First Bancorp - 10-Q quarterly report FY

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

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

Part I of this report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, which statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that include projections, predictions, expectations or beliefs about future events or results or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualifying words (and their derivatives) such as “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” or other statements concerning our opinions or judgment about future events. Factors that could influence the accuracy of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the financial success or changing strategies of our customers, our level of success in integrating acquisitions, actions of government regulators, the level of market interest rates, and general economic conditions. For additional information that could affect the matters discussed in this paragraph, see the “Risk Factors” section of our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In the opinion of the Company, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company as of June 30, 2011 and 2010 and the consolidated results of operations and consolidated cash flows for the periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010. All such adjustments were of a normal, recurring nature. Reference is made to the 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for a discussion of accounting policies and other relevant information with respect to the financial statements. The results of operations for the periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The Company has evaluated all subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued.

Note 1 to the 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC contains a description of the accounting policies followed by the Company and discussion of recent accounting pronouncements. The following paragraphs update that information as necessary.

In July 2010, the FASB issued guidance that requires an entity to provide more information about the credit quality of its financing receivables, such as aging information, credit quality indicators and troubled debt restructurings, in the disclosures to its financial statements. Both new and existing disclosures must be disaggregated by portfolio segment or class. The disaggregation of information is based on how the entity develops its allowance for credit losses and how it manages its credit exposure. Except for disclosures related to troubled debt restructurings (discussed in next paragraph), the required disclosures became effective for periods ending on or after December 15, 2010. The Company is required to include these disclosures in its interim and annual financial statements. See Note 8 for required disclosures.

In April 2011, the FASB issued guidance to assist creditors with their determination of when a restructuring is a troubled debt restructuring. The determination is based on whether the restructuring constitutes a concession and whether the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties, as both events must be present. This guidance and the new disclosures related to troubled debt restructurings will be effective for reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2011.

In December 2010, the FASB issued amended guidance to modify Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity is required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. Any resulting goodwill impairment should be recorded as a cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning retained earnings upon adoption. Impairments occurring subsequent to adoption should be included in earnings. The amendment was effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2011 and is not expected to impact the Company’s next goodwill impairment test.

Also in December 2010, the FASB issued amended guidance specifying that if a public entity presents comparative financial statements, the entity should disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. The amendment also requires that the supplemental pro forma disclosures include a description of the nature and amount of any material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro forma revenue and earnings. This amendment

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Certain amounts reported in the period ended June 30, 2010 have been reclassified to conform to the presentation for June 30, 2011. These reclassifications had no effect on net income or shareholders’ equity for the periods presented, nor did they materially impact trends in financial information.

On January 21, 2011, the Company announced that First Bank, its banking subsidiary, had entered into a loss share purchase and assumption agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), as receiver for The Bank of Asheville, Asheville, North Carolina. Earlier that day, the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks issued an order for the closure of The Bank of Asheville and appointed the FDIC as receiver. According to the terms of the agreement, First Bank acquired substantially all of the assets and liabilities of The Bank of Asheville. All deposits were assumed by First Bank with no losses to any depositor.

The Bank of Asheville operated through five branches in Asheville, North Carolina with total assets of approximately $198 million and 50 employees.

Substantially all of the loans and foreclosed real estate purchased are covered by loss share agreements between the FDIC and First Bank, which afford First Bank significant loss protection. Under the loss share agreements, the FDIC will cover 80% of covered loan and foreclosed real estate losses. The term for loss sharing on residential real estate loans is ten years, while the term for loss sharing on non-residential real estate loans is five years in respect to losses and eight years in respect to loss recoveries. The reimbursable losses from the FDIC are based on the book value of the relevant loan as determined by the FDIC at the date of the transaction. New loans made after that date are not covered by the loss share agreements.

First Bank received a $23.9 million discount on the assets acquired and paid no deposit premium. The acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method of accounting in accordance with relevant accounting guidance. The statement of net assets acquired as of January 21, 2011 and the resulting gain are presented in the following table. The purchased assets and assumed liabilities were recorded at their respective acquisition date fair values, and identifiable intangible assets were recorded at fair value. Fair values are preliminary and subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of the acquisition as information relative to closing date fair values becomes available. The Company recorded an estimated receivable from the FDIC in the amount of $42.2 million, which represents the fair value of the FDIC’s portion of the losses that are expected to be incurred and reimbursed to the Company.

An acquisition gain totaling $10.2 million resulted from the acquisition and is included as a component of noninterest income on the statement of income. The amount of the gain is equal to the amount by which the fair value of assets purchased exceeded the fair value of liabilities assumed.

The statement of net assets acquired as of January 21, 2011 and the resulting gain that was recorded are presented in the following table.

The operating results of the Company for the period ended June 30, 2011 include the operating results of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities for the period subsequent to the acquisition date of January 21, 2011 and were not material to the six month period ended June 30, 2011. Due primarily to the significant amount of fair value adjustments and the FDIC loss share agreements now in place, historical results of The Bank of Asheville are not believed to be relevant to the Company’s results, and thus no pro forma information is presented.

At June 30, 2011, the Company had the following equity-based compensation plans: the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan, the First Bancorp 2004 Stock Option Plan, the First Bancorp 1994 Stock Option Plan, and one plan that was assumed from an acquired entity. The Company’s shareholders approved all equity-based compensation plans, except for those assumed from acquired companies. The First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan became effective upon the approval of shareholders on May 2, 2007. As of June 30, 2011, the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan was the only plan that had shares available for future grants.

The First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan and its predecessor plans, the First Bancorp 2004 Stock Option Plan and the First Bancorp 1994 Stock Option Plan (“Predecessor Plans”), are intended to serve as a means to attract, retain and motivate key employees and directors and to associate the interests of the plans’ participants with those of the Company and its shareholders. The Predecessor Plans only provided for the ability to grant stock options, whereas the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan, in addition to providing for grants of stock options, also allows for grants of other types of equity-based compensation, including stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted performance stock, unrestricted stock, and performance units. Since the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan became effective on May 2, 2007, the Company has granted the following stock-based compensation: 1) the grant of 2,250 stock options to each of the Company’s non-employee directors on June 1, 2007, 2008, and 2009, 2) the grant of 5,000 incentive stock options to an executive officer on April 1, 2008 in connection with a corporate acquisition, 3) the grant of 262,599 stock options and 81,337 performance units to 19 senior officers on June 17, 2008 (each performance unit represents the right to acquire one share of the Company’s common stock upon satisfaction of the vesting conditions), 4) the grant of 29,267 long-term restricted shares of common stock to certain senior executive officers on December 11, 2009, 5) the grant of 1,039 shares of common stock to each of the Company’s non-employee directors on June 1, 2010, 6) the grant of 7,259 long-term restricted shares of common stock to certain senior executive officers on February 24, 2011, and 7) the grant of 1,414 shares of common stock to each of the Company’s non-employee directors on June 1, 2011.

Prior to the June 17, 2008 grant, stock option grants to employees generally had five-year vesting schedules (20% vesting each year) and had been irregular, usually falling into three categories - 1) to attract and retain new employees, 2) to recognize changes in responsibilities of existing employees, and 3) to periodically reward exemplary performance. Compensation expense associated with these types of grants is recorded pro-ratably over the vesting period. As it relates to directors, until 2010 the Company had historically granted 2,250 vested stock options to each of the Company’s non-employee directors in June of each year. In June 2011 and 2010, the Company granted 1,414 common shares and 1,039 common shares, respectively, to each non-employee director, which had approximately the same value as 2,250 stock options. Compensation expense associated with these director grants is recognized on the date of grant since there are no vesting conditions.

The June 17, 2008 grant of a combination of performance units and stock options have both performance conditions (earnings per share targets) and service conditions that must be met in order to vest. The 262,599 stock options and 81,337 performance units represent the maximum number of options and performance units that could have vested if the Company were to achieve specified maximum goals for earnings per share during the three annual performance periods ending on December 31, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Up to one-third of the total number of options and performance units granted are subject to vesting annually as of December 31 of each year beginning in 2010, if (1) the Company achieves specific earnings per share (EPS) goals during the corresponding performance period and (2) the executive or key employee continues employment for a period of two years beyond the corresponding performance period. Compensation expense for this grant is recorded over the various service periods based on the estimated number of options and performance units that are probable to vest. If the awards do not vest, no compensation cost is recognized and any previously recognized compensation cost will be reversed. The Company did not achieve the minimum earnings per share performance goal for 2008 or 2010, and thus two-thirds of the above grant has been permanently forfeited. As a result of the significant acquisition gain realized in June 2009 related to a failed bank acquisition, the Company achieved the EPS goal for 2009 and the related awards will vest on December 31, 2011 for each grantee that remains employed as of that date. The Company recorded compensation expense of $299,000 in each of 2009 and 2010 related to this grant and its expected vesting. Assuming no forfeitures, the Company will record compensation expense of approximately $75,000 in each quarter of 2011 related to this grant.

The December 11, 2009 and February 24, 2011 grants of long-term restricted shares of common stock to senior executives vest in accordance with the minimum rules for long-term equity grants for companies participating in the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). These rules require that the vesting of the stock be tied to repayment of the financial assistance. For each 25% of total financial assistance repaid, 25% of the total long-term restricted stock may become transferrable. The total compensation expense associated with the December 11, 2009 grant was $398,000 and is being initially amortized over a four-year period. The amount of compensation expense recorded by the Company in 2009 was insignificant. The Company recorded approximately $49,000 in each of the first six months of 2011 and 2010 related to this grant. The Company will continue to record approximately $24,500 in each quarter through the end of 2013 related to the 2009 grant. The total compensation expense associated with the February 24, 2011 grant was $105,500 and is being initially amortized over a three-year period, with approximately $8,800 being expensed in each quarter of 2011-2013. See Note 15 for further information related to the Company’s participation in the TARP.

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

At June 30, 2011, there were 635,309 options outstanding related to the three First Bancorp plans, with exercise prices ranging from $14.35 to $22.12. At June 30, 2011, there were 927,478 shares remaining available for grant under the First Bancorp 2007 Equity Plan. The Company also has a stock option plan as a result of a corporate acquisition. At June 30, 2011, there were 4,788 stock options outstanding in connection with the acquired plan, with option prices ranging from $10.66 to $15.22.

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

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

The Company’s equity grants for the six months ended June 30, 2011 were the issuance of 1) 7,259 shares of long-term restricted stock to certain senior executives on February 24, 2011, at a fair market value of $14.54 per share, which was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on that date, and 2) 21,210 shares of common stock to non-employee directors on June 1, 2011 (1,414 shares per director), at a fair market value of $11.39 per share, which was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on that date.

The Company’s only equity grants for the six months ended June 30, 2010 were the issuance of 15,585 shares of common stock to non-employee directors on June 1, 2010 (1,039 shares per director). The fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the grant date was $15.51 per share, which was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on that date.

The Company recorded total stock-based compensation expense of $483,000 and $441,000 for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Stock-based compensation expense is recorded as “salaries expense” in the Consolidated Statements of Income and as an adjustment to cash flows from operating activities on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The Company recognized no income tax benefits in the income statement related to stock-based compensation for the six-month period ended June 30, 2011 and approximately $36,000 in income tax benefits for the same period in 2010.

At June 30, 2011, the Company had $10,000 of unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested stock options that have vesting requirements based solely on service conditions. The cost is expected to be amortized over a weighted-average life of 1.8 years, with $3,000 being expensed in 2011, $6,000 being expensed in 2012, and $1,000 being expensed in 2013. At June 30, 2011, the Company had $149,000 in unrecognized compensation expense associated with the June 17, 2008 award grant that has both performance conditions and service conditions and will record $74,500 in each remaining quarter of 2011.

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

The following table presents information regarding the activity for the first six months of 2011 related to all of the Company’s stock options outstanding:

The Company received $30,000 and $171,000 as a result of stock option exercises during the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The Company recorded no tax benefits from the exercise of nonqualified stock options during the three months ended June 30, 2011 or 2010.

As discussed above, the Company granted 81,337 performance units to 19 senior officers on June 17, 2008. Each performance unit represents the right to acquire one share of the Company’s common stock upon satisfaction of the vesting conditions (discussed above). The fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the grant date was $16.53 per share. One-third of this grant was forfeited on December 31, 2008 and another one-third was forfeited on December 31, 2010 because the Company failed to meet the minimum performance goal required for vesting. Also, as discussed above, the Company granted 29,267 and 7,259 long-term restricted shares of common stock to certain senior executives on December 11, 2009 and February 24, 2011, respectively.

The following table presents information regarding the activity during 2011 related to the Company’s outstanding performance units and restricted stock:

Basic earnings per common share were computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per common share includes the potentially dilutive effects of the Company’s equity plans and the warrant issued to the U.S. Treasury in connection with the Company’s participation in the Treasury’s Capital Purchase Program – see Note 15 for additional information. The

For both the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2011, there were 542,916 options that were antidilutive because the exercise price exceeded the average market price for the period. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, there 464,848 and 609,252 options, respectively, that were antidilutive because the exercise price exceeded the average market price for the period. In addition, the warrant for 616,308 shares issued to the U.S. Treasury (see Note 15) was antidilutive for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010. Antidilutive options and warrants have been omitted from the calculation of diluted earnings per common share for the respective periods.

The book values and approximate fair values of investment securities at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 are summarized as follows:

Included in mortgage-backed securities at June 30, 2011 were collateralized mortgage obligations with an amortized cost of $2,029,000 and a fair value of $2,100,000. Included in mortgage-backed securities at December 31, 2010 were collateralized mortgage obligations with an amortized cost of $2,644,000 and a fair value of $2,740,000.

The Company owned Federal Home Loan Bank stock with a cost and fair value of $12,809,000 and $14,759,000 at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively, which is included in equity securities above and serves as part of the collateral for the Company’s line of credit with the Federal Home Loan Bank. The investment in this stock is a requirement for membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank system.

The following table presents information regarding securities with unrealized losses at June 30, 2011:

In the above tables, all of the non-equity securities that were in an unrealized loss position at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 are bonds that the Company has determined are in a loss position due to interest rate factors, the overall economic downturn in the financial sector, and the broader economy in general. The Company has evaluated the collectability of each of these bonds and has concluded that there is no other-than-temporary impairment. The Company does not intend to sell these securities, and it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell these securities before recovery of the amortized cost. The Company has also concluded that each of the equity securities in an unrealized loss position at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 was in such a position due to temporary fluctuations in the market prices of the securities. The Company’s policy is to record an impairment charge for any of these equity securities that remains in an unrealized loss position for twelve consecutive months unless the amount is insignificant.

The aggregate carrying amount of cost-method investments was $12,809,000 and $14,766,000 at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively, which included the Federal Home Loan Bank stock discussed above. The Company determined that none of its cost-method investments were impaired at either period end.

The book values and approximate fair values of investment securities at June 30, 2011, by contractual maturity, are summarized in the table below. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, investment securities with book values of $105,816,000 and $75,654,000, respectively, were pledged as collateral for public and private deposits and securities sold under agreements to repurchase.

There were $2,510,000 in sales of securities during the six months ended June 30, 2011, which resulted in a net gain of $8,000. There were no securities sales during the first six months of 2010. During the six months ended

The loans and foreclosed real estate that were acquired in FDIC-assisted transactions are covered by loss share agreements between the FDIC and First Bank, which afford First Bank significant loss protection. (See the Company’s 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information regarding the Cooperative Bank transaction and Note 4 above for the more information regarding The Bank of Asheville transaction.) Because of the loss protection provided by the FDIC, the risk of the Cooperative Bank and The Bank of Asheville loans and foreclosed real estate are significantly different from those assets not covered under the loss share agreements. Accordingly, the Company presents separately loans subject to the loss share agreements as “covered loans” in the information below and loans that are not subject to the loss share agreements as “non-covered loans.”

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