Bank of America (BAC) 8-K Other Events

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 19, 2021

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

March 19, 2021

BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	1-6523	56-0906609
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

100 North Tryon Street

Charlotte, North Carolina 28255

(Address of principal executive offices)

(704) 386-5681

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	BAC	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E	BAC PrE	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 6.000% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series EE	BAC PrA	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 6.000% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series GG	BAC PrB	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series HH	BAC PrK	New York Stock Exchange
7.25% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock, Series L	BAC PrL	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,200th interest in a share of Bank of America Corporation Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series 1	BML PrG	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,200th interest in a share of Bank of America Corporation Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series 2	BML PrH	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,200th interest in a share of Bank of America Corporation Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series 4	BML PrJ	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,200th interest in a share of Bank of America Corporation Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series 5	BML PrL	New York Stock Exchange
Floating Rate Preferred Hybrid Income Term Securities of BAC Capital Trust XIII (and the guarantee related thereto)	BAC/PF	New York Stock Exchange
5.63% Fixed to Floating Rate Preferred Hybrid Income Term Securities of BAC Capital Trust XIV (and the guarantee related thereto)	BAC/PG	New York Stock Exchange
Income Capital Obligation Notes initially due December 15, 2066 of Bank of America Corporation	MER PrK	New York Stock Exchange
Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series A, Step Up Callable Notes, due November 28, 2031 of BofA Finance LLC (and the guarantee of the Registrant with respect thereto)	BAC/31B	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.375% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series KK	BAC PrM	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.000% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series LL	BAC PrN	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.375% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series NN	BAC PrO	New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.125% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series PP	BAC PrP	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

ITEM 8.01. Other Events.

On March 19, 2021, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “FRB”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”, and together with the FRB and the FDIC, the “Banking Agencies”) announced that the temporary change to the supplementary leverage ratio (“SLR”) for bank holding companies and depository institutions issued in 2020 will expire as scheduled on March 31, 2021.

As of December 31, 2020, Bank of America Corporation (“Bank of America” or the “Company”) reported an SLR of 7.2%; excluding the temporary change, the SLR would have been approximately 6.2%, which is 1.2%, or $39 billion, in excess of the 5% SLR regulatory minimum required for the Company by the FRB. The Company’s lead depository institution, Bank of America, N.A., did not opt to take advantage of the SLR relief offered by the OCC.

The SLR ratio has historically not been a constraint for Bank of America as the Company has remained above the minimum ratio since its establishment by the Banking Agencies. Bank of America does not expect the expiration of the temporary relief announced today to affect the Company’s ability to service customers or constrain the Company’s capital return plans to shareholders.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K may constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent the current expectations, plans or forecasts of Bank of America based on available information. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements often use words like “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “intends,” “plans,” “predict,” “goal” and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “would” and “could.” Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Bank of America undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made.

Forward-looking statements represent Bank of America’s current expectations, plans or forecasts of its future results, revenues, expenses, efficiency ratio, capital measures, and future business and economic conditions more generally, and other future matters. These statements are not guarantees of its future results or performance and involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and are often beyond the Bank of America’s control. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider all of the uncertainties and risks discussed under Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of Bank of America’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in any of the Bank of America’s other subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
By:	/s/ Ross E. Jeffries, Jr.
	Ross E. Jeffries, Jr.
	Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Dated: March 19, 2021