Item 1. | Security and Issuer |
This statement constitutes Amendment No. 4 to the Schedule 13D, as amended prior hereto, relating to shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Broadway Financial Corporation (the “Registrant”), and hereby amends the Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Schedule 13D”) to furnish the additional information set forth herein. All capitalized terms contained herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings described to such terms in the Schedule 13D.
Item 4. | Purpose of Transaction |
Item 4 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended to add the following at the end thereof:
On May 8, 2020, The Capital Corps, LLC (“Capital Corps”) delivered a letter (the “Letter”) to the Board of Directors of the Registrant (the “Board”) referring to the proposed acquisition by Capital Corps of the Registrant. The full text of the body of the letter is set forth below:
“We are disappointed that your Board of Directors has rejected out of hand and will not discuss our offer to acquire 100% of the common stock of Broadway Financial Corporation for $1.75 per share, a 12% premium to tangible book value1 and almost 30% premium to the 30-day average closing price when made.
Our offer price is above the median transaction price for M&A transactions for comparable banks2 in both California (EXHIBIT A: California Comparable Transactions) and the United States (EXHIBIT B: Nationwide Comparable Transactions) and represents a substantial premium to current trading values for public banks generally (EXHIBIT C: Nationwide Comparable Public Companies).
Broadway’s earnings have fallen in each of the past five years and it continues to lag its peers. Its cost of funds (1.72%) is higher than any comparable bank’s and a multiple of the peer group averages (See exhibits). Moreover, Broadway has among the highest concentrations in commercial real estate of any bank or thrift regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, making it particularly exposed to credit losses from the current pandemic.Broadway’s Board of Directors is not representing the interests of shareholders by ignoring our offer of $1.75 per share, or 112% of tangible book value, particularly in light of the dramatic reductions in bank valuations post-COVID-19. For example, Bank of Southern California in San Diego, CA and CalWest Bancorp in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA recently reported that they agreed to reduce merger consideration by approximately 20%.
To be clear, we will extend to the Board a second chance to consider our offer to negotiate a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding common shares on the following terms:
| • | | All cash purchase of $1.75 per share |
| • | | Standard terms and conditions to be proposed by the company and its advisors.3 |
Broadway’s Board is wasting precious resources and time preventing its shareholders from considering an attractive offer and obtaining liquidity for their stock at a full and fair price. The Board is also working to hide basic information requested by us as shareholders that is readily available from the company’s books and records. As time goes by, the Board’s conduct continues to erode shareholder value.
It is time to work together for the benefit of all shareholders and the communities we serve. It is time to allow this important institution to begin anew its service to Los Angeles’ low-income and minority communities that remain underbanked. Please join us in this project to find a positive outcome for Broadway’s shareholders and our community.”
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The foregoing does not purport to be or contain a complete description of the Letter, a copy of which, including the exhibits thereto, is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Amendment No. 4 and incorporated herein by this reference.
Other than as described above, the Reporting Persons have no plans or proposals which relate to or would result in any of the events described in (a) through (j) of Item 4, except as described in the Schedule 13D as hereby amended and as follows. The Reporting Persons are continually reviewing their interest in the Registrant. Depending upon (i) the Registrant’s businesses, assets and prospects and the outcome of discussions with the Board regarding a potential acquisition, (ii) other plans and requirements of the Reporting Persons, (iii) general economic conditions and overall market conditions and the ability of the Reporting Persons to carry out transactions without liability under Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act, (iv) the price at which shares of Common Stock are available for sale, and (v) availability of alternative investment opportunities and the Reporting Persons’ investment strategy at the time, the Reporting Persons may seek to pursue the potential acquisition with the Registrant or to not pursue the potential acquisition and instead decrease their holdings of Common Stock, and may seek to engage in communications with management or the Board of Directors of the Registrant or with other stockholders of the Registrant concerning the Issuer’s businesses, prospects, operations, strategy, personnel, directors, ownership and capitalization, and either individually or together with others may make additional proposals with respect to the Registrant that may involve one or more of the types of transactions specified in clauses (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D.
Item 7. | Material to be Filed as Exhibits |
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Exhibit No. | | Description |
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99.1 | | Letter from The Capital Corps, LLC to the Registrant dated May 8, 2020. |
1 | Book value of equity less intangible deferred tax asset at 12/31/19 |
2 | Depository M&A deals with bank target assets less than $750 million and negative LTM ROAA |
3 | We are prepared to consider any reasonable and customary form of a Letter of Intent to be provided by the Company. We have yet to be asked a single question about our original offer so we are concerned the Company may be attempting to create “strawman” excuses by objecting to immaterial language that we provided. Therefore, we are making clear we are open to any such form of the LOI that the Company may propose. |