Our common stock is equity and therefore is subordinate to our existing and future
indebtedness and preferred stock and effectively subordinated to all the indebtedness of, and other non-common equity claims against, our subsidiaries, including deposits.
Shares of our common stock are equity interests in us and do not constitute indebtedness. As such, shares of our common stock rank junior to
all of our current and future indebtedness and to non-equity claims against us, including in the event of liquidation. As of March 31, 2024, we had approximately $314.8 million of subordinated notes
outstanding and trust preferred securities and accompanying junior subordinated debentures with a carrying value of approximately $113.2 million.
We may make additional offerings of debt securities, including trust preferred securities and senior or subordinated notes. In addition, our
board of directors is authorized to issue classes or series of preferred stock without any action on the part of the holders of our common stock. If we issue preferred stock in the future that has a preference over our common stock with respect to
the payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, or if we issue preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of our common stock, the rights of holders of our common stock could be adversely affected.
Furthermore, if any of our subsidiaries becomes insolvent, the direct creditors of that subsidiary, including any depositors, will have a
prior claim on its assets. Our right to participate in any distribution of assets of any of our subsidiaries upon its liquidation or otherwise, and thus your ability as a holder of the common stock to benefit indirectly from such distribution, will
be subject to the prior claims of creditors of such subsidiary, except to the extent that any of our claims as a creditor of such subsidiary may be recognized. As a result, our common stock is effectively subordinated to all existing and future
liabilities and obligations of our subsidiaries, including deposits.
We will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds from this
offering; this offering is not conditioned upon the closing of, and we are not required to use the net proceeds therefrom towards costs associated with, the Merger.
The proceeds from this offering will not be designated for a specific use. This offering is not conditioned upon the closing of, and we are not
required to use the net proceeds towards costs associated with, the Merger. Under these circumstances, our board of directors and management will have broad discretion to use the proceeds of this offering in our business, including for general
corporate purposes. Our shareholders may not agree with the manner in which our management chooses to allocate and invest the net proceeds. We may not be successful in using the net proceeds from this offering to increase our profitability or market
value, and we cannot predict whether the proceeds will be invested to yield a favorable return.
Anti-takeover provisions could
negatively impact our shareholders.
Provisions of federal and Mississippi law and of our Articles of Incorporation, as amended (the
Articles), and Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended (the Bylaws), could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us or have the effect of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire control
of us. With certain limited exceptions, federal regulations prohibit a person or company or a group of persons deemed to be acting in concert from, directly or indirectly, acquiring 10% or more (5% or more if the acquirer is a bank
holding company) of any class of our voting stock or obtaining the ability to control in any manner the election of a majority of our directors or otherwise direct the management or policies of our Company without prior notice or application to, and
approval from, the Federal Reserve.
Furthermore, our Articles and Bylaws include certain provisions which may be considered to be
anti-takeover in nature because they may have the effect of discouraging or making more difficult the acquisition of control over us by means of a hostile tender offer, exchange offer, proxy contest or similar transaction, such as a
fair price provision included in our Articles. These provisions are intended to protect our shareholders by
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