |||
Signatures | 20 | N/A |
3
PART
I
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
General
Peoples
Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (the “Company”), was formed in 1999 to serve as
the holding company for Peoples Bank (the “Bank”). The Company is a
bank holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) under the Bank Holding Company Act of
1956, as amended (the “BHCA”). The Company’s principal source of
income is any dividends, which are declared and paid by the Bank on its capital
stock. The Company has no operations and conducts no business of its
own other than owning the Bank. Accordingly, the discussion of the
business which follows concerns the business conducted by the Bank, unless
otherwise indicated.
The Bank,
founded in 1912, is a state-chartered commercial bank serving the citizens and
business interests of the Catawba Valley and surrounding communities through 19
banking offices located in Lincolnton, Newton, Denver, Catawba, Conover, Maiden,
Claremont, Hiddenite, Hickory, Charlotte, Monroe and Cornelius, North
Carolina. The Bank also operates a loan production office in Denver,
North Carolina. In January 2008, the Bank opened a traditional
banking office in Iredell County, in Mooresville, North Carolina and a Banco de
la Gente office in Wake County, in Raleigh, North Carolina. At
December 31, 2007, the Company had total assets of $907.3 million, net loans of
$713.2 million, deposits of $693.7 million, total securities of $127.4 million,
and shareholders’ equity of $70.1 million.
The Bank
has a diversified loan portfolio, with no foreign loans and few agricultural
loans. Real estate loans are predominately variable rate commercial
property loans, which include residential development loans to commercial
customers. Commercial loans are spread throughout a variety of
industries with no one particular industry or group of related industries
accounting for a significant portion of the commercial loan
portfolio. The majority of the Bank's deposit and loan customers are
individuals and small to medium-sized businesses located in the Bank's market
area. The Bank’s loan portfolio also includes Individual Taxpayer
Identification Number (ITIN) mortgage loans generated thorough the Bank’s Banco
de le Gente offices. Additional discussion of the Bank’s loan
portfolio and sources of funds for loans can be found in “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” on
pages A-4 through A-25 of the Annual Report, which is included in this Form 10-K
as Exhibit 13.
The
operations of the Bank and depository institutions in general are significantly
influenced by general economic conditions and by related monetary and fiscal
policies of depository institution regulatory agencies, including the Federal
Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and the North
Carolina Commissioner of Banks (the "Commissioner").
At
December 31, 2007, the Bank employed 264 full-time equivalent
employees.
Subsidiaries
The Bank
is a subsidiary of the Company. The Bank has two subsidiaries,
Peoples Investment Services, Inc. and Real Estate Advisory Services, Inc. Through a relationship
with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Peoples Investment Services, Inc.
provides the Bank's customers access to investment counseling and non-deposit
investment products such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, tax deferred annuities,
and related brokerage services. Real Estate Advisory Services, Inc.,
provides real estate appraisal and real estate brokerage services.
In June
2006, the Company formed a wholly owned Delaware statutory trust, PEBK Capital
Trust II (“PEBK Trust II”), which issued $20.0 million of guaranteed preferred
beneficial interests in the Company’s junior subordinated deferrable interest
debentures. All of the common securities of PEBK Trust II are owned
by the Company. The proceeds from the issuance of the common
securities and the trust preferred securities were used by PEBK Trust II to
purchase $20.6 million of junior subordinated debentures of the Company, which
pay a floating rate equal to three month LIBOR plus 163 basis
points. The proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the
junior subordinated debentures were used in December 2006 to repay the trust
preferred securities issued by PEBK Trust in December 2001 and for general
purposes. The debentures represent the sole asset of PEBK Trust
II. PEBK Trust II is not included in the consolidated financial
statements.
4
The trust
preferred securities issued by PEBK Trust II accrue and pay quarterly at a
floating rate of three-month LIBOR plus 163 basis points. The Company
has guaranteed distributions and other payments due on the trust preferred
securities to the extent PEBK Trust II does not have funds with which to make
the distributions and other payments. The net combined effect of the
trust preferred securities transaction is that the Company is obligated to make
the distributions and other payments required on the trust preferred
securities.
These
trust preferred securities are mandatorily redeemable upon maturity of the
debentures on June 28, 2036, or upon earlier redemption as provided in the
indenture. The Company has the right to redeem the debentures
purchased by PEBK Trust II, in whole or in part, on or after June 28,
2011. As specified in the indenture, if the debentures are redeemed
prior to maturity, the redemption price will be the principal amount and any
accrued but unpaid interest.
Market
Area
The
Bank's primary market consists of the communities in an approximately 25-mile
radius around its headquarters office in Newton, North Carolina. This
area includes Catawba County, Alexander County, Lincoln County, Iredell County
and portions of northeast Gaston County. The Bank is located only 40
miles north of Charlotte, North Carolina and the Bank's primary market area is
and will continue to be significantly affected by its close proximity to this
major metropolitan area. The Bank has two offices in Mecklenburg
County, one office in Union County and one office in Wake County specifically
designed to serve the growing Latino market.
Employment
in the Bank's primary market area is diversified among manufacturing,
agricultural, retail and wholesale trade, technology, services and
utilities. Catawba County’s largest employers include Catawba County
Schools, Frye Regional Medical Center, CommScope, Inc. (manufacturer of fiber
optic cable and accessories), Corning (manufacturer of fiber optic cable and
accessories), Merchant Distributors, Inc (wholesale food distributor), Hickory
Springs (manufacturer of foam rubber cushions), Catawba Valley Medical Center,
Catawba County, Sherrill Furniture Company, CV Industries (furniture
manufacturer) and McCreary Modern (furniture manufacturer).
Competition
The Bank
has operated in the Catawba Valley region for more than 90 years and is the only
financial institution headquartered in Newton. Nevertheless, the Bank
faces strong competition both in attracting deposits and making loans. Its most
direct competition for deposits has historically come from other commercial
banks, credit unions and brokerage firms located in its primary market area,
including large financial institutions. Two national money center
commercial banks are headquartered in Charlotte, North
Carolina. Based upon June 30, 2007 comparative data, the Bank had
33.34% of the deposits in Catawba County, placing it second in deposit size
among a total of 13 banks with branch offices in Catawba County; 10.48% of the
deposits in Lincoln County, placing it sixth in deposit size among a total of
eight banks with branch offices in Lincoln County and 13.04% of the deposits in
Alexander County, placing it fifth in deposit size among a total of seven banks
with branch offices in Alexander County.
The Bank
also faces additional significant competition for investors' funds from
short-term money market securities and other corporate and government
securities. The Bank's deposit base has grown principally due to
economic growth in the Bank's market area coupled with the implementation of new
and competitive deposit products. The ability of the Bank to attract and retain
deposits depends on its ability to generally provide a rate of return, liquidity
and risk comparable to that offered by competing investment
opportunities.
The Bank
experiences strong competition for loans from commercial banks and mortgage
banking companies. The Bank competes for loans primarily through the
interest rates and loan fees it charges and the efficiency and quality of
services it provides borrowers. Competition is increasing as a result
of the continuing reduction of restrictions on the interstate operations of
financial institutions.
Supervision
and Regulation
Bank
holding companies and commercial banks are extensively regulated under both
federal and state law. The following is a brief summary of certain
statutes and rules and regulations that affect or will affect the Company, the
Bank and any subsidiaries. This summary is qualified in its entirety
by reference to the particular statute and regulatory provisions cited below and
is not intended to be an exhaustive description of the statutes or regulations
applicable to the business of the Company and the Bank. Supervision,
regulation and examination of the Company and the Bank by the regulatory
agencies are intended primarily for the protection of depositors rather than
shareholders of the Company.
5
Statutes
and regulations which contain wide-ranging proposals for altering the
structures, regulations and competitive relationship of financial institutions
are introduced regularly. The Company cannot predict whether or in
what form any proposed statute or regulation will be adopted or the extent to
which the business of the Company and the Bank may be affected by such statute
or regulation.
General. There are a
number of obligations and restrictions imposed on bank holding companies and
their depository institution subsidiaries by law and regulatory policy that are
designed to minimize potential loss to the depositors of such depository
institutions and the FDIC insurance funds in the event the depository
institution becomes in danger of default or in default. For example,
to avoid receivership of an insured depository institution subsidiary, a bank
holding company is required to guarantee the compliance of any insured
depository institution subsidiary that may become “undercapitalized” with the
terms of the capital restoration plan filed by such subsidiary with its
appropriate federal banking agency up to the lesser of (i) an amount equal to 5%
of the bank's total assets at the time the bank became undercapitalized or (ii)
the amount which is necessary (or would have been necessary) to bring the bank
into compliance with all acceptable capital standards as of the time the bank
fails to comply with such capital restoration plan. The Company, as a
registered bank holding company, is subject to the regulation of the Federal
Reserve. Under a policy of the Federal Reserve with respect to bank
holding company operations, a bank holding company is required to serve as a
source of financial strength to its subsidiary depository institutions and to
commit resources to support such institutions in circumstances where it might
not do so absent such policy. The Federal Reserve under the BHCA also
has the authority to require a bank holding company to terminate any activity or
to relinquish control of a nonbank subsidiary (other than a nonbank subsidiary
of a bank) upon the Federal Reserve's determination that such activity or
control constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness and stability of
any bank subsidiary of the bank holding company.
In
addition, insured depository institutions under common control are required to
reimburse the FDIC for any loss suffered by its deposit insurance funds as a
result of the default of a commonly controlled insured depository institution or
for any assistance provided by the FDIC to a commonly controlled insured
depository institution in danger of default. The FDIC may decline to
enforce the cross-guarantee provisions if it determines that a waiver is in the
best interest of the deposit insurance funds. The FDIC's claim for
damages is superior to claims of stockholders of the insured depository
institution or its holding company but is subordinate to claims of depositors,
secured creditors and holders of subordinated debt (other than affiliates) of
the commonly controlled insured depository institutions.
As a
result of the Company's ownership of the Bank, the Company is also registered
under the bank holding company laws of North Carolina. Accordingly,
the Company is also subject to regulation and supervision by the
Commissioner.
Capital Adequacy
Guidelines for Holding Companies. The Federal
Reserve has adopted capital adequacy guidelines for bank holding companies and
banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System and have consolidated
assets of $150 million or more. Bank holding companies subject to the
Federal Reserve’s capital adequacy guidelines are required to comply with the
Federal Reserve's risk-based capital guidelines. Under these regulations, the
minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets is 8%. At
least half of the total capital is required to be “Tier I capital,” principally
consisting of common stockholders' equity, noncumulative perpetual preferred
stock, and a limited amount of cumulative perpetual preferred stock, less
certain goodwill items. The remainder (“Tier II capital”) may consist
of a limited amount of subordinated debt, certain hybrid capital instruments and
other debt securities, perpetual preferred stock, and a limited amount of the
general loan loss allowance. In addition to the risk-based capital
guidelines, the Federal Reserve has adopted a minimum Tier I capital (leverage)
ratio, under which a bank holding company must maintain a minimum level of Tier
I capital to average total consolidated assets of at least 3% in the case of a
bank holding company which has the highest regulatory examination rating and is
not contemplating significant growth or expansion. All other bank
holding companies are expected to maintain a Tier I capital (leverage) ratio of
at least 1% to 2% above the stated minimum.
Capital
Requirements for the Bank. The Bank, as a North Carolina
commercial bank, is required to maintain a surplus account equal to 50% or more
of its paid-in capital stock. As a North Carolina chartered,
FDIC-insured commercial bank which is not a member of the Federal Reserve
System, the Bank is also subject to capital requirements imposed by the
FDIC. Under the FDIC's regulations, state nonmember banks that (a)
receive the highest rating during the examination process and (b) are not
anticipating or experiencing any significant growth, are required to maintain a
minimum leverage ratio of 3% of total consolidated assets; all other banks are
required to maintain a minimum ratio of 1% or 2% above the stated minimum, with
a minimum leverage ratio of not less than 4%. The Bank exceeded all
applicable capital requirements as of December 31, 2007.
6
Dividend and
Repurchase Limitations. The Company must
obtain Federal Reserve approval prior to repurchasing its Common Stock in excess
of 10% of its net worth during any twelve-month period unless the Company (i)
both before and after the redemption satisfies capital requirements for "well
capitalized" state member banks; (ii) received a one or two rating in its last
examination; and (iii) is not the subject of any unresolved supervisory
issues.
Although the payment of dividends and
repurchase of stock by the Company are subject to certain requirements and
limitations of North Carolina corporate law, except as set forth in this
paragraph, neither the Commissioner nor the FDIC have promulgated any
regulations specifically limiting the right of the Company to pay dividends and
repurchase shares. However, the ability of the Company to pay
dividends or repurchase shares may be dependent upon the Company's receipt of
dividends from the Bank.
North
Carolina commercial banks, such as the Bank, are subject to legal limitations on
the amounts of dividends they are permitted to pay. Dividends may be
paid by the Bank from undivided profits, which are determined by deducting and
charging certain items against actual profits, including any contributions to
surplus required by North Carolina law. Also, an insured depository
institution, such as the Bank, is prohibited from making capital distributions,
including the payment of dividends, if, after making such distribution, the
institution would become "undercapitalized" (as such term is defined in the
applicable law and regulations).
Deposit
Insurance. The Bank’s
deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund, or
DIF, of the FDIC. The DIF is the successor to the Bank Insurance Fund and the
Savings Association Insurance Fund, which were merged in 2006. The Bank’s
deposits, therefore, are subject to FDIC deposit insurance
assessment.
The FDIC
recently amended its risk-based deposit assessment system for 2007 to implement
authority granted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005, or the
Reform Act. Under the revised system, insured institutions are assigned to one
of four risk categories based on supervisory evaluations, regulatory capital
levels and certain other factors. An institution’s assessment rate depends upon
the category to which it is assigned. Risk Category I, which contains the least
risky depository institutions, is expected to include more than 90% of all
institutions. Unlike the other categories, Risk Category I contains further risk
differentiation based on the FDIC’s analysis of financial ratios, examination
component ratings and other information. Assessment rates are determined by the
FDIC and currently range from five to seven basis points for the healthiest
institutions (Risk Category I) to 43 basis points of assessable deposits for the
riskiest (Risk Category IV). The Bank was assessed at an average rate of 5.62
basis points in 2007. The FDIC may adjust rates uniformly from one
quarter to the next, except that no single adjustment can exceed three basis
points.
The FDIC
is authorized to set the reserve ratio for the DIF annually at between 1.15% and
1.5% of estimated insured deposits, in contrast to the statutorily fixed ratio
of 1.25% under the old system. The ratio, which is viewed by the FDIC as the
level that the funds should achieve, was established by the agency at 1.25% for
2007. The Reform Act also provided for the possibility that the FDIC may pay
dividends to insured institutions once the DIF reserve ratio equals or exceeds
1.35% of estimated insured deposits. The Reform Act also provided for a one-time
credit for eligible institutions based on their assessment base as of December
1996. Subject to certain limitations with respect to institutions that are
exhibiting weaknesses, credits can be used to offset future assessments until
exhausted.
Federal Home Loan
Bank System. The FHLB system
provides a central credit facility for member institutions. As a member of the
FHLB of Atlanta, the Bank is required to own capital stock in the FHLB of
Atlanta in an amount at least equal to 0.20% (or 20 basis points) of the Bank’s
total assets at the end of each calendar year, plus 4.5% of its outstanding
advances (borrowings) from the FHLB of Atlanta under the new activity-based
stock ownership requirement. On December 31, 2007, the Bank was in
compliance with this requirement.
Community
Reinvestment. Under the Community
Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), as implemented by regulations of the FDIC, an insured
institution has a continuing and affirmative obligation consistent with its safe
and sound operation to help meet the credit needs of its entire community,
including low and moderate income neighborhoods. The CRA does not establish
specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions, nor does
it limit an institution’s discretion to develop, consistent with the CRA, the
types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its
particular community. The CRA requires the federal banking regulators, in
connection with their examinations of insured institutions, to assess the
institutions’ records of meeting the credit needs of their communities, using
the ratings of “outstanding,” “satisfactory,” “needs to improve,” or
“substantial noncompliance,” and to take that record into account in its
evaluation of certain applications by those institutions. All institutions are
required to make public disclosure of their CRA performance ratings. The Bank
received an “outstanding” rating in its last CRA examination, which was
conducted during March 2007.
7
Prompt Corrective
Action. The
FDIC has broad powers to take corrective action to resolve the problems of
insured depository institutions. The extent of these powers will
depend upon whether the institution in question is "well capitalized,"
"adequately capitalized," "undercapitalized," "significantly undercapitalized,"
or "critically undercapitalized." Under the regulations, an
institution is considered: (A) "well capitalized" if it has (i) a total
risk-based capital ratio of 10% or greater, (ii) a Tier I risk-based capital
ratio of 6% or greater, (iii) a leverage ratio of 5% or greater and (iv) is not
subject to any order or written directive to meet and maintain a specific
capital level for any capital measure; (B) "adequately capitalized" if it has
(i) a total risk-based capital ratio of 8% or greater, (ii) a Tier I risk-based
capital ratio of 4% or greater and (iii) a leverage ratio of 4% or greater (or
3% or greater in the case of an institution with the highest examination
rating); (C)"undercapitalized" if it has (i) a total risk-based capital ratio of
less than 8%, (ii) a Tier I risk-based capital ratio of less than 4% or (iii) a
leverage ratio of less than 4% (or 3% in the case of an institution with the
highest examination rating); (D) "significantly undercapitalized" if it has (i)
a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6%, or (ii) a Tier I risk-based
capital ratio of less than 3% or (iii) a leverage ratio of less than 3%; and (E)
"critically undercapitalized" if the institution has a ratio of tangible equity
to total assets equal to or less than 2%.
Changes in
Control. The BHCA prohibits the Company from acquiring direct
or indirect control of more than 5% of the outstanding voting stock or
substantially all of the assets of any bank or savings bank or merging or
consolidating with another bank holding company or savings bank holding company
without prior approval of the Federal Reserve. Similarly, Federal
Reserve approval (or, in certain cases, non-disapproval) must be obtained prior
to any person acquiring control of the Company. Control is
conclusively presumed to exist if, among other things, a person acquires more
than 25% of any class of voting stock of the Company or controls in any manner
the election of a majority of the directors of the Company. Control
is presumed to exist if a person acquires more than 10% of any class of voting
stock and the stock is registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 or the acquiror will be the largest shareholder after the
acquisition.
Federal
Securities Law. The Company has
registered its Common Stock with the SEC pursuant to Section 12(g) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result of such registration,
the proxy and tender offer rules, insider trading reporting requirements, annual
and periodic reporting and other requirements of the Exchange Act are applicable
to the Company.
Transactions with
Affiliates. Under current federal
law, depository institutions are subject to the restrictions contained in
Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act with respect to loans to directors,
executive officers and principal shareholders. Under Section 22(h),
loans to directors, executive officers and shareholders who own more than 10% of
a depository institution (18% in the case of institutions located in an area
with less than 30,000 in population), and certain affiliated entities of any of
the foregoing, may not exceed, together with all other outstanding loans to such
person and affiliated entities, the institution's loans-to-one-borrower limit
(as discussed below). Section 22(h) also prohibits loans above
amounts prescribed by the appropriate federal banking agency to directors,
executive officers and shareholders who own more than 10% of an institution, and
their respective affiliates, unless such loans are approved in advance by a
majority of the board of directors of the institution. Any
"interested" director may not participate in the voting. The FDIC has
prescribed the loan amount (which includes all other outstanding loans to such
person), as to which such prior board of director approval is required, as being
the greater of $25,000 or 5% of capital and surplus (up to
$500,000). Further, pursuant to Section 22(h), the Federal Reserve
requires that loans to directors, executive officers, and principal shareholders
be made on terms substantially the same as offered in comparable transactions
with non-executive employees of the Bank. The FDIC has imposed
additional limits on the amount a bank can loan to an executive
officer.
Loans to One
Borrower. The Bank is subject to
the Commissioner's loans to one borrower limits which are substantially the same
as those applicable to national banks. Under these limits, no loans
and extensions of credit to any borrower outstanding at one time and not fully
secured by readily marketable collateral shall exceed 15% of the unimpaired
capital and unimpaired surplus of the bank. Loans and extensions of
credit fully secured by readily marketable collateral may comprise an additional
10% of unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus.
Gramm-Leach-Bliley
Act. The federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (the “GLB Act”)
dramatically changed various federal laws governing the banking, securities and
insurance industries. The GLB Act has expanded opportunities for
banks and bank holding companies to provide services and engage in other
revenue-generating activities that previously were prohibited to
them. However, this expanded authority also may present us with new
challenges as our larger competitors are able to expand their services and
products into areas that are not feasible for smaller, community oriented
financial institutions. The GLB Act likely will have a significant
economic impact on the banking industry and on competitive conditions in the
financial services industry generally.
8
USA Patriot Act
of 2001. The USA Patriot
Act of 2001 was enacted in response to the terrorist attacks that occurred in
New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. on September 11,
2001. The Act is intended to strengthen the ability of U.S. law
enforcement and the intelligence community to work cohesively to combat
terrorism on a variety of fronts. The potential impact of the Act on
financial institutions of all kinds is significant and wide
ranging. The Act contains sweeping anti-money laundering and
financial transparency laws and contains various regulations, including
standards for verifying customer identification at account opening, and rules to
promote cooperation among financial institutions, regulators, and law
enforcement entities in identifying parties that may be involved in terrorism or
money laundering.
Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is sweeping federal legislation addressing
accounting, corporate governance and disclosure issues. The impact of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act is wide-ranging as it applies to all public companies and
imposes significant new requirements for public company governance and
disclosure requirements. Some of the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act became effective immediately while others are still being
implemented.
In
general, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act mandates important new corporate governance and
financial reporting requirements intended to enhance the accuracy and
transparency of public companies’ reported financial results. It
establishes new responsibilities for corporate chief executive officers, chief
financial officers and audit committees in the financial reporting process and
creates a new regulatory body to oversee auditors of public
companies. It backs these requirements with new SEC enforcement
tools, increases criminal penalties for federal mail, wire and securities fraud,
and creates new criminal penalties for document and record destruction in
connection with federal investigations. It also increases the
opportunity for more private litigation by lengthening the statute of
limitations for securities fraud claims and providing new federal corporate
whistleblower protection.
The
economic and operational effects of this new legislation on public companies,
including us, will be significant in terms of the time, resources and costs
associated with complying with the new law. Because the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act, for the most part, applies equally to larger and smaller
public companies, we will be presented with additional challenges as a smaller,
community-oriented financial institution seeking to compete with larger
financial institutions in our market.
The
Company qualified as an accelerated filer in accordance with Rule 12b-2 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, effective December 31,
2006. Therefore, the Company is subject to the requirements of
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX 404”). The
Company incurred additional consulting and audit expenses in becoming compliant
with SOX 404, and will continue to incur additional audit expenses to comply
with SOX 404 going forward. Management does not expect expenses
related to SOX 404 to have a material impact on the Company’s financial
statements
Other. Additional regulations
require annual examinations of all insured depository institutions by the
appropriate federal banking agency, with some exceptions for small,
well-capitalized institutions and state chartered institutions examined by state
regulators. Additional regulations also establish operational and
managerial, asset quality, earnings and stock valuation standards for insured
depository institutions, as well as compensation standards.
The Bank
is subject to examination by the FDIC and the Commissioner. In
addition, the Bank is subject to various other state and federal laws and
regulations, including state usury laws, laws relating to fiduciaries, consumer
credit and equal credit, fair credit reporting laws and laws relating to branch
banking. The Bank, as an insured North Carolina commercial bank, is
prohibited from engaging as a principal in activities that are not permitted for
national banks, unless (i) the FDIC determines that the activity would pose no
significant risk to the appropriate deposit insurance fund and (ii) the Bank is,
and continues to be, in compliance with all applicable capital
standards.
Under
Chapter 53 of the North Carolina General Statutes, if the capital stock of a
North Carolina commercial bank is impaired by losses or otherwise, the
Commissioner is authorized to require payment of the deficiency by assessment
upon the bank's shareholders, pro rata, and to the extent necessary, if any such
assessment is not paid by any shareholder, upon 30 days notice, to sell as much
as is necessary of the stock of such shareholder to make good the
deficiency.
9
ITEM
1A. RISK
FACTORS
The following are potential risks that
management considers material and that could affect the future operating results
and financial condition of the Bank and the Company. The risks are
not listed in any particular order of importance, and there is the potential
that there are other risks that have either not been identified or that
management believed to be immaterial but which could in fact adversely affect
the Bank’s operating results and financial condition.
Loss
of key personnel could adversely impact results
The success of the Bank has been and
will continue to be greatly influenced by the ability to retain the services of
existing senior management. The Bank has benefited from consistency
within its senior management team, with its top five executives averaging over
14 years of service with the Bank. The Company has entered into
employment contracts with each of these top management
officials. Nevertheless, the unexpected loss of the services of any
of the key management personnel, or the inability to recruit and retain
qualified personnel in the future, could have an adverse impact on the business
and financial results of the Bank.
A
significant amount of the Bank’s business is concentrated in lending which is
secured by property located in the Catawba Valley and surrounding
areas
In
addition to the financial strength and cash flow characteristics of the borrower
in each case, the Bank often secures its loans with real estate collateral. The
real estate collateral in each case provides an alternate source of repayment in
the event of default by the borrower and may deteriorate in value during the
time the credit is extended. If the Bank is required to liquidate the collateral
securing a loan during a period of reduced real estate values to satisfy the
debt, the Bank’s earnings and capital could be adversely affected.
Additionally,
with most of the Bank’s loans concentrated in the Catawba Valley and surrounding
areas, a decline in local economic conditions could adversely affect the values
of the Bank’s real estate collateral. Consequently, a decline in local economic
conditions may have a greater effect on the Bank’s earnings and capital than on
the earnings and capital of larger financial institutions whose real estate loan
portfolios are geographically diverse.
An
inadequate allowance for loan losses would reduce our earnings
The risk
of credit losses on loans varies with, among other things, general economic
conditions, the creditworthiness of the borrower over the term of the loan and,
in the case of a collateralized loan, the value and marketability of the
collateral for the loan. Management maintains an allowance for loan losses based
upon, among other things, historical experience, an evaluation of economic
conditions and regular reviews of delinquencies and loan portfolio quality.
Considering such factors, management makes various assumptions and judgments
about the ultimate collectability of the loan portfolio and provides an
allowance for loan losses based upon a percentage of the outstanding balances
within assigned risk grades and for specific loans when their ultimate
collectability is considered questionable. If management’s assumptions and
judgments prove to be incorrect and the allowance for loan losses is inadequate
to absorb future losses, or if the bank regulatory authorities require the Bank
to increase the allowance for loan losses as a part of their examination
process, the Bank’s earnings and capital could be significantly and adversely
affected. For further discussion related to our process for
determining the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses, see
“Allowance for Loan Losses” within “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results and Operation” of this Annual Report on Form
10-K.
Changes
in interest rates affect profitability and assets
Changes
in prevailing interest rates may hurt the Bank’s business. The Bank derives its
income primarily from the difference or “spread” between the interest earned on
loans, securities and other interest-earning assets, and interest paid on
deposits, borrowings and other interest-bearing liabilities. In general, the
larger the spread, the more the Bank earns. When market rates of interest
change, the interest the Bank receives on its assets and the interest the Bank
pays on its liabilities will fluctuate. This can cause decreases in the “spread”
and can adversely affect the Bank’s income. Changes in market interest rates
could reduce the value of the Bank’s financial assets. Fixed-rate investments,
mortgage-backed and related securities and mortgage loans generally decrease in
value as interest rates rise. In addition, interest rates affect how much money
the Bank lends. For example, when interest rates rise, the cost of borrowing
increases and the loan originations tend to decrease. If the Bank is
unsuccessful in managing the effects of changes in interest rates, the financial
condition and results of operations could suffer.
We
measure interest rate risk under various rate scenarios using specific criteria
and assumptions. A summary of this process, along with the results of our net
interest income simulations is presented within “Item 7A. Quantitative and
Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” of this Annual Report which is
included in this Form 10-K as Exhibit 13.
10
Regional
economic factors may have an adverse impact on our business
Substantially
all of the Bank’s business is with customers in its local market
areas. Most of the Bank’s customers are individuals and medium-sized
businesses which are dependent upon the regional economy. Adverse changes in
economic and business conditions in the Bank’s markets could adversely affect
its borrowers, their ability to repay their loans and to borrow additional funds
or buy financial services and products from the Bank.
The
Bank faces strong competition from other banks and financial institutions which
can hurt its business
The
financial services industry is highly competitive. The Bank competes
against commercial banks, savings banks, savings and loan associations, credit
unions, mortgage banks, brokerage firms, investment advisory firms, insurance
companies and other financial institutions. Many of these entities are larger
organizations with significantly greater financial, management and other
resources than the Bank has. Moreover, two national money center
commercial banks are headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, only 40 miles
from the Bank's primary market area.
While
management believes it can and does successfully compete with other financial
institutions in our market, we may face a competitive disadvantage as a result
of our smaller size and lack of geographic diversification.
Government
regulations and policies impose limitations and may result in higher operating
costs and competitive disadvantages
The Bank
is subject to extensive federal government supervision and regulation that is
intended primarily to protect depositors and the FDIC’s Bank Insurance Fund,
rather than the Company’s shareholders. Existing banking laws subject the Bank
to substantial limitations with respect to loans, the purchase of securities,
the payment of dividends and many other aspects of banking business. Some of the
banking laws may increase the cost of doing business or otherwise adversely
affect the Bank and create competitive advantages for non-bank competitors.
There can be no assurance that future legislation or government policy will not
adversely affect the banking industry or the Bank’s operations. Federal economic
and monetary policy may also affect the Bank’s ability to attract deposits, make
loans and achieve satisfactory interest spreads.
Changes
in technology may impact the Bank’s business
The Bank
uses various technologies in its business and the banking industry is undergoing
rapid technological changes. The effective use of technology
increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce
costs. The Bank’s future success will depend in part on its ability
to address the needs of its customers by using technology to provide products
and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience as well as
create additional efficiencies in the Bank’s operations. The Bank’s
competitors may have substantially greater resources to invest in technological
improvements.
The trading volume in our common
stock is less than that of larger public companies which can cause price
volatility
The
trading history of our common stock has been characterized by relatively low
trading volume. The value of a shareholder’s investment may be subject to sudden
decreases due to the volatility of the price of our common stock, which trades
on the NASDAQ Global Market.
The
market price of our common stock may be volatile and subject to fluctuations in
response to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the factors
discussed in other risk factors and the following:
● | actual or acticipated fluctuation in our operating results; |
● | changes in interest rates; |
● | changes in the legal or regulatory environment in which we operate; |
● | press releases, announcements or publicity relating to us or our competitors or relating to trends in our industry; |
● | changes in expectations as to our future financial performance, including financial estimates or recommendations by securities analysts and investors; |
● | future sales of our common stock; |
● | changes in economic conditions in our market, general conditions in the U.S. economy, financial markets or the banking industry; and |
● | other developments affecting our competitors or us. |
These
factors may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, regardless
of our actual operating performance, and could prevent a shareholder from
selling common stock at or above the current market price.
11
We may be subject to examinations by
taxing authorities which could adversely affect our results of
operations
In the
normal course of business, we may be subject to examinations from federal and
state taxing authorities regarding the amount of taxes due in connection with
investments we have made and the businesses in which we are engaged. Recently,
federal and state taxing authorities have become increasingly aggressive in
challenging tax positions taken by financial institutions. The challenges made
by taxing authorities may result in adjustments to the timing or amount of
taxable income or deductions or the allocation of income among tax
jurisdictions. If any such challenges are made and are not resolved in our
favor, they could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results
of operations.
We
may not be able to pay dividends in the future in accordance with past
practice
We have
in the past paid a quarterly dividend to shareholders. However, we
are dependent primarily upon the Bank for our earnings and funds to pay
dividends on our common stock. The payment of dividends also is subject to legal
and regulatory restrictions. Any payment of dividends in the future will depend,
in large part, on the Bank’s earnings, capital requirements, financial condition
and other factors considered relevant by our Board of
Directors.
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED
STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES
At
December 31, 2007, the Bank conducted its business from the headquarters office
in Newton, North Carolina, its Banco de la Gente administrative office and its
19 other branch offices in Lincolnton, Hickory, Newton, Catawba, Conover,
Claremont, Maiden, Denver, Triangle, Hiddenite, Charlotte, Monroe and Cornelius
North Carolina. The Bank also operates a loan production office in
Denver, North Carolina. The following table sets forth certain
information regarding the Bank's properties at December 31, 2007.
12
Owned
Corporate
Office
518
West C Street
Newton,
North Carolina 28658
420
West A Street
Newton,
North Carolina 28658
2619
North Main Avenue
Newton,
North Carolina 28658
213
1st Street, West
Conover,
North Carolina 28613
3261
East Main Street
Claremont,
North Carolina 28610
6125
Highway 16 South
Denver,
North Carolina 28037
5153
N.C. Highway 90E
Hiddenite,
North Carolina 28636
200
Island Ford Road
Maiden,
North Carolina 28650
3310
Springs Road NE
Hickory,
North Carolina 28601
142
South Highway 16
Denver,
North Carolina 28037
106
North Main Street
Catawba,
North Carolina 28609
2050
Catawba Valley Boulevard
Hickory,
North Carolina 28601
800
E. Arrowood Road
Charlotte,
NC 28217
1074
River Highway
Mooresville,
NC, 28117
(Opened
January 2008)
|
Leased
1333
2nd Street NE
Hickory,
North Carolina 28601
1910
East Main Street
Lincolnton,
North Carolina 28092
760
Highway 27 West
Lincolnton,
North Carolina 28092
102
Leonard Avenue
Newton,
North Carolina 28658
6300
South Boulevard
Suite
100
Charlotte,
North Carolina 28217
4451
Central Avenue
Suite
A
Charlotte,
North Carolina 28205
3752/3754
Highway 16 North
Denver,
North Carolina 28037
501
West Roosevelt Boulevard
Monroe,
NC 28110
9624-I
Bailey Road
Cornelius,
North Carolina 28031
4011
Capital Boulevard
Raleigh,
NC 27604
(Opened
January 2008)
|
ITEM
3. LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
In the
opinion of management, the Company is not involved in any material pending legal
proceedings other than routine proceedings occurring in the ordinary course of
business.
ITEM
4. SUBMISSION
OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
No matter
was submitted to a vote of the Company’s shareholders during the quarter ended
December 31, 2007.
13
PART
II
ITEM 5.
|
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON
EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY
SECURITIES
|
The
information required by this Item is set forth under the section captioned
"Market for the Company’s Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters" on page
A-25 of the Annual Report. The Annual Report is included in this Form
10-K as Exhibit (13). See "Item 1. BUSINESS--Supervision
and Regulation" above for regulatory restrictions which limit the ability of the
Company to pay dividends.
The
information required by Item 201(d) concerning securities authorized for
issuance under equity compensation plans is set forth in Item 12
hereof.
ISSUER
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
|
||||||||||
Period |
Total
Number
of
Shares
Purchased
|
Average
Price
Paid
per
Share
|
Total
Number
of
Shares
Purchased
as
Part
of
Publicly
Announced
Plans
or
Programs
|
Maximum Number
(or Approximate
Dollar Value) of
Shares tht May
Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs
|
||||||
January
1 - 31, 2007
|
-
|
$
-
|
-
|
$ |
2,000,000
|
(1)
|
||||
February
1 - 28, 2007
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
2,000,000
|
(1)
|
||||
March
1 - 31, 2007
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$ |
2,000,000
|
(1)
|
||||
April
1 - 30, 2007
|
2,070
|
19.51
|
-
|
$ |
2,000,000
|
(1)
|
||||
May
1 - 31, 2007
|
30,824
|
19.41
|
30,000
|
$ |
1,418,000
|
(1)
|
||||
June
1 - 30, 2007
|
25,000
|
20.25
|
25,000
|
$ |
911,750
|
(1)
|
||||
July
1 - 31, 2007
|
45,000
|
18.89
|
45,000
|
$ |
61,650
|
(1)
|
||||
August
1 - 31, 2007
|
940
|
17.81
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
September
1 - 30, 2007
|
19,000
|
17.73
|
19,000
|
56,000
|
(2)
|
|||||
October
1 - 31, 2007
|
1,440
|
16.79
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
November
1 - 30, 2007
|
31,857
|
17.01
|
31,497
|
24,503
|
(2)
|
|||||
December
1 - 31, 2007
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Total
|
156,131
|
$ 18.67
|
150,497
|
|||||||
(1)
Reflects dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the Stock
Repurchase Plan through the end of November 30, 2007 as authorized by the
Company's Board of Directors in November 2006.
|
||||||||||
(2) Reflects
number of shares that may yet be purchased under the Stock Repurchase Plan
through the end of August 31, 2008 as authorized by the Company's Board of
Directors in August 2007.
|
The
information required by Item 201(e), the Performance Graph, is set forth in the
section captioned “Stock Performance Graph” on page A-26 of the Annual Report,
which is included in this Form 10-K as Exhibit (13).
14
ITEM
6. SELECTED
FINANCIAL DATA
The
information required by this Item is set forth in the table captioned "Selected
Financial Data" on page A-3 of the Annual Report, which table is included in
this Form 10-K as Exhibit (13).
ITEM
7.
|
MANAGEMENT'S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
|
The
information required by this Item is set forth in the section captioned
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations” on pages A-4 through A-25 of the Annual Report, which section is
included in this Form 10-K as Exhibit (13).
ITEM
7A.
|
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK
|
The
information required by this Item is set forth in the section captioned
“Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” on page A-23 of the
Annual Report, which section is included in this Form 10-K as Exhibit
(13).
ITEM
8.
|
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
|
The
consolidated financial statements of the Company and supplementary data set
forth on pages A-27 through A-56 of the Annual Report are included in this Form
10-K as Exhibit (13).
ITEM
9.
|
CHANGES
IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
|
Not
applicable.
ITEM
9A.
|
CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
|
The Company’s management, under the
supervision and with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the
Chief Financial Officer of the Company have concluded, based on their evaluation
as
of the end of the period covered by this Report, that the Company’s
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13A-15(e) promulgated
under the Exchange Act) are effective to ensure that information required to be
disclosed by the Company in the reports filed or submitted by it under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized
and reported within the time periods specified in the applicable rules and
forms.
There
have been no significant changes in internal control over financial reporting
during the quarter ended December 31, 2007 that have materially affected, or are
reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting. Please see “Management’s Report on Internal
Controls Over Financial Reporting” on page A-28 of the Annual Report included in
this Form 10-K as Exhibit (13).
ITEM
9B. OTHER
INFORMATION
None
15
PART
III
ITEM
10.
|
DIRECTORS
AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE
REGISTRANT
|
The
information required by this Item regarding directors and executive officers of
the Company is set forth under the sections captioned “Proposal 1 - Election of
Directors - Nominees” contained in the Proxy Statement and “Proposal 1 -
Election of Directors - Executive Officers” contained in the Proxy Statement,
which sections are incorporated herein by reference.
The
information required by this Item regarding compliance with Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is set forth under the section captioned
“Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” contained in the Proxy
Statement, which section is incorporated herein by reference.
The
information required by this Item regarding identification of members of the
Company’s Audit Committee is set forth under the section captioned “Proposal 1 -
Election of Directors” contained in the Proxy Statement, which section is
incorporated herein by reference.
The
Company has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to the Company’s employees,
including the principal executive officer and principal financial
officer. The Company has also adopted a written charter for the Audit
Committee, which is reviewed annually, and amended as needed, by the
Committee. The Company will provide to any person, without charge,
upon request, a copy of these documents. To request a copy, a written
request should be submitted to the Company’s corporate headquarters, addressed
to the attention of A. Joseph Lampron, Chief Financial Officer. These
documents are also available on the Bank’s website (www.peoplesbanknc.com) under
“Investor Relations.”
ITEM
11.
|
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
|
The
information required by this Item is set forth under the sections captioned
“Proposal 1 - Election of Directors” contained in the Proxy Statement, which
sections are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM
12.
|
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND
MANAGEMENT
|
The
information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the section
captioned “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management”
contained in the Proxy Statement and the section captioned “Equity Compensation
Plan Information” contained in the Proxy Statement.
ITEM
13.
|
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED
TRANSACTIONS
|
See the
section captioned “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors - Indebtedness of and
Transactions with Management and Directors” contained in the Proxy Statement,
which section is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM
14. PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
See the
section captioned “Proposal 4 - Ratification of Selection of Independent
Auditor” contained in the Proxy Statement, which section is incorporated herein
by reference.
16
ITEM
15.
|
EXHIBITS
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
|
15(a)1. | Consolidated Financial Statements (contained in the Annual Report attached hereto as Exhibit (13) and incorporated herein by reference) |
|
(a)
|
Reports
of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
|
|
(b)
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2007 and
2006
|
|
(c)
|
Consolidated
Statements of Earnings for the Years Ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005
|
|
(d)
|
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December
31, 2007, 2006 and 2005
|
|
(e)
|
Consolidated
Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2007,
2006 and 2005
|
|
(f)
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005
|
|
(g)
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial
Statements
|
15(a)2. | Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules |
All schedules have been omitted, as the required information is either
inapplicable or included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements.
15(a)3. | Exhibits |
Exhibit
(3)(i)
|
Articles
of Incorporation of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc.,
incorporated
|
|
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (3)(i) to the Form 8-A filed with
the
|
||
Securities
and Exchange Commission on September 2, 1999
|
||
Exhibit
(3)(ii)
|
Amended
and Restated Bylaws of Peoples Bancorp of North
Carolina,
|
|
Inc.,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (3)(ii) to the Form 10-Q
filed
|
||
with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 7,
2007
|
||
Exhibit
(4)
|
Specimen
Stock Certificate, incorporated by reference to Exhibit (4)
to
|
|
the
Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on
|
||
September
2, 1999
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(a)
|
Employment
Agreement between Peoples Bank and Tony W. Wolfe
|
|
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10)(a) to the Form 10-K filed
with
|
||
the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2000
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(b)
|
Employment
Agreement between Peoples Bank and Joseph F. Beaman,
|
|
Jr.
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(b) to the Form 10-K
filed
|
||
with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30,
2000
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(c)
|
Employment
Agreement between Peoples Bank and William D. Cable,
Sr.
|
|
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10)(d) to the Form 10-K filed
with
|
||
the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30,
2000
|
17
Exhibit
(10)(d)
|
Employment
Agreement between Peoples Bank and Lance A. Sellers
|
|
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10)(e) to the Form 10-K filed
with
|
||
the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2000
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(e)
|
Peoples
Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. Omnibus Stock Ownership
and
|
|
Long
Term Incentive Plan incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(f)
to
|
||
the
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on
|
||
March
30, 2000
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(e)(i)
|
Amendment
No. 1 to the Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc.
|
|
Omnibus
Stock Ownership and Long Term Incentive Plan
incorporated
|
||
by
reference to Exhibit (10)(e)(i) to the Form 10-K filed with
the
|
||
Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2007
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(f)
|
Employment
Agreement between Peoples Bank and A. Joseph Lampron,
|
|
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10)(g) to the Form 10-K filed with
the
|
||
Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2002
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(g)
|
Peoples
Bank Directors' and Officers' Deferral Plan, incorporated
by
|
|
refernence
to Exhibit (10)(h) to the Form 10-K filed with the Securities
and
|
||
Exchange
Commission on March 28, 2002
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(h)
|
Rabbi
Trust for the Peoples Bank Directors' and Officers' Deferral
Plan,
|
|
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10)(i) to the Form 10-K filed with
the
|
||
Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2002
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(i)
|
Description
of Service Recognition Program maintained by Peoples
Bank,
|
|
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10)(i) to the Form 10-K filed with
the
|
||
Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2003
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(j)
|
Capital
Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of June 26, 2006, by
and
|
|
among
Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc., PEBK Capital Trust
II
|
||
and
Bear, Sterns Securities Corp. incorporated by reference to
Exhibit
|
||
Exhibit
10(j) to the Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and
Exchange
|
||
Commission
on November 13, 2006
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(k)
|
Amended
and Restated Trust Agreement of PEBK Capital Trust II,
dated
|
|
dated
as of June 28, 2006 incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(k) to
the
|
||
Form
10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on
|
||
November
30, 2006
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(l)
|
Guarantee
Agreement of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc.
dated
|
|
as
of June 28, 2006 incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(l) to
the
|
||
Form
10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on
|
||
November
13, 2006
|
||
Exhibit
(10)(m)
|
Indenture,
dated as of June 28, 2006, by and between Peoples Bancorp
of
|
|
North
Carolina, Inc. and LaSalle Bank National Association, as
Trustee,
|
||
relating
to Junior Subordinated Debt Securities Due September 15,
2036
|
||
incorporated
by reference to Exhibit (10)(m) to the Form 10-Q filed
with
|
||
the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 13, 2006
|
||
Exhibit
(11)
|
Statement
regarding computation of per share earnings
|
|
Exhibit
(12)
|
Statement
regarding computation of ratios
|
|
Exhibit
(13)
|
2007
Annual Report of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina,
Inc.
|
18
Exhibit
(14)
|
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics of Peoples Bancorp of
North
|
|
Carolina,
Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit (14) to the Form
10-K
|
||
filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 25,
2005
|
||
Exhibit
(21)
|
Subsidiaries
of the Registrant
|
|
Exhibit
(23)
|
Consent
of Porter Keadle Moore, LLP
|
|
Exhibit
(31)(a)
|
Certification
of principal executive officer pursuant to section 302 of
the
|
|
Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002
|
||
Exhibit
(31)(b)
|
Certification
of principal financial officer pursuant to section 302 of
the
|
|
Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002
|
||
Exhibit
(32)
|
Certification
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant
to
|
|
Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
19
SIGNATURES
|
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
|
PEOPLES
BANCORP OF NORTH CAROLINA, INC.
|
|
(Registrant)
|
By: | /s/ Tony W. Wolfe | |
Tony W. Wolfe | ||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Date: March 12, 2008
|
||||||
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report
has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant
and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
|
||||||
Signature
|
Title
|
Date
|
||||
/s/
Tony W. Wolfe
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Tony
W. Wolfe
|
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|||||
/s/
James S. Abernethy
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
James
S. Abernethy
|
||||||
/s/
Robert C. Abernethy
|
Chairman
of the Board and Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Robert
C. Abernethy
|
||||||
/s/
Douglas S. Howard
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Douglas
S. Howard
|
||||||
/s/
A. Joseph Lampron
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
A.
Joseph Lampron
|
Financial
Officer (Principal Financial
|
|||||
and
Principal Accounting Officer)
|
||||||
/s/
John W. Lineberger, Jr.
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
John
W. Lineberger, Jr.
|
||||||
/s/
Gary E. Matthews
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Gary
E. Matthews
|
||||||
/s/
Billy L. Price, Jr., M.D.
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Billy
L. Price, Jr., M.D.
|
||||||
/s/
Larry E. Robinson
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Larry
E. Robinson
|
||||||
/s/
William Gregory Terry
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
William
Gregory Terry
|
||||||
/s/
Dan Ray Timmerman, Sr.
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Dan
Ray Timmerman, Sr.
|
||||||
/s/
Benjamin I. Zachary
|
Director
|
March
12, 2008
|
||||
Benjamin
I. Zachary
|
20