UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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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): July 7, 2017

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VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

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Texas	001-36682	27-0973566
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

8214 Westchester Drive, Suite 400

Dallas, Texas 75225

(Address of principal executive offices)

(972) 349-6200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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)

o    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On July 7, 2017, Veritex Holdings, Inc. (“Veritex”), the parent holding company of Veritex Community Bank, and Sovereign Bancshares, Inc. (“Sovereign”), the parent holding company of Sovereign Bank, received the regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“the Federal Reserve Board”) that is required to complete Veritex’s acquisition of Sovereign (the “Merger”) pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated December 14, 2016 (the “merger agreement”), by and among Veritex, Spartan Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Veritex, and Sovereign.

The Merger is expected to close on or about August 1, 2017, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the customary closing conditions outlined in the merger agreement.

A copy of the press release issued by Veritex announcing receipt of the regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Board is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 8.01 Other Events.

The portions of the press release that relate solely to the Merger are being filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K in compliance with Rule 425 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits. The following is furnished as an exhibit to this Current Report on Form 8-K:

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press Release, dated July 7, 2017.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information presented herein and in other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, in press releases or other public shareholder communications, or in oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer contains forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 giving Veritex’s and Sovereign’s expectations or predictions of future financial or business performance or conditions. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “estimate,” “continue,” “positions,” “prospects” or “potential,” by future conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could” or “may”, or by variations of such words or by similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we assume no duty to update forward-looking statements.

You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. These statements may relate to future financial performance, strategic plans or objectives, revenues or earnings projections, or other financial information. By their nature, these statements are subject to numerous uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the statements. Statements about the expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed transactions and all other statements in this communication other than historical facts constitute forward-looking statements.

The closing of the Merger is subject to customary closing conditions. There is no assurance that such conditions will be met or that the Merger will be consummated within the expected time frame, or at all. In addition to factors previously disclosed in Veritex’s reports filed with the SEC and those identified elsewhere in this communication, the following factors among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements: delay in closing the Merger; difficulties and delays in integrating Veritex and Sovereign businesses or fully realizing cost savings and other benefits; business disruption following the proposed transaction; 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; customer disintermediation; the introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives; competitive conditions; the inability to realize cost savings or revenues or to implement integration plans and other consequences associated with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; economic conditions; and 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.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication is being made in respect of the Merger. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

Investors and security holders are urged to carefully review and consider Veritex’s public filings with the SEC, including but not limited to its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, its proxy statements, its Current Reports on Form 8-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The documents filed by Veritex with the SEC may be obtained free of charge from www.veritexbank.com under the Investor Relations tab or at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, these documents, when available, can be obtained free of charge from Veritex upon written request to Veritex Holdings, Inc., Attn: Investor Relations, 8214 Westchester Drive, Suite 400, Dallas, Texas 75225 or by calling (972) 349-6200.

In connection with the Merger, Veritex has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC which includes a joint proxy statement of Sovereign and Veritex and a prospectus of Veritex, and will file other documents regarding the Merger with the SEC. Before making any investment decision, investors and security holders of Sovereign and Veritex are urged to carefully read the entire registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, because they will contain important information about the Merger.  A definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus has been sent to the shareholders of each institution seeking the required shareholder approvals. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the registration statement and the joint proxy statement/prospectus free of charge from the SEC’s website or from Veritex by writing to the address provided above.

Veritex and Sovereign and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from their shareholders in connection with the Merger. Information about Veritex’s participants may be found in the definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 10, 2017. The definitive proxy statement can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants is included in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and will be included in other relevant documents regarding the Merger filed with the SEC when they become available, copies of which may also be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

SIGNATURE

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

Veritex Holdings, Inc.
By:	/s/ C. Malcolm Holland, III
	C. Malcolm Holland, III
	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Date: July 7, 2017

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
99.1	Press Release, dated July 7, 2017.