PL Capital Requests Bancorp Rhode Island to Publicly Disclose Its Basis to Achieve Its Stated Goal to Lower Its Efficiency Ratio
May 16 2008 - 3:39PM
PR Newswire (US)
NAPERVILLE, Ill., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 15, 2008, Bancorp
Rhode Island, Inc. (NASDAQ:BARI) announced that RiskMetrics Group,
Inc. (formerly Institutional Shareholder Services) (ISS)
recommended that Bancorp Rhode Island shareholders vote for all of
Bancorp Rhode Island's nominees at the company's upcoming Annual
Meeting of Shareholders on May 21, 2008. As part of ISS' decision
to support Bancorp Rhode Island's nominees, the report stated
"Management informed ISS that it expects BARI's efficiency ratio to
decline to 65 percent in the short-term, closer to its peer group
average of 61 percent." This material non-public information,
selectively disclosed to ISS by Bancorp Rhode Island, runs contrary
to Bancorp Rhode Island's publicly disclosed earnings guidance of
earnings per share of $1.94 to $1.99 for fiscal 2008, and is
omitted from Bancorp Rhode Island's proxy materials. PL Capital
estimates that a 65% efficiency ratio achieved through a reduction
in expenses would equate to earnings per share of $2.51 for fiscal
2008. To arrive at a 65% efficiency ratio through an increase in
revenues would equate to earnings per share of $2.78 for fiscal
2008. This range is materially above Bancorp Rhode Island's
publicly disclosed earnings guidance of earnings per share of $1.94
to $1.99 for fiscal 2008. As PL Capital previously stated in its
definitive proxy materials, Bancorp Rhode Island's publicly
disclosed earnings guidance suggests that Bancorp Rhode Island has
"hit a wall" at an 8% return on equity and an efficiency ratio
consistently stuck above 70%, which is in sharp contrast to Bancorp
Rhode Island's selectively disclosed statement to ISS that it
expects its efficiency ratio to decline to 65% in the short-term.
John Palmer of PL Capital, the second largest shareholder in
Bancorp Rhode Island, stated "we believe that Bancorp Rhode
Island's selective disclosures to ISS are material and significant,
and that Bancorp Rhode Island has a duty to incorporate the revised
efficiency ratio into their 2008 earnings guidance and proxy
materials. PL Capital has notified the Securities and Exchange
Commission of Bancorp Rhode Island's selective disclosure to ISS
and the need for Bancorp Rhode Island to update its 2008 public
earnings guidance and provide in its proxy materials its basis for
achieving an efficiency ratio of 65% in the short-term. While we
are skeptical of Bancorp Rhode Island's ability to achieve a 65%
efficiency ratio in the short-term, we would welcome this
improvement in Bancorp Rhode Island's performance. We plan to hold
CEO Merrill Sherman and the Board of Directors accountable to
achieve this revised guidance." DATASOURCE: PL Capital CONTACT:
Richard Lashley, +1-973-360-1666, , or John W. Palmer,
+1-630-848-1340,
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