FIRST CITIZENS BANCSHARES INC /DE/ (Form: 8-K, Received: 09/30/2021 16:19:40)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 30, 2021

_________________________________________________________________

First Citizens BancShares, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware	001-16715	56-1528994
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)


4300 Six Forks Road	Raleigh	North Carolina	27609
(Address of principal executive offices)			(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (919) 716-7000

________________________________________________________________________________

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐			Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐			Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐			Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐			Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:


Title of each class	Trading Symbol	Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, Par Value $1	FCNCA	Nasdaq Global Select Market
Depositary Shares, Each Representing a 1/40th Interest in a Share of 5.375% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A	FCNCP	Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On September 30, 2021, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (“First Citizens”) entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) dated October 15, 2020, by and among First Citizens, First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, a North Carolina chartered commercial bank and direct, wholly owned subsidiary of First Citizens (“FCB”), FC Merger Subsidiary IX, Inc., a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of FCB, and CIT Group Inc. (“CIT”), the parent company of CIT Bank, N.A., a national banking association. First Citizens and CIT issued a joint press release announcing the execution and description of the Amendment, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Pursuant to the Amendment, First Citizens and CIT agreed to extend until March 1, 2022, the date after which either party may elect to terminate the Merger Agreement if the merger has not yet been completed. As of September 30, 2021, regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Board has not yet been obtained by the parties. The parties have mutually agreed to amend the Merger Agreement in order to provide additional time in order to obtain regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Board. The parties have responded to all questions issued by the Staff of the Federal Reserve Board, and the Staff has informed us that they do not have further questions at this time. The parties have been informed that the application is presently at the Governor level. The Board of Governors has not provided a timeframe for its decision on the application. Approval by the Federal Reserve Board is the only remaining regulatory approval required in order to complete the merger, and both parties are committed to continuing to seek such approval.

The foregoing description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1 and is incorporated herein by reference

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibits accompany this report.


Exhibit No.						Description

2.1						Amendment No. 1, dated September 30 , 2021, to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated October 15, 2020

99.1						Joint Press Release of First Citizens and CIT dated September 30 , 2021

104						Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

First Citizens BancShares, Inc.

(Registrant)

Date:

September 30, 2021

By: /s/ Craig L. Nix

Craig L. Nix

Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 2.1

AMENDMENT NO. 1

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

This Amendment No. 1 (this “Amendment”) to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated October 15, 2020 (the “Agreement”), is made and entered into as of September 30, 2021, by and among CIT Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (“CIT”); First Citizens BancShares, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“BancShares”); First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, a North Carolina chartered commercial bank and direct, wholly owned subsidiary of BancShares (“FCB”); and FC Merger Subsidiary IX, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of FCB (“Merger Sub” and, collectively with BancShares and FCB, the “BancShares Parties”). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Amendment shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 8.1(c) of the Agreement, either the BancShares Parties or CIT has the discretion to terminate the Agreement at any time prior to the Effective Time if the Merger shall not have been consummated on or before October 15, 2021 (the “Termination Date”), unless the failure of the Closing to occur by such date shall be due to the failure of the party seeking to terminate the Agreement to perform or observe the obligations, covenants and agreements of such party set forth therein; and

WHEREAS, CIT, BancShares, FCB and Merger Sub desire to amend the Agreement in accordance with Section 9.1 thereof as provided below in order to extend the date after which either party has the discretion to terminate the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants, representations, warranties and agreements contained in the Agreement and this Amendment, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties agree as follows:

1.Amendment. Section 8.1(c) of the Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “October 15, 2021” with “March 1, 2022”.

2.Effect of Amendment. This Amendment shall form a part of the Agreement for all purposes, and each party thereto and hereto shall be bound hereby. From and after the execution of this Amendment by the parties hereto, each reference in the Agreement to “this Agreement,” “hereof,” “hereunder” or words of like import referring to the Agreement shall mean and be a reference to the Agreement as amended by this Amendment. Except as expressly amended hereby, the Agreement is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. This Amendment is limited precisely as written and shall not be deemed to be an amendment to any other term or condition of the Agreement or any of the documents referred to therein.

3.Interpretation. The parties have participated jointly in negotiating and drafting this Amendment. In the event that an ambiguity or a question of intent or interpretation arises, this Amendment shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Amendment. The headings contained in this Amendment are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Amendment. Whenever the word “including” is used in this Amendment, it shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.” The word “or” shall not be exclusive.

4.Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart.

5.Entire Agreement. This Amendment, together with the Agreement (together with the Exhibits and Schedules thereto, the CIT Disclosure Schedule, the BancShares Disclosure Schedule and the other documents and instruments referred to therein) and the Confidentiality Agreement, constitute the entire agreement among the parties and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

6.Governing Law. This Amendment shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to any applicable conflicts of law principles.

7.Severability. Whenever possible, each provision or portion of any provision of this Amendment shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision or portion of any provision of this Amendment is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under any applicable law or rule in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision or portion of any provision in such jurisdiction, and this Amendment shall be reformed, construed and enforced in such jurisdiction such that the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision or portion thereof shall be interpreted to be only so broad as is enforceable.

[Signature Page Follows]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above written.

CIT GROUP INC.

By: /s/ Ellen R. Alemany

Name: Ellen R. Alemany

Title: Chairwoman & Chief Executive Officer

FIRST CITIZENS BANCSHARES, INC.

By: /s/ Peter M. Bristow

Name: Peter M. Bristow

Title: President

FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY

By: /s/ Craig L. Nix

Name: Craig L. Nix

Title: Chief Financial Officer

FC MERGER SUBSIDIARY IX, INC.

By: /s/ Craig L. Nix

Name: Craig L. Nix

Title: Chief Financial Officer

EX 99.1

For Immediate Release

September 30, 2021

FIRST CITIZENS, CIT EXTEND MERGER AGREEMENT

RALEIGH, North Carolina, and NEW YORK, New York –– First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA) (“First Citizens”), the parent company of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, and CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) (“CIT”), the parent company of CIT Bank, N.A., jointly announced that the two companies have agreed to extend the merger agreement from October 15, 2021, to March 1, 2022.

The merger has already received approval from the Office of the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Action by the Federal Reserve Board is the remaining regulatory approval required to complete the merger, and both parties are committed to continuing to seek such approval.

The parties have responded to all questions issued by the Staff of the Federal Reserve Board, and the Staff has informed us that they do not have further questions at this time. The parties have been informed that the application is presently at the Governor level. The Board of Governors has not provided a timeframe for its decision on the application.

When completed, the combined company will operate under the First Citizens name and establish a top 20 bank based on assets among U.S.-headquartered banks. The merger will bring together complementary strengths of both organizations with First Citizens’ robust retail franchise and full suite of banking products and CIT’s strong market positions, nationwide commercial lending franchise and direct online bank.

About First Citizens

First Citizens BancShares, Inc. is the financial holding company for Raleigh, North Carolina-headquartered First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (“First Citizens Bank”). As one of the largest family-controlled banks in the United States, First Citizens Bank (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender) is known for building financial strength that lasts for personal, business, commercial and wealth management clients. Founded in 1898, the bank provides a broad range of financial products and operates a network of branches in 19 states that include many high-growth markets. For more information, visit First Citizens’ website at firstcitizens.com. First Citizens Bank. Forever First®.

About CIT

CIT is a leading national bank focused on empowering businesses and personal savers with the financial agility to navigate their goals. CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) is a financial holding company with over a century of experience and operates a principal bank subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender). CIT’s commercial banking segment includes commercial financing, community association banking, middle market banking, equipment and vendor financing, factoring, railcar financing, treasury and payments services, and capital markets and asset management. CIT's consumer banking segment includes a national direct bank and regional branch network. Discover more at cit.com/about.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the financial condition, results of operations, business plans and future performance of First Citizens and CIT. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “targets,” “designed,” “could,” “may,” “should,” “will” or other similar words and expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on First

Citizens’ and CIT’s current expectations and assumptions regarding First Citizens’ and CIT’s businesses, the economy, and other future conditions.

Because forward-looking statements relate to future results and occurrences, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances and other factors that are difficult to predict. Many possible events or factors could affect First Citizens’ and/or CIT’s future financial results and performance and could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of First Citizens and/or CIT to differ materially from any anticipated results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, (1) the risk that the cost savings, any revenue synergies and other anticipated benefits of the proposed merger may not be realized or may take longer than anticipated to be realized, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the condition of the economy and competitive factors in areas where First Citizens and CIT do business, (2) disruption to the parties’ businesses as a result of the pendency of the proposed merger and diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities, (3) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the definitive merger agreement between First Citizens and CIT, (4) the risk that the integration of First Citizens’ and CIT’s operations will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected or that First Citizens and CIT are otherwise unable to successfully integrate their businesses, (5) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be or have been instituted against First Citizens and/or CIT, (6) the failure to obtain remaining governmental approvals (and the risk that such approvals may result in the imposition of conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction), (7) reputational risk and potential adverse reactions of First Citizens’ and/or CIT’s customers, suppliers, employees or other business partners, including those resulting from the completion of the proposed merger, (8) the failure of any of the closing conditions in the definitive merger agreement to be satisfied on a timely basis or at all, (9) delays in closing the proposed merger, (10) the possibility that the proposed merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events, (11) the dilution caused by First Citizens’ issuance of additional shares of its capital stock in connection with the proposed merger, (12) general competitive, economic, political and market conditions, (13) other factors that may affect future results of CIT and/or First Citizens including changes in asset quality and credit risk, the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth, changes in interest rates and capital markets, inflation, customer borrowing, repayment, investment and deposit practices, the impact, extent and timing of technological changes, capital management activities, and other actions of the Federal Reserve Board and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms, and (14) the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on First Citizens’ and/or CIT’s businesses, the ability to complete the proposed merger and/or any of the other foregoing risks.

Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, each of First Citizens and CIT disclaims any obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments. Further information regarding First Citizens, CIT and factors which could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein can be found in First Citizens’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and in CIT’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as amended on Form 10-K/A, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, and its other filings with the SEC. The contents of any website referenced in this communication are not incorporated by reference herein.

First Citizens Contact Information

Frank Smith

Senior Communications Strategist

919-716-4121

frank.smith@firstcitizens.com

Deanna Hart

SVP, Investor Relations

919-716-2137

deanna.hart@firstcitizens.com

CIT Contact Information

Gina Proia

EVP, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

212-771-6008

gina.proia@cit.com

Barbara Callahan

SVP and Head of Investor Relations

973-740-5058

barbara.callahan@cit.com