ConnectOne Bancorp Inc. Announces Pricing of Subordinated Notes Offering

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: “CNOB”) (the “Company”), the holding company for ConnectOne Bank (the “Bank”), today announced the pricing of its public offering of $75 million aggregate principal amount of 5.750% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”). The price to the public for the Notes was 100% of the principal amount of the Notes. Interest on the Notes will accrue at a rate equal to (i) 5.750% per annum from the original issue date to, but excluding, June 15, 2025, payable semiannually in arrears, and (ii) a floating rate per annum equal to a benchmark rate, which is expected to be Three-Month Term SOFR (as defined in the Notes), plus a spread of 560.5 basis points from, and including, June 15, 2025, to, but excluding the maturity date or the date of early redemption payable quarterly in arrears. The Notes are intended to qualify as Tier 2 capital for regulatory purposes. This offering is expected to close on June 15, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Keefe Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as joint book-running managers, and Stephens Inc. is acting as co-manager for the offering.The Company estimates that the net proceeds of the offering will be approximately $73.6 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company anticipates using a portion of the proceeds to redeem its outstanding subordinated notes due July 1, 2025 within a year, and the remainder for general corporate purposes which may include providing capital to support growth of our wholly owned banking subsidiary through organic growth or through the acquisition of financial institutions or branches thereof, the acquisition of failed institutions from the FDIC or the acquisition of businesses related to banking, repaying indebtedness, financing investments and capital expenditures, repurchasing shares of our common stock and for investments in the Bank as regulatory capital.This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus. The Company has filed a registration statement (File No. 333-221705), and a preliminary prospectus supplement to the base prospectus contained in the registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the Notes to which this communication relates and will file a final prospectus supplement relating to the Notes. Prospective investors should read the prospectus supplement and base prospectus in the registration statement and other documents the Company has filed or will file with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the offering.Copies of these documents, when available, can be obtained for free by visiting the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or may be obtained by contacting Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company, 787 Seventh Avenue, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10019, telephone: 1-800-966-1559, facsimile: 212-581-1592 or by emailing USCapitalMarkets@kbw.com, or by contacting Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing Prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com.About ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc.ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc., through its subsidiary, ConnectOne Bank offers a full suite of both commercial and consumer banking and lending products and services through its banking offices located across New York and New Jersey. ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol “CNOB,” and information about ConnectOne may be found at https://www.connectonebank.com.Disclaimer About This ReleaseThis press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offering of the Notes is being made only by means of a written prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Notes being offered have not been approved or disapproved by any regulatory authority, nor has any such authority passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of either prospectus supplement or the shelf registration statement or prospectus relating thereto.Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains certain forward-looking statements which are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” or similar expressions. The Company’s ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries include, but are not limited to, those factors set forth in the risk factors in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities Exchange Commission, as supplemented by the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and changes in interest rates, general economic conditions, legislative/regulatory changes, monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board, the quality or composition of the loan or investment portfolios, demand for loan products, deposit flows, competition, demand for financial services in the Company’s market area, changes in accounting principles and guidelines and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company, its employees and operations, and its customers. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.Investor Contact:William S. BurnsExecutive VP & CFO201.816.4474; bburns@cnob.com
Media Contact:Emily Holtzman, MWWPR631.742.9568; eholtzman@mww.com