The information in this joint proxy statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. A registration statement relating to the securities described in this joint proxy statement/prospectus has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be issued until the registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This joint proxy statement/prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
PRELIMINARY—SUBJECT TO COMPLETION—DATED JANUARY 15, 2021
MERGER PROPOSED—YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT
To the stockholders of Broadway Financial Corporation and CFBanc Corporation:
The boards of directors of Broadway Financial Corporation (“Broadway”) and CFBanc Corporation (“CFBanc”) have each unanimously approved an agreement to merge our two companies in a merger of equals transaction as described in this document. Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 25, 2020, as amended on January 14, 2021, by and between Broadway and CFBanc (the “merger agreement”), CFBanc will merge with and into Broadway (the “merger”), with Broadway being the surviving company. Immediately after the merger is completed, Broadway’s principal subsidiary, Broadway Federal Bank, f.s.b., will be merged with and into CFBanc’s principal subsidiary, City First Bank of D.C., National Association, which will be the surviving bank and will continue its historic business, as well as the historic business of Broadway Federal Bank, as a national bank. The combined holding company will be headquartered in Los Angeles, California and the combined bank will be headquartered in Washington, D.C.
The proposed merger will create what we believe will be the largest African-American-led minority depository institution in the nation, with more than $1 billion in combined assets under management and over $900 million in total depository institution assets (each as of September 30, 2020). We believe the merger will increase our collective commercial lending capacity for investments in multifamily affordable housing, small business lending and nonprofit development in financially underserved urban areas, and will further strengthen our respective historic businesses as Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, providing lending and other types of capital and assistance to low- and moderate-income communities.
In the merger, the holders of CFBanc’s Class A common stock and Class B common stock, which we collectively refer to as CFBanc common stock, will receive 13.626 shares (the “exchange ratio”) of Broadway common stock for each share of CFBanc common stock they own. Holders of CFBanc Class A common stock, which has voting rights, will receive shares of Broadway’s voting common stock, the name of which will be changed to Class A common stock, and holders of CFBanc Class B common stock, which is nonvoting stock, will receive shares of a new class of nonvoting common stock of Broadway that will be named Class B common stock. Holders of Broadway voting common stock and nonvoting common stock immediately prior to completion of the merger will continue to own their existing shares of Broadway common stock without substantive change.
Based on the closing price of $1.56 for Broadway’s voting common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 25, 2020, the last trading day before public announcement of the merger agreement, the exchange ratio represented approximately $21.26 in value for each share of CFBanc common stock. Based on the closing price of Broadway voting common stock on [•], 2021, the exchange ratio represented approximately $[•] for each share of CFBanc common stock. The value of the Broadway common stock at the time of completion of the merger could be greater than, less than or the same as the value of Broadway common stock on the date of this document. You may obtain current market quotations for Broadway voting common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market using the trading symbol “BYFC.” Broadway nonvoting common stock and CFBanc common stock are not listed or traded on a stock exchange and price quotations for such shares are not available.
In addition to the conversion of CFBanc common stock in the merger, each share of CFBanc’s Fixed Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B will be converted into one share of Fixed Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A, a new series of preferred stock of Broadway having rights, preferences, privileges, and limitations and restrictions thereof, which, taken as a whole, are not materially less favorable to the holder thereof than those of the CFBanc preferred stock converted in the merger.
The merger is intended to qualify as a “reorganization” for federal income tax purposes. If the merger so qualifies, (1) U.S. holders of CFBanc common stock generally will not recognize any gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes on the exchange of their CFBanc common stock for Broadway common stock in the merger, except for any gain or loss that may result from the receipt of cash by U.S. holders of CFBanc common stock instead of a fractional share of Broadway common stock and (2) U.S. holders of CFBanc preferred stock generally will not recognize any gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes on the exchange of their CFBanc preferred stock for Broadway Series A preferred stock. You should be aware that the tax consequences to you of the merger may depend upon your own situation. In addition, you may be subject to state, local or non-U.S. tax laws. You should therefore consult with your own tax advisor for a full understanding of the tax consequences to you of the merger.
Based on the number of shares of CFBanc common stock currently outstanding, Broadway expects to issue a total of approximately 25.40 million shares of Broadway common stock to holders of CFBanc common stock in the merger. Following the completion of the merger, we estimate that former holders of Broadway common stock will own approximately 52.5% and former holders of CFBanc common stock will own approximately 47.5% of the common stock of the combined company.
Completion of the proposed merger is subject, among other conditions, to approvals by the stockholders of Broadway and CFBanc. Meetings of the stockholders of Broadway and CFBanc have been called to be held on [•], 2021. At our respective stockholder meetings, stockholders will be asked to consider and vote on proposals to adopt and approve the merger agreement and the other proposals described in the respective notices of meeting and the joint proxy statement/prospectus that accompany this letter. Important information about the stockholder meetings, the merger agreement and the merger, and the other proposals that will be presented at the meetings is contained in these accompanying documents, which you should read carefully and in their entirety.
In particular, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 30.
Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the stockholder meeting of the company in which you hold shares, please vote as soon as possible to make sure that your shares are represented at the meeting. The boards of directors of Broadway and CFBanc each unanimously recommend that their stockholders vote “FOR” approval of the merger and each of the other proposals to be presented by the boards at their respective stockholder meetings. If you do not vote your shares, it will have the same effect as voting “AGAINST” the merger.
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Wayne-Kent A. Bradshaw
President and Chief Executive Officer
Broadway Financial Corporation | | | Brian Argrett
President and Chief Executive Officer
CFBanc Corporation |
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued in connection with the merger or determined whether this document is accurate or complete. 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 Broadway or CFBanc, and they are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
The accompanying joint proxy statement/prospectus is dated [•], 2021 and is first being mailed to the holders of Broadway common stock and the holders of CFBanc common stock and CFBanc preferred stock, on or about [•], 2021.