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UWHARRIE CAPITAL CORP - Annual Report: 2006 (Form 10-K)

Form 10-K
Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


FORM 10-K

 


 

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from              to             .

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 000-22062

 


UWHARRIE CAPITAL CORP

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

NORTH CAROLINA   56-1814206

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

132 NORTH FIRST STREET

ALBEMARLE, NORTH CAROLINA

  28001
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone number, including area code: (704) 983-6181

 


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act

NONE

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $1.25 PER SHARE

 


Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    ¨  Yes    x  No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    ¨  Yes    x  No

Note – Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act from their obligations under those Sections.

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.    x  Yes    ¨  No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K  ¨

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

Large accelerated filer  ¨    Accelerated filer  ¨    Non-accelerated filer  x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    ¨  Yes    x  No

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 price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter. $39,001,148

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock as of the latest practicable date. 7,433,655 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 1, 2007:

Documents Incorporated by Reference.

Portions of the Registrant’s 2006 Annual Report to Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part II of this report. Portions of the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement dated March 30, 2007 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

 



Table of Contents

FORM 10-K CROSS REFERENCE INDEX

As indicated below, portions of (i) the Registrant’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and (ii) the Registrant’s Proxy Statement dated March 30, 2007 for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 8, 2007 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission via EDGAR are incorporated by reference into Parts II and III of this report.

 

Key     
AR   Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Proxy  

Proxy Statement dated March 30, 2007 for Annual Meeting of Shareholders to

be held May 8, 2007.

10-K   10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.

 

       

Document

Part I      
Item 1.   Business   Page   3   10-K
Item 1A.   Risk Factors   Page 13   10-K
Item 1B.   Unresolved Staff Comments   Page 18   10-K
Item 2.   Properties   Page 18   10-K
Item 3.   Legal Proceedings   Page 18   10-K
Item 4.   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders   Page 18   10-K
Part II      
Item 5.  

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholders Matters and Issuer Purchases Of Equity Securities

  Page 18   10-K
Item 6.   Selected Financial Data   Page 40   AR
Item 7.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations   Page 41   AR
Item 7A.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk   Page 19   10-K
Item 8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data   Page 8   AR
Item 9.   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure   Page 20   10-K
Item 9A.   Controls and Procedures   Page 20   10-K
Item 9B.   Other Information   Page 20   10-K
Part III      
Item 10.   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance   Page 5   Proxy
Item 11.   Executive Compensation   Page 11   Proxy
Item 12.  

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

  Page 21   10-K
Item 13.   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence   Page 7, 15   Proxy
Item 14.   Principal Accounting Fees and Services   Page 20   Proxy
Item 15.   Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules   Page 21   10-K

 

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PART I

 

Item 1. Business

Uwharrie Capital Corp (the "Company") is a North Carolina bank holding company. The Company was organized on July 1, 1993 to become the bank holding company for the Bank of Stanly (“Stanly"), a North Carolina commercial bank chartered on September 28, 1983 and its three wholly-owned subsidiaries, The Strategic Alliance Corporation ("Strategic Alliance"), BOS Agency, Inc. ("BOS Agency") and Gateway Mortgage, Inc. (“Gateway”), a mortgage brokerage company acquired in August 2000. The Company also owns three non-bank subsidiaries, Strategic Investment Advisors, Inc. formed in 1999, Uwharrie Statutory Trust I formed in 2002 and Uwharrie Mortgage, Inc. formed in 2004.

On January 19, 2000, the Company completed its acquisition of Anson BanCorp, Inc. and its subsidiary, Anson Savings Bank. The savings bank retained its North Carolina savings bank charter and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The savings bank operates under the name Anson Bank & Trust Co. (“Anson”).

During 2002, the Company expanded its service area into the Cabarrus County market with two banking offices of Stanly. On April 10, 2003 the Company capitalized a new wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Cabarrus Bank & Trust Company (“Cabarrus”) and together with Stanly and Anson, the “Banks”). As of that date, Cabarrus purchased the two branch offices of Stanly located in Cabarrus County in order to commence operation.

The Company and its subsidiaries are located in Stanly County, Anson County and Cabarrus County. The Company is community oriented, emphasizing the well being of the people in its region above financial gain in directing its corporate decisions. In order to best serve its communities, the Company believes it must remain a strong, viable, independent financial institution. This means that the Company must evolve with today’s quickly changing financial services industry. In 1993, the Company implemented its current strategy to remain a strong independent community financial institution that is competitive with larger institutions and allows its service area to enjoy the benefits of a local financial institution and the strength its capital investment provides the community. This strategy consists of developing and expanding the Company’s technological capabilities while recruiting and maintaining a workforce sensitive to the financial services needs of its customers. This strategy has provided the Company with the capacity to grow and leverage the high cost of delivering competitive services.

At December 31, 2006 the Company and related subsidiaries had 133 full-time and 32 part-time employees.

Business of the Banks

Stanly is a North Carolina chartered commercial bank, which was incorporated in 1983 and which commenced banking operations on January 26, 1984. Its main banking office is located at 167 North Second Street, Albemarle, North Carolina, and it operates four other banking offices located in Stanly County, North Carolina. Stanly is the only commercial bank headquartered in Stanly County.

Its operations are primarily retail oriented and directed to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses located in its market area, and its deposits and loans are derived primarily from customers in its geographical market. Stanly provides traditional commercial and consumer banking services, including personal and commercial checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, and related business and individual banking services. Stanly’s lending activities include commercial loans and various consumer-type loans to individuals, including installment loans, mortgage loans, equity lines of credit and overdraft checking credit. Stanly also offers Internet Banking, 24-Hour

 

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Telephone Banking, and issues Visa® Check Cards, an electronic banking card, which functions as a point-of-sale card and allows its customers to access their deposit accounts at four branches of Stanly and at the automated teller machines of other banks linked to the STAR® or CIRRUS® networks. Stanly is licensed to offer MasterCard® credit cards. Stanly does not provide the services of a trust department.

Anson, acquired by the Company on January 19, 2000, was originally chartered in 1889 as Anson Building and Loan Association, a North Carolina chartered mutual savings institution. Later changed to Anson Savings Bank, it was converted to a stock chartered institution in June 1998. As a subsidiary of the Company, Anson provides the same level of financial services to the Anson Country market as those of Stanly described above. Its main office and banking location is 211 S. Greene Street in Wadesboro, North Carolina.

Cabarrus, which opened on April 10, 2003, is a full-service commercial bank located in Cabarrus County. Its main office is located at 25 Palaside Drive, NE in Concord, North Carolina and it operates another branch in Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina. As a subsidiary of the Company, Cabarrus provides the same level of financial services as the Company’s other banking subsidiaries.

Non-bank Subsidiaries

Stanly has three wholly-owned subsidiaries, BOS Agency, Strategic Alliance and Gateway. BOS Agency was formed during 1987 and engages in the sale of various insurance products, including annuities, life insurance, long-term care, disability insurance and Medicare supplements. Strategic Alliance was formed during 1989 as BOS Financial Corporation and, during 1993, adopted its current name. It is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and registered with the National Association of Securities Dealers (“NASD”) as a securities broker-dealer. Gateway is a mortgage brokerage company, acquired by Stanly in 2000.

The Company has three non-bank subsidiaries. Strategic Investment Advisors Inc., which is registered as an investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission, began operations on April 1, 1999 and provides portfolio management services to customers in the Uwharrie Lakes Region. In September 2002, the Company established a business trust subsidiary, Uwharrie Statutory Trust I, in order to issue capital securities through a pooled trust preferred issue. In April 2004, the Company established Uwharrie Mortgage, Inc., a subsidiary to serve in the capacity of trustee and substitute trustee under deeds of trust.

Competition

Commercial banking in North Carolina is extremely competitive, due in large part to statewide branching. The Company encounters significant competition from a number of sources, including other bank holding companies, commercial banks, thrift and savings and loan institutions, credit unions, and other financial institutions and financial intermediaries.

Among commercial banks, Stanly, Anson and Cabarrus compete in their market areas with some of the largest banking organizations in the state, several of which have hundreds of branches in North Carolina and billions of dollars in assets. Moreover, competition is not limited to financial institutions based in North Carolina. The enactment of federal legislation authorizing nationwide interstate banking has greatly increased the size and financial resources of some of the Company's competitors. Consequently, some competitors have substantially higher lending limits due to their greater total capitalization, and may perform functions for their customers that the Company currently does not offer. As a result, the Company could encounter increased competition in the future that may limit its ability to maintain or increase its market share or otherwise materially and adversely affect its business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

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Each of the Banks depends on its reputation as a community bank in its local market, direct customer contact, its ability to make credit and other business decisions locally, and personalized service to counter these competitive disadvantages.

Exposure to Local Economic Conditions

The Company’s success is dependent to a significant extent upon economic conditions in Stanly, Anson and Cabarrus Counties, and more generally, in the Uwharrie Lakes Region. In addition, the banking industry in general is affected by economic conditions such as inflation, recession, unemployment and other factors beyond the Company’s control. Economic recession over a prolonged period or other economic dislocation in Stanly, Anson and Cabarrus Counties and the Uwharrie Lakes Region could cause increases in non-performing assets and impair the values of real estate collateral, thereby causing operating losses, diminishing liquidity and eroding capital. Although management believes its loan policy and review process results in sound and consistent credit decisions on its loans, there can be no assurance that future adverse changes in the economy in the Company’s market area would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Impact of Technological Advances; Upgrade to Company's Infrastructure

The banking industry is undergoing, and management believes it will continue to undergo, technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services, such as internet banking. In addition to improving customer services, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce costs. The Company'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 enhance efficiencies in the Company's operations. Management believes that keeping pace with technological advances is critical for the Company in light of its strategy to continue its sustained pace of growth. As a result, the Company intends to continue to upgrade its internal systems, both through the efficient use of technology (including software applications) and by strengthening its policies and procedures. At the same time, the Company anticipates that it will expand its array of technology-based products to its customers.

Regulation of the Company

Federal Regulation. The Company is subject to examination, regulation and periodic reporting under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, (the “BHC Act”), as administered by the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve Board has adopted capital adequacy guidelines for bank holding companies on a consolidated basis.

The Company is required to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board to acquire all, or substantially all, of the assets of any bank or bank holding company. Prior Federal Reserve Board approval is required for the Company to acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of any voting securities of any bank or bank holding company if, after giving effect to such acquisition, it would, directly or indirectly, own or control more than five percent of any class of voting shares of such bank or bank holding company.

The merger or consolidation of the Company with another bank holding company, or the acquisition by the Company of the stock or assets of another bank, or the assumption of liability by the Company to pay any deposits in another bank, will require the prior written approval of the primary federal bank regulatory agency of the acquiring or surviving bank under the federal Bank Merger Act. This decision is based upon a consideration of statutory factors similar to

 

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those outlined above with respect to the BHC Act. In addition, in certain such cases an application to, and the prior approval of, the Federal Reserve Board under the BHC Act and/or the North Carolina Banking Commission may be required.

The Company is required to give the Federal Reserve Board prior written notice of any purchase or redemption of its outstanding equity securities if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding 12 months, is equal to 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated net worth. The Federal Reserve Board may disapprove such a purchase or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe and unsound practice, or would violate any law, regulation, Federal Reserve Board order or directive, or any condition imposed by, or written agreement with, the Federal Reserve Board. Such notice and approval is not required for a bank holding company that would be treated as "well capitalized" under applicable regulations of the Federal Reserve Board, that has received a composite "1" or "2" rating at its most recent bank holding company inspection by the Federal Reserve Board, and that is not the subject of any unresolved supervisory issues.

The status of the Company as a registered bank holding company under the BHC Act does not exempt it from certain federal and state laws and regulations applicable to corporations generally, including, without limitation, certain provisions of the federal securities laws.

In addition, a bank holding company is prohibited generally from engaging in non-banking activities, or acquiring five percent or more of any class of voting securities of any company engaged in non-banking activities. One of the principal exceptions to this prohibition is for activities found by the Federal Reserve Board to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. Some of the principal activities that the Federal Reserve Board has determined by regulation to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto are:

 

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making or servicing loans;

 

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performing certain data processing services;

 

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providing discount brokerage services;

 

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acting as fiduciary, investment or financial advisor;

 

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leasing personal or real property;

 

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making investments in corporations or projects designed primarily to promote community welfare; and

 

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acquiring a savings and loan association.

In evaluating a written notice of such an acquisition, the Federal Reserve Board will consider various factors, including among others the financial and managerial resources of the notifying bank holding company and the relative public benefits and adverse effects which may be expected to result from the performance of the activity by an affiliate of such company. The Federal Reserve Board may apply different standards to activities proposed to be commenced de novo and activities commenced by acquisition, in whole or in part, of a going concern. The required notice period may be extended by the Federal Reserve Board under certain circumstances, including a notice for acquisition of a company engaged in activities not previously approved by regulation of the Federal Reserve Board. If such a proposed acquisition is not disapproved or subjected to conditions by the Federal Reserve Board within the applicable notice period, it is deemed approved by the Federal Reserve Board.

However, with the passage of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, which became effective on March 11, 2000, the types of activities in which bank holding companies may engage were significantly expanded. Subject to various limitations, the Modernization Act generally permits a bank holding company to elect to become a “financial holding company”. A financial holding company may affiliate with securities firms and insurance companies and engage in other activities that are “financial in nature”. Among the activities that

 

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are deemed “financial in nature” are, in addition to traditional lending activities, securities underwriting, dealing in or making a market in securities, sponsoring mutual funds and investment companies, insurance underwriting and agency activities, certain merchant banking activities and activities that the Federal Reserve Board considers to be closely related to banking.

A bank holding company may become a financial holding company under the Modernization Act if each of its subsidiary banks is “well capitalized” under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act prompt corrective action provisions, is well managed, and has at least a satisfactory rating under the Community Reinvestment Act. In addition, the bank holding company must file a declaration with the Federal Reserve Board that the bank holding company wishes to become a financial holding company. A bank holding company that falls out of compliance with these requirements may be required to cease engaging in some of its activities.

Under the Modernization Act, the Federal Reserve Board serves as the primary “umbrella” regulator of financial holding companies, with supervisory authority over each parent company and limited authority over its subsidiaries. Expanded financial activities of financial holding companies generally will be regulated according to the type of such financial activity: banking activities by banking regulators, securities activities by securities regulators, and insurance activities by insurance regulators. The Modernization Act also imposes additional restrictions and heightened disclosure requirements regarding private information collected by financial institutions. The Company has not elected to become a financial holding company.

Capital Requirements. The Federal Reserve Board uses capital adequacy guidelines in its examination and regulation of bank holding companies. If capital falls below minimum guidelines, a bank holding company may, among other things, be denied approval to acquire or establish additional banks or non-bank businesses.

The Federal Reserve Board's capital guidelines establish the following minimum regulatory capital requirements for bank holding companies:

 

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a leverage capital requirement expressed as a percentage of total assets;

 

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a risk-based requirement expressed as a percentage of total risk-weighted assets; and

 

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a Tier 1 leverage requirement expressed as a percentage of total assets.

The leverage capital requirement consists of a minimum ratio of total capital to total assets of 4%, with an expressed expectation that banking organizations generally should operate above such minimum level. The risk-based requirement consists of a minimum ratio of total capital to total risk-weighted assets of 8%, of which at least one-half must be Tier 1 capital (which consists principally of shareholders' equity). The Tier 1 leverage requirement consists of a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets of 3% for the most highly-rated companies, with minimum requirements of 4% to 5% for all others.

The risk-based and leverage standards presently used by the Federal Reserve Board are minimum requirements, and higher capital levels will be required if warranted by the particular circumstances or risk profiles of individual banking organizations. Further, any banking organization experiencing or anticipating significant growth would be expected to maintain capital ratios, including tangible capital positions (i.e., Tier 1 capital less all intangible assets), well above the minimum levels.

Source of Strength for Subsidiaries. Bank holding companies are required to serve as a source of strength for their depository institution subsidiaries, and if their depository institution subsidiaries become undercapitalized, bank holding companies may be required to guarantee the subsidiaries’ compliance with capital restoration plans filed with their bank regulators, subject to certain limits.

 

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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”) requires the federal bank regulatory agencies biennially to review risk-based capital standards to ensure that they adequately address interest rate risk, concentration of credit risk and risks from non-traditional activities and, since adoption of the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 (the "Riegle Act"), to do so taking into account the size and activities of depository institutions and the avoidance of undue reporting burdens. In 1995, the agencies adopted regulations requiring as part of the assessment of an institution's capital adequacy the consideration of (a) identified concentrations of credit risks, (b) the exposure of the institution to a decline in the value of its capital due to changes in interest rates and (c) the application of revised conversion factors and netting rules on the institution's potential future exposure from derivative transactions.

In addition, in September 1996 the agencies adopted amendments to their respective risk-based capital standards to require banks and bank holding companies having significant exposure to market risk arising from, among other things, trading of debt instruments, (1) to measure that risk using an internal value-at-risk model conforming to the parameters established in the agencies' standards and (2) to maintain a commensurate amount of additional capital to reflect such risk. The new rules were adopted effective January 1, 1997, with compliance mandatory from and after January 1, 1998.

Under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 ("FIRREA"), depository institutions are liable to the FDIC for losses suffered or anticipated by the FDIC in connection with the default of a commonly controlled depository institution or any assistance provided by the FDIC to such an institution in danger of default. This law is applicable to the extent that the Company maintains depository institutions as separate subsidiaries.

Subsidiary banks of a bank holding company are subject to certain quantitative and qualitative restrictions imposed by the Federal Reserve Act on any extension of credit to, or purchase of assets from, or letter of credit on behalf of, the bank holding company or its subsidiaries, and on the investment in or acceptance of stocks or securities of such holding company or its subsidiaries as collateral for loans. In addition, provisions of the Federal Reserve Act and Federal Reserve Board regulations limit the amounts of, and establish required procedures and credit standards with respect to, loans and other extensions of credit to officers, directors and principal shareholders of the Banks, the Company, any subsidiary of the Company and related interests of such persons. Moreover, subsidiaries of bank holding companies are prohibited from engaging in certain tying arrangements (with the holding company or any of its subsidiaries) in connection with any extension of credit, lease or sale of property or furnishing of services.

Any loans by a bank holding company to a subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of the subsidiary bank. In the event of a bank holding company's bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank would be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to priority of payment. This priority would also apply to guarantees of capital plans under FDICIA.

Branching

Under the Riegle Act, the Federal Reserve Board may approve bank holding company acquisitions of banks in other states, subject to certain aging and deposit concentration limits. As of June 1, 1997, banks in one state may merge with banks in another state, unless the other state has chosen not to implement this section of the Riegle Act. These mergers are also subject to similar aging and deposit concentration limits. North Carolina "opted-in" to the provisions of the Riegle Act. Since July 1, 1995, an out-of-state bank that did not already maintain a branch in North Carolina was permitted to establish and maintain a de novo branch

 

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in North Carolina, or acquire a branch in North Carolina, if the laws of the home state of the out-of-state bank permit North Carolina banks to engage in the same activities in that state under substantially the same terms as permitted by North Carolina. Also, North Carolina banks may merge with out-of-state banks, and an out-of-state bank resulting from such an interstate merger transaction may maintain and operate the branches in North Carolina of a merged North Carolina bank, if the laws of the home state of the out-of-state bank involved in the interstate merger transaction permit interstate merger.

Regulation of the Banks

The Banks are extensively regulated under both federal and state law. Generally, these laws and regulations are intended to protect depositors and borrowers, not shareholders. To the extent that the following information describes statutory and regulatory provisions, it is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutory and regulatory provisions. Any change in applicable law or regulation may have a material affect on the business of the Company and the Banks.

State Law. The Banks are subject to extensive supervision and regulation by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks (the "Commissioner"). The Commissioner oversees state laws that set specific requirements for bank capital and regulate deposits in, and loans and investments by, banks, including the amounts, types, and in some cases, rates. The Commissioner supervises and performs periodic examinations of North Carolina chartered banks to assure compliance with state banking statutes and regulations, and the Banks are required to make regular reports to the Commissioner describing in detail the resources, assets, liabilities and financial condition of the Banks. Among other things, the Commissioner regulates mergers and consolidations of state-chartered banks, the payment of dividends, loans to officers and directors, record keeping, types and amounts of loans and investments, and the establishment of branches.

Deposit Insurance. As member institutions of the FDIC, the Banks’ deposits are insured up to a per depositor maximum of $250,000 for retirement accounts and $100,000 for all other accounts through the Deposit Insurance Fund, administered by the FDIC, and each member institution is required to pay semi-annual deposit insurance premium assessments to the FDIC. The Deposit Insurance Fund assessment rates have a range of 0 cents to 27 cents for every $100 in assessable deposits. Banks with no premium are subject to an annual statutory minimum assessment.

Capital Requirements. The federal banking regulators have adopted certain risk-based capital guidelines to assist in the assessment of the capital adequacy of a banking organization's operations for both transactions reported on the balance sheet as assets and transactions, such as letters of credit, and recourse arrangements, which are recorded as off balance sheet items. Under these guidelines, nominal dollar amounts of assets and credit equivalent amounts of off- balance sheet items are multiplied by one of several risk adjustment percentages which range from 0% for assets with low credit risk, such as certain U.S. Treasury securities, to 100% for assets with relatively high credit risk, such as business loans.

A banking organization's risk-based capital ratios are obtained by dividing its qualifying capital by its total risk adjusted assets. The regulators measure risk-adjusted assets, which include off- balance sheet items, against both total qualifying capital (the sum of Tier 1 capital and limited amounts of Tier 2 capital) and Tier 1 capital. "Tier 1," or core capital, includes common equity, qualifying noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries, less goodwill and other intangibles, subject to certain exceptions. "Tier 2," or supplementary capital, includes among other things, limited-life preferred stock, hybrid capital instruments, mandatory convertible securities, qualifying subordinated debt, and the allowance for loan and lease losses, subject to certain limitations and less required deductions. The inclusion of elements of Tier 2 capital is subject to certain other requirements and limitations of the federal banking agencies. Banks and bank holding companies subject to

 

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the risk-based capital guidelines are required to maintain a ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 4% and a ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 8%. The appropriate regulatory authority may set higher capital requirements when particular circumstances warrant. As of December 31, 2006, Stanly was classified as "well-capitalized" with Tier 1 and Total Risk-Based Capital of 12.15% and 13.36% respectively. As of December 31, 2006, Anson was classified as "well-capitalized" with Tier 1 and Total Risk-Based Capital of 12.43% and 13.49% respectively. As of December 31, 2006 Cabarrus was classified as "well-capitalized" with Tier 1 and Total Risk-Based Capital of 10.17% and 10.97% respectively.

The federal banking agencies have adopted regulations specifying that they will include, in their evaluations of a bank's capital adequacy, an assessment of the bank's interest rate risk ("IRR") exposure. The standards for measuring the adequacy and effectiveness of a banking organization's IRR management include a measurement of board of director and senior management oversight, and a determination of whether a banking organization's procedures for comprehensive risk management are appropriate for the circumstances of the specific banking organization.

Failure to meet applicable capital guidelines could subject a banking organization to a variety of enforcement actions, including limitations on its ability to pay dividends, the issuance by the applicable regulatory authority of a capital directive to increase capital and, in the case of depository institutions, the termination of deposit insurance by the FDIC, as well as the measures described under FDICIA described below, as applicable to undercapitalized institutions. In addition, future changes in regulations or practices could further reduce the amount of capital recognized for purposes of capital adequacy. Such a change could affect the ability of the Banks to grow and could restrict the amount of profits, if any, available for the payment of dividends to the shareholders.

FDICIA. In December 1991, Congress enacted FDICIA, which substantially revised the bank regulatory and funding provisions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and made significant revisions to several other federal banking statutes. FDICIA provides for, among other things:

 

   

publicly available annual financial condition and management reports for certain financial institutions, including audits by independent accountants,

 

   

the establishment of uniform accounting standards by federal banking agencies,

 

   

the establishment of a "prompt corrective action" system of regulatory supervision and intervention, based on capitalization levels, with greater scrutiny and restrictions placed on depository institutions with lower levels of capital,

 

   

additional grounds for the appointment of a conservator or receiver, and

 

   

restrictions or prohibitions on accepting brokered deposits, except for institutions which significantly exceed minimum capital requirements.

FDICIA also provides for increased funding of the FDIC insurance fund and the implementation of risk-based premiums.

A central feature of FDICIA is the requirement that the federal banking agencies take "prompt corrective action" with respect to depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. Pursuant to FDICIA, the federal bank regulatory authorities have adopted regulations setting forth a five-tiered system for measuring the capital adequacy of the depository institutions that they supervise. Under these regulations, a depository institution is classified in one of the following capital categories: "well capitalized," "adequately capitalized," "undercapitalized," "significantly undercapitalized" and "critically undercapitalized." An institution may be deemed by the regulators to be in a capitalization category that is lower than is indicated by its actual capital position if, among other things, it receives an unsatisfactory examination rating with respect to asset quality, management, earnings or liquidity.

 

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FDICIA provides the federal banking agencies with significantly expanded powers to take enforcement action against institutions which fail to comply with capital or other standards. Such action may include the termination of deposit insurance by the FDIC or the appointment of a receiver or conservator for the institution. FDICIA also limits the circumstances under which the FDIC is permitted to provide financial assistance to an insured institution before appointment of a conservator or receiver.

International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001. On October 26, 2001, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 was enacted. This act contains the International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001, which sets forth anti-money laundering measures affecting insured depository institutions, broker-dealers and other financial institutions. The Act requires U.S. financial institutions to adopt new policies and procedures to combat money laundering and grants the Secretary of the Treasury broad authority to establish regulations and to impose requirements and restrictions on the operations of financial institutions. This act has not had a material impact on our operations.

Check 21. On October 28, 2003, President Bush signed into law the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, also known as Check 21. This law gives “substitute checks,” such as a digital image of a check and copies made from that image, the same legal standing as the original paper check. Some of the major provisions include:

 

   

allowing check truncation without making it mandatory;

 

   

demanding that every financial institution communicate to accountholders in writing a description of its substitute check processing program and their rights under the law;

 

   

legalizing substitutions for and replacements of paper checks without agreement from consumers;

 

   

retaining in place the previously mandated electronic collection and return of checks between financial institutions only when individual agreements are in place;

 

   

requiring that when accountholders request verification, financial institutions produce the original check (or a copy that accurately represents the original) and demonstrate that the account debit was accurate and valid; and

 

   

requiring recrediting of funds to an individual’s account on the next business day after a consumer proves that the financial institution has erred.

Miscellaneous. The dividends that may be paid by the Banks are subject to legal limitations. In accordance with North Carolina banking law, dividends may not be paid unless the Banks’ capital surplus is at least 50% of its paid-in capital.

The earnings of the Banks will be affected significantly by the policies of the Federal Reserve Board, which is responsible for regulating the United States money supply in order to mitigate recessionary and inflationary pressures. Among the techniques used to implement these objectives are open market transactions in United States government securities, changes in the rate paid by banks on bank borrowings, and changes in reserve requirements against bank deposits. These techniques are used in varying combinations to influence overall growth and distribution of bank loans, investments, and deposits, and their use may also affect interest rates charged on loans or paid for deposits.

 

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The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. In view of changing conditions in the national economy and money markets, as well as the effect of actions by monetary and fiscal authorities, no prediction can be made as to possible future changes in interest rates, deposit levels, loan demand or the business and earnings of the Banks.

Community Reinvestment Act. The Banks are subject to the provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, as amended (“CRA”). Under the terms of the CRA, the appropriate federal bank regulatory agency is required, in connection with the examination of a bank, to assess such bank’s record in meeting the credit needs of the community served by that bank, including low and moderate-income neighborhoods. The regulatory agency’s assessments of the Banks’ records are made available to the public. Such an assessment is required of any bank that has applied for any application for a domestic deposit-taking branch, relocation of a main office, branch or ATM, merger or consolidation with or acquisition of assets or assumption of liabilities of a federally insured depository institution.

Under CRA regulations, banks with assets of less than $1 billion are subject to streamlined small bank performance standards and much less stringent data collection and reporting requirements than larger banks. The agencies emphasize that small banks are not exempt from CRA requirements. The streamlined performance method for small banks focuses on the bank’s loan-to-deposit ratio, adjusted for seasonal variations and as appropriate, other lending-related activities, such as loan originations for sale to secondary markets or community development lending or qualified investments; the percentage of loans and, as appropriate, other lending-related activities located in the Banks’ assessment areas; the Banks’ record of lending to and, as appropriate, other lending-related activities for borrowers of different income levels and businesses and farms of different sizes; the geographic distribution of the Banks’ loans given its assessment areas, capacity to lend, local economic conditions, and lending opportunities; and the Banks’ record of taking action, if warranted, in response to written complaints about its performance in meeting the credit needs of its assessment areas.

Regulatory agencies will assign a composite rating of “outstanding,” “satisfactory,” “needs to improve,” or “substantial noncompliance” to the institution using the foregoing ground rules. A bank’s performance need not fit each aspect of a particular rating profile in order for the bank to receive that rating; exceptionally strong performance with respect to some aspects may compensate for weak performance in others, and the bank’s overall performance must be consistent with safe and sound banking practices and generally with the appropriate rating profile. To earn an outstanding rating, the bank first must exceed some or all of the standards mentioned above. The agencies may assign a “needs to improve” or “substantial noncompliance” rating depending on the degree to which the bank has failed to meet the standards mentioned above.

The regulation further states that the agencies will take into consideration these CRA ratings when considering any application and that a bank’s record of performance may be the basis for denying or conditioning the approval of an application.

Change of Control

State and federal law restricts the amount of voting stock of a bank holding company or a bank that a person may acquire without the prior approval of banking regulators. The overall effect of such laws is to make it more difficult to acquire a bank holding company or bank by tender offer or similar means than it might be to acquire control of another type of corporation.

 

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Pursuant to North Carolina law, no person may, directly or indirectly, purchase or acquire voting stock of any bank holding company or bank which would result in the change of control of that entity unless the Commissioner first shall have approved such proposed acquisition. A person will be deemed to have acquired “control” of the bank holding company or the bank if he, she or it, directly or indirectly, (i) owns, controls or has the power to vote 10% or more of the voting stock of the bank holding company or bank, or (ii) possesses the power to direct or cause the direction of its management and policy.

Federal law imposes additional restrictions on acquisitions of stock in bank holding companies and FDIC-insured banks. Under the federal Change in Bank Control Act and the regulations thereunder, a person or group acting in concert must give advance notice to the Federal Reserve Board or the FDIC before directly or indirectly acquiring the power to direct the management or policies of, or to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities of, any bank holding company or federally-insured bank. Upon receipt of such notice, the federal regulator either may approve or disapprove the acquisition. The Change in Bank Control Act generally creates a rebuttable presumption of a change in control if a person or group acquires ownership or control of or the power to vote 10% or more of any class of a bank holding company or bank’s voting securities; the bank holding company has a class of securities that are subject to registration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and, following such transaction, no other person owns a greater percentage of that class of securities.

Government Monetary Policy and Economic Controls

As a bank holding company whose primary asset is the ownership of the capital stock of a commercial bank and a savings bank, the Company is directly affected by the government monetary policy and the economy in general. The actions and policies of the Federal Reserve Board, which acts as the nation’s central bank can directly affect money supply and, in general, affect a bank’s lending activities by increasing or decreasing their costs and availability of funds. An important function of the Federal Reserve Board is to regulate the national supply of bank credit in order to combat recession and curb inflation pressures. Among the instruments of monetary policy used by the Federal Reserve Board to implement these objectives are open market operations in U.S. Government securities, changes in the discount rate and surcharge, if any, on member bank borrowings, and changes in reserve requirements against bank deposits. These methods are used in varying combinations to influence overall growth of bank loans, investments and deposits, and interest rates charged on loans or paid for deposits. The Banks are not members of the Federal Reserve System but are subject to reserve requirements imposed by the Federal Reserve Board on non-member banks. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board have had a significant effect on the operating results of banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future.

The Company cannot predict what legislation might be enacted or what regulations might be adopted, or if enacted or adopted, the effect thereof on the Company’s operations.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors

An investment in the Company’s common stock involves a number of risks. We urge you to read all of the information contained in, and incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K. In addition, we urge you to consider carefully the following factors before you invest in shares of the registrant’s common stock.

Risks associated with our continuing operations

We may not be able to maintain and manage our growth, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition and the value of our common stock.

 

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Our strategy has been to increase the size of our company by opening new offices, acquiring other banks or incorporating de novo banks and by pursuing business development opportunities. We can provide no assurance that we will continue to be successful in increasing the volume of loans and deposits at acceptable risk levels and upon acceptable terms while managing the costs and implementation risks associated with our growth strategy. There can be no assurance that our further expansion will be profitable or that we will continue to be able to sustain our historical rate of growth, either through internal growth or through successful expansion of our markets, or that we will be able to maintain capital sufficient to support our continued growth. If we grow too quickly, however, and are not able to control costs and maintain asset quality, rapid growth also could adversely affect our financial performance.

Our profitability depends significantly on economic conditions in our market area.

Our success depends to a large degree on the general economic conditions in our market areas. The local economic conditions in these areas have a significant impact on the amount of loans that we make to our borrowers, the ability of our borrowers to repay these loans and the value of the collateral securing these loans. A significant decline in general economic conditions caused by inflation, recession, unemployment or other factors beyond our control would impact these local economic conditions and could negatively affect our financial condition and performance.

Changes in interest rates affect our interest margins, which can adversely affect our profitability.

We may not be able to effectively manage changes in interest rates that affect what we charge as interest on our earning assets and the expense we must pay on interest-bearing liabilities, which may significantly reduce our earnings. Since rates charged on our loans often tend to react to market conditions faster than do rates paid on our deposit accounts, rate cuts could have a negative impact on our earnings until we can make appropriate adjustments in our deposit rates. Fluctuations in interest rates are not predictable or controllable and, therefore, there can be no assurances of our ability to continue to maintain a consistent positive spread between the interest earned on our earning assets and the interest paid on our interest-bearing liabilities.

If we lose key associates with significant business contacts in our market area, our business may suffer.

Our success is largely dependent on the personal contacts of our officers and associates in our market area. If we lose key associates temporarily or permanently, our business could be hurt. We could be particularly hurt if our key associates went to work for our competitors. Our future success depends on the continued contributions of our existing senior management personnel.

If we experience greater loan losses than anticipated, it will have an adverse effect on our net income.

While the risk of nonpayment of loans is inherent in banking, if we experience greater nonpayment levels than we anticipate, our earnings and overall financial condition, as well as the value of our common stock, could be adversely affected.

We cannot assure you that our monitoring procedures and policies will reduce certain lending risks or that our allowance for loan losses will be adequate to cover actual losses. In addition, as a result of the rapid growth in our loan portfolio, loan losses may be greater than management’s estimates. Loan losses can cause insolvency and failure of a financial institution and, in such an event, our shareholders could lose their entire investment. In addition, future provisions for loan losses could materially and adversely affect our profitability. Any loan losses will reduce the loan loss allowance. A reduction in the loan loss allowance will be restored by an increase in our provision for loan losses. This would reduce our earnings which could have an adverse effect on our stock price.

 

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In order to be profitable, we must compete successfully with other financial institutions which have greater resources and capabilities than we do.

The banking business in North Carolina in general is extremely competitive. Most of our competitors are larger and have greater resources than we do and have been in existence a longer period of time. We must overcome historical bank-customer relationships to attract customers away from our competition. We compete with the following types of institutions:

 

         – other commercial banks
         – savings banks
         – thrifts
         – credit unions
         – consumer finance companies
           – securities brokerage firms
         – mortgage brokers
         – insurance companies
         – mutual funds
         – trust companies

Some of our competitors are not regulated as extensively as we are and, therefore, may have greater flexibility in competing for business. Some of these competitors are subject to similar regulation but have the advantages of larger established customer bases, tax exempt status, higher lending limits, extensive branch networks, numerous automated teller machines, greater advertising-marketing budgets or other factors.

Our legal lending limit is determined by law. The size of the loans which we offer to our customers may be less than the size of the loans that larger competitors are able to offer. This limit may affect to some degree our success in establishing relationships with the larger businesses in our market.

New or acquired branch facilities and other facilities may not be profitable.

We may not be able to correctly identify profitable locations for new branches and the costs to start up new branch facilities or to acquire existing branches, and the additional costs to operate these facilities, may increase our noninterest expense and decrease earnings in the short term. If other banks or branches of other banks become available for sale, we may acquire them. It may be difficult to adequately and profitably manage our growth through the establishment of these branches. In addition, we can provide no assurance that such branch sites will successfully attract enough deposits to offset the expenses associated with their operation. Any new or acquired branches will be subject to regulatory approval, and there can be no assurance that we will succeed in securing such approvals.

Government regulations may prevent or impair our ability to pay dividends, engage in additional acquisitions, or operate in other ways.

Current and future legislation and the policies established by federal and state regulatory authorities will affect our operations. We are subject to supervision and periodic examination by the Federal Reserve Board and the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks. Our principal subsidiaries, Bank of Stanly, Anson Bank & Trust Co. and Cabarrus Bank & Trust Company, also receive regulatory scrutiny from the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks and the FDIC. Banking regulations are designed primarily for the protection of depositors rather than shareholders, and they may limit our growth and the return to you as an investor by restricting our activities, such as:

 

   

the payment of dividends to shareholders;

 

   

possible transactions with or acquisitions by other institutions;

 

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desired investments;

 

   

loans and interest rates;

 

   

interest rates paid on deposits;

 

   

the possible expansion of branch offices; and

 

   

the ability to provide securities or trust services.

We are registered with the Federal Reserve Board as a bank holding company. We cannot predict what changes, if any, will be made to existing federal and state legislation and regulations or the effect that such changes may have on our business. The cost of compliance with regulatory requirements may adversely affect our ability to operate profitably.

Our growth may require us to raise additional capital that may not be available when it is needed, or at all.

We are required by regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. We anticipate that our capital resources will satisfy our capital requirements for the foreseeable future. We may at some point, however, need to raise additional capital to support our continued growth. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend in part on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside our control, and on our financial performance. Accordingly, we may be unable to raise additional capital, if and when needed, on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations through internal growth and acquisitions could be materially impaired. In addition, if we issue additional equity capital, the interests of existing shareholders would be diluted.

Efforts to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission that are now applicable to us, have increased the scope, complexity, and cost of corporate governance, reporting, and disclosure practices. We have experienced, and we expect to continue to experience, greater compliance costs, including costs related to internal controls, as a result of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We expect these new rules and regulations to continue to increase our accounting, legal, and other costs, and to make some activities more difficult, time consuming, and costly. In the event that we are unable to achieve or maintain compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.

We are evaluating our internal control systems in order to allow management to report on, and our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to, our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. If we identify significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting that we cannot remediate in a timely manner, or if we are unable to receive a positive attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm with respect to our internal control over financial reporting, the trading price of our common stock could decline, our ability to obtain any necessary equity or debt financing could suffer. In this event, the liquidity of our common stock would be severely limited and the market price of our common stock would likely decline significantly.

In addition, the new rules adopted as a result of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could make it more difficult or more costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, which could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers.

 

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Risks Related to an Investment in our Common Stock

We do not plan to pay cash dividends for the foreseeable future.

We have not historically paid cash dividends and we do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future, as we intend to retain earnings to provide the capital necessary to fund our growth strategy. Our ability to declare and pay cash dividends will be dependent upon, among other things, restrictions imposed by the reserve and capital requirements of North Carolina and federal banking regulations, our income and financial condition, tax considerations, and general business conditions.

There is not a highly liquid market for our common stock.

Our common stock is not traded on any organized exchange and the trading volume in our common stock has been low as compared to that of larger bank holding companies. Thus, the market in our common stock is limited in scope relative to some other bank holding companies. While we attempt to match willing buyers and willing sellers, as they become known, for the purpose of private negotiations and while trades of our common stock do occur in the Over-the-Counter marketplace, we can provide no assurance that a highly liquid trading market for our stock will develop in the future.

Our articles of incorporation include anti-takeover provisions that may prevent shareholders from receiving a premium for their shares or effecting a transaction favored by a majority of shareholders.

Our articles of incorporation include anti-takeover provisions, including a supermajority vote requirement for a merger under certain circumstances as well as a provision allowing our Board of Directors to consider the social and economic effects of a proposed merger on the communities we serve. Such provisions may have the effect of preventing shareholders from receiving a premium for their shares of common stock and discouraging a change of control by preventing a transaction favored by a majority of the shareholders.

Our securities are not FDIC insured.

Our common stock is not a savings or deposit account or other obligation of the bank, and is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency and is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of principal.

The holder of our junior subordinated debenture has rights that are senior to those of our common shareholders.

We have supported our continued growth through the issuance of trust preferred securities from a special purpose trust and an accompanying sale of a subordinated debenture to this trust. Payments of the principal and interest on the trust preferred securities of this trust are conditionally guaranteed by us. Further, the accompanying junior subordinated debenture that we issued to the trust is senior to our shares of common stock. As a result, we must make payments on the junior subordinated debenture before any dividends can be paid on our common stock and, in the event of our bankruptcy, dissolution or liquidation, the holder of the junior subordinated debenture must be satisfied before any distributions can be made on our common stock. We have the right to defer distributions on the junior subordinated debenture (and the related trust preferred securities) for up to five years, during which time no dividends may be paid on our common stock.

 

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None

 

Item 2. Properties

The Company’s executive office is located at 132 North First Street, Albemarle, North Carolina, where the Company owns a three-building complex located at 130-134 North First Street in Albemarle. This complex houses the Company’s offices and meeting rooms. In addition, a section of one building is leased to a local non-profit organization and this complex is also the location of Stanly’s subsidiary, Strategic Alliance.

Stanly’s Main Office is located at 167 North Second Street, Albemarle, North Carolina. Stanly has leased a portion of the Main Office facility since it opened in 1984, and its administrative and executive offices occupy an adjoining building, purchased in 1991. Stanly previously owned a commercial building and parking lot adjacent to its Main Office that was sold, retaining the parking area around the building. Stanly also acquired a commercial building in downtown Albemarle in December 2001 that is held for future expansion. Stanly acquired a lot in Montgomery County in 2003 that is held as a potential ATM site.

Stanly owns its other banking locations at 710 North First Street, which houses the Village Branch, and its East Albemarle Branch at 800 Highway 24-27 Bypass, both located in Albemarle. It also owns a branch office located at 107 S. Main Street in Norwood, North Carolina and a branch office located at 624 N. Main Street in Oakboro, North Carolina.

All of Stanly’s existing offices are freestanding, fully equipped and have adequate parking and drive-up banking facilities, with the exception of the Main Office in Albemarle, which does not have a drive-up facility.

Cabarrus owns full service branch offices located at 25 Palaside Drive, N.E., Concord, North Carolina and at 1490 S. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina and also owns some property adjacent to the Mt. Pleasant banking office located at 1480 S. Main Street. Cabarrus leases a suite at 700 N. Church Street in Concord, North Carolina where it previously provided banking services and currently serves as an administrative office.

Anson owns its banking facility located at 211 S. Greene Street, Wadesboro, North Carolina. Anson also owns an ATM site at 426 E. Caswell Street, Wadesboro, North Carolina.

 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries, nor any of their properties are subject to any material legal proceedings other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to their business.

 

Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

No matter was submitted to a vote of the Company’s security holders during the fourth quarter of 2006

PART II

 

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

It is the philosophy of the Company to promote a broad base of local shareholders.

 

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Management makes every reasonable effort to match willing buyers with willing sellers as they become known for the purpose of private negotiations for the purchase and sale of the Company’s common stock. The Company, on a quarterly basis, has an independent valuation of the Company stock performed to assist with fairness and market efficiencies regarding these private negotiations and makes the most current valuation available to interested shareholders. Trades of the Company’s stock also occur in the Over-the-Counter marketplace that involve a “spread” between the bid and ask prices to compensate the brokerage firms involved in the Over-the-Counter market. In addition, the Company has adopted a program of on-going open market purchases of shares of the Company’s stock. The combination of public and private trades as well as the holding company purchases provides added liquidity for investors of the Company’s stock.

The Board of Directors has historically adopted a dividend policy on an annual basis. For 2006, the Company declared a 3% stock dividend. The Board of Directors determines, on an annual basis, the dividend policy that is consistent with the capital needs of the Company.

Additional information regarding the market for the Company’s stock is incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 on page 4. See Item 12 of this report for disclosure regarding securities authorized for issuance and equity compensation plans required by Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K.

The common stock of the Company is not actively traded, and there is no established trading market for the stock. The Company has in place a Stock Repurchase Plan that provides liquidity to its shareholders in the event a willing buyer is not available to purchase shares that are offered for sale. The Company is under no obligation to purchase shares offered; however, it will accommodate such offers as its Stock Repurchase Plan allows. This plan was initially adopted in 1995 and is approved annually by resolution of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee of the Board.

 

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 on page 40.

 

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 on Page 41.

 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The Company’s primary market risk is interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is the result of differing maturities or repricing intervals of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the fact that rates on these financial instruments do not change uniformly. These conditions may impact the earnings generated by the Company’s interest earning assets or the cost of its interest-bearing liabilities, thus directly impacting the Company’s overall earnings. The Company’s management actively monitors and manages interest rate risk. One way this is accomplished is through the development of and adherence to the Company’s asset/liability policy. This policy sets forth management’s strategy for matching the risk characteristics of the Company's interest-earning assets and liabilities so as to mitigate the effect of changes in the rate environment.

 

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Market Risk Analysis of Financial Instruments

(dollars in thousands)

 

Contractual Maturities at December 31, 2006

     2007    2008    2009    2010    2011   

Beyond
Five

Years

   Total    Average
Interest
Rate (1)
    Estimated
Fair Value

Financial Assets

                         

Debt securities (2)

   $ 1,012    $ 7,334    $ 2,266    $ 207    $ 1,174    $ 25,157    $ 37,150    5.70 %   $ 37,150

Loans (3)

                         

Fixed rate

     10,801      10,115      9,402      18,585      22,004      54,877      125,784    6.87 %     128,518

Variable rate

     42,035      23,809      25,557      13,960      14,229      46,575      166,165    8.10 %     162,327

Interest-bearing bank balances

     —        —        —        —        —        2,473      2,473    5.15 %     2,473

Federal funds sold

     —        —        —        —        —        17,525      17,525    5.15 %     17,525
                                                             

Total

   $ 53,848    $ 41,258    $ 37,225    $ 32,752    $ 37,407    $ 146,607    $ 349,097    7.23 %   $ 347,993
                                                             

Financial Liabilities

                         

Money Market, NOW & savings deposits

   $ —      $ —      $ —      $ —      $ —      $ 129,303    $ 129,303    2.53 %   $ 127,035

Time deposits

     119,468      9,444      989      1,880      330      37      132,148    4.29 %     140,137

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

     4,000      14,437      1,000      2,000      5,000      —        26,437    4.48 %     26,294

Other borrowed funds

     9,039      407      408      408      409      5,221      15,892    6.06 %     15,892
                                                             

Total

   $ 132,507    $ 24,288    $ 2,397    $ 4,288    $ 5,739    $ 134,561    $ 303,780    3.68 %   $ 309,358
                                                             

 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 beginning on Page 8.

 

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None

 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

As of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company’s management completed an evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective in timely alerting them to material information relating to the Company (including its consolidated subsidiaries) required to be included in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There have been no changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation described above that occurred during the Company’s last fiscal quarter, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 9B. Other Information

None

PART III

 

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement dated March 30, 2007 on Pages 5—11.

 

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The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies, among others, to its Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer. The Company’s Code of Ethics is available at www.uwharrie.com.

 

Item 11. Executive Compensation

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement dated March 30, 2007 on Pages 11—19.

 

Item 12. Security Ownership Of Certain Beneficial Owners And Management and Related Stockholder Matters

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement dated March 30, 2007 on Pages 2-5.

The following table sets forth equity compensation plan information at December 31, 2006.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

Plan Category

 

Number of securities

to be issued

upon exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights

 

Weighted-average

exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights

 

Number of securities

remaining available for

future issuance under

equity compensation
plans

(excluding securities

reflected in column(a))

    (a)   (b)   (c)

Equity compensation

plans approved by

security holders

  519,947   $ 4.73   271,670
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders   NA     NA   NA

Total

  519,947   $ 4.73   271,670

A description of the Company’s equity compensation plans is presented in Note 15 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements filed here within.

 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement dated March 30, 2007 on Pages 7-8 and 19.

 

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services

Incorporated by reference to the Company’s definitive proxy statement dated March 30, 2007 on Page 20.

 

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a) Exhibits.

 

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The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated herein by reference.

 

Exhibit
Number
 

Description of Exhibit

3 (a)   Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation *
3 (b)   Registrant’s By-laws *
4   Form of stock certificate*
10 (a)   Incentive Stock Option Plan, as amended *
10 (b)   Employee Stock Ownership Plan and Trust**
13   2006 Annual Report to Shareholders (filed herewith)
21   Subsidiaries of the Registrant (filed herewith)
31.1   Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)
31.2   Certification of Principal Finance Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)
32   Certification pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith)
99   Registrant’s definitive proxy statement dated March 30, 2007

* Incorporated by reference from exhibits to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 33-58882).
** Incorporated by reference to Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended 1999.
*** Filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 14a-6 (b).

 

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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.

 

    UWHARRIE CAPITAL CORP
March 20, 2007     By:  

/s/ Roger L. Dick

      Roger L. Dick, Chief Executive Officer

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.

 

/s/ Roger L. Dick

    March 20, 2007
Roger L. Dick    
Chief Executive Officer    

/s/ Barbara S. Williams

    March 20, 2007
Barbara S. Williams, Principal Financial Officer    

/s/ Joe S. Brooks

    March 20, 2007
Joe S. Brooks, Director    

/s/ Henry E. Farmer, Sr

    March 20, 2007
Henry E. Farmer, Sr., Director    

/s/ Charles F. Geschickter, III.

    March 20, 2007
Charles F. Geschickter, III, Director    

/s/ Thomas M. Hearne, Jr.

    March 20, 2007
Thomas M. Hearne, Jr., Director    

/s/ Joseph R. Kluttz, Jr

    March 20, 2007
Joseph R. Kluttz, Jr, Director    

 

   
B. Franklin Lee, Director    

/s/ W.Chester Lowder

    March 20, 2007
W. Chester Lowder, Director    

/s/ John P. Murray, MD

    March 20, 2007
John P. Murray, MD, Director    

/s/ James E. Nance

    March 20, 2007
James E. Nance, Director    

/s/ Emmett S. Patterson

    March 20, 2007
Emmett S. Patterson, Director    

 

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/s/ Timothy J. Propst

    March 20, 2007
Timothy J. Propst, Director    

 

   
Susan J. Rourke, Director    

/s/ Donald P. Scarborough

    March 20, 2007
Donald P. Scarborough, Director    

/s/ John W. Shealy, Jr.

    March 20, 2007
John W. Shealy, Jr., Director    

/s/ Michael E. Snyder

    March 20, 2007
Michael E. Snyder, Sr., Director    

 

   
Douglas L. Stafford, Director    

/s/ Emily M. Thomas

    March 20, 2007
Emily M. Thomas, Director    

/s/ Hugh E. Wallace

    March 20, 2007
Hugh E. Wallace, Director    

 

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UWHARRIE CAPITAL CORP

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit
Number
 

Description

13   2006 Annual Report to Shareholders
21   Subsidiaries of the Registrant
31.1   Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2   Certification of Principal Finance Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32   Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

 

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