Independent Bank Corp. Announces $35 Million Subordinated Debt Issuance

ROCKLAND, Mass.--()--On November 17, 2014, Independent Bank Corp. (NASDAQ: INDB), parent of Rockland Trust Company, issued $35 million in aggregate principal amount of Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Due 2024 (the “Notes”) through a private placement to certain institutional accredited investors (the “Private Placement”). The Company arranged the Private Placement through its placement agents, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

Unless previously redeemed, the Notes will mature on November 15, 2024. The Notes will bear interest at a rate of 4.75% per annum, from and including November 17, 2014 to but excluding November 15, 2019 or any early redemption date, as applicable, payable semi-annually in arrears. From and including November 15, 2019 to the maturity date or any early redemption date, the interest rate on the Notes shall be reset quarterly to an interest rate per annum equal to the then current three-month LIBOR rate plus 298 basis points, payable quarterly in arrears. The Company expects the Notes to qualify as Tier 2 capital for regulatory purposes. The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement for general corporate purposes, which may include supporting the continued growth of its business, acquisitions, and the redemption or repayment of other debt.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering would be unlawful. The above referenced securities offered and sold by the Company have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration.

About Independent Bank Corp.

Independent Bank Corp. has approximately $6.4 billion in assets and is the holding company for Rockland Trust Company, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts. Rockland Trust offers a wide range of banking, investment, and insurance services to businesses and individuals through retail branches, commercial lending offices, investment management offices, and residential lending centers located in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as through telephone banking, mobile banking, and the Internet. Rockland Trust, which has been named as one of America’s “Best Banks” by Forbes for three consecutive years, is an FDIC Member and an Equal Housing Lender. To find out why Rockland Trust is the bank “Where Each Relationship Matters ®”, please visit www.rocklandtrust.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company. These statements may be identified by such forward-looking terminology as “expect,” “achieve,” “plan,” “believe,” “future,” “positioned,” “continued,” “will,” “would,” “potential,” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Actual results may differ from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

  • a weakening in the United States economy in general and the regional and local economies within the New England region and the Company’s market area;
  • adverse changes in the local real estate market;
  • a deterioration of the credit rating for U.S. long-term sovereign debt;
  • acquisitions may not produce results at levels or within time frames originally anticipated and may result in unforeseen integration issues or impairment of goodwill and/or other intangibles;
  • changes in, trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
  • higher than expected tax rates and any changes in and any failure by the Company to comply with tax laws generally and requirements of the federal New Markets Tax Credit program;
  • unexpected changes in market interest rates for interest earning assets and/or interest bearing liabilities;
  • adverse changes in asset quality including an unanticipated credit deterioration in our loan portfolio;
  • unexpected increased competition in the Company’s market area;
  • unanticipated loan delinquencies, loss of collateral, decreased service revenues, and other potential negative effects on our business caused by severe weather or other external events;
  • a deterioration in the conditions of the securities markets;
  • our inability to adapt to changes in information technology;
  • electronic fraudulent activity within the financial services industry, especially in the commercial banking sector;
  • adverse changes in consumer spending and savings habits;
  • failure to obtain the approval of Peoples Federal Bancshares shareholders or regulatory approvals necessary for the merger of Peoples Federal Bancshares with Independent Bank Corp. or to satisfy other conditions to the merger on the proposed terms and within the proposed timeframe;
  • the inability to realize expected revenue synergies from the Peoples Federal Bancshares merger in the amounts or in the timeframe anticipated;
  • costs or difficulties relating to the Peoples Federal Bancshares integration matters might be greater than expected;
  • inability to retain customers and employees, including those of Peoples Federal Bancshares;
  • the effect of new laws and regulations regarding the financial services industry including, but not limited to, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act;
  • changes in laws and regulations (including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities and insurance) generally applicable to the Company’s business;
  • changes in accounting policies, practices and standards, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and other accounting standard setters; and
  • other unexpected material adverse changes in our operations or earnings.

The Company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as the Company’s business and its forward-looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (“Risk Factors”). Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether in response to new information, future events or otherwise. Any public statements or disclosures by the Company following this release which modify or impact any of the forward-looking statements contained in this release will be deemed to modify or supersede such statements in this release. In addition to the information set forth in this press release, you should carefully consider the Risk Factors.

Contacts

Independent Bank Corp.
Chris Oddleifson, 781-982-6660
President and Chief Executive Officer
or
Robert Cozzone, 781-982-6723
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Contacts

Independent Bank Corp.
Chris Oddleifson, 781-982-6660
President and Chief Executive Officer
or
Robert Cozzone, 781-982-6723
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer