8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 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)      October 2, 2019

Southern First Bancshares, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

South Carolina

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

	000-27719		58-2459561
	(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)
	100 Verdae Boulevard, Suite 100, Greenville, SC		29607
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

(864) 679-9000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐	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 (17CFR 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
Common Stock	SFST	The Nasdaq Stock 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 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On October 2, 2019, Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing its selection by Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P. to the Sm-All Stars Class of 2019. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

The information contained in this Item 7.01, including the information incorporated by reference herein from Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release dated October 2, 2019

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.

	SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC.
	By:	/s/ Michael D. Dowling
	Name:	Michael D. Dowling
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer
Dated: October 2, 2019

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Southern First Named a Top Performing Bank by Sandler O’Neill

Greenville, South Carolina, October 2, 2019 – Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST), holding company for Southern First Bank, has been named by Sandler O’Neill + Partners, L.P. as one of the nation's top performing small-cap banks and thrifts, included in the firm's Sm-All Stars Class of 2019. Southern First was also included in the Sm-All Stars Class of 2015.

The 2019 Sm-All-Star Class includes 30 banks. To identify the small-cap companies that made the list, Sandler O'Neill evaluated all 394 publicly traded banks and thrifts with a market cap below $2.5 billion. To incorporate a liquidity restraint, Sandler O’Neill placed a $25 million cutoff at the low-end of the market cap range.

The Sm-All Stars designation was established to identify the top performing small-cap banks and thrifts in the United States. Performance metrics of Sm-All Star institutions are exceptional, exceeding the industry metrics. Companies were selected based on various financial screening criteria, including growth, profitability, credit quality and capital strength.

ABOUT SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES

Southern First Bancshares, Inc., Greenville, South Carolina is a registered bank holding company incorporated under the laws of South Carolina. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Southern First Bank, is the third largest bank headquartered in South Carolina. Southern First Bank has been providing financial services since 1999 and now operates in 13 locations in the Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston markets of South Carolina as well as the Triangle and Triad regions of North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. Southern First Bancshares has assets of approximately $2.1 billion and its common stock is traded in the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “SFST.” More information can be found at www.southernfirst.com.

FINANCIAL CONTACT: MIKE DOWLING 864-679-9070

MEDIA CONTACT: ART SEAVER 864-679-9010

WEB SITE: www.southernfirst.com