PRELIMINARYSUBJECT TO COMPLETIONDATED JUNE 12, 2018
MERGER PROPOSEDYOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT
To the Stockholders of Cadence Bancorporation and the Shareholders of State Bank Financial Corporation:
On May 11, 2018, Cadence Bancorporation, which we refer to as Cadence, and State Bank Financial Corporation, which we refer to as State Bank, entered into
an Agreement and Plan of Merger, which we refer to as the merger agreement, that provides for the combination of the two companies. Under the merger agreement, State Bank will merge with and into Cadence, with Cadence continuing as the surviving
corporation, in a transaction we refer to as the merger. Immediately following the completion of the merger, State Bank and Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of State Bank, which we refer to as SBTC, will merge with and into Cadence Bank,
N.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cadence, which we refer to as Cadence Bank, with Cadence Bank continuing as the surviving bank, in a transaction we refer to as the bank merger.
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the merger agreement, at the effective time of the merger, each outstanding share of State Bank
common stock, par value $0.01 per share, which we refer to as the State Bank common stock (except for treasury stock or shares owned by State Bank or Cadence (in each case other than in a fiduciary or agency capacity or as a result of debts
previously contracted)) will be converted into the right to receive 1.160 shares, which we refer to as the exchange ratio, of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Cadence, which we refer to as the Cadence Class A common
stock.
Although the number of shares of Cadence Class A common stock that each State Bank shareholder will receive is fixed, the market value of the
merger consideration will fluctuate with the market price of Cadence Class A common stock and will not be known at the time State Bank shareholders vote on the merger. Based on the closing price per share of Cadence Class A common stock on
the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, on May 11, 2018, the last trading day before public announcement of the merger, the exchange ratio represented approximately $35.07 in value for each share of State Bank common stock. Based on the
closing price per share of Cadence Class A common stock on [ ], the latest practicable trading day before the date of the enclosed joint information
statement/proxy statement and prospectus, the exchange ratio represented approximately $[ ] in value for each share of State Bank common stock.
We urge
you to obtain current market quotations for shares of Cadence Class
A common stock (currently traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol CADE) and shares of State Bank common stock (currently traded
on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC under the trading symbol STBZ).
Based on the number of shares of Cadence Class A common stock and State
Bank common stock outstanding as of May 11, 2018, the last trading day before public announcement of the merger, it is expected that Cadence stockholders will hold approximately 65%, and State Bank shareholders will hold approximately 35%, of
the shares of the combined company outstanding immediately after the merger.
State Bank will hold a special meeting of its shareholders, which we refer to
as the State Bank shareholders, at its headquarters located at 3399 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 1900, Atlanta, Georgia 30326 on [ ], 2018, at
[ ], local time, which we refer to as the State Bank special meeting. At the State Bank special meeting, the State Bank shareholders will be asked
(i) to consider and vote on a proposal to approve the merger agreement, which we refer to as the merger proposal, (ii) to consider and vote on a
non-binding
advisory proposal to approve the
compensation that may be paid or become payable to the named executive officers of State Bank that is based on or otherwise relates to the merger, which we refer to as the compensation proposal, and (iii) to consider and vote on a proposal to
approve the adjournment of the State Bank special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, for the purpose of soliciting additional votes for the approval of the merger proposal, which we refer to as the adjournment proposal. The board of directors of
State Bank, which we refer to as the State Bank board of directors, has unanimously (i) determined that the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, are in the best interests of State Bank and the State
Bank shareholders and (ii) adopted the merger agreement and approved the execution, delivery and performance by State Bank of the merger agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger.
The State
Bank board of directors unanimously recommends that the State Bank shareholders vote FOR the merger proposal, FOR the compensation proposal and FOR the adjournment proposal, if necessary or appropriate to solicit
additional votes for approval of the merger proposal.
The board of directors of Cadence, which we refer to as the Cadence board of directors, has
unanimously (i) determined that the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, are in the best interests of Cadence and its stockholders, which we refer to as the Cadence stockholders, and declared that
the merger agreement is advisable, and (ii) approved the execution, delivery and performance by Cadence of the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger. Immediately following the execution of the merger
agreement, Cadence Bancorp, LLC, the holder of 54,875,000 shares of Cadence Class A common stock, or approximately 65.6% of the shares of Cadence Class A common stock outstanding and entitled to vote on such matters as of May 11,
2018, executed a written consent in lieu of a meeting, which we refer to as the Cadence written consent, approving (i) the adoption of the merger agreement and (ii) the issuance of shares of Cadence Class A common stock in connection
with the merger as contemplated by the merger agreement, which we refer to as the Cadence stock issuance. As a result, no further action by any other Cadence stockholder is required in connection with the adoption of the merger agreement and the
approval of the Cadence stock issuance by Cadence stockholders.
The attached joint information
statement/proxy statement and prospectus describes the special meeting of State Bank, the merger, the documents related to the merger, and other related matters.
Please carefully read the entire joint information statement/proxy statement,
including the
Risk Factors
, beginning on page
28
, for a discussion of the risks relating to the proposed merger. You also can obtain information about Cadence and State
Bank from documents that each has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Paul B. Murphy, Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Cadence Bancorporation
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Joseph W. Evans
Chairman
State Bank Financial
Corporation
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Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the
securities to be issued in the merger or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this joint information statement/proxy statement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The securities to be issued in the merger are not savings or deposit accounts or other obligations of any bank or
non-bank
subsidiary of either Cadence or State Bank, and they are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
The date of this joint information statement/proxy statement and prospectus is
[ ], and it is first being mailed or otherwise delivered to the Cadence stockholders and the State Bank shareholders on or about
[ ].