In a merger of two banks with a similar focus on the densely
populated northern New Jersey markets, Valley National Bancorp
(“Valley”)
(NASDAQ:VLY) announced today that it is
doubling its market share in demographically attractive Bergen
County and enhancing its presence in Hudson County by acquiring
Oritani Financial Corp. (“Oritani”)
(NASDAQ:
ORIT).
The companies have entered into a merger
agreement in which the common shareholders of Oritani will receive
1.60 shares of Valley common stock for each Oritani share they own.
The transaction is valued at an estimated $740 million, based on
Valley’s closing stock price on June 25, 2019.
Valley, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Valley
National Bank, has approximately $32.5 billion in assets, $25.4
billion in loans, $24.9 billion in deposits and more than 200
branches in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Alabama.
Oritani, and its wholly-owned subsidiary,
Oritani Bank has approximately $4.1 billion in assets, $3.5 billion
in loans, $2.9 billion in deposits, and maintains a branch network
of 26 offices.
The acquisition represents a significant
addition to Valley’s New Jersey franchise, and will meaningfully
enhance its presence in the densely populated and affluent Bergen
County market. The acquisition will also bolster capital,
providing greater balance sheet optionality and the acceleration of
previously disclosed strategic initiatives.
Ira Robbins, Valley's President & CEO
commented that, “Oritani’s conservative credit culture, combined
with their customer focus should mesh seamlessly with that of
Valley and our vision forward.” He also stated, “I want to
thank Kevin Lynch and his entire Oritani team for being responsible
stewards of the franchise and balance sheet during his tenure. This
capital-enriching transaction will enable Valley to continue to
focus on improving the growth profile throughout its entire
franchise, while providing enhanced products, services and delivery
channels to Oritani’s existing customer base. We are excited
about this in-market combination and the synergies that it will
bring us.”
Kevin Lynch, Chairman, President & CEO of
Oritani said, “We are thrilled about this combination with
Valley. The infrastructure that has been assembled at Valley
over the past few years will enable our customers to access a
substantial product offering while still receiving the local
decision making and the exceptional service they have become
accustomed to at Oritani.” Mr. Lynch is expected to join the Boards
of Directors of Valley and Valley National Bank upon completion of
this transaction.
The combined company at close is expected to
have approximately $38 billion in assets, $30 billion in loans, $29
billion in deposits, and 245 branches across New Jersey, New York,
Florida, and Alabama.
The Boards of Directors of both companies, after
extensive review and due diligence, unanimously approved the
transaction. The acquisition is expected to close late in the
fourth quarter of 2019, subject to standard regulatory approvals,
shareholder approvals from Valley and Oritani, as well as other
customary conditions.
In conjunction with the closing of this
transaction, Valley is planning on restructuring approximately $635
million of higher cost FHLB borrowings. Valley anticipates
the result of the merger, combined with debt restructuring will be
immediately neutral to slightly accretive to earnings per share and
tangible book value while increasing Tier 1 Common Equity by over
50 basis points.
Combination of Strong Banks with
Significant Overlapping Presence
The transaction with Oritani is expected to
substantially enhance all capital levels, allowing for a
continuation of accelerated growth at Valley and providing an
additional buffer for other forms of potential capital returns in
the future. While we currently estimate 50% cost-savings, in
addition to those related to legacy Oritani benefit plans, there
has been no assumption of expense synergies due to branch closures,
despite Valley and Oritani having 100% of their respective branches
within a 3-mile radius of a competing branch. Valley has a track
record of integrating mergers designed to minimize customer
disruption, and deliver profitable growth while maintaining strong
credit quality and a well-capitalized balance sheet. Selected
data for the combined entity, on a pro-forma basis as of March 31,
2019, include:
- Approximately $37 billion in assets
- Approximately $29 billion in loans
- 245 branches, including 151 in northern and central New Jersey,
38 in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, 41 in Florida,
and 15 in Alabama
Transaction Summary
Under the terms of the definitive agreement
signed by the companies, each Oritani shareholder will receive 1.60
shares of Valley common stock for each share of Oritani common
stock they own. Oritani's normal quarterly cash dividend policy for
the period ended June 30, 2019 (typically paid in August) will not
be impacted by this transaction. However, any subsequent quarterly
dividends declared by Oritani will be limited to the current rate
paid by Valley, exchange adjusted to $0.18 per common until the
close of the merger.The following are selected terms and metrics
associated with the transaction based upon current projections,
including the proposed refinancing of FHLB borrowings:
- Purchase price represents a fixed 1.60x for 1 exchange
ratio
- Total transaction value of approximately $740 million
- Price to 2020 Fully Synergized EPS of 9.8x
- Price to tangible book value of 1.4x
- Tangible book value accretion of 0.0%
- Anticipated to be accretive to earnings in 2020, including FHLB
restructuring
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as financial
advisor to Valley to provide a fairness opinion to Valley National
Bancorp’s Board of Directors. The law firm of Day Pitney LLP acted
as counsel to Valley. Oritani was advised by the investment
banking firm of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a Stifel Company, and
the law firm of Luse Gorman, PC.
Investor Conference Call
Executives from Valley and Oritani will host a
conference call with investors and the financial community at 9:00
AM Eastern Standard Time, today to discuss this transaction.
Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free (866)
354-0432 using 2343569. An audio webcast will be available
at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/a8nhvz4s.
Investor presentation materials on this transaction will be
made available prior to the conference call at www.valley.com.
About Valley
As the principal subsidiary of Valley National
Bancorp, Valley National Bank is a regional bank with approximately
$32.5 billion in assets. Valley is committed to giving people and
businesses the power to succeed. Valley operates over 200 branches
across New Jersey, New York, Florida and Alabama, and is committed
to providing the most convenient service, the latest innovations
and an experienced and knowledgeable team dedicated to meeting
customer needs. Helping communities grow and prosper is the heart
of Valley’s corporate citizenship philosophy. To learn more about
Valley, go to www.valley.com or call our Customer Service
Center at 800-522-4100.
About Oritani
Oritani Financial Corp. is the holding company
for Oritani Bank, a New Jersey state chartered bank offering a full
range of retail and commercial loan and deposit products. Oritani
Bank is dedicated to providing exceptional personal service to its
individual and business customers. Oritani currently operates its
main office and 25 full-service branches in the New Jersey Counties
of Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic. For additional information
about Oritani Bank, please visit www.oritani.com.
Additional Information and Where to Find
It
This communication does not constitute an offer
to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a
solicitation of any vote or approval. In connection with the
proposed Merger, Valley intends to file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a Registration Statement on
Form S-4 containing a joint proxy statement of Valley and Oritani
that also constitutes a prospectus of Valley. INVESTORS AND
SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, AND ANY OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE COMMISSION, AS WELL AS ANY
AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders may
obtain a free copy of the registration statement (when available),
including the joint proxy statement/prospectus, and other documents
filed by Valley and Oritani with the Commission at the Commission’s
web site at www.sec.gov. Valley's documents may be accessed and
downloaded for free at Valley’s web site at
http://www.valley.com/filings.html or by directing a request
to Ronald H. Janis, Senior Executive Vice President & General
Counsel, Valley National Bancorp, at 1455 Valley Road, Wayne, New
Jersey 07470, telephone (973) 305-8800. Oritani’s documents may be
accessed and downloaded for free at Oritani’s website at
www.oritani.com or by directing a request to Kevin Lynch,
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Oritani Financial
Corp., at 370 Pascack Road, Township of Washington, New Jersey
07676, telephone (201) 664-5400.
Participants in the
Solicitation
This communication is not a solicitation of a
proxy from any security holder of Valley or Oritani. However,
Valley, Oritani, their respective directors and executive officers
and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies from security holders of Valley or Oritani
in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding
the directors and executive officers of Valley may be found in its
definitive proxy statement relating to its 2019 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders filed with the Commission on March 8, 2019 and its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018,
each of which can be obtained free of charge from Valley’s
website. Information regarding the directors and executive
officers of Oritani may be found in its definitive proxy statement
relating to its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed with the
Commission on October 11, 2018 and its Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended June 30, 2018, each of which can be obtained
free of charge from Oritani’s website. Other information
regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a
description of their direct and indirect interests, by security
holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy
statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with
the Commission when they become available.
Forward Looking Statements
The foregoing contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to those regarding
the proposed Merger. Such statements are not historical facts
and include expressions about management’s confidence and
strategies and management’s expectations about new and existing
programs and products, relationships, opportunities, taxation,
technology and market conditions. These statements may be
identified by such forward-looking terminology as “expect,”
“believe,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,”
“typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” or similar statements or
variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements
involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may
differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
Factors that may cause actual results to differ from those
contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are
not limited to, the following: failure to obtain shareholder or
regulatory approval for the Merger or to satisfy other conditions
to the Merger on the proposed terms and within the proposed
timeframe including, without limitation, delays in closing the
Merger; the inability to realize expected cost savings and
synergies from the Merger in amounts or in the timeframe
anticipated; changes in the estimates of non-recurring charges; the
diversion of management’s time on issues relating to the Merger;
costs or difficulties relating to Oritani integration matters might
be greater than expected; changes in the stock price of Valley from
the date of the Merger announcement to the closing date; material
adverse changes in Valley’s or Oritani’s operations or earnings;
the inability to retain customers and qualified employees of
Oritani; the inability to repay $635 million of higher cost FHLB
borrowings in conjunction with the Merger; developments in the DC
Solar bankruptcy and federal investigations that could require the
recognition of additional tax provision charges related to
uncertain tax liability positions; higher or lower than expected
income tax expense or tax rates, including increases or decreases
resulting from changes in uncertain tax position liabilities, tax
laws, regulations and case law; and weakness or a decline in the
U.S. economy, in particular in New Jersey, the New York
Metropolitan area (including Long Island), Florida and Alabama; an
unexpected decline in commercial real estate values within our
market areas, as well as the risk factors set forth in Valley’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and
Oritani's Annual Report and Form 10-K for the year ended June 30,
2018. Valley and Oritani assume no obligation for updating
any such forward-looking statement at any time.
Contacts: |
Valley National Bancorp |
|
Oritani Financial Corp. |
Alan D.
Eskow |
|
Kevin J.
Lynch |
Senior Executive Vice
President and |
|
Chairman, President
and |
Chief Financial
Officer |
|
Chief Executive
Officer |
(973)
305-4003 |
|
(201)
664-5400 |
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