UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-Q X Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities --- Exchange Act of 1934 for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2003 Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities --- Exchange Act of 1934 for the transition period from ____ to ____ Commission file number 0-15083 THE SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) SOUTH CAROLINA 57-0824914 (State or other jurisdiction of (IRS Employer Identification No.) incorporation or organization) 102 SOUTH MAIN STREET, GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29601 (Address of principal executive offices) (ZIP Code) (864) 255-7900 Registrant's telephone number, including area code SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE ACT: NONE NONE (Title of Each Class) (Name of each exchange on which registered) SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(G) OF THE ACT: COMMON STOCK, $1.00 PAR VALUE COMMON STOCK PURCHASE RIGHTS (Title of Class) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes X No --- --- Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes X No ----- ----- The number of outstanding shares of the issuer's $1.00 par value common stock as of May 1, 2003 was 46,644,784. PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THE SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA) MARCH 31, --------------------------- RESTATED 2003 2002 DECEMBER 31, (UNAUDITED) (UNAUDITED) 2002 ----------- ----------- ---- ASSETS Cash and due from banks $ 181,495 $ 120,439 $ 201,333 Interest-bearing bank balances 59,515 68,753 58,703 Federal funds sold - - 31,293 Securities Trading 1,418 3,942 350 Available for sale 3,360,107 1,571,565 2,488,944 Held to maturity (market value $63,789, $80,556 and $85,371, respectively) 61,403 79,679 82,892 ----------- ----------- ----------- Total securities 3,422,928 1,655,186 2,572,186 ----------- ----------- ----------- Loans Loans held for sale 60,202 29,900 67,218 Loans held for investment 4,515,133 3,779,682 4,434,011 Allowance for loan losses (66,133) (45,208) (70,275) ----------- ----------- ----------- Net loans 4,509,202 3,764,374 4,430,954 ----------- ----------- ----------- Premises and equipment, net 133,261 112,005 137,501 Accrued interest receivable 49,253 32,861 37,080 Intangible assets 242,420 95,495 242,182 Other assets 367,137 207,309 229,778 ----------- ----------- ----------- $ 8,965,211 $ 6,056,422 $ 7,941,010 =========== =========== =========== LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Liabilities Deposits Noninterest-bearing $ 757,149 $ 527,629 $ 743,174 Interest-bearing 3,978,566 3,113,875 3,849,336 ----------- ----------- ----------- Total deposits 4,735,715 3,641,504 4,592,510 Federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements 956,709 1,279,340 1,110,840 Other short-term borrowings 43,664 63,610 81,653 Long-term debt 2,118,810 503,726 1,221,511 Debt associated with trust preferred securities 95,500 31,000 95,500 Accrued interest payable 22,926 24,419 20,945 Other liabilities 270,403 41,815 84,840 ----------- ----------- ----------- Total liabilities 8,243,727 5,585,414 7,207,799 ----------- ----------- ----------- Minority interest in consolidated subsidiary 86,484 37,023 86,412 ----------- ----------- ----------- Shareholders' equity Preferred stock-no par value; authorized 10,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding none - - - Common stock-par value $1 per share; authorized 100,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 46,405,600, 40,261,842 and 47,347,375 shares, respectively 46,406 40,262 47,347 Surplus 406,839 289,331 427,448 Retained earnings 164,463 121,559 150,948 Guarantee of employee stock ownership plan debt and nonvested restricted stock (3,035) (1,752) (3,094) Common stock held in trust for deferred compensation (147) - - Deferred compensation payable in common stock 147 - - Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax 20,327 (15,415) 24,150 ----------- ----------- ----------- Total shareholders' equity 635,000 433,985 646,799 ----------- ----------- ----------- $ 8,965,211 $ 6,056,422 $ 7,941,010 =========== =========== =========== See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 1 THE SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA) (UNAUDITED) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, ---------------------- RESTATED 2003 2002 ---- ---- Interest income Interest and fees on loans $ 67,333 $ 62,160 Interest and dividends on securities: Taxable 30,299 21,567 Exempt from Federal income taxes 1,221 1,091 -------- -------- Total interest and dividends on securities 31,520 22,658 Interest on short-term investments 118 469 -------- -------- Total interest income 98,971 85,287 -------- -------- INTEREST EXPENSE Interest on deposits 17,999 21,576 Interest on borrowed funds 15,501 12,319 -------- -------- Total interest expense 33,500 33,895 -------- -------- NET INTEREST INCOME 65,471 51,392 PROVISION FOR LOAN LOSSES 5,500 6,238 -------- -------- Net interest income after provision for loan losses 59,971 45,154 NONINTEREST INCOME 19,886 11,638 NONINTEREST EXPENSES 48,890 34,852 -------- -------- Income before income taxes, minority interest, and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 30,967 21,940 Income taxes 9,910 6,999 -------- -------- Income before minority interest and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 21,057 14,941 Minority interest in consolidated subsidiary, net of tax (1,012) (428) -------- -------- Income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle 20,045 14,513 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax - (1,406) -------- -------- NET INCOME $ 20,045 $ 13,107 ======== ======== AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING, BASIC 47,325,448 41,180,460 AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING, DILUTED 48,257,498 42,059,462 PER COMMON SHARE, BASIC: Net income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $ 0.42 $ 0.35 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax - (0.03) ------ ------ Net income $ 0.42 $ 0.32 ====== ====== PER COMMON SHARE, DILUTED: Net income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle $ 0.42 $ 0.34 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax - (0.03) Net income $ 0.42 $ 0.31 ====== ====== CASH DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE $ 0.14 $ 0.12 ====== ====== See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 2 THE SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA) (UNAUDITED) RETAINED ACCUMULATED SHARES OF EARNINGS OTHER COMMON COMMON AND COMPREHENSIVE STOCK STOCK SURPLUS OTHER* INCOME (LOSS) TOTAL ----- ----- ------- ----- ------------- ----- Balance, December 31, 2001 41,228,976 $41,229 $ 311,305 $ 111,744 $(6,104) $ 458,174 Net income (restated) - - - 13,107 - 13,107 Other comprehensive loss, net of tax of $3,967 - - - - (9,311) (9,311) --------- Comprehensive income - - - - - 3,796 --------- Cash dividends declared ($0.12 per common share) - - - (4,836) - (4,836) Common stock activity: Repurchase of stock (1,135,600) (1,136) (24,181) - - (25,317) Dividend reinvestment plan 1,485 2 (25) - - (23) Employee stock purchase plan 2,849 3 48 - - 51 Restricted stock plan 59,096 59 1,281 (291) - 1,049 Exercise of stock options 105,036 105 892 - - 997 Miscellaneous - - 11 83 - 94 ---------- ------- --------- --------- -------- --------- Balance, March 31, 2002 (restated) 40,261,842 $40,262 $ 289,331 $ 119,807 $(15,415) $ 433,985 ========== ======= ========= ========= ======== ========= Balance, December 31, 2002 47,347,375 $47,347 $ 427,448 $ 147,854 $ 24,150 $ 646,799 Net income - - - 20,045 - 20,045 Other comprehensive loss, net of tax of $37 - - - - (3,823) (3,823) --------- Comprehensive income - - - - - 16,222 --------- Cash dividends declared ($0.14 per common share) - - - (6,529) - (6,529) Common stock activity: Repurchase of stock (1,266,308) (1,266) (24,981) - - (26,247) Acquisitions - - - 453 - 453 Dividend reinvestment plan 39,339 39 721 - - 760 Employee stock purchase plan 13,960 14 263 - - 277 Restricted stock plan 68,793 69 2,179 (478) - 1,770 Exercise of stock options 202,441 203 1,188 - - 1,391 Common stock purchased by trust for deferred compensation - - - (147) - (147) Deferred compensation payable in common stock - - - 147 - 147 Miscellaneous - - 21 83 - 104 ---------- ------- --------- --------- -------- --------- Balance, March 31, 2003 46,405,600 $46,406 $ 406,839 $ 161,428 $ 20,327 $ 635,000 ========== ======= ========= ========= ======== ========= * Other includes guarantee of employee stock ownership plan debt, nonvested restricted stock and deferred compensation. See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 3 THE SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (IN THOUSANDS) (UNAUDITED) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, ------------------------------------- 2003 2002 ---- ---- Cash flows from operating activities Net income $ 20,045 $ 13,107 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities Depreciation, amortization, and accretion, net 12,596 8,109 Provision for loan losses 5,500 6,238 Gain on sale of available for sale securities (986) (29) Loss on trading securities (72) (30) Gain on equity investments (1,875) (11) Gain on sale of loans (1,635) (224) Gain on disposition of premises and equipment (32) (39) Loss on disposition of other real estate owned 167 168 Impairment loss from write-down of assets 198 - Impairment loss (recovery) from write-down of mortgage servicing rights 262 (200) Loss on changes in fair value of hedges 192 13 Minority interest in consolidated subsidiary 1,012 428 Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - 1,406 Trading account assets, net (996) (2,335) Originations of mortgage loans held for sale (146,097) (137,284) Sale proceeds and principal repayments from mortgage loans held for sale 154,706 114,121 Other assets, net (18,368) 2,375 Other liabilities, net 5,291 3,964 --------- --------- Net cash provided by operating activities 29,908 9,777 --------- --------- Cash flows from investing activities Sale of securities available for sale 692,924 211,694 Maturity, call, or principal repayments from securities available for sale 546,448 461,452 Maturity or call of securities held to maturity 28,265 4,040 Purchase of available for sale securities (2,064,141) (698,206) Purchase of securities held to maturity (6,814) (2,928) Origination of loans held for investment, net (94,671) (59,664) Sale of other real estate owned 3,604 1,010 Sale of premises and equipment 37 1,132 Capital expenditures (1,779) (1,844) Payment for purchase acquisitions (385) - --------- --------- Net cash used for investing activities (896,512) (83,314) --------- --------- Cash flows from financing activities Deposits, net 143,134 37,073 Federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements, net (154,040) 9,802 Short-term borrowings, net (38,288) (86,650) Issuance of long-term debt 899,800 100,000 Payments of long-term debt (2,397) (7,568) Cash dividends paid (6,656) (5,693) Cash dividends paid on minority interest (1,553) (704) Repurchase of common stock (26,247) (25,317) Other common stock activity 2,532 1,119 --------- --------- Net cash provided by financing activities 816,285 22,062 --------- --------- Net change in cash and due from banks (50,319) (51,475) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 291,329 240,667 --------- --------- Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 241,010 $ 189,192 ========= ========= See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 4 THE SOUTH FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (1) GENERAL The foregoing unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The South Financial Group, Inc. and subsidiaries. "TSFG" refers to The South Financial Group, Inc. and subsidiaries, except where the context requires otherwise. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation, and all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for interim periods presented have been included. (Such adjustments are normal and recurring in nature.) Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2003 presentations. TSFG has no interests in non-consolidated special purpose entities. The consolidated financial statements and notes are presented in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q. The information contained in the footnotes included in TSFG's 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K should be referred to in connection with the reading of these unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements. ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND ASSUMPTIONS Certain policies require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates and assumptions. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses and deferred income tax assets or liabilities. RESTATEMENT OF 2002 QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA During the fourth quarter 2002, TSFG adjusted and reclassified certain prior 2002 quarter amounts to account for an overaccrual of interest expense related to repurchase agreements and the deferral of loan fee income in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 91, "Accounting for Nonrefundable Fees and Costs Associated with Originating or Acquiring Loans and Initial Direct Costs of Leases" ("SFAS 91"), which reduced interest income, noninterest income and noninterest expenses. Income taxes increased as a result of the restatement. The net impact of these adjustments for the first quarter of 2002, which restated the financial results for the quarter, was to increase net income by $316,000, or $0.01 per diluted share. During the third quarter 2002, TSFG, in accordance with SFAS No. 142, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets" ("SFAS 142"), recognized a $1.4 million impairment loss on the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle as of January 1, 2002. The first quarter 2002, as restated, includes this impairment loss. In addition, in connection with its adoption of SFAS No. 147, "Acquisitions of Certain Financial Institutions an amendment of FASB Statements No. 72 and 144 and FASB Interpretation No. 9" ("SFAS 147") during the third quarter 2002, effective as of January 1, 2002, TSFG reversed amortization of intangibles, which increased net income by $71,000 for the first quarter of 2002. For a summary of the quarterly financial data for first quarter 2002, as restated and as reported, see Note 36 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in TSFG's 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K. RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS Accounting for Exit or Disposal Activities Effective January 1, 2003, TSFG adopted SFAS No. 146, "Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities" ("SFAS 146"), which addresses financial accounting and reporting for costs associated with exit or disposal activities and nullifies Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 94-3, "Liability Recognition for Certain Employee Termination Benefits and Other Costs to Exit an Activity (including Certain Costs Incurred in a Restructuring)." SFAS 146 applies to costs associated with an exit activity that does not involve an entity newly acquired in a business combination or with a disposal activity covered by SFAS No. 144, "Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets." Those costs include, but are not limited to, the following: a) termination benefits provided to current employees that are involuntarily terminated under the terms of a benefit arrangement that, in substance, is not an ongoing benefit arrangement or an individual deferred compensation contract (hereinafter referred to as one-time termination benefits), b) costs to terminate a contract that is not a capital lease, and c) costs to consolidate 5 facilities or relocate employees. This Statement does not apply to costs associated with the retirement of a long-lived asset covered by SFAS No. 143, "Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations." A liability for a cost associated with an exit or disposal activity shall be recognized and measured initially at its fair value in the period in which the liability is incurred. A liability for a cost associated with an exit or disposal activity is incurred when the definition of a liability is met in accordance with FASB Concepts Statements No. 6, "Elements of Financial Statements." Accounting for Guarantees Effective January 1, 2003, TSFG adopted the initial recognition and initial measurement provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 45, "Guarantor's Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others" ("FIN 45"). TSFG adopted the disclosure requirements effective as of December 31, 2002. FIN 45 elaborates on the disclosure to be made by a guarantor in its interim and annual financial statements about its obligations under certain guarantees that it has issued. FIN 45 clarifies that a guarantor is required to disclose (a) the nature of the guarantee; (b) the maximum potential amount of future payments under the grantee; (c) the carrying amount of the liability; and (d) the nature and extent of any recourse provisions or available collateral that would enable the guarantor to recover the amounts paid under the guarantee. FIN 45 also clarifies that a guarantor is required to recognize, at inception of a guarantee, a liability for the obligations it has undertaken in issuing the guarantee at its inception. At March 31, 2003, TSFG recorded a liability of $25,000 for deferred fees received on standby letters of credit, which was the estimated fair value for the current carrying amount of the obligation to perform as a guarantor. No contingent liability was determined to be necessary relating to TSFG's obligation to perform as a guarantor. RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS Accounting for Variable Interest Entities In January 2003, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 46, ("FIN 46"), "Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities", which addresses consolidation by business enterprises of variable interest entities. Under FIN 46, an enterprise that holds significant variable interest in a variable interest entity but is not the primary beneficiary is required to disclose the nature, purpose, size, and activities of the variable interest entity, its exposure to loss as a result of the variable interest holder's involvement with the entity, and the nature of its involvement with the entity and date when the involvement began. The primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity is required to disclose the nature, purpose, size, and activities of the variable interest entity, the carrying amount and classification of consolidated assets that are collateral for the variable interest entity's obligations, and any lack of recourse by creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of a consolidated variable interest entity to the general creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of a consolidated variable interest entity to the general creditor of the primary beneficiary. FIN 46 is effective for the first fiscal year or interim period beginning after June 15, 2003. The impact to TSFG upon adoption is currently not known. 6 (2) SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME The following presents the details for noninterest income and noninterest expense (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, ------------------------- Restated 2003 2002 ---- ---- Noninterest income Service charges on deposit accounts $ 6,960 $ 4,907 Fees for investment services 2,491 1,427 Mortgage banking income 2,172 1,081 Bank-owned life insurance 1,948 1,806 Merchant processing income 1,336 1,248 Gain on sale of available for sale securities 986 29 Gain on trading securities 72 30 Gain on equity investments 1,875 11 Other 2,046 1,099 -------- -------- Total noninterest income $ 19,886 $ 11,638 ======== ======== Noninterest expenses Salaries and wages $ 19,278 $ 13,636 Employee benefits 5,316 4,378 Occupancy 4,614 3,545 Furniture and equipment 4,594 3,596 Professional fees 1,538 1,327 Telecommunications 1,070 683 Merchant processing expense 1,049 1,044 Amortization of intangibles 705 239 Merger-related costs 1,497 - Other 9,229 6,404 -------- -------- Total noninterest expenses $ 48,890 $ 34,852 ======== ======== CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW The following summarizes supplemental cash flow data (in thousands) for the three months ended March 31: 2003 2002 ---- ---- Interest paid $ 32,168 $ 29,813 Income taxes paid 1,044 3,251 Significant non-cash investing and financing transactions are summarized as follows: Security sales settled subsequent to quarter-end 129,972 - Security purchases settled subsequent to quarter-end (181,377) - Unrealized loss on available for sale securities (4,061) (13,500) Loans transferred to other real estate owned 4,011 3,353 Premises and equipment, net transferred to long-lived assets held for sale 2,639 - 7 (3) OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME The following summarizes accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (in thousands) for the three months ended March 31: 2003 2002 ---- ---- Unrealized gains (losses) on available for sale securities Balance at beginning of year $ 24,382 $ (5,554) Other comprehensive loss: Unrealized holding losses arising during the year (1,200) (13,460) Income tax (expense) benefit (910) 4,036 Less: Reclassification adjustment for gains included in net income (2,861) (40) Income tax expense 1,021 13 -------- -------- (3,950) (9,451) -------- -------- Balance at end of period 20,432 (15,005) -------- -------- Unrealized losses on cash flow hedges Balance at beginning of year (232) (550) Other comprehensive income: Unrealized gain on change in fair values 201 222 Income tax expense (74) (82) -------- -------- 127 140 -------- -------- Balance at end of period (105) (410) -------- -------- $ 20,327 $ (15,415) ======== ========= During the first quarter 2003, TSFG adjusted its income tax rate used (on a cumulative basis) on the net unrealized gain recorded for available for sale securities, which is included in accumulated other comprehensive income, to the blended statutory federal and state income tax rate of 36.94%. However, in certain cases where TSFG has capital loss carryforwards for state income tax purposes, an income tax rate of 35% is used. At December 31, 2002, TSFG used a 32.5% income tax rate on the net unrealized gain recorded for available for sale securities. (4) BUSINESS COMBINATIONS CENTRAL BANK OF TAMPA On December 31, 2002, TSFG acquired Central Bank of Tampa ("CBT"), a community bank headquartered in Tampa, Florida. CBT operated through 5 branches in Tampa. This acquisition added to TSFG's growing presence in the Tampa Bay area and advanced TSFG's strategy to expand in markets with favorable population and per capita income growth prospects. The aggregate purchase price was $66.2 million, which consisted of 3,241,737 shares of TSFG common stock and $2,000 of cash paid in lieu of fractional shares. The TSFG common stock issued was valued at the average closing price on the ten trading days ending on the second trading day prior to closing. CBT shareholders received 9.850 shares of TSFG common stock for each share of CBT common stock. The CBT purchase price and the amount of the purchase price allocated to goodwill and other intangible assets are presented below (in thousands). The estimated fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed at the purchase date are subject to adjustment as fair value information becomes available. The allocation of the CBT purchase price was adjusted in the first quarter of 2003 to reflect third-party valuations of certain assets and liabilities. 8 Purchase price $ 66,224 CBT tangible shareholders' equity 28,943 --------- Excess of purchase price over carrying value of net tangible assets acquired 37,281 Fair value adjustments (1,642) Direct acquisition costs 1,526 Deferred income taxes 1,616 --------- Total intangible assets 38,781 Core deposit premiums 2,700 --------- Goodwill $ 36,081 ========= The core deposit premium intangible asset is amortized over 10 years on an accelerated basis until the straight-line amortization method is greater at which time the straight-line method is used. The core deposit premium valuation and amortization method are based upon a historical study of the deposits acquired. All of the CBT intangible assets were assigned to the Mercantile Bank segment. The goodwill will not be amortized but will be tested at least annually for impairment in accordance with SFAS 142. The total amount of goodwill expected to be deductible for income tax purposes is $356,000. AMORTIZATION OF PREMIUMS AND DISCOUNTS Premiums and discounts that resulted from recording the assets and liabilities acquired through acquisition (CBT, Rock Hill Bank & Trust, and Gulf West Banks, Inc.) at their respective fair values are being amortized and accreted using methods that result in a constant effective yield over the life of the assets and liabilities. This net amortization decreased net income before income taxes by $330,000 in the first three months of 2003. (5) INTANGIBLE ASSETS Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization, are summarized as follows (in thousands): MARCH 31, ---------------------------- DECEMBER 31, 2003 2002 2002 ---- ---- ---- Goodwill $ 225,255 $ 90,194 $ 224,312 Core deposit premiums 26,873 14,546 26,873 Less accumulated amortization (11,063) (9,245) (10,409) --------- -------- --------- 15,810 5,301 16,464 --------- -------- --------- Customer list intangible 858 - 858 Less accumulated amortization (45) - (24) --------- -------- --------- 813 - 834 --------- -------- --------- Non-compete agreement intangible 663 - 663 Less accumulated amortization (121) - (91) --------- -------- --------- 542 - 572 --------- -------- --------- $ 242,420 $ 95,495 $ 242,182 ========= ======== ========= The following summarizes the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill related to each of TSFG's business segments (in thousands) for the three months ended March 31, 2003: CAROLINA MERCANTILE FIRST BANK BANK TOTAL ---------- ---- ----- Balance, December 31, 2002 $ 116,279 $ 108,033 $ 224,312 Purchase accounting adjustments 1,420 (477) 943 --------- --------- --------- Balance, March 31, 2003 $ 117,699 $ 107,556 $ 225,255 ========= ========= ========= 9 Amortization of intangibles totaled $654,000 for core deposit premiums, $21,000 for customer list intangibles, and $30,000 for non-compete agreement intangibles for the three months ended March 31, 2003. Amortization of intangibles totaled $239,000 for core deposit premiums for the three months ended March 31, 2002. The estimated amortization expense for core deposit premiums for the years ended December 31 is as follows: $2.6 million for 2003, $2.2 million for 2004, $1.9 million for 2005, $1.7 million for 2006, $1.7 million for 2007, and an aggregate of $6.4 million for all the years thereafter. The estimated amortization expense for customer list intangibles is $86,000 for the years ended December 31, 2003 to 2007 and an aggregate of $404,000 for all the years thereafter. The estimated amortization expense for non-compete agreement intangibles is $120,000 for the years ended December 31, 2003 to 2006 and $92,000 for 2007. (6) MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS Capitalized mortgage servicing rights ("MSRs"), net of the valuation allowance, totaled $3.2 million, $4.4 million, and $8.0 million at March 31, 2003, December 31, 2002, and March 31, 2002, respectively. Amortization expense for MSRs totaled $909,000 and $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, respectively. At March 31, 2003 and 2002, the valuation allowance for capitalized MSRs totaled $2.0 million and $869,000, respectively. In the first three months of 2003 and 2002, TSFG recorded a $262,000 impairment loss and $200,000 impairment recovery from the valuation of MSRs, respectively. The estimated amortization expense for MSRs for the years ended December 31 is as follows: $3.6 million for 2003, $487,000 for 2004, and none for all the years thereafter. The estimated amortization expense is based on current information regarding loan payments and prepayments. Amortization expense could change in future periods based on changes in the volume of prepayments and economic factors. (7) GUARANTEES Standby letters of credit represent an obligation of TSFG to a third party contingent upon the failure of TSFG's customer to perform under the terms of an underlying contract with the third party or obligates TSFG to guarantee or stand as surety for the benefit of the third party. The underlying contract may entail either financial or nonfinancial obligations and may involve such things as the customer's delivery of merchandise, completion of a construction contract, release of a lien, or repayment of an obligation. Under the terms of a standby letter, drafts will generally be drawn only when the underlying event fails to occur as intended. TSFG can seek recovery of the amounts paid from the borrower. In addition, some of these standby letters of credit are collateralized. The collateral is generally cash, although existing lines of credit are sometimes used. Commitments under standby letters of credit are usually for one year or less. At March 31, 2003, TSFG recorded a liability of $25,000 for deferred fees received on standby letters of credit, which was the estimated fair value for the current carrying amount of the obligation to perform as a guarantor. No contingent liability was determined to be necessary relating to TSFG's obligation to perform as a guarantor. The maximum potential amount of undiscounted future payments related to standby letters of credit at March 31, 2003 was $58.3 million. (8) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES TSFG is currently subject to various legal proceedings and claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of its business. In the opinion of management based on consultation with external legal counsel, any reasonably foreseeable outcome of such current litigation would not materially affect TSFG's consolidated financial position or results of operations. At the purchase date, TSFG identified a potential contingent liability related to certain Rock Hill Bank & Trust trust accounts. Any liability recorded would increase the goodwill recorded. (9) DEFERRED COMPENSATION HELD IN TRUST Beginning on January 1, 2003, under TSFG's Executive Deferred Compensation Plan for certain officers, TSFG common stock was added as an investment option for deferral of up to 100% of a participant's annual bonus compensation, net of withholdings for social security and Medicare taxes. The common stock purchased by TSFG for this deferred compensation plan is maintained in a Rabbi Trust (the "Trust"), on behalf of the participants. The assets of the Trust are subject to the claims of general creditors of TSFG. Dividends payable on the common shares held by the Trust will be reinvested in additional shares of common stock of TSFG on behalf of the participants. The deferred compensation obligation in the Trust is classified as a component of shareholders' equity, and the common stock held by the Trust is classified as a reduction of 10 shareholders' equity. The obligations of TSFG under this investment option of the deferred compensation plan, and the shares held by the Trust, have no net effect on outstanding shares. Subsequent changes in the fair value of the common stock are not reflected in earnings or shareholders' equity. (10) AVERAGE SHARE INFORMATION The following is a summary of the basic and diluted average common shares outstanding: THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, ---------------------------------------- 2003 2002 ---- ---- Basic: Average common shares outstanding (denominator) 47,325,448 41,180,460 ========== ========== Diluted: Average common shares outstanding 47,325,448 41,180,460 Dilutive potential common shares 932,050 879,002 ---------- ---------- Average diluted shares outstanding (denominator) 48,257,498 42,059,462 ========== ========== The following options were outstanding at the period end presented but were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because the exercise price was greater than the average market price of the common shares: NUMBER RANGE OF OF SHARES EXERCISE PRICES --------- --------------- For the three months ended March 31, 2003 1,539,803 $21.00 to $31.26 March 31, 2002 1,065,168 $19.47 to $31.26 (11) STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION At March 31, 2003, TSFG has two stock-based employee compensation option plans, which are described more fully in Note 30 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in TSFG's 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K. TSFG accounts for its option plans under the recognition and measurement principles of APB Opinion 25, "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees," and related Interpretations ("APB Opinion 25"). No stock-based employee compensation cost is reflected in net income related to these plans, as all options granted under those plans had an exercise price equal to or greater than the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant. The following table illustrates the effect on net income and earnings per share as if TSFG had applied the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for Stock Based Compensation" ("SFAS 123") to stock-based employee compensation option plans for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands, except share data). 2003 2002 ---- ---- Net income Net income, as reported $ 20,045 $ 13,107 Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all option awards, net of related tax effect 392 382 -------- -------- Pro forma net income $ 19,653 $ 12,725 ======== ======== Basic earnings per share As reported $ 0.42 $ 0.32 Pro forma 0.42 0.31 Diluted earnings per share As reported $ 0.42 $ 0.31 Pro forma 0.41 0.30 11 (12) MERGER-RELATED AND DIRECT ACQUISITION COSTS In connection with the CBT, Rock Hill Bank, and Gulf West acquisitions, TSFG recorded pre-tax merger-related costs of $1.5 million, included in noninterest expenses, and direct acquisition costs of $197,000, included in goodwill during the first quarter 2003. The merger-related and acquisition costs were recorded as incurred. The following summarizes these charges (in thousands) at and for the three months ended March 31, 2003: TOTAL AMOUNTS REMAINING COSTS PAID ACCRUAL ----- ---- ------- MERGER-RELATED COSTS Compensation-related expenses $ 511 $ 215 $ 296 System conversion costs 461 281 180 Fixed asset impairment 198 198 - Travel 33 33 - Advertising 30 30 - Other 264 256 8 ------ ------ ----- $1,497 $1,013 $ 484 ====== ====== ===== DIRECT ACQUISITION COSTS Investment banking and professional fees $ 88 $ 88 $ - Severance 109 109 - ------ ------ ----- $ 197 $ 197 $ - ====== ====== ===== At March 31, 2003, the accrual of merger-related costs, which included $484,000 for charges incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2003, totaled $1.1 million. This accrual is for compensation-related and other expenses incurred in connection with the CBT, Rock Hill Bank, and Gulf West acquisitions. At March 31, 2003, the accrual of direct acquisition costs totaled $569,000. This accrual is for professional fees and severance in connection with the purchase of assets and deposits from Rock Hill Bank. (13) BUSINESS SEGMENTS TSFG has two principal operating subsidiaries, Carolina First Bank and Mercantile Bank, which are evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. Both of these subsidiaries are reportable segments by virtue of exceeding certain quantitative thresholds. Carolina First Bank and Mercantile Bank engage in general banking business focusing on commercial, consumer, and mortgage lending to small and middle market businesses and consumers in their market areas. The reportable segments also provide demand transaction accounts and time deposit accounts to businesses and individuals. Carolina First Bank offers products and services primarily to customers in South Carolina, coastal North Carolina and on the Internet. Mercantile Bank offers products and services primarily to customers in its market areas in northern and central Florida. Revenues for Carolina First Bank and Mercantile Bank are derived primarily from interest and fees on loans, interest on investment securities, service charges on deposits and other customer service fees. No single customer accounts for a significant amount of the revenues of either reportable segment. TSFG evaluates performance based on budget to actual comparisons and segment profits. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as those described in TSFG's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002. Segment information (in thousands) is shown in the table below. The "Other" column includes all other business activities that did not meet the quantitative thresholds and therefore are not shown as a reportable segment. 12 CAROLINA MERCANTILE ELIMINATING FIRST BANK BANK OTHER ENTRIES TOTAL ---------- ---- ----- ------- ----- Three Months Ended March 31, 2003 Net interest income $ 52,024 $ 14,987 $ (1,540) $ - $ 65,471 Provision for loan losses 3,498 1,990 12 - 5,500 Noninterest income 15,045 2,931 15,218 (13,308) 19,886 Noninterest expenses 32,620 13,005 16,573 (13,308) 48,890 Amortization of intangibles (a) 315 390 - - 705 Merger-related costs (a) 323 1,174 - - 1,497 Income tax expense 10,135 937 (1,162) - 9,910 Minority interest in consolidated subsidiary, net of tax (1,012) - - - (1,012) Net income 19,804 1,986 (1,745) - 20,045 MARCH 31, 2003 Total assets $ 6,875,479 $2,109,116 $ 933,540 $ (952,924) $ 8,965,211 Loans 3,426,218 1,183,564 100,029 (134,476) 4,575,335 Deposits 3,475,736 1,281,489 - (21,510) 4,735,715 THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2002 Net interest income $ 46,255 $ 6,470 $ (1,333) $ - $ 51,392 Provision for loan losses 4,150 2,079 9 - 6,238 Noninterest income 9,006 942 14,590 (12,900) 11,638 Noninterest expenses 27,428 4,520 15,804 (12,900) 34,852 Amortization of intangibles (a) 239 - - - 239 Income tax expense 7,445 372 (818) - 6,999 Minority interest in consolidated subsidiary, net of tax (428) - - - (428) Cumulative effect of change in accounting principal, net of tax - - (1,406) - (1,406) Net income 15,810 441 (3,144) - 13,107 MARCH 31, 2002 Total assets $ 5,337,437 $ 804,553 $ 627,213 $ (712,781) $ 6,056,422 Loans 3,169,152 672,594 37,315 (69,479) 3,809,582 Deposits 3,095,611 565,053 - (19,160) 3,641,504 (a) Included in noninterest expenses. (14) MANAGEMENT'S OPINION The financial statements in this report are unaudited, except for the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2002, which is derived from TSFG's consolidated audited financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary to present a fair statement of the results for the interim periods have been made. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. 13 Item 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS The following discussion and analysis are presented to assist in understanding the financial condition and results of operations of The South Financial Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, "TSFG"). TSFG may also be referred to herein as "we", "us", or "our", except where the context requires otherwise. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the supplemental financial data appearing in this report as well as the Annual Report of TSFG on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002. Results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2003 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be attained for any other period. Percentage calculations contained herein have been calculated based upon actual, not rounded, results. TSFG, a South Carolina corporation headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, is a financial holding company, which commenced banking operations in December 1986, and at March 31, 2003 conducted business through 76 locations in South Carolina, 5 locations in North Carolina and 34 locations in northern and central Florida. TSFG operates principally through two wholly-owned subsidiary banks: Carolina First Bank, a South Carolina chartered commercial bank, and Mercantile Bank, a Florida chartered commercial bank (which are collectively referred to as the "Subsidiary Banks"). TSFG's subsidiaries provide a full range of financial services, including asset management, investments, insurance, mortgage, and trust services, designed to meet substantially all of the financial needs of its customers. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION This report contains certain forward-looking statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) to assist in the understanding of anticipated future operating and financial performance, growth opportunities, growth rates, and other similar forecasts and statements of expectations. These forward-looking statements reflect current views, but are based on assumptions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: o risks from changes in economic, monetary policy, and industry conditions; o changes in interest rates, deposit rates, the net interest margin, and funding sources; o market risk and inflation; o risks inherent in making loans including repayment risks and value of collateral; o loan growth, the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses, the assessment of problem loans, and the Rock Hill Bank & Trust Workout loans; o level, composition, and repricing characteristics of the securities portfolio; o fluctuations in consumer spending; o competition in the banking industry and demand for our products and services; o dependence on senior management; o technological changes; o ability to increase market share; o expense projections; o risks associated with income taxes, including the potential for adverse adjustments; o acquisitions, related cost savings, expected financial results, and unanticipated integration issues; o significant delay or inability to execute strategic initiatives designed to grow revenues; o changes in accounting policies and practices; o costs and effects of litigation; and o recently-enacted or proposed legislation. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. In addition, certain statements in future filings by TSFG with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in press releases, and in oral and written statements made by or with the approval of TSFG, which are not statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements. This report also contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). TSFG's management uses these non-GAAP measures in their analysis of TSFG's performance. In particular, a number of credit quality measures presented adjust 14 GAAP information to exclude the effects of certain identified problems loans purchased from Rock Hill Bank & Trust (the "Rock Hill Workout Loans"). Management believes presentations of credit quality measures excluding the Rock Hill Workout Loans assist in identifying core credit quality measures and trends. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for GAAP operating results, and furthermore, TSFG's non-GAAP measures may not necessarily be comparable to non-GAAP performance measures of other companies. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES TSFG's accounting policies are in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and with general practice within the banking industry. The more critical accounting policies include TSFG's accounting for securities, loans, allowance for loan losses, intangibles, and income taxes. In particular, TSFG considers its policies regarding the allowance for loan losses and income taxes to be its most critical accounting policies due to the significant degree of management judgment. Different assumptions in the application of these policies could result in material changes in TSFG's consolidated financial statements. For additional discussion concerning TSFG's allowance for loan losses and related matters, see "Balance Sheet Review - Allowance for Loan Losses." ACQUISITIONS The following table summarizes TSFG's acquisitions completed during the past two years. All the acquisitions, except for Gardner Associates, Inc., an insurance agency, were bank acquisitions. All of the transactions were accounted for using the purchase method of accounting, and accordingly, the assets and liabilities were recorded at their estimated fair values, which are subject to adjustment, as of the acquisition date. TSFG's consolidated financial statements include the results of the acquired company's operations since the acquisition date. TABLE 1 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF COMPLETED ACQUISITIONS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) PURCHASE IDENTIFIABLE ACQUISITION TOTAL SHARES PRICE PAID INTANGIBLE DATE ASSETS ISSUED IN CASH ASSETS GOODWILL ---- ------ ------ ------- ------ -------- Central Bank of Tampa Tampa, Florida 12/31/02 $ 223,223 (1) 3,241,737 $ - $ 2,700 - $ 36,081 Rock Hill Bank and Trust Rock Hill, South Carolina 10/31/02 204,815 (1) 430,017 - (2) 1,204 25,571 Gardner Associates, Inc. Columbia, South Carolina 09/20/02 1,312 (1) 249,011 (3) - 1,521 1,934 Gulf West Banks, Inc. St. Petersburg, Florida 08/31/02 530,296 (1) 3,925,588 32,400 8,424 71,475 (1) Book value at the acquisition date. (2) TSFG agreed to pay a cash earnout based on collection and recoveries with respect to certain loans. (3) Of this amount, up to 70,779 of these shares are subject to forfeiture back to TSFG if certain five-year financial performance targets are not met. On December 31, 2002, TSFG acquired Central Bank of Tampa ("CBT"), a community bank headquartered in Tampa, Florida. CBT operated through 5 branches in Tampa. This merger advances TSFG's strategy to expand in markets with relatively high population and per capita income growth prospects. On October 31, 2002, TSFG acquired substantially all of the assets and deposits of Rock Hill Bank & Trust ("Rock Hill Bank"), which was a wholly-owned banking subsidiary of RHBT Financial Corporation ("RHBT"). Rock Hill Bank operated 3 branches in York County, South Carolina. Under the asset sale agreement, Rock Hill Bank received 430,017 shares of TSFG common stock, plus the right to receive a cash earnout essentially equal to 30% of the net improvement 15 in the aggregate charge-offs and reserves in a specified loan pool and 50% of net amounts recovered under RHBT's blanket bond insurance policy with respect to such loans. TSFG owned approximately 22% of RHBT's outstanding stock. In connection with the distribution of TSFG common stock to RHBT shareholders, TSFG received 95,575 shares, which were immediately cancelled. On September 20, 2002, TSFG acquired Gardner Associates, Inc. ("Gardner Associates"), an independent insurance agency based in Columbia, South Carolina. TSFG intends to use Gardner Associates to build its insurance operations in the Midlands area of South Carolina. As of March 31, 2003, TSFG issued 156,426 shares of TSFG common stock to acquire Gardner Associates and 21,806 shares under an earnout provision. In addition, the principals of Gardner Associates have the right to receive a maximum of 70,779 shares of TSFG common stock, which has been issued and deposited in an escrow account, under earnout provisions based on Gardner Associates' five-year financial performance. On August 31, 2002, TSFG acquired Gulf West Banks, Inc. ("Gulf West"), a bank holding company headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. Gulf West operated through Mercantile Bank, a Florida-chartered, non-member bank with 15 locations in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. This merger represents TSFG's first banking locations in the Tampa Bay area and advances TSFG's strategy to expand in markets with relatively high population and per capita income growth prospects. Upon acquiring Gulf West, TSFG combined all of its Florida operations under the Mercantile Bank name. Acquisition Completed Subsequent to Quarter-End On April 30, 2003, TSFG acquired American Pensions, Inc. ("API"), a benefit plan administrator headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. API services over 250 corporate accounts and manages in excess of $200 million in plan assets. Net assets of API at April 30, 2003 totaled $56,000, and total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2002 were $1.9 million. TSFG issued 146,808 shares of common stock valued at approximately $3.5 million at closing. In addition, the shareholders of API have the right to receive common stock with a maximum value of approximately $2.2 million under earnout provisions based on API's five-year financial performance. This transaction was accounted for using the purchase method of accounting. OVERVIEW Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2003 totaled $20.0 million, an increase of 52.9% compared with $13.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2002. Earnings per diluted share for the first three months of 2003 totaled $0.42, a 35.5% increase from $0.31 per diluted share in the first three months of 2002. Higher net interest income, fee income initiatives, a lower provision for loan losses, and gains on sales of securities and equity investments contributed to the increases in net income and earnings per diluted share. Net interest income increased from 34.6% growth in average earning assets. Key factors responsible for TSFG's results of operations are discussed throughout Management's Discussion and Analysis below. Noninterest income for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002 included pre-tax gains on asset sales of $2.9 million and $40,000, respectively. Gains on asset sales include gains on available for sale securities and equity investments. Mortgage banking income, a component of noninterest income, includes gains and losses on the sale of mortgage loans and charges for the write-down in the value of capitalized mortgage servicing rights. See "Earnings Review - Noninterest Income" for details. Noninterest expenses for the first three months of 2003 included $1.5 million in pre-tax merger-related costs. In the third quarter 2002, TSFG recorded a $1.4 million charge related to impairment of goodwill associated with Carolina First Mortgage Company, which is shown as a cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. In accordance with the accounting rules, this change was recorded as of January 1, 2002 and therefore is shown in the first quarter 2002. During the fourth quarter 2002, TSFG adjusted and reclassified certain prior 2002 quarter amounts to account for an overaccrual of interest expense related to repurchase agreements and the deferral of loan fee income. The net impact of these adjustments for the first quarter 2002, which restated the financial results for the quarter, was to increase net income by $316,000, or $0.01 per diluted share. Average common shares outstanding on a diluted basis were 48.3 million in the first three months of 2003, up 14.7% from 42.1 million for the first three months of 2002, due to shares issued for acquisitions completed in 2002. In connection with share repurchase programs, TSFG repurchased and cancelled 1,266,308 shares during the first three months of 2003. 16 At March 31, 2003, TSFG had $9.0 billion in assets, $4.6 billion in loans, $4.7 billion in deposits, and $635.0 million in shareholders' equity. For the three months ended March 31, 2003, TSFG's average assets totaled $8.4 billion, an increase of $2.3 billion, or 36.7%, compared with the first quarter 2002 average of $6.1 billion. BALANCE SHEET REVIEW Loans TSFG focuses its lending activities on small and middle market businesses and individuals in its geographic markets. At March 31, 2003, outstanding loans totaled $4.6 billion, which equaled 96.6% of total deposits and 51.0% of total assets. The major components of the loan portfolio were commercial loans, commercial real estate loans, consumer loans (including both direct and indirect loans), and one-to-four family residential mortgage loans. Substantially all loans were to borrowers located in TSFG's South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida market areas. The portfolio contains no "highly leveraged transactions," as defined by regulatory authorities. Loans held for investment increased $735.5 million, or 19.5%, to $4.5 billion at March 31, 2003 from $3.8 billion at March 31, 2002. In 2002, $582.8 million in loans held for investment were acquired in mergers with CBT, Rock Hill Bank, and Gulf West, accounting for approximately 80% of the increase. During the first three months of 2003, loans held for investment increased $81.1 million, or 1.8%. The majority of the first quarter 2003 loan growth, annualized at 7.3%, was in commercial, home equity and indirect consumer loans. While originations of residential mortgage loans increased, most of these loans were sold at origination in the secondary market. Loans held for sale increased $30.3 million to $60.2 million at March 31, 2003 from $29.9 million at March 31, 2002. Mortgage loan originations were higher in the current period, which increased the inventory of loans in process. Also, certain commercial real estate loans acquired from Gulf West, which totaled $8.9 million at March 31, 2003, were designated for sale at acquisition. During the first three months of 2003, loans held for sale decreased $8.8 million, primarily from the sale of two commercial real estate loans acquired from Gulf West. Table 2 summarizes outstanding loans by collateral type for real estate secured loans and by borrower type for all other loans. Collateral type represents the underlying assets securing the loan, rather than the purpose of the loan. 17 TABLE 2 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOAN PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) MARCH 31, -------------------------------- RESTATED DECEMBER 31, 2003 2002 2002 ---- ---- ---- Commercial, financial and agricultural $ 952,877 $ 778,257 $ 913,368 Real estate - construction (1) 558,406 543,358 570,265 Real estate - residential mortgages (1-4 family) 657,509 515,593 643,941 Commercial secured by real estate (1) 1,792,969 1,418,954 1,765,103 Consumer 553,267 523,173 541,210 Lease financing receivables 105 347 124 ----------- ----------- ----------- Loans held for investment 4,515,133 3,779,682 4,434,011 Loans held for sale 60,202 29,900 67,218 Less: allowance for loan losses 66,133 45,208 70,275 ----------- ----------- ----------- Total net loans $ 4,509,202 $ 3,764,374 $ 4,430,954 =========== =========== =========== Percentage of loans held for investment Commercial, financial and agricultural 21.1 % 20.6 % 20.6 % Real estate - construction (1) 12.4 14.4 12.9 Real estate - residential mortgages (1-4 family) 14.6 13.6 14.5 Commercial secured by real estate (1) 39.6 37.6 39.8 Consumer 12.3 13.8 12.2 Lease financing receivables - - - ------ ------ ------ Total 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % ====== ====== ======= (1) These categories include loans to businesses other than real estate companies where owner-occupied real estate is pledged on loans to finance operations, equipment, and facilities. Table 3 provides a stratification of the loan portfolio by loan purpose. This presentation differs from that in Table 2, which stratifies the portfolio by collateral type and borrower type. 18 TABLE 3 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOAN PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION BASED ON LOAN PURPOSE - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) MARCH 31, -------------------------------- RESTATED DECEMBER 31, 2003 2002 2002 ---- ---- ---- Commercial loans Commercial and industrial $ 1,188,782 $ 1,013,706 $ 1,178,955 Owner - occupied real estate 724,685 633,003 733,819 Commercial real estate 1,463,330 1,167,532 1,420,252 ----------- ----------- ----------- 3,376,797 2,814,241 3,333,026 ----------- ----------- ----------- CONSUMER LOANS Indirect - sales finance 448,253 363,197 420,294 Direct retail 274,290 300,515 273,419 Home equity 261,311 174,854 243,648 ----------- ----------- ----------- 983,854 838,566 937,361 ----------- ----------- ----------- MORTGAGE LOANS 154,482 126,875 163,624 ----------- ----------- ----------- Total loans held for investment $ 4,515,133 $ 3,779,682 $ 4,434,011 =========== =========== =========== PERCENTAGE OF LOANS HELD FOR INVESTMENT Commercial and industrial 26.3 % 26.8 % 26.6 % Owner - occupied real estate 16.1 16.7 16.6 Commercial real estate 32.4 30.9 32.0 Consumer 21.8 22.2 21.1 Mortgage 3.4 3.4 3.7 ------ ------ ------ Total 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % ====== ====== ====== Commercial and industrial loans are loans to finance short-term and intermediate-term cash needs of businesses. Typical needs include the need to finance seasonal or other temporary cash flow imbalances, growth in working assets created by sales growth, and purchases of equipment and vehicles. Credit is extended in the form of short-term single payment loans, lines of credit for periods up to a year, revolving credit facilities for periods up to five years, and amortizing term loans for periods up to ten years. Owner-occupied real estate loans are loans to finance the purchase or expansion of operating facilities used by businesses not engaged in the real estate business. Typical loans are loans to finance offices, manufacturing plants, warehouse facilities, and retail shops. Depending on the property type and the borrower's cash flows, amortization terms vary from 10 years up to 20 years. Although secured by mortgages on the properties financed, these loans are underwritten based on the cash flows generated by operations of the businesses they house. Commercial real estate loans are loans to finance real properties that are acquired, developed, or constructed for sale or lease to parties unrelated to the borrower. Included are loans to acquire land for development, land development loans, construction loans, mini-perms for cash flow stabilization periods, and permanent loans in situations where access to the secondary market is limited due to loan size. Indirect sales finance loans are loans to individuals to finance the purchase of automobiles. They are closed at the auto dealership but approved in advance by TSFG for immediate purchase. Loans are extended on new and used autos with terms varying from 2 years up to 5 years. Direct consumer loans are loans to individuals to finance personal, family, or household needs. Typical loans are loans to finance auto purchases, home repairs and additions, and home purchases. These loans are made by TSFG employees in its branches. 19 Home equity loans are loans to home-owners, secured by junior mortgages on their primary residences, to finance personal, family, or household needs. These loans may be in the form of amortizing loans or lines of credit with terms up to 15 years. Mortgage loans are loans to individuals, secured by first mortgages on single family residences, to finance the acquisition of those residences. These loans, originated by TSFG's mortgage lending division, do not qualify for immediate sale but are judged to be sellable with seasoning. They are underwritten to secondary market standards and are sold, from time to time, as they become sellable to secondary market investors. The portfolio's only significant industry concentration is in commercial real estate loans. All other industry concentrations are less than 10% of total loans. Commercial real estate loans were 32.4% of loans held for investment at March 31, 2003. Due to sustained strong population growth and household income growth, real estate development and construction are major components of the economic activity in TSFG's markets. The risk attributable to this concentration is managed by lending in our markets, where we are familiar with real estate market conditions, to borrowers we know well, who have proven track records and possess the financial means to weather reverses in this industry. TSFG does not make loans without recourse to the borrower, loans without personal guarantees from the owners, or loans to cash out equity in commercial properties. Consequently, although the analysis of reserve adequacy includes an adjustment to account for the risk inherent in this concentration, management believes the risk of loss in its commercial real estate loans is not materially greater than the risk of loss in any other segment of the portfolio. At March 31, 2003, the loan portfolio included commitments totaling $138.0 million in "shared national credits" (multi-bank credit facilities of $20 million or more). Outstandings under these commitments totaled $79.6 million. By policy, we participate in shared national credits only if the borrower is headquartered in our market, the borrower is in an industry familiar to us, we meet directly with the borrower to conduct our analysis, and the borrower agrees to establish an ongoing banking relationship with us. One of these credits, in which our commitment totals $1.1 million, is on our internal watch list; however, none of these credit facilities were classified in the most recent shared national credits examinations conducted by the regulatory agencies. Credit Quality A willingness to take credit risk is inherent in the decision to grant credit. Prudent risk-taking requires a credit risk management system based on sound policies and control processes that ensure compliance with those policies. TSFG's credit risk management system is defined by policies approved by the Board of Directors that govern the risk underwriting, portfolio monitoring, and problem loan administration processes. Adherence to underwriting standards is managed through a multi-layered credit approval process and immediate after-the-fact review by credit risk management of loans approved by lenders. Through daily review by credit risk managers, monthly reviews of exception reports, and ongoing analysis of asset quality trends, compliance with underwriting and loan monitoring policies is closely supervised. The administration of problem loans is driven by policies that require written plans for resolution and quarterly meetings with credit risk management to review progress. Credit risk management activities are monitored by Credit Committees of each banking subsidiary's Board of Directors, which meet monthly to review credit quality trends, new large credits, loans to insiders, large problem credits, credit policy changes, and reports on independent credit audits of branch offices. To facilitate comparisons, Table 4 presents credit quality indicators two ways: one that includes all loans and one that excludes the Rock Hill Workout Loans. On October 31, 2002, loans totaling $191.3 million were acquired from Rock Hill Bank. Prior to the closing and in connection with identified problem loans, Rock Hill Bank had charged off a significant portion of its loan portfolio and established additional reserves. At closing, TSFG segregated certain identified problem loans into a separately-managed portfolio, referred to as the "Rock Hill Workout Loans." At March 31, 2003, this portfolio totaled $63.6 million, down from $72.4 million at December 31, 2002, with an allowance for loan losses of $11.6 million. Nonperforming assets for the Rock Hill Workout Loans at March 31, 2003 were $32.8 million. Net loan charge-offs for the first quarter 2003, which were included in the allowance for loan losses as of December 31, 2002, totaled $4.1 million. TSFG expects nonperforming assets and the allowance for loan losses to decline as the Rock Hill Workout Loans are liquidated or otherwise resolved. Where appropriate, TSFG has provided credit quality measures excluding the Rock Hill Workout Loans to identify core credit quality measures and trends. Table 4 presents information pertaining to nonperforming assets. 20 TABLE 4 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NONPERFORMING ASSETS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) MARCH 31, -------------------------------- RESTATED DECEMBER 31, 2003 2002 2002 ---- ---- ---- Nonaccrual loans - commercial $ 58,114 $ 40,521 $ 61,206 Nonaccrual loans - consumer 2,865 2,965 2,384 Restructured loans - - - Total nonperforming loans 60,979 43,486 63,590 Other real estate owned 10,836 7,143 10,596 ---------- ----------- ---------- Total nonperforming assets $ 71,815 $ 50,629 $ 74,186 ========== =========== ========== Loans past due 90 days still accruing interest (1) $ 3,652 $ 9,532 $ 5,414 ========== =========== ========== Total nonperforming assets as a percentage of loans and other real estate owned (2) 1.59 % 1.34 % 1.67 % ========== =========== ========== Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of nonperforming loans 1.08 x 1.04 x 1.11 x ========== =========== ========== EXCLUDING THE ROCK HILL WORKOUT LOANS Loans held for investment $4,451,498 $ 3,779,682 $ 4,361,658 Allowance for loan losses 54,514 45,208 53,979 Total nonperforming loans 28,254 43,486 34,596 Other real estate owned 10,751 7,143 10,422 ---------- ----------- ---------- Total nonperforming assets $ 39,005 $ 50,629 $ 45,018 ========== =========== ========== Total nonperforming assets as a percentage of loans and other real estate owned (2) 0.87 % 1.34 % 1.03 % ========== =========== ========== Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of nonperforming loans 1.93 x 1.04 x 1.56 x ========== =========== ========== (1) All of these loans are consumer and residential mortgage loans. (2) Calculated using loans held for investment. Note: Nonperforming assets exclude personal property repossessions, which totaled $1.0 million, $1.2 million, and $1.3 million, at March 31, 2003, March 31, 2002, and December 31, 2002, respectively. CREDIT QUALITY INCLUDING ROCK HILL WORKOUT LOANS. Nonperforming assets declined to 1.59% of loans and other real estate owned at March 31, 2003 from 1.67% at December 31, 2002. Net loan charge-offs increased to 0.85% of average loans for the first quarter 2003 from 0.37% for the fourth quarter 2002, primarily due to the disposition of fully-reserved Rock Hill Workout Loans and the liquidation of fully-reserved nonperforming loans. As anticipated, the allowance for loan losses declined to 1.46% of period-end loans at March 31, 2003 from 1.58% at December 31, 2002. CREDIT QUALITY EXCLUDING ROCK HILL WORKOUT LOANS. Core nonperforming assets (which exclude the Rock Hill Workout Loans) declined 13% to 0.87% of loans and other real estate owned at March 31, 2003 from 1.03% at December 31, 2002. This ratio has declined every quarter-end since its peak of 1.34% at March 31, 2002. Net loan charge-offs increased from $4.4 million for the fourth quarter 2002 to $5.5 million for the first quarter 2003, or from 0.41% to 0.50% of average loans, as write-downs of $1.5 million were incurred to liquidate nonperforming loans with allocated reserves of $2.1 million. The allowance for loan losses declined slightly as a percent of loans held for investment, from 1.24% at December 31, 2002 to 1.22% at March 31, 2003, but increased from 1.56 times to 1.93 times nonperforming loans for the quarter-ends. Loans past due 90 days and still accruing interest showed continued improvement during the first quarter 2003. Certain of the Rock Hill Workout Loans are defined as "designated loans" under the Rock Hill Bank purchase agreement ("Designated Loans") and are subject to earnout provisions. The total principal amount owed by the borrowers for Designated Loans was $45.2 million, of which $19.5 million had been charged off or reserved prior to acquisition by TSFG. To the extent that principal collections on these Designated Loans exceed $25.7 million through the termination date of the earnout agreement, TSFG will pay the RHBT shareholders 21 30% of such excess. The net effect is to pay RHBT shareholders 30% of the net recoveries on these loans from charge-off collections and reserve reductions. Through March 31, 2003, total charge-offs and reserves on the Designated loans exceeded the amount that would require a payment under the earnout agreement. Future credit quality trends depend primarily on the direction of the economy, and current economic data do not provide a clear signal of that direction. Until the business climate improves, we expect portfolio quality indicators to remain volatile, nonperforming asset levels to fluctuate, and charge-offs to be higher than historical norms. Management believes, however, that loss exposure in its loan portfolio is identified, adequately reserved for in a timely manner, and closely monitored to ensure that changes are promptly addressed in its analysis of allowance for loan loss adequacy. Accordingly, management believes the allowance for loan losses as of March 31, 2003 was adequate, based on its assessment of probable losses, and available facts and circumstances then prevailing. The following summarizes information on impaired loans (in thousands), all of which are in nonaccrual status, at and for the three months ended March 31. All impaired loans are commercial loans. 2003 2002 ---- ----- Impaired loans $ 58,114 $ 40,521 Impaired loans, excluding the Rock Hill Workout Loans 25,389 40,521 Average investment in impaired loans 61,585 40,219 Related allowance 14,751 4,409 Related allowance, excluding the Rock Hill Workout Loans 6,176 4,409 Recognized interest income - 120 Foregone interest 1,361 892 Allowance for Loan Losses The adequacy of the allowance for loan losses (the "Allowance") is analyzed quarterly. For purposes of this analysis, adequacy is defined as a level sufficient to absorb probable losses in the portfolio. The methodology employed for this analysis is discussed below. The portfolio is segregated into risk-similar segments for which historical loss ratios are calculated and adjusted for identified changes in current portfolio characteristics. Historical loss ratios are calculated by product type for consumer loans (direct installment, indirect installment, revolving, and mortgage) and by credit risk grade for performing commercial loans. Nonperforming commercial loans are individually assessed for impairment under SFAS 114 and assigned specific allocations. To allow for modeling error, a range of probable loss ratios (from 95% to 105% of the adjusted historical loss ratio) is then derived for each segment. The resulting percentages are then applied to the dollar amounts of loans in each segment to arrive at each segment's range of probable loss levels. The Allowance for each portfolio segment is set at an amount within its range that reflects management's best judgment of the extent to which historical loss levels are more or less accurate indicators of current losses in the portfolio. Management's judgments evolve from an assessment of various issues, including but not limited to the pace of loan growth, emerging portfolio concentrations, risk management system changes, entry into new markets, new product offerings, loan portfolio quality trends, and uncertainty in current economic and business conditions. The Allowance is then segregated into allocated and unallocated components. The allocated component is the sum of the loss estimates at the lower end of the probable loss range for each category. The unallocated component is the sum of the amounts by which final loss estimates exceed the lower end estimates for each category. The unallocated component of the Allowance represents probable losses inherent in the portfolio based on our analysis that are not fully captured in the allocated component. Allocation of the Allowance to respective loan portfolio components is not necessarily indicative of future losses or future allocations. The entire Allowance is available to absorb losses in the loan portfolio. Assessing the adequacy of the Allowance is a process that requires considerable judgment. Management's judgments are based on numerous assumptions about current events, which we believe to be reasonable, but which may or may not be valid. Thus, there can be no assurance that loan losses in future periods will not exceed the current Allowance amount or that future increases in the Allowance will not be required. No assurance can be given that management's ongoing evaluation of the loan portfolio in light of changing economic 22 conditions and other relevant circumstances will not require significant future additions to the Allowance, thus adversely affecting the operating results of TSFG. The Allowance is also subject to examination and adequacy testing by regulatory agencies, which may consider such factors as the methodology used to determine adequacy and the size of the Allowance relative to that of peer institutions, and other adequacy tests. In addition, such regulatory agencies could require us to adjust our Allowance based on information available to them at the time of their examination. The Allowance totaled $66.1 million, or 1.46% of loans held for investment, at March 31, 2003, a significant increase from $45.2 million, or 1.20%, at March 31, 2002. Nonperforming loans totaled $61.0 million at March 31, 2003, an increase of $17.5 million from $43.5 million at March 31, 2002. These increases were the result of the acquisition of loans from Rock Hill Bank, partially offset by lower core nonperforming loans. Excluding the $32.7 million of nonperforming loans related to the Rock Hill Workout Loans, nonperforming loans declined to $28.3 million at March 31, 2003 from $43.5 million at March 31, 2002 (to 0.63% from 1.15% of loans held for investment), and the Allowance increased to $54.5 million at March 31, 2003 from $45.2 million at March 31, 2002 (to 1.22% from 1.20% of loans held for investment). See "Credit Quality." Table 5, which summarizes the changes in the Allowance, provides additional information with respect to the activity in the Allowance. While uncertainty in the current economic outlook makes future charge-off levels less predictable, management does not expect losses to increase significantly over the next several quarters. As a percentage of average loans, losses in 2003 are expected to be comparable to 2002 losses. However, the economic outlook remains highly uncertain, and future charge-off levels may therefore fluctuate above or below that average from quarter to quarter. TABLE 5 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF LOAN LOSS EXPERIENCE - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) AT AND FOR THE THREE MONTHS AT AND FOR ENDED MARCH 31, THE YEAR ENDED -------------------------------- DECEMBER 31, 2003 2002 2002 ---- ---- ---- Allowance for loan losses, beginning of year $ 70,275 $ 44,587 $ 44,587 Purchase accounting adjustments - - 22,973 Allowance adjustment for loans sold - - (12) Net charge-offs: Loans charged-off (10,308) (6,384) (23,556) Loans recovered 666 767 4,017 ----------- ----------- ----------- (9,642) (5,617) (19,539) Additions to reserve through provision expense 5,500 6,238 22,266 ----------- ----------- ----------- Allowance for loan losses, end of period $ 66,133 $ 45,208 $ 70,275 =========== =========== =========== Average loans $ 4,520,965 $ 3,774,762 $ 4,008,094 Loans held for investment 4,515,133 3,779,682 4,434,011 Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans (annualized) 0.85 % 0.60 % 0.49 % Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of loans held for investment 1.46 1.20 1.58 Excluding the Rock Hill Workout Loans: Net loan charge-offs $ 5,533 $ 5,617 $ 19,906 Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans (annualized) 0.50 % 0.60 % 0.50 % Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of loans held for investment, excluding Rock Hill Workout Loans 1.22 1.20 1.24 23 Securities TSFG uses the investment securities portfolio for several purposes. It serves as a vehicle to manage interest rate and prepayment risk, generates interest and dividend income from the investment of excess funds depending on loan demand, provides appropriate level of liquidity to meet liquidity requirements, and is used as collateral for pledges on public deposits and securities sold under repurchase agreements. At March 31, 2003, TSFG's investment portfolio totaled $3.4 billion, up $1.8 billion from the $1.7 billion invested as of March 31, 2002, and up $850.7 million from the $2.6 billion invested as of December 31, 2002. The majority of the increase since December 31, 2002 was attributable to the purchase of U.S. Government agency and mortgage-backed securities in the available for sale portfolio. In the first quarter 2003, TSFG bought these securities to leverage capital and take advantage of the opportunity to increase net interest income. In addition, TSFG has engaged in, and expects to continue to engage in, hedging activities to reduce interest rate risk associated with the investment securities. Also, in 2002, TSFG acquired $210.8 million in available for sale securities from the acquisitions completed in 2002. During 2003, TSFG expects to sell investment securities as loan growth increases, depending on the general level of interest rates. Securities (i.e., trading securities, securities available for sale, and securities held to maturity) excluding the unrealized gain recorded for available for sale securities averaged $3.0 billion in the first quarter of 2003, 73.4% above the first quarter of 2002 average of $1.7 billion. The majority of the increase was attributable to purchases of securities to leverage available capital, anticipate accelerated paydowns of mortgage-backed securities, and provide for increased calls of U.S. Government agency securities. The average portfolio yield decreased in the first three months of 2003 to 4.28% from 5.36% in the first three months of 2002. The securities yield decreased due to a lower level of general interest rates and the addition of lower-yielding, shorter duration securities. The duration of the portfolio declined to approximately 4.9 years at March 31, 2003 from 7.2 years at March 31, 2002. The securities portfolio currently reprices within a two and a half-year pricing horizon, which is significantly faster than indicated by the duration. The composition of the investment portfolio as of March 31, 2003 was as follows: mortgage-backed securities 57.1%, U.S. Government agencies 27.6%, U.S. Treasuries 7.4%, state and municipalities 3.4%, and other securities 4.5% (which includes equity investments described below). Mortgage-backed securities have increased from 46.4% of the portfolio at December 31, 2002, due to the first quarter 2003 purchase to leverage available capital. Collateralized mortgage obligations, the majority of which are short-term, represent less than 15% of the securities portfolio. The available for sale portfolio constituted 98.2% of total securities at March 31, 2003. Management believes that the high concentration of available for sale securities provides greater flexibility in the management of the overall investment portfolio. During the first quarter 2003, the net unrealized gain on available for sale securities (pre-tax) increased to $32.2 million at March 31, 2003 from a $21.1 million loss at March 31, 2002. The increase in the net unrealized gain was primarily associated with U.S. Treasury securities, which had unrealized losses at March 31, 2002 and were sold in the third quarter 2002. At December 31, 2002, the net unrealized gain on available for sale securities (pre-tax) totaled $36.3 million. Other Investments INVESTMENT IN NETBANK, INC. At March 31, 2003, TSFG owned 517,904 shares of NetBank common stock. NetBank owns and operates NetBank, F.S.B., an FDIC-insured federal savings bank that provides banking services to consumers utilizing the Internet. TSFG's investment in NetBank, which is included in securities available for sale with a basis of $144,000, was recorded at its pre-tax market value of approximately $4.8 million at March 31, 2003. During the three months ended March 31, 2003, TSFG sold 207,096 shares of NetBank for a pre-tax gain of $1.9 million. INVESTMENTS IN BANKS. At March 31, 2003, TSFG had equity investments in fourteen community banks located in the Southeast. In each case, TSFG owns less than 5% of the community bank's outstanding common stock. TSFG has made these investments to develop correspondent banking relationships and to promote community banking in the Southeast. These investments in community banks, which are included in securities available for sale with a basis of approximately $16.7 million, were recorded at their pre-tax market value of approximately $19.2 million at March 31, 2003. TSFG also has an investment in Nexity Financial Corporation, an Internet bank, which was recorded at its cost basis of $500,000. 24 CF INVESTMENT COMPANY. CF Investment Company is a wholly-owned Small Business Investment Company, licensed through the Small Business Administration. Its principal focus is to invest in companies that have a bank-related technology or service that TSFG and its subsidiaries can use. CF Investment Company's loans and equity investments represent a higher risk to TSFG due to the start-up nature of such companies. As of March 31, 2003, CF Investment Company had invested approximately $1.2 million (or 49% interest in common stock) in a company specializing in electronic document management services and $502,000 (or 15% interest in common stock) in a paycard company. The estimated fair value of these investments is deemed to approximate the cost basis. TSFG may incur impairment losses in the future depending on the performance of CF Investment Company's investments. OTHER INVESTMENTS NOT SPECIFIED ABOVE. In addition to the investments described in the preceding paragraphs, other investments in available for sale securities at March 31, 2003, which are carried at market value, included corporate bonds of $70.7 million, FHLB stock of $50.7 million, and other equity securities of $5.3 million. Other equity securities include TSFG's investment in Affinity Technology Group, Inc. ("Affinity"). At March 31, 2003, TSFG owned 4,876,340 shares of common stock of Affinity, or approximately 12% of the outstanding shares. TSFG's investment in Affinity has a basis of $433,000 and was recorded at its March 31, 2003 pre-tax market value of approximately $878,000. At March 31, 2003, the aggregate market value for these other investments, which are not specified in the preceding paragraphs, totaled $126.7 million with a cost basis of $125.3 million. Intangible Assets The intangible assets balance at March 31, 2003 of $242.4 million consisted of goodwill of $225.3 million, core deposit premiums of $15.8 million, customer list intangibles of $813,000, and non-compete agreement intangibles of $542,000. The intangible assets balance at March 31, 2002 of $95.5 million consisted of goodwill of $90.2 million and core deposit premiums of $5.3 million. The increase in goodwill was primarily due to the $134.1 million of goodwill acquired during 2002 from the mergers with CBT, Rock Hill Bank, Gardner Associates, and Gulf West and subsequent adjustments in 2003 totaling $943,000. The increase in core deposit premiums was due to adding $2.7 million from the CBT merger, $1.2 million from the Rock Hill Bank merger, and $8.4 million from the Gulf West merger. The customer list intangibles and non-compete agreement intangibles were added with the acquisition of Gardner Associates. Deposits Deposits remain TSFG's primary source of funds for loans and investments. Average deposits provided funding for 60.7% of average earning assets in the first quarter 2003 and 64.3% in the first quarter 2002. Carolina First Bank and Mercantile Bank face stiff competition from other banking and financial services companies in gathering deposits. The percentage of funding provided by deposits has declined, and accordingly, TSFG has developed other sources, such as FHLB advances, short-term borrowings, and long-term structured repurchase agreements, to fund a portion of loan demand and increases in investment securities. In addition, TSFG has increased the use of brokered certificates of deposit, which are included in deposits. At March 31, 2003, deposits totaled $4.7 billion, up $1.1 billion from March 31, 2002. In 2002, TSFG acquired $783.8 million in deposits from its merger with CBT, Rock Hill Bank, and Gulf West, which accounted for 72% of the increase. In addition, this increase includes a $273.9 million increase in brokered certificates of deposit. At March 31, 2003, TSFG had $520.2 million in brokered certificates of deposit, compared with $246.3 million at March 31, 2002. We consider these funds as an attractive alternative funding source available to use while continuing our efforts to maintain and grow our local deposit base. Deposit pricing remains very competitive, and we expect this pricing environment to continue. During the past two years, TSFG decided to keep deposit rates offered on par with competitors and reduced deposit rate-driven promotions, which resulted in lower deposit balances. Deposits acquired in 2002 mergers offset this decrease. Table 7 in "Results of Operations - Net Interest Income" details average balances for the deposit portfolio for both the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002. Average money market accounts increased $376.4 million, or 51.3%, and average noninterest demand deposits increased $211.3 million, or 42.6%. On average, time deposits increased $278.8 million, or 16.6%, which includes a $310.4 increase in average brokered certificates of deposit. As part of its overall funding strategy, TSFG focuses on the mix of deposits and, in particular, increasing the level of transaction accounts (i.e., noninterest-bearing, interest-bearing checking, money market, and savings accounts). For the three months ended March 31, 2003, transaction accounts made up 57.4% of average deposits, compared with 53.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2002. These trends reflect TSFG's efforts to enhance its deposit mix 25 by working to attract lower-cost transaction accounts. TSFG's customer-centered sales process, Elevate, is an integral part of achieving this goal. In addition, in the summer of 2002 and the first quarter of 2003, TSFG held deposit campaigns, based on employee referrals, to raise transaction accounts. At March 31, 2003, total deposits for Bank CaroLine, an Internet bank, totaled $27.3 million, down from $45.6 million as of March 31, 2002. Deposits for Bank CaroLine declined significantly, due to offering less aggressive interest rates in an effort to lower the overall cost of funds. Time deposits of $100,000 or more represented 13.3% of total deposits at March 31, 2003 and 14.6% at March 31, 2002. TSFG's larger denomination time deposits are generally from customers within the local market areas of its banks and, therefore, have a greater degree of stability than is typically associated with this source of funds at other financial institutions. In March 2003, TSFG entered into an agreement with an unrelated financial institution to sell the deposits at its Powdersville, South Carolina branch office. TSFG expects to complete the sale in June 2003 and close the office subsequent to the sale. TSFG expects to sell approximately $8 million in deposits and record a gain associated with the sale. Borrowed Funds TSFG uses both short-term and long-term borrowings to fund growth of earning assets in excess of deposit growth. TSFG's short-term borrowings consist of federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements, FHLB advances (with maturities less than one year when made), commercial paper, and other short-term borrowings. The long-term borrowings consist primarily of subordinated notes, FHLB advances, and repurchase agreements with maturities greater than one year when made. In the first three months of 2003, average borrowings totaled $3.0 billion, compared with $1.9 billion for the same period in 2002. This increase was primarily attributable to an increased reliance on short-term borrowings to support earning asset growth, including increases in investment securities. TSFG's long-term borrowings totaled $2.1 billion at March 31, 2003, up from $503.7 million as of March 31, 2002, primarily from the increase in repurchase agreements and FHLB advances. TSFG increased long-term borrowings in 2002 and first quarter 2003 to provide longer-term liquidity at historically-low interest rates. Federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements are used to satisfy daily funding needs and, when advantageous, for rate arbitrage. Federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements totaled $2.1 billion at March 31, 2003, including $1.1 billion in long-term repurchase agreements, and $1.4 billion at March 31, 2002, including $100.0 million in long-term repurchase agreements. These balances are primarily to finance higher balances in investment securities available for sale and to support earning asset growth. Balances in these accounts can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. The FHLB advances were $1.0 billion, including $994.6 million in long-term advances, at March 31, 2003 and $386.8 million, including $23.0 million in long-term advances, at March 31, 2002. FHLB advances are a source of funding which TSFG uses depending on the current level of deposits, management's willingness to raise deposits through market promotions, the Subsidiary Banks' unused FHLB borrowing capacity, and the availability of collateral to secure FHLB borrowings. Capital Resources and Dividends Total shareholders' equity amounted to $635.0 million, or 7.1% of total assets, at March 31, 2003, compared with $434.0 million, or 7.2% of total assets, at March 31, 2002. At December 31, 2002, total shareholders' equity was $646.8 million, or 8.1% of total assets. The increase in shareholders' equity, when comparing March 31, 2003 to the same period in 2002, is primarily from the issuance of common stock for the 2002 mergers, the unrealized gains in the available for sale investment portfolio, and retention of earnings. TSFG's stock repurchase program and cash dividends paid partially offset these increases. TSFG has a stock repurchase program and, in February 2003, expanded its program by one million shares in connection with the CBT merger. During 2003, TSFG repurchased 1,266,308 shares and has approximately 298,000 shares remaining under its stock repurchase authorization. TSFG may continue to repurchase shares depending upon current market conditions and available cash. TSFG's unrealized gain on securities, net of tax, which is included in accumulated other comprehensive income, was $20.4 million as of March 31, 2003 as compared to an unrealized loss of $15.0 million as of March 31, 2002 and an unrealized gain of $24.4 million as of December 31, 2002. The increase in the 26 unrealized gain (net of deferred income tax) from March 31, 2002 to March 31, 2003 was comprised of increases in: U.S. Treasury securities $30.6 million, mortgage-backed securities $8.1 million, U.S. Government agencies $5.4 million, and state and municipalities $753,000. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in other securities of $9.4 million, principally from the sale of NetBank common stock and the write-down and subsequent cancellation of TSFG's shares in RHBT due to TSFG's acquisition of substantially all the assets and deposits of Rock Hill Bank, which was the wholly-owned banking subsidiary of RHBT. Book value per share at March 31, 2003 and 2002 was $13.68 and $10.78, respectively. Tangible book value per share at March 31, 2003 and 2002 was $8.46 and $8.41, respectively. Tangible book value was below book value as a result of the purchase premiums associated with acquisitions accounted for as purchases and branch purchases. TSFG and its Subsidiary Banks exceeded the well-capitalized regulatory requirements at March 31, 2003. Table 6 sets forth various capital ratios for TSFG and its Subsidiary Banks. TABLE 6 - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAPITAL RATIOS - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WELL CAPITALIZED MARCH 31, 2003 REQUIREMENT -------------- ----------- TSFG Total risk-based capital 10.71 % n/a Tier 1 risk-based capital 8.46 n/a Leverage ratio 6.04 n/a CAROLINA FIRST BANK Total risk-based capital 10.89 % 10.00 % Tier 1 risk-based capital 7.76 6.00 Leverage ratio 5.26 5.00 MERCANTILE BANK Total risk-based capital 12.64 % 10.00 % Tier 1 risk-based capital 9.14 6.00 Leverage ratio 7.71 5.00 TSFG is actively considering filing a "universal shelf" so that it might more readily access the capital markets. TSFG and its subsidiaries are subject to certain regulatory restrictions on the amount of dividends they are permitted to pay. TSFG has paid a cash dividend each quarter since the initiation of cash dividends on February 1, 1994. At the December 2002 meeting, the Board of Directors approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.14 per common share, which represents an effective annual increase of 16.7%. TSFG presently intends to pay a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock; however, future dividends will depend upon TSFG's financial performance and capital requirements. In July and October 2002, TSFG, through three wholly-owned trust subsidiaries, issued and sold floating rate securities to institutional buyers in three pooled trust preferred issues. These securities generated proceeds to TSFG of $62.5 million, net of issuance costs totaling $2.0 million, which qualifies as tier 1 capital under Federal Reserve Board guidelines. In June 2002, Carolina First Bank sold 131 shares of the Carolina First Mortgage Loan Trust's Series 2000A Cumulative Fixed Rate Preferred Shares (the "Series A REIT Preferred Stock") and 385 shares of Carolina First Mortgage Loan Trust's Series 2002C Cumulative Floating Rate Preferred Shares (the "Series C REIT Preferred Stock") to institutional buyers. Proceeds to Carolina First Bank from these sales totaled approximately $49.2 million, net of issuance costs totaling $2.4 million, and are reported as minority interest in consolidated subsidiary on the consolidated balance sheet. The minority interest in consolidated subsidiary qualifies as tier 1 capital (in the case of Series A REIT Preferred Stock) and tier 2 capital (in the case of Series C REIT Preferred Stock) under Federal Reserve Board guidelines. 27 EARNINGS REVIEW Net Interest Income Net interest income is TSFG's primary source of revenue. Net interest income is the difference between the interest earned on assets, including loan fees and security dividends, and the interest paid for the liabilities to support such assets. The net interest margin measures how effectively a company manages the difference between the yield on earning assets and the rate paid on funds used to support those assets. Fully tax-equivalent net interest income adjusts the yield for assets earning tax-exempt income to a comparable yield on a taxable basis. Table 7 presents average balance sheets and a net interest income analysis on a tax equivalent basis for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002. 28 TABLE 7 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPARATIVE AVERAGE BALANCES - YIELDS AND COSTS - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, -------------------------------------------------------------- 2003 2002 (RESTATED) -------------------------- --------------------------------- AVERAGE INCOME/ YIELD/ AVERAGE INCOME/ YIELD/ BALANCE EXPENSE RATE BALANCE EXPENSE RATE Assets Earning assets Loans (1) $4,520,965 $ 67,333 6.04% $3,774,762 $62,160 6.68 % Investment securities (taxable)(2) 2,894,634 30,299 4.19 1,643,790 21,567 5.25 Investment securities (nontaxable)(3) 114,807 1,878 6.54 91,662 1,679 7.33 Federal funds sold 2,359 8 1.38 - - - Interest-bearing bank balances 33,384 110 1.34 110,742 469 1.72 ----------- ------- ---------- ------- Total earning assets 7,566,149 99,628 5.34 5,620,956 85,875 6.20 ------- ------- Non-earning assets 821,681 513,163 ----------- ---------- Total assets $ 8,387,830 $6,134,119 =========== ========== Liabilities and shareholders' equity Liabilities Interest-bearing liabilities Interest-bearing deposits Interest checking $ 661,831 $ 1,069 0.66 $ 594,706 $ 1,810 1.23 Savings 156,145 194 0.50 114,724 214 0.76 Money market 1,109,935 4,258 1.56 733,534 2,915 1.61 Time deposits 1,955,910 12,478 2.59 1,677,119 16,637 4.02 ---------- ------- ---------- ------- Total interest-bearing deposit 3,883,821 17,999 1.88 3,120,083 21,576 2.80 Borrowings 2,962,384 15,501 2.12 1,949,994 12,319 2.56 ---------- ------- ---------- ------- Total interest-bearing liabiliti 6,846,205 33,500 1.98 5,070,077 33,895 2.71 ------- ------- Noninterest-bearing liabilities Noninterest-bearing deposits 706,804 495,511 Other noninterest-bearing 101,544 66,082 liabilities ---------- ---------- Total liabilities 7,654,553 5,631,670 Minority interest in consolidated 86,449(4) 37,023 subsidiary (4) Shareholders' equity 646,828 465,426 ---------- ---------- Total liabilities and shareholders $8,387,830 $6,134,119 ========== ========== Net interest margin $ 66,128 3.54% $51,980 3.75 % ======== ======= Tax-equivalent adjustment (3) $ 657 $ 588 ======== ======= (1) Nonaccrual loans are included in average balances for yield computations. (2) The average balances for investment securities exclude the unrealized gain or loss recorded for available for sale securities. (3) The tax-equivalent adjustment to net interest income adjusts the yield for assets earning tax-exempt income to a comparable yield on a taxable basis. (4) The minority interest in consolidated subsidiary pertains to the REIT preferred stock, which qualifies as regulatory capital and pays cumulative dividends. Note: Average balances are derived from daily balances. 29 Fully tax-equivalent net interest income for the first three months of 2003 increased $14.1 million, or 27.2%, to $66.1 million from $52.0 million in the first three months of 2002. The net interest margin declined to 3.54% in the first three months of 2003 from 3.75% in the first three months of 2002. This decrease in the net interest margin was largely attributable to downward repricing of fixed rate commercial loans, higher investment securities (which generally have a lower yield than loans), and deposit rates approaching lower limits due to historically-low interest rates. During the fourth quarter of 2002, TSFG adjusted and reclassified certain prior quarter amounts to account for an overaccrual of interest expense related to repurchase agreements and the deferral of loan fee income. In the first quarter of 2002, the over accrual of interest expense related to repurchase agreements overstated interest expense by $706,000, which was corrected in the fourth quarter of 2002. The additional deferral of loan fee income decreased net interest income by $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2002. A related deferral of salaries, wages and employee benefits substantially offset the decrease in the deferral of loan fee income. See "Overview." Average earning assets grew $1.9 billion, or 34.6%, to $7.6 billion in the first three months of 2003 from $5.6 billion in the first three months of 2002, primarily from the purchase of investment securities and acquisitions. The Gulf West merger, which closed August 31, 2002, the asset purchase with Rock Hill Bank, which closed on October 31, 2002, and the Central Bank of Tampa merger, which closed on December 31, 2002, added approximately $903.8 million in earning assets. Average loans increased $746.2 million, to $4.5 billion in the first three months of 2003 from $3.8 billion in the first three months of 2002. Average investment securities, excluding the average net unrealized securities gains, increased from $1.7 billion in the first three months of 2002 to $3.0 billion in the first three months of 2003. In the first quarter of 2003, TSFG purchased approximately $1.1 billion in adjustable rate U.S. government agencies and mortgage-backed securities. These purchases leveraged available capital and took advantage of the opportunity to increase net interest income. As the economy improves, TSFG expects loan growth to increase and to replace some securities balances with new loans. In addition, during 2003, TSFG expects that purchases of investment securities will primarily occur to replace pre-paying or maturing securities. Accordingly, TSFG expects investment securities to decline during the second half of 2003. Interest rates are presently at historically low levels. During 2002, the Federal Reserve lowered the Federal funds target rate one time in November by 50 basis points. TSFG's interest sensitive assets reprice more quickly than its interest-bearing liabilities. A large portion of TSFG's adjustable rate loans, which constitute 54.6% of the loan portfolio, reprice immediately following an interest rate change by the Federal Reserve. The funding source changes take more time to filter into the net interest margin, primarily because of the timed maturities of certificates of deposit and borrowings. A large portion of deposits and borrowings had repriced by the end of 2002 while new and maturing loans and investments continue to be made at lower rates. Downward pressure on the net interest margin is expected to continue for the remainder of 2003. In addition, continued declines in interest rates would put additional pressure on the net interest margin because some deposit rates are reaching what management considers to be their lower limit. TSFG expects certificates of deposit to continue to mature and reprice downward in 2003, although with a significantly smaller benefit than that realized during the past two years. Average total deposits increased by $975.0 million, or 27.1%, to $4.6 billion during the first three months of 2003 from $3.6 billion in the first three months of 2002. Excluding the impact of the Gulf West, Rock Hill Bank and Central Bank of Tampa mergers, these balances remained flat due to the competitive nature of the deposit markets. During the past two years, TSFG decided to keep deposit rates on par with competitors and reduce deposit rate-driven promotions. Average borrowings increased to $3.0 billion during the three months ended March 31, 2003 from $2.0 billion during the three months ended March 31, 2002 due to increases in fed funds purchased, repurchase agreements, and FHLB advances. These borrowings were used to fund the growth in earning assets. Deposits generated through Bank CaroLine, an Internet banking division of Carolina First Bank, generally receive higher rates than those offered by our branch locations as a result of the less expensive Internet delivery channel. During the last two years, TSFG priced Bank CaroLine deposits less aggressively than it did in 2000 in an effort to lower the overall cost of funds. Bank CaroLine deposits totaled $27.3 million as of March 31, 2003 compared with $29.6 million and $45.6 million as of December 31, 2002 and March 31, 2002, respectively. Provision for Loan Losses The provision for loan losses is recorded in amounts sufficient to bring the allowance for loan losses to a level deemed appropriate by management. Management determines this amount based upon many factors, including its assessment of loan portfolio quality, loan growth, changes in loan portfolio 30 composition, net loan charge-off levels, and expected economic conditions. The provision for loan losses was $5.5 million and $6.2 million in the first three months of 2003 and 2002, respectively. The lower provision for loan losses was primarily attributable to the liquidation of nonperforming loans on which allocated reserves exceeded net losses incurred. Net loan charge-offs were $9.6 million, or 0.85% of average loans, for the first quarter 2003, compared with $5.6 million, or 0.60% of average loans, for the first quarter 2002. Loan charge-offs in the first quarter of 2003 included losses of $4.1 million of Rock Hill Workout Loans, which were included in the allowance for loan losses at the prior quarter-end. Therefore, the allowance for loan losses declined, and these charge-offs had no impact on the first quarter 2003 provision for loan losses. The allowance for loan losses equaled 1.46%, 1.58%, and 1.20% of loans held for investment as of March 31, 2003, December 31, 2002, and March 31, 2002, respectively. The significant increase from March 2002 to December 2002 was attributable to the Rock Hill Workout Loans. See "Loans." Excluding the Rock Hill Workout Loans, the allowance for loan losses was 1.22% of loans held for investment as of March 31, 2003. Noninterest Income Noninterest income totaled $19.9 million in the first three months of 2003, compared with $11.6 million in the first three months of 2002. The increase in noninterest income was primarily the result of a $2.1 million increase in service charges on deposit accounts, a $1.9 million increase in gain on equity investments, a $1.1 million increase in fees for investment services, a $1.1 million increase in mortgage banking income, a $957,000 increase in gain on sale of available for sale securities, and a $989,000 increase in other, which was largely due to increases in insurance commissions and debit card income. Table 8 shows the components of noninterest income for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002. TABLE 8 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPONENTS OF NONINTEREST INCOME - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, ----------------------- 2003 2002 ---- ---- Service charges on deposit accounts $ 6,960 $ 4,907 Fees for investment services 2,491 1,427 Mortgage banking income 2,172 1,081 Bank-owned life insurance 1,948 1,806 Merchant processing income 1,336 1,248 Other 2,118 1,129 -------- -------- Noninterest income, excluding gain on asset sales 17,025 11,598 -------- -------- Gain on sale of available for sale securities 986 29 Gain on equity investments, net 1,875 11 -------- -------- Gain on asset sales, net 2,861 40 -------- -------- Total noninterest income $ 19,886 $ 11,638 ======== ======== Noninterest income included gains on asset sales for both the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002. Excluding these net gains on asset sales, noninterest income increased $5.4 million, or 46.8%, in the first quarter 2003 to $17.0 million from $11.6 million for the corresponding period in 2002. TSFG is striving to increase its revenues from noninterest income sources. During the first three months of 2003, the gain on equity investment totaling $1.9 million was from the sale of 207,096 shares of NetBank, Inc. common stock. During the three months ended March 31, 2002, the gain on equity investments totaling $11,000 was from the sale of an equity investment in a community bank. Service charges on deposit accounts, the largest contributor to noninterest income, rose 41.8% to $7.0 million in the first three months of 2003 from $4.9 million for the same period in 2002. The increase was attributable to increasing transaction accounts, improving collection of fees, and revising fee structures to reflect competitive pricing. Average balances for deposit transaction accounts, which impact service charges, increased approximately 36.0% for the same period. 31 Fees for investment services, which include trust and brokerage income, for the first three months of 2003 and 2002, were $2.5 million and $1.4 million, respectively. During this period, brokerage income increased $1.0 million, and trust income increased $22,000. Brokerage income increased primarily from the addition of brokers. At March 31, 2003 and 2002, the market value of assets administered by the trust department totaled $627.8 million and $711.0 million, respectively. Mortgage banking income includes origination income and secondary marketing operations (related to current production), mortgage servicing income (net of the related amortization for the mortgage servicing rights and subservicing payments), losses and recoveries related to the impairment of mortgage servicing rights, and gains and losses on sales of portfolio mortgage loans. Mortgage banking income in the first three months of 2003 increased $1.1 million to $2.2 million from $1.1 million in the first three months of 2002. Table 9 shows the components of mortgage banking income for the three months ended March 31, 2003 and 2002. TABLE 9 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPONENTS OF MORTGAGE BANKING INCOME - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, ----------------------- 2003 2002 ---- ---- Origination income and secondary marketing operations $ 2,944 $ 1,679 Net mortgage servicing loss (510) (405) (Impairment) recoveries on mortgage servicing rights (262) 200 Loss on sale of portfolio mortgage loans - (393) ------- ------- Total mortgage banking income $ 2,172 $ 1,081 ======= ======= For the first three months of 2003, origination income and secondary marketing increased 75.3% to $2.9 million from $1.7 million for the first three months of 2002. Mortgage loans originated by TSFG originators totaled $161.5 million and $109.0 million in the first three months of 2003 and 2002, respectively. Mortgage origination volumes by TSFG originators increased in the first three months of 2003 due to lower mortgage loan rates and the hiring of additional mortgage originators. TSFG's total servicing portfolio includes mortgage loans owned by Carolina First Bank, mortgage loans owned by Mercantile Bank, and other mortgage loans for which Carolina First Bank owns the rights to service. At March 31, 2003, TSFG's servicing portfolio included 5,180 loans having an aggregate principal balance of $399.2 million. At March 31, 2002, the aggregate principal balance for TSFG's servicing portfolio totaled $659.7 million, significantly higher than March 31, 2003 due to prepayments of loans from increased refinancings as a result of lower interest rates. Fees related to servicing other loans, for which Carolina First Bank owns the rights to service, are offset by the related amortization of mortgage servicing rights. TSFG expects its total servicing portfolio to continue to decline since the emphasis of its mortgage banking strategy is on mortgage originations. TSFG sells most of the loans it originates in the secondary market with servicing rights released. Mortgage servicing rights, net of the valuation allowance, totaled $3.2 million and $8.0 million at March 31, 2003 and 2002, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2003, TSFG recorded a $262,000 charge for impairment from the valuation of mortgage servicing rights. In the first three months of 2002, TSFG had a impairment recovery of $200,000 from the valuation of mortgage servicing rights. At March 31, 2003, the valuation allowance for capitalized mortgage servicing rights totaled $2.0 million. Bank-owned life insurance income increased to $1.9 million for the first three months of 2003 from $1.8 million for the first three months of 2002 due to increases in cash values. Merchant processing income increased 7.1% to $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003 from $1.2 million for the three months ended 2002 from attracting new merchants. Other noninterest income totaled $2.1 million for the first three months of 2003, compared with $1.1 million for the first three months of 2002. Other noninterest income includes income related to debit cards, insurance commissions, customer service fees, international banking services, and other fee-based services. Total income from these fee income sources increased over the prior year due in part to TSFG's rollout of Elevate, a customer-centered sales process. The increase in other noninterest income was largely due to increases in insurance commissions, which increased $621,000, and debit card income, which increased $302,000. 32 Noninterest Expenses Noninterest expenses increased to $48.9 million in the first three months of 2003 from $34.9 million in the first three months of 2002. Noninterest expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2003 included $1.5 million in merger-related costs. Excluding these merger-related costs, noninterest expenses increased $12.5 million, or 36.0%, to $47.4 million for the first three months of 2003 from $34.9 million for the first three months of 2002. Salaries, wages, and employee benefits increased to $24.6 million in the first three months of 2003 from $18.0 million in the first three months of 2002. Full-time equivalent employees increased to 1,647 from 1,332 as of March 31, 2003 and 2002, respectively. The increase in personnel expense was attributable to the 2002 acquisitions that closed in the third and fourth quarters, hiring new revenue-producing associates (at a higher cost per full-time equivalent employee), and recording higher levels of incentive pay. Restricted stock plan awards, which are expensed to salaries and wages, increased to $1.8 million in the first three months of 2003 from $1.0 million in the first three months of 2002. Occupancy expense increased to $4.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003 from $3.5 million for the corresponding period from 2002, primarily from the addition of branch offices from the 2002 acquisitions. Furniture and equipment increased $1.0 million to $4.6 million for the first quarter 2003 from $3.6 million for the same period in 2002. The increase in furniture and equipment expense was primarily attributable to increases in depreciation and additional maintenance agreements principally from the acquisitions in the last four months of 2002. Professional fees increased to $1.5 million for the first quarter 2003 from $1.3 million for the first quarter 2002. Telecommunication expense increased $387,000 to $1.1 million for the first three months of 2003 from $683,000 in the first three months of 2002. Merchant processing expense remained relatively constant for the first three months of 2003 and 2002. Amortization of intangibles increased to $705,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2003 from $239,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2002. This increase was primarily attributable to the addition of core deposit premiums in the third and fourth quarters of 2002 for the CBT, Rock Hill Bank, and Gulf West acquisitions, which totaled $12.3 million. In addition, in the third quarter 2002, TSFG added $858,000 in customer list intangibles and $663,000 in non-compete agreement intangibles with the acquisition of Gardner Associates. In connection with the 2002 acquisitions of CBT, Rock Hill Bank, and Gulf West, TSFG incurred pre-tax merger-related costs of $1.5 million in the first quarter 2003. See Part I, Item 1, Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Other noninterest expenses increased $2.8 million to $9.2 million in the first three months of 2003 from $6.4 million in the first three months of 2002. The overall increase in other noninterest expenses was principally attributable to increases in loan collection, advertising, debit card, and insurance expenses. Income Taxes The effective income tax rate as a percentage of pretax income remained relatively constant at 32.0% for the first three months of 2003 and 31.9% for the first three months of 2002. The blended statutory federal and state income tax rate was 36.94% for both of these periods. TSFG's effective income tax rates take into consideration certain assumptions and estimates by management. No assurance can be given that either the tax returns submitted by management or the income tax reported on the consolidated financial statements will not be adjusted by either adverse rulings by the U.S. Tax Court, changes in the tax code, or assessments made by the Internal Revenue Service. TSFG is subject to potential adverse adjustments, including but not limited to: an increase in the statutory federal or state income tax rates, the permanent nondeductibility of amounts currently considered deductible either now or in future periods, and the dependency on the generation of future taxable income, including capital gains, in order to ultimately realize deferred income tax assets. Tax returns for 1999 and subsequent years are exposed to examination by taxing authorities. 33 MARKET RISK AND ASSET/LIABILITY MANAGEMENT Market risk is the risk of loss from adverse changes in market prices and rates. TSFG's market risk arises principally from interest rate risk inherent in its core banking activities. Interest rate risk is the risk to net income represented by the impact of higher or lower interest rates. TSFG has risk management policies and systems to monitor and limit exposure to interest rate risk. TSFG attempts to manage exposure to fluctuations in interest rates through policies established by our Asset/Liability Committee ("ALCO") and approved by the Board of Directors. The primary goal of TSFG's ALCO is to achieve consistent growth in net interest income through implementation of strategies to improve balance sheet positioning and/or earnings while managing interest rate risk. TSFG attempts to control the mix and maturities of assets and liabilities to achieve consistent growth in net interest income despite changes in market interest rates while maintaining adequate liquidity and capital. TSFG's asset/liability mix is sufficiently balanced so that the effect of interest rates moving in either direction is not expected to have a significant impact on net interest income over time. The overall interest rate risk position of TSFG continues to fall within the interest rate risk guidelines established by ALCO. TSFG uses several tools to monitor and manage interest rate risk. One of the primary tools is a simulation model, which is used to analyze earnings at risk and the interest sensitivity gap (the difference between the amount of rate sensitive assets maturing or repricing within a specific time period and the amount of rate sensitive liabilities maturing or repricing within the same time period). The model takes into account interest rate changes as well as changes in the mix and volume of assets and liabilities. The model's inputs (such as interest rates and levels of loans and deposits) are updated on a regular basis. Interest sensitivity gap ("GAP position") measures the difference between rate sensitive assets and rate sensitive liabilities maturing or whose rates are subject to change during a given time frame. TSFG's GAP position, while not a complete measure of interest sensitivity, is reviewed periodically to provide insights related to the static repricing structure of assets and liabilities. In general, an asset sensitive position would indicate that net interest income would benefit from increases in market interest rates. Conversely, a liability sensitive position generally indicates that net interest income would benefit from decreases in market interest rates. The static gap position is limited because it does not take into account changes in interest rates or changes in management's expectations or intentions. In addition, it is not necessarily indicative of positions on other dates. Table 10 shows TSFG's financial instruments that are sensitive to changes in interest rates as well as TSFG's interest sensitivity gap at March 31, 2003. The carrying amounts of rate-sensitive assets and liabilities are presented in the periods in which they next reprice to market rates or mature. For assets, projected repayments, anticipated principal prepayments, and potential calls are taken into account. To reflect anticipated prepayments, certain asset categories are shown in Table 10 using estimated cash flows rather than contractual cash flows. For core deposits without contractual maturities (i.e., interest checking, savings, money market, and noninterest-bearing deposit accounts), Table 10 presents principal cash flows based on management's judgment concerning their most likely runoff. The actual maturities and runoff could vary substantially if future prepayments, runoff, and calls differ from TSFG's historical experience and management's judgment. 34 TABLE 10 - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTEREST RATE SENSITIVITY GAP ANALYSIS - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) 0-3 4-12 ONE TO AFTER MONTHS MONTHS THREE YEARS THREE YEARS TOTAL ------ ------ ----------- ----------- ----- Interest-sensitive assets Earning assets Loans $2,684,724 $ 770,778 $ 926,788 $ 193,045 $4,575,335 Investment securities (1) 359,659 793,565 767,931 1,469,584 3,390,739 Interest-bearing balances with other banks 58,515 500 500 - 59,515 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total earning assets $3,102,898 $1,564,843 $1,695,219 $1,662,629 $8,025,589 ========== =========== =========== ========== ========= INTEREST-SENSITIVE LIABILITIES Liabilities Interest-sensitive liabilities Interest-bearing deposits Interest checking $ - $ 199,626 $ 232,988 $ 232,988 $ 665,602 Savings - 15,572 77,860 62,288 155,720 Money market 836,736 144,313 103,080 103,080 1,187,209 Certificates of deposit 444,881 935,417 502,046 87,691 1,970,035 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total interest-bearing deposits 1,281,617 1,294,928 915,974 486,047 3,978,566 Other deposits (2) - 75,714 378,575 302,860 757,149 Borrowings 1,430,445 1,213,602 227,359 343,277 3,214,683 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total interest-sensitive liabilities 2,712,062 2,584,244 1,521,908 1,132,184 7,950,398 Periodic interest-sensitive gap 390,836 (1,019,401) 173,311 530,445 75,191 Notional amount of interest rate swaps (324,500) 179,500 55,000 90,000 - ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Periodic interest-sensitive gap after interest rate swaps $ 66,336 $ (839,901) $ 228,311 $ 620,445 $ 75,191 ========== ========== ========== ========== ======== Cumulative interest-sensitive gap $ 66,336 $ (773,565) $(545,254) $ 75,191 $ - ========== ========== ========== ========== ======== (1) Investment securities exclude the unrealized gain on the sale of securities of $32.2 million. (2) Other deposits consist of noninterest-bearing deposits, which respond in part to changes in interest rates. As indicated in Table 10, as of March 31, 2003, on a cumulative basis through twelve months, rate-sensitive liabilities exceeded rate-sensitive assets, resulting in a liability-sensitive position of $773.6 million, or 8.6% of total assets. This static gap liability sensitive position resulted primarily from the increase in the Freedom Money Market, which reprices immediately following changes in the prime rate, and from funding some of the securities purchased during the first quarter 2003 with repurchase agreements that reprice within one year. The forecast used for earnings at risk analysis simulates TSFG's consolidated balance sheet and consolidated statements of income under several different rate scenarios over a twelve-month period. It reports a case in which interest rates remain flat and reports variations that occur when rates gradually increase and decrease 100 and 200 basis points over the next twelve-month period. These rates assume a parallel shift in the treasury yield curve, except for lower limits in the declining rate scenarios as discussed below. Computation of prospective effects of hypothetical interest rate changes are based on numerous assumptions, including relative levels of market interest rates and loan prepayments, and should not be relied upon as indicative of 35 actual results. Further, the computations do not contemplate any additional actions TSFG could undertake in response to changes in interest rates. Table 11 shows the effect that the indicated changes in interest rates would have on net interest income as projected for the next twelve months using the "most likely" projected balance sheet. TABLE 11 EARNINGS AT RISK ANALYSIS ANNUALIZED HYPOTHETICAL PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN INTEREST RATE SCENARIO NET INTEREST INCOME ---------------------- ------------------- 2.00% 1.90% 1.00 1.11 Flat - (1.00) (0.10) (2.00) (2.61) As indicated in Table 11, although TSFG has a static gap liability sensitive position, the earnings at risk analysis indicates that TSFG will benefit from an increase in interest rates. This situation is due to the reduction of the prepayment speeds on the mortgage-backed securities in the increasing rate scenarios resulting in a higher level of earning assets and higher interest income. Although net interest income declines in the declining rate scenarios, lower limits are in place, which limit these rate declines and the impact on net interest income. Due to the low level of current interest rates, many of the key rates (such as Federal Funds and three month LIBOR), which the majority of the balance sheet items are indexed to in the model, cannot be lowered the full 100 and 200 basis points. The floors placed on these key rates restrict the reduction in both interest income and expense in the declining rate scenario. In addition, many deposit rates are reaching what management believes to be an acceptable lower limit thus limiting the interest expense reduction from repricing deposits by the entire 100 and 200 basis points. In addition to the standard scenarios used to analyze earnings at risk, TSFG's ALCO analyzes the potential impact of other scenarios. The starting point for these "what-if" scenarios is our base forecast. This base forecast consolidates all balance sheet information that we are presently aware of with our "most likely" interest rate projections. The "what-if" scenarios are then used to gauge the impact of changes in interest rates and/or balance sheet items on the earnings of TSFG compared to the base forecast. Strategies can be formulated based on the information provided by the earnings simulation if a scenario either seems likely to occur or we choose to undertake the proposed transaction. TSFG updates its base forecast quarterly based on economic changes that occurred during the past quarter as well as changes in the economic outlook for the coming year. Derivatives and Hedging Activities. TSFG uses derivative instruments as part of its interest rate risk management activities to reduce risks associated with its lending, investment, deposit taking, and borrowing activities. Derivatives used for interest rate risk management include various interest rate swaps, options with indices that relate to the pricing of specific on-balance sheet instruments and forecasted transactions, and futures contracts. TSFG has interest rate swap agreements that qualify as fair value hedges and those that qualify as cash flow hedges. Fair value hedges are used to hedge fixed rate deposits. TSFG uses cash flow hedges to hedge interest rate risk associated with variable rate borrowings. In connection with its interest rate management activities, TSFG uses futures, options, and other derivatives as economic hedges of on-balance sheet assets and liabilities or forecasted transactions, which do not qualify for hedge accounting under SFAS 133. Accordingly, these derivatives are reported at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet with realized gains and losses included in earnings. Such activities may result in increased volatility in realized gains and losses on trading activities. By using derivative instruments, TSFG is exposed to credit and market risk. Credit risk, which is the risk that a counterparty to a derivative instrument will fail to perform, is equal to the extent of the fair value gain in a derivative. Credit risk is created when the fair value of a derivative contract is positive, since this generally indicates that the counterparty owes us. When the fair value of a derivative is negative, no credit risk exists since TSFG would owe the counterparty. TSFG minimizes the credit risk in derivative instruments by entering into transactions with high-quality counterparties as evaluated by management. Market risk is the adverse effect on the value of a financial instrument from a change in interest rates or implied volatility of rates. TSFG manages the market risk associated with interest rate contracts by establishing and monitoring limits as to the types and degree of risk that may be undertaken. The market risk associated with derivatives used for interest rate risk management activity is fully incorporated into our market risk sensitivity analysis. 36 In accordance with SFAS 133, TSFG records derivatives at fair value, as either assets or liabilities, on the consolidated balance sheets. At March 31, 2003, the fair value of derivative assets totaled $4.3 million and was related to fair value hedges and derivatives with no hedging designation. At March 31, 2003, the fair value of derivative liabilities totaled $167,000 and was related to cash flow hedges. OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS In the normal course of operations, TSFG engages in a variety of financial transactions that, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, are not recorded in the financial statements, or are recorded in amounts that differ from the notional amounts. These transactions involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit, interest rate, and liquidity risk. Such transactions are used by TSFG for general corporate purposes or for customer needs. Corporate purpose transactions are used to help manage credit, interest rate, and liquidity risk or to optimize capital. Customer transactions are used to manage customers' requests for funding. TSFG's off-balance sheet arrangements, which principally include lending commitments, derivatives, and stock-related agreements, are described below. At March 31, 2003 and 2002, TSFG had no interests in non-consolidated special purpose entities. Lending Commitments. Lending commitments include loan commitments, standby letters of credit, unused business credit card lines, and documentary letters of credit. These instruments are not recorded in the consolidated balance sheet until funds are advanced under the commitments. TSFG provides these lending commitments to customers in the normal course of business. For commercial customers, loan commitments generally take the form of revolving credit arrangements to finance customers' working capital requirements. For retail customers, loan commitments are generally lines of credit secured by residential property. At March 31, 2003, commercial and retail loan commitments totaled $846.6 million. Documentary letters of credit are typically issued in connection with customers' trade financing requirements and totaled $11.7 million at March 31, 2003. Unused business credit card lines, which totaled $15.2 million at March 31, 2003, are generally for short-term borrowings. Standby letters of credit represent an obligation of TSFG to a third party contingent upon the failure of TSFG's customer to perform under the terms of an underlying contract with the third party or obligates TSFG to guarantee or stand as surety for the benefit of the third party. The underlying contract may entail either financial or nonfinancial obligations and may involve such things as the customer's delivery of merchandise, completion of a construction contract, release of a lien, or repayment of an obligation. Under the terms of a standby letter, drafts will generally be drawn only when the underlying event fails to occur as intended. TSFG can seek recovery of the amounts paid from the borrower. In addition, some of these standby letters of credit are collateralized. The collateral is generally cash, although existing lines of credit are sometimes used. Commitments under standby letters of credit are usually for one year or less. At March 31, 2003, TSFG recorded a liability of $25,000 for deferred fees received on standby letters of credit, which was the estimated fair value for the current carrying amount of the obligation to perform as a guarantor. No contingent liability was determined to be necessary relating to TSFG's obligation to perform as a guarantor. The maximum potential amount of undiscounted future payments related to standby letters of credit at March 31, 2003 was $58.3 million. TSFG applies essentially the same credit policies and standards as it does in the lending process when making these commitments. Derivatives. In accordance with SFAS 133, TSFG records derivatives at fair value, as either assets or liabilities, on the consolidated balance sheet. Derivative transactions are measured in terms of the notional amount, but this amount is not recorded on the balance sheets and is not, when viewed in isolation, a meaningful measure of the risk profile of the instrument. The notional amount is not exchanged, but is used only as the basis upon which interest and other payments are calculated. At March 31, 2003, the fair value of derivative assets totaled $4.3 million and was related to derivatives with no hedging designation and fair value hedges. At March 31, 2003, the fair value of derivative liabilities totaled $167,000 and was related to cash flow hedges. The related notional amounts, which are not recorded on the consolidated balance sheets, totaled $437.5 million for the derivative assets and $14.7 million for the derivative liabilities. 37 Credit Life & Disability Insurance. Carolina First Guaranty Reinsurance, Ltd. ("CFGRL"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TSFG, offers credit life and disability insurance up to a single policy limit of $100,000 to customers of the Subsidiary Banks. As of March 31, 2003, CFGRL had in force insurance not recorded on the consolidated balance sheets of $31.3 million. A loss reserve, determined based on reported and past loss experience of in force policies, of $206,000 was included in other liabilities at March 31, 2003. Stock-Related Agreements. In connection with stock repurchases, TSFG has, from time to time, entered into "accelerated share repurchase" contracts. Under these accelerated share repurchase contracts, an unaffiliated investment bank (the "counterparty") "borrows" the requisite number of shares from unaffiliated third parties, and delivers these shares to TSFG in exchange for cash (such that these shares are immediately removed from TSFG's outstanding shares). Over a period of time subsequent to the entry into the accelerated share repurchase contract, the counterparty purchases TSFG shares in the open market to cover their borrowed position. After the counterparty has covered this position, TSFG settles with the counterparty for any gains or losses associated with changes in TSFG's stock price during the period of time that stock was being purchased. This settlement may be made in cash or in TSFG common stock. These contracts are reflected as a reduction in shareholders' equity and outstanding shares (used in the earnings per share calculation). In March 2003, TSFG settled its existing accelerated contract by receiving and canceling 6,308 shares. Also, in March 2003, TSFG entered into a new accelerated share repurchase contract with an unaffiliated company to repurchase one million shares of TSFG common stock and to settle the contract in stock. TSFG expects the counterparty's purchases of shares under this contract to continue through May 2003. LIQUIDITY Liquidity management ensures that adequate funds are available to meet deposit withdrawals, fund loan and capital expenditure commitments, maintain reserve requirements, pay operating expenses, provide funds for dividends and debt service, and manage operations on an ongoing basis. Funds are primarily provided by the Subsidiary Banks through customers' deposits, principal and interest payments on loans, loan sales or securitizations, securities available for sale, maturities of securities, temporary investments, and earnings. Securities classified as available for sale, which are not pledged, may be sold in response to changes in interest rates or liquidity needs. A substantial majority of TSFG's securities are pledged. Proper liquidity management is crucial to ensure that TSFG is able to take advantage of new business opportunities as well as meet the demands of its customers. In this process, TSFG focuses on assets and liabilities and on the manner in which they combine to provide adequate liquidity to meet our needs. Net cash provided by operations and deposits from customers have been the primary sources of liquidity for TSFG. Liquidity is also enhanced by the ability to acquire new deposits through the Subsidiary Banks' established branch network. In addition, TSFG can raise deposits on the Internet through Bank CaroLine. Liquidity needs are a factor in developing the Subsidiary Banks' deposit pricing structure, which may be altered to retain or grow deposits if deemed necessary. The Subsidiary Banks have access to borrowing from the FHLB and maintain short-term lines of credit from unrelated banks. FHLB advances, outstanding as of March 31, 2003, totaled $1.0 billion. At March 31, 2003, the Subsidiary Banks had approximately $473.6 million of unused borrowing capacity from the FHLB. This capacity may be used when the Subsidiary Banks have available collateral to pledge. Until the Subsidiary Banks make collateral available (other than cash) to secure additional FHLB advances, TSFG will fund its short-term needs principally with deposits, including brokered certificates of deposit, federal funds purchased, repurchase agreements, and the sale of securities available for sale. In addition, the Subsidiary Banks may purchase securities or may repay repurchase agreements to provide additional FHLB-qualifying collateral. At March 31, 2003, the Subsidiary Banks had unused short-term lines of credit totaling approximately $313.3 million (which are withdrawable at the lender's option). The Federal Reserve Bank provides back-up funding for commercial banks. Collateralized borrowing relationships with the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Atlanta are in place for the Subsidiary Banks to meet emergency funding needs. At March 31, 2003, the Subsidiary Banks had qualifying collateral to secure advances up to $494.9 million, of which none was outstanding. At March 31, 2003, the parent company had an unused short-term line of credit totaling $10.0 million (which is withdrawable at the lender's option and matures June 30, 2003). 38 In the normal course of business, to meet the financial needs of its customers, TSFG, principally through the Subsidiary Banks, enters into agreements to extend credit. For amounts and types of such agreements at March 31, 2003, see "Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements." Increased demand for funds under these agreements would reduce TSFG's liquidity and could require additional sources of liquidity. RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS Accounting for Exit or Disposal Activities Effective January 1, 2003, TSFG adopted SFAS No. 146, "Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities" ("SFAS 146"), which addresses financial accounting and reporting for costs associated with exit or disposal activities and nullifies Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 94-3, "Liability Recognition for Certain Employee Termination Benefits and Other Costs to Exit an Activity (including Certain Costs Incurred in a Restructuring)." SFAS 146 applies to costs associated with an exit activity that does not involve an entity newly acquired in a business combination or with a disposal activity covered by SFAS No. 144, "Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets." Those costs include, but are not limited to, the following: a) termination benefits provided to current employees that are involuntarily terminated under the terms of a benefit arrangement that, in substance, is not an ongoing benefit arrangement or an individual deferred compensation contract (hereinafter referred to as one-time termination benefits), b) costs to terminate a contract that is not a capital lease, and c) costs to consolidate facilities or relocate employees. This Statement does not apply to costs associated with the retirement of a long-lived asset covered by SFAS No. 143, "Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations." A liability for a cost associated with an exit or disposal activity shall be recognized and measured initially at its fair value in the period in which the liability is incurred. A liability for a cost associated with an exit or disposal activity is incurred when the definition of a liability is met in accordance with FASB Concepts Statements No. 6, "Elements of Financial Statements." Accounting for Guarantees Effective January 1, 2003, TSFG adopted the initial recognition and initial measurement provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 45, "Guarantor's Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others" ("FIN 45"). TSFG adopted the disclosure requirements effective as of December 31, 2002. FIN 45 elaborates on the disclosure to be made by a guarantor in its interim and annual financial statements about its obligations under certain guarantees that it has issued. FIN 45 clarifies that a guarantor is required to disclose (a) the nature of the guarantee; (b) the maximum potential amount of future payments under the grantee; (c) the carrying amount of the liability; and (d) the nature and extent of any recourse provisions or available collateral that would enable the guarantor to recover the amounts paid under the guarantee. FIN 45 also clarifies that a guarantor is required to recognize, at inception of a guarantee, a liability for the obligations it has undertaken in issuing the guarantee at its inception. At March 31, 2003, TSFG recorded a liability of $25,000 for deferred fees received on standby letters of credit, which was the estimated fair value for the current carrying amount of the obligation to perform as a guarantor. No contingent liability was determined to be necessary relating to TSFG's obligation to perform as a guarantor. RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS Accounting for Variable Interest Entities In January 2003, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 46, ("FIN 46"), "Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities", which addresses consolidation by business enterprises of variable interest entities. Under FIN 46, an enterprise that holds significant variable interest in a variable interest entity but is not the primary beneficiary is required to disclose the nature, purpose, size, and activities of the variable interest entity, its exposure to loss as a result of the variable interest holder's involvement with the entity, and the nature of its involvement with the entity and date when the involvement began. The primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity is required to disclose the nature, purpose, size, and activities of the variable interest entity, the carrying amount and classification of consolidated assets that are collateral for the variable interest entity's obligations, and any lack of recourse by creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of a consolidated variable interest entity to the general creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of a consolidated variable interest entity to the general creditor of the primary beneficiary. FIN 46 is effective for the first fiscal year or interim period beginning after June 15, 2003. The impact to TSFG upon adoption is currently not known. 39 ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK See "Market Risk and Asset/Liability Management" in Item 2, Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk, which information is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES (a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures TSFG's Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have evaluated TSFG's disclosure controls and procedures within 90 days of the filing of this quarterly report ("Evaluation Date"), and they concluded that these controls and procedures are effective. (b) Changes in Internal Controls There have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the Evaluation Date. 40 PART II. OTHER INFORMATION ITEM 1 LEGAL PROCEEDINGS See Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of legal proceedings. ITEM 2 CHANGE IN SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS The following information is provided in response to Item 2(c) of Form 10-Q and Item 701 of Regulation S-K: (a) On April 30, 2003, we issued 146,807 shares of our common stock (the "Shares"). (b) We issued the Shares to the shareholders of American Pensions, Inc. ("API") in connection with our acquisition of API, which was effected through the merger of API into Company subsidiary formed to facilitate the transaction. (c) We issued the Shares to API's shareholders in a merger transaction, after which we owned 100% of the surviving company (API's successor). Additional shares may become issuable in the future, depending upon whether earnout targets are met. (d) We offered and sold the Shares in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933. Neither we nor anyone on our behalf engaged in any public solicitation or public advertisement in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares. API had a total of three shareholders, each of which is a sophisticated investor. We provided API's shareholders with access to information sufficient to enable API's shareholders to make an informed investment decision. API's shareholders acquired the Shares with an intent not to resell or distribute the Shares except in accordance with an applicable exemption from registration or an effective registration statement under the Securities Act. (e) The Shares are not convertible into or exchangeable or otherwise exercisable for other equity securities. (f) The requirement of Item 701(f) regarding the use of proceeds is not applicable. ITEM 3 DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES None. ITEM 4 SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITIES HOLDERS None. ITEM 5 OTHER INFORMATION None. ITEM 6 EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K (a) Exhibits 2.1 Asset Sale Agreement entered into as of September 3, 2002 by and among TSFG, Carolina First Bank, and Rock Hill Bank & Trust. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of TSFG's Registration Statement on Form S-4, Commission File No. 333-100100. 10.1 The South Financial Group Second Amended and Restated Stock Option Plan. 99.1 Additional Exhibit under Item 99 of Item 601(b) of Regulation S-K. Certificates accompanying quarterly report pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to The South Financial Group, Inc. and will be retained and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request. 41 (b) Reports on Form 8-K TSFG filed Current Reports on Form 8-K dated January 3, 2003 and April 15, 2003. 42 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, TSFG has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. The South Financial Group, Inc. /s/ William S. Hummers III ----------------------------------------------- William S. Hummers III Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President (Principal Accounting and Principal Financial Officer) 43 CERTIFICATION I, Mack I. Whittle, Jr., certify that: 1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of The South Financial Group, Inc.; 2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report; 4. The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have: a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared; b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the "Evaluation Date"); and c) presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date; 5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function): a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal controls; and 6. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. Date: May 8, 2003 /s/ Mack I. Whittle, Jr. ------------------------ Mack I. Whittle, Jr. President and Chief Executive Officer 44 CERTIFICATION I, William S. Hummers III, certify that: 1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of The South Financial Group, Inc.; 2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this quarterly report; 4. The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant and we have: a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared; b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this quarterly report (the "Evaluation Date"); and c) presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date; 5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function): a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and have identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal controls; and 6. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in this quarterly report whether or not there were significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. Date: May 8, 2003 /s/ William S. Hummers III -------------------------- William S. Hummers III Vice Chairman, Executive Vice President, and Principal Financial Officer 45