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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): April 23, 2024

 

 

EQUITY BANCSHARES, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

Kansas

001-37624

72-1532188

(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

 

 

 

 

7701 East Kellogg Drive

Suite 300

 

Wichita, Kansas

 

67207

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: 316 612-6000

 

 

(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 Act:


Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 


Name of each exchange on which registered

Class A, Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

EQBK

 

New York Stock Exchange

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 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On April 23, 2024, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Equity Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”), the stockholders of the Company approved the First Amendment (the “Amendment”) to the Equity Bancshares, Inc. 2022 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plan”), which increased the number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock authorized for issuance under the Incentive Plan by 1,000,000 shares. The Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) previously approved the Amendment, subject to stockholder approval. For a more detailed description of the Amendment, please refer to the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 14, 2024 (the “Proxy Statement”). The foregoing description of the Amendment is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Amendment, a copy of which is included as Appendix A to the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

On April 23, 2024, Company held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to consider and act upon the items listed below:

1.
The stockholders of the Company elected the individuals listed below to serve as Class II members of the Company’s Board of Directors until the Company’s 2027 annual meeting of stockholders by the votes set forth in the table below:

 

 

For

Against

Abstain

Broker Non-Vote

 

Kevin E. Cook

 

8,132,231

2,146,660

57,387

2,334,545

Brad S. Elliott

 

8,158,152

2,136,581

41,545

2,334,545

Junetta M. Everett

 

8,180,319

2,098,962

56,997

2,334,545

Gregory H. Kossover

 

8,288,425

2,021,094

26,759

2,334,545

 

2.
The stockholders of the Company approved, in a non-binding, advisory vote, the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 by the votes set forth in the table below:

 

For

Against

Abstain

Broker Non-Vote

 

7,228,943

 

3,070,329

 

37,006

 

2,334,545

 

3.
The stockholders of the Company approved the First Amendment to the Equity Bancshares, Inc. 2022 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares available for issuance under such plan by the vote set forth in the table below:

 

For

Against

Abstain

Broker Non-Vote

 

8,062,655

 

2,144,484

 

129,139

 

2,334,545

 

4.
The stockholders of the Company ratified the appointment of Crowe LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2024 by the votes set forth in the table below:

 

For

Against

Abstain

 

12,478,625

 

96,792

 

95,406

 

 

 

 

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits


Exhibit No.

Description

10.1

First Amendment to the Equity Bancshares, Inc. 2022 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to Equity Bancshares, Inc.'s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on March 14, 2024).

 


SIGNATURES

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.

 

 

 

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

 

 

 

 

Date:

April 24, 2024

By:

/s/ Chris M. Navratil

 

 

 

Chris M. Navratil
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer