UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
Current Report
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
February 28, 2022 (
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||
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(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||
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(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) | ||
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)) | ||
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
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 February 27, 2022, First Horizon Corporation, a Tennessee corporation (the “Company” or “First Horizon”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) by and among the Company, The Toronto-Dominion Bank, a Canadian chartered bank (“TD”), TD Bank US Holding Company, a Delaware corporation and indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of TD (“TD-US”), and Falcon Holdings Acquisition Co., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of TD-US (“TD Merger Sub”).
The Merger Agreement, provides for, among other things, the merger of TD Merger Sub and the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity, followed by, at the election of TD, the merger of the Company and TD-US, with TD-US continuing as the surviving entity, in each case upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.
In connection with the announcement of the Merger Agreement, the Company and TD issued a joint press release, dated February 28, 2022. A copy of the joint press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Report”) is being furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure. In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in this Report shall not be deemed “filed” for the 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 Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly stated by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number | Description |
99.1 | Joint Press Release, dated February 28, 2022 |
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, with respect to First Horizon’s beliefs, plans, goals, expectations, and estimates. Forward-looking statements are not a representation of historical information, but instead pertain to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target”, “plan”, “estimate,” “should,” “likely,” “will,” “going forward” and other expressions that indicate future events and trends identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to significant business, operational, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of First Horizon, and many of which, with respect to future business decisions and actions, are subject to change and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements or historical performance. Examples of uncertainties and contingencies include factors previously disclosed in First Horizon’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as well as the following factors, among others: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the definitive merger agreement between First Horizon and TD; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against First Horizon or TD, including potential litigation that may be instituted against First Horizon or its directors or officers related to the proposed transaction or the definitive merger agreement between First Horizon and TD related to the proposed transaction; the timing and completion of the transaction, including the possibility that the proposed transaction will not close when expected or at all because required regulatory, shareholder or other approvals are not received or other conditions to the closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all, or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; interloper risk; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed combination could have adverse effects on the market price of the common stock of First Horizon; certain restrictions during the pendency of the merger that may impact First Horizon’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; reputational risk and potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; First Horizon’s success in executing its business plans and strategies and managing the risks involved in the foregoing; currency and interest rate fluctuations; exchange rates; success of hedging activities; material adverse changes in economic and industry conditions, including the availability of short and long-term financing; general competitive, economic, political and market conditions; changes in asset quality and credit risk; the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth; inflation; customer borrowing, repayment, investment and deposit practices; the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; capital management activities; other actions of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms; the pandemic created by the outbreak of COVID-19 and its variants, and resulting effects on economic conditions, restrictions imposed by public health authorities or governments, fiscal and monetary policy responses by governments and financial institutions, and disruptions to global supply chains; and other factors that may affect future results of First Horizon.
We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements can be found in First Horizon’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC and available in the “Investor Relations” section of First Horizon’s website, http://www.first horizon.com, under the heading “SEC Filings” and in other documents First Horizon files with the SEC.
Important Other Information
In connection with the proposed transaction, First Horizon intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a proxy statement on Schedule 14A.
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. SHAREHOLDERS OF FIRST HORIZON ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING FIRST HORIZON’S PROXY STATEMENT, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FIRST HORIZON AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.
Investors and shareholders of First Horizon will be able to obtain a free copy of the proxy statement as well as other relevant documents filed with the SEC without charge at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy statement and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference in the proxy statement can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to Clyde A. Billings Jr., First Horizon Corporation, 165 Madison, Memphis, TN 38103, telephone (901) 523-4444.
Participants in the Solicitation
First Horizon and certain of its directors, executive officers and
employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction under the rules of the
SEC. Information regarding First Horizon’s directors and executive officers is available in the proxy statement for its 2021 annual
meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 15, 2021, and certain of its Current Reports on Form 8-K. Other information
regarding the participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction and a description of their direct and
indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed
with the SEC. Free copies of these documents, when available, may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.
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.
FIRST HORIZON CORPORATION | |||
By | /s/ Hope Dmuchowski | ||
Name: | Hope Dmuchowski | ||
Title: | Senior Executive Vice President-Chief Financial Officer |
Date: February 28, 2022