Shareholders' Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Shareholders' Equity and Comprehensive Income [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity

Note 19 – Shareholders’ Equity

Dividends Paid

The Bank paid to the Company cash dividends in the aggregate amounts of $5,685,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2011. The Bank is regulated by the FDIC and the State of California Department of Financial Institutions. Absent approval from the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of California, California banking laws generally limit the Bank’s ability to pay dividends to the lesser of (1) retained earnings or (2) net income for the last three fiscal years, less cash distributions paid during such period.

Shareholders’ Rights Plan

On June 25, 2001, the Company announced that its Board of Directors adopted and entered into a Shareholder Rights Plan designed to protect and maximize shareholder value and to assist the Board of Directors in ensuring fair and equitable benefit to all shareholders in the event of a hostile bid to acquire the Company. On July 8, 2011, the Company amended the Rights Plan to extend its maturity until July 10, 2021.

The Company adopted this Rights Plan to protect stockholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics. In general terms, the Rights Plan imposes a significant penalty upon any person or group that acquires 15% or more of the Company’s outstanding common stock without approval of the Company’s Board of Directors. The Rights Plan was not adopted in response to any known attempt to acquire control of the Company.

Under the Rights Plan, a dividend of one Preferred Stock Purchase Right was declared for each common share held of record as of the close of business on July 10, 2001. No separate certificates evidencing the rights will be issued unless and until they become exercisable.

The rights generally will not become exercisable unless an acquiring entity accumulates or initiates a tender offer to purchase 15% or more of the Company’s common stock. In that event, each right will entitle the holder, other than the unapproved acquirer and its affiliates, to purchase either the Company’s common stock or shares in an acquiring entity at one-half of market value.

The rights’ initial exercise price, which is subject to adjustment, is $49.00 per right. The Company’s Board of Directors generally will be entitled to redeem the rights at a redemption price of $0.01 per right until an acquiring entity acquires a 15% position.

Stock Repurchase Plan

On August 21, 2007, the Board of Directors adopted a plan to repurchase, as conditions warrant, up to 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock on the open market. The timing of purchases and the exact number of shares to be purchased will depend on market conditions. The 500,000 shares authorized for repurchase under this stock repurchase plan represented approximately 3.2% of the Company’s 15,814,662 outstanding common shares as of August 21, 2007. This stock repurchase plan has no expiration date. As of September 30, 2011, the Company had repurchased 166,600 shares under this plan.

Stock Repurchased Under Equity Compensation Plans

During the nine months ended September 30, 2011 employees tendered 177,430 shares of the Company’s common stock in lieu of cash to exercise options to purchase shares of the Company’s stock or to pay income taxes related to such exercises as permitted by the Company’s shareholder-approved equity compensation plans. Such tendered shares are considered repurchased shares but are not counted against the repurchase plan noted above.