ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (the “Company”), was formed in 1999 to serve as the holding company for Peoples Bank (the “Bank”). The Company is a bank holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”). The Company’s sole activity consists of owning the Bank. The Company’s principal source of income is any dividends which are declared and paid by the Bank on its capital stock. The Company has no operations and conducts no business of its own other than owning the Bank. Accordingly, the discussion of the business which follows concerns the business conducted by the Bank, unless otherwise indicated.
The Bank, founded in 1912, is a state-chartered commercial bank serving the citizens and business interests of the Catawba Valley and surrounding communities through 16 offices located in Lincolnton, Newton, Denver, Catawba, Conover, Maiden, Claremont, Hiddenite, Hickory and Charlotte, North Carolina. At December 31, 2004, the Company had total assets of $686.3 million, net loans of $527.4 million, deposits of $556.5 million, investment securities of $105.6 million, and shareholders’ equity of $50.9 million.
The Bank has a diversified loan portfolio, with no foreign loans and few agricultural loans. Real estate loans are predominately variable rate commercial property loans. Commercial loans are spread throughout a variety of industries with no one particular industry or group of related industries accounting for a significant portion of the commercial loan portfolio. The majority of the Bank's deposit and loan customers are individuals and small to medium-sized businesses located in the Bank's market area.
The operations of the Bank and depository institutions in general are significantly influenced by general economic conditions and by related monetary and fiscal policies of depository institution regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks (the "Commissioner").
At December 31, 2004, the Bank employed 209 full-time equivalent employees.
Subsidiaries
The Bank is a subsidiary of the Company. The Bank has two subsidiaries, Peoples Investment Services, Inc. and Real Estate Advisory Services, Inc. Through a relationship with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Peoples Investment Services, Inc. provides the Bank's customers access to investment counseling and non-deposit investment products such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, tax deferred annuities, and related brokerage services. Real Estate Advisory Services, Inc., provides real estate appraisal and real estate brokerage services.
In December 2001 the Company formed a wholly owned Delaware statutory trust, PEBK Capital Trust I (“PEBK Trust”), which issued $14.0 million of guaranteed preferred beneficial interests in the Company’s junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures that qualify as Tier I capital under Federal Reserve Board guidelines. All of the common securities of PEBK Trust are owned by the Company. The proceeds from the issuance of the common securities and the trust preferred securities were used by PEBK Trust to purchase $14.4 million of junior subordinated debentures of the Company, which pay interest at a floating rate equal to the prime rate plus 50 basis points. The proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the junior subordinated debentures were used for general purposes, primarily to provide capital to the Bank. The debentures represent the sole asset of PEBK Trust. As discussed under the heading entitled “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in note 1 to the consolidated financial statements included in the 2004 Annual Report of Peoples Bancorp, Inc., attached hereto as Exhibit 13, PEBK Trust was deconsolidated by the Company under FIN 46 as of December 31, 2003.
Market Area
The Bank's primary market consists of the communities in an approximately 25-mile radius around its headquarters office in Newton, North Carolina. This area includes Catawba County, Alexander County, Lincoln County, the western portion of Iredell County and portions of northeast Gaston County. The Bank is located only 40 miles north of Charlotte, North Carolina and the Bank's primary market area is and will continue to be significantly affected by its close proximity to this major metropolitan area. The Bank has opened two offices in Mecklenburg County since June 30, 2004 specifically designed to serve the growing Latino market. The first office opened in the third quarter of 2004 and the second office opened in the first quarter of 2005.
Employment in the Bank's primary market area is diversified among manufacturing, agricultural, retail and wholesale trade, technology, services and utilities. Catawba County’s largest employers include Catawaba County Schools, Frye Regional Medical Center, CommScope, Inc. (manufacturer of fiber optic cable and accessories), Merchant Distributors, Inc (wholesale food distributor), Hickory Springs (manufacturer of foam rubber cushions), Catawba Valley Medical Center, Sherrill Furniture Company, CV Industries (furniture manufacturer) and Catawba County.
Competition
The Bank has operated in the Catawba Valley region for more than 90 years and is the only financial institution headquartered in Newton. Nevertheless, the Bank faces strong competition both in attracting deposits and making loans. Its most direct competition for deposits has historically come from other commercial banks, credit unions and brokerage firms located in its primary market area, including large financial institutions. Two national money center commercial banks are headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, only 40 miles from the Bank's primary market area. Based upon June 30, 2004 comparative data, the Bank had 20.03 % of the deposits in Catawba County, placing it third in deposit size among a total of 12 banks with branch offices in Catawba County.
The Bank has also faced additional significant competition for investors' funds from short-term money market securities and other corporate and government securities. The Bank's deposit base has grown principally due to economic growth in the Bank's market area coupled with the implementation of new and competitive deposit products. The ability of the Bank to attract and retain deposits depends on its ability to generally provide a rate of return, liquidity and risk comparable to that offered by competing investment opportunities.
The Bank experiences strong competition for loans from commercial banks and mortgage banking companies. The Bank competes for loans primarily through the interest rates and loan fees it charges and the efficiency and quality of services it provides borrowers. Competition is increasing as a result of the continuing reduction of restrictions on the interstate operations of financial institutions.
Supervision and Regulation
Bank holding companies and commercial banks are extensively regulated under both federal and state law. The following is a brief summary of certain statutes and rules and regulations that affect or will affect the Company, the Bank and any subsidiaries. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statute and regulatory provisions referred to below and is not intended to be an exhaustive description of the statutes or regulations applicable to the business of the Company and the Bank. Supervision, regulation and examination of the Company and the Bank by the regulatory agencies are intended primarily for the protection of depositors rather than shareholders of the Company. Statutes and regulations which contain wide-ranging proposals for altering the structures, regulations and competitive relationship of financial institutions are introduced regularly. The Company cannot predict whether or in what form any proposed statute or regulation will be adopted or the extent to which the business of the Company and the Bank may be affected by such statute or regulation.
General. There are a number of obligations and restrictions imposed on bank holding companies and their depository institution subsidiaries by law and regulatory policy that are designed to minimize potential loss to the depositors of such depository institutions and the FDIC insurance funds in the event the depository institution becomes in danger of default or in default. For example, to avoid receivership of an insured depository institution subsidiary, a bank holding company is required to guarantee the compliance of any insured depository institution subsidiary that may
become “undercapitalized” with the terms of the capital restoration plan filed by such subsidiary with its appropriate federal banking agency up to the lesser of (i) an amount equal to 5% of the bank's total assets at the time the bank became undercapitalized or (ii) the amount which is necessary (or would have been necessary) to bring the bank into compliance with all acceptable capital standards as of the time the bank fails to comply with such capital restoration plan. The Company, as a registered bank holding company, is subject to the regulation of the Federal Reserve. Under a policy of the Federal Reserve with respect to bank holding company operations, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary depository institutions and to commit resources to support such institutions in circumstances where it might not do so absent such policy. The Federal Reserve under the BHCA also has the authority to require a bank holding company to terminate any activity or to relinquish control of a nonbank subsidiary (other than a nonbank subsidiary of a bank) upon the Federal Reserve's determination that such activity or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial soundness and stability of any bank subsidiary of the bank holding company.
In addition, insured depository institutions under common control are required to reimburse the FDIC for any loss suffered by its deposit insurance funds as a result of the default of a commonly controlled insured depository institution or for any assistance provided by the FDIC to a commonly controlled insured depository institution in danger of default. The FDIC may decline to enforce the cross-guarantee provisions if it determines that a waiver is in the best interest of the deposit insurance funds. The FDIC's claim for damages is superior to claims of stockholders of the insured depository institution or its holding company but is subordinate to claims of depositors, secured creditors and holders of subordinated debt (other than affiliates) of the commonly controlled insured depository institutions.
As a result of the Company's ownership of the Bank, the Company is also registered under the bank holding company laws of North Carolina. Accordingly, the Company is also subject to regulation and supervision by the Commissioner.
Capital Adequacy Guidelines for Holding Companies. The Federal Reserve has adopted capital adequacy guidelines for bank holding companies and banks that are members of the Federal Reserve system and have consolidated assets of $150 million or more. Bank holding companies subject to the Federal Reserve’s capital adequacy guidelines are required to comply with the Federal Reserve's risk-based capital guidelines. Under these regulations, the minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets is 8%. At least half of the total capital is required to be “Tier I capital,” principally consisting of common stockholders' equity, noncumulative perpetual preferred stock, and a limited amount of cumulative perpetual preferred stock, less certain goodwill items. The remainder (“Tier II capital”) may consist of a limited amount of subordinated debt, certain hybrid capital instruments and other debt securities, perpetual preferred stock, and a limited amount of the general loan loss allowance. In addition to the risk-based capital guidelines, the Federal Reserve has adopted a minimum Tier I capital (leverage) ratio, under which a bank holding company must maintain a minimum level of Tier I capital to average total consolidated assets of at least 3% in the case of a bank holding company which has the highest regulatory examination rating and is not contemplating significant growth or expansion. All other bank holding companies are expected to maintain a Tier I capital (leverage) ratio of at least 1% to 2% above the stated minimum.
Capital Requirements for the Bank. The Bank, as a North Carolina commercial bank, is required to maintain a surplus account equal to 50% or more of its paid-in capital stock. As a North Carolina chartered, FDIC-insured commercial bank which is not a member of the Federal Reserve System, the Bank is also subject to capital requirements imposed by the FDIC. Under the FDIC's regulations, state nonmember banks that (a) receive the highest rating during the examination process and (b) are not anticipating or experiencing any significant growth, are required to maintain a minimum leverage ratio of 3% of total consolidated assets; all other banks are required to maintain a minimum ratio of 1% or 2% above the stated minimum, with a minimum leverage ratio of not less than 4%. The Bank exceeded all applicable capital requirements as of December 31, 2004.
Dividend and Repurchase Limitations. The Company must obtain Federal Reserve approval prior to repurchasing Common Stock for in excess of 10% of its net worth during any twelve-month period unless the Company (i) both before and after the redemption satisfies capital requirements for "well capitalized" state member banks; (ii) received a one or two rating in its last examination; and (iii) is not the subject of any unresolved supervisory issues.
Although the payment of dividends and repurchase of stock by the Company are subject to certain requirements and limitations of North Carolina corporate law, except as set forth in this paragraph, neither the Commissioner nor the FDIC have promulgated any regulations specifically limiting the right of the Company to pay dividends and repurchase
shares. However, the ability of the Company to pay dividends or repurchase shares may be dependent upon the Company's receipt of dividends from the Bank.
North Carolina commercial banks, such as the Bank, are subject to legal limitations on the amounts of dividends they are permitted to pay. Dividends may be paid by the Bank from undivided profits, which are determined by deducting and charging certain items against actual profits, including any contributions to surplus required by North Carolina law. Also, an insured depository institution, such as the Bank, is prohibited from making capital distributions, including the payment of dividends, if, after making such distribution, the institution would become "undercapitalized" (as such term is defined in the applicable law and regulations).
Deposit Insurance Assessments. The Bank is subject to insurance assessments imposed by the FDIC. Under current law, the insurance assessment to be paid by members of the Bank Insurance Fund, such as the Bank, shall be as specified in a schedule required to be issued by the FDIC. FDIC assessments for deposit insurance range from 0 to 27 basis points per $100 of insured deposits, depending on the institution's capital position and other supervisory factors.
Federal Home Loan Bank System. The FHLB system provides a central credit facility for member institutions. In December 2004, the FHLB of Atlanta implemented a new capital plan. As a member of the FHLB of Atlanta and under the new capital plan, the Bank is required to own capital stock in the FHLB of Atlanta in an amount at least equal to 0.20% (or 20 basis points) of the Bank’s total assets at the end of each calendar year, plus 4.5% of its outstanding advances (borrowings) from the FHLB of Atlanta under the new activity-based stock ownership requirement. On December 31, 2004, the Bank was in compliance with this requirement.
Community Reinvestment. Under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), as implemented by regulations of the FDIC, an insured institution has a continuing and affirmative obligation consistent with its safe and sound operation to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low and moderate income neighborhoods. The CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions, nor does it limit an institution’s discretion to develop, consistent with the CRA, the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community. The CRA requires the federal banking regulators, in connection with their examinations of insured institutions, to assess the institutions’ records of meeting the credit needs of their communities, using the ratings of “outstanding,” “satisfactory,” “needs to improve,” or “substantial noncompliance,” and to take that record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by those institutions. All institutions are required to make public disclosure of their CRA performance ratings. The Bank received a “satisfactory” rating in its last CRA examination which was conducted during March 2004.
Prompt Corrective Action. The FDIC has broad powers to take corrective action to resolve the problems of insured depository institutions. The extent of these powers will depend upon whether the institution in question is "well capitalized," "adequately capitalized," "undercapitalized," "significantly undercapitalized," or "critically undercapitalized." Under the regulations, an institution is considered: (A) "well capitalized" if it has (i) a total risk-based capital ratio of 10% or greater, (ii) a Tier I risk-based capital ratio of 6% or greater, (iii) a leverage ratio of 5% or greater and (iv) is not subject to any order or written directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure; (B) "adequately capitalized" if it has (i) a total risk-based capital ratio of 8% or greater, (ii) a Tier I risk-based capital ratio of 4% or greater and (iii) a leverage ratio of 4% or greater (or 3% or greater in the case of an institution with the highest examination rating); (C)"undercapitalized" if it has (i) a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8%, (ii) a Tier I risk-based capital ratio of less than 4% or (iii) a leverage ratio of less than 4% (or 3% in the case of an institution with the highest examination rating); (D) "significantly undercapitalized" if it has (i) a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6%, or (ii) a Tier I risk-based capital ratio of less than 3% or (iii) a leverage ratio of less than 3%; and (E) "critically undercapitalized" if the institution has a ratio of tangible equity to total assets equal to or less than 2%.
Changes in Control. The BHCA prohibits the Company from acquiring direct or indirect control of more than 5% of the outstanding voting stock or substantially all of the assets of any bank or savings bank or merging or consolidating with another bank holding company or savings bank holding company without prior approval of the Federal Reserve. Similarly, Federal Reserve approval (or, in certain cases, non-disapproval) must be obtained prior to any person acquiring control of the Company. Control is conclusively presumed to exist if, among other things, a person acquires more than 25% of any class of voting stock of the Company or controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the Company. Control is presumed to exist if a person acquires more than 10% of any class of voting stock
and the stock is registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the acquiror will be the largest shareholder after the acquisition.
Federal Securities Law. The Company has registered its Common Stock with the SEC pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result of such registration, the proxy and tender offer rules, insider trading reporting requirements, annual and periodic reporting and other requirements of the Exchange Act are applicable to the Company.
Transactions with Affiliates. Under current federal law, depository institutions are subject to the restrictions contained in Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act with respect to loans to directors, executive officers and principal shareholders. Under Section 22(h), loans to directors, executive officers and shareholders who own more than 10% of a depository institution (18% in the case of institutions located in an area with less than 30,000 in population), and certain affiliated entities of any of the foregoing, may not exceed, together with all other outstanding loans to such person and affiliated entities, the institution's loans-to-one-borrower limit (as discussed below). Section 22(h) also prohibits loans above amounts prescribed by the appropriate federal banking agency to directors, executive officers and shareholders who own more than 10% of an institution, and their respective affiliates, unless such loans are approved in advance by a majority of the board of directors of the institution. Any "interested" director may not participate in the voting. The FDIC has prescribed the loan amount (which includes all other outstanding loans to such person), as to which such prior board of director approval is required, as being the greater of $25,000 or 5% of capital and surplus (up to $500,000). Further, pursuant to Section 22(h), the Federal Reserve requires that loans to directors, executive officers, and principal shareholders be made on terms substantially the same as offered in comparable transactions with non-executive employees of the Bank. The FDIC has imposed additional limits on the amount a bank can loan to an executive officer.
Loans to One Borrower. The Bank is subject to the Commissioner's loans to one borrower limits which are substantially the same as those applicable to national banks. Under these limits, no loans and extensions of credit to any borrower outstanding at one time and not fully secured by readily marketable collateral shall exceed 15% of the unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus of the bank. Loans and extensions of credit fully secured by readily marketable collateral may comprise an additional 10% of unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus.
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act enacted in 1999 (the “GLB Act”) dramatically changed various federal laws governing the banking, securities and insurance industries. The GLB Act has expanded opportunities for banks and bank holding companies to provide services and engage in other revenue-generating activities that previously were prohibited to them. However, this expanded authority also may present us with new challenges as our larger competitors are able to expand their services and products into areas that are not feasible for smaller, community oriented financial institutions. The GLB Act likely will have a significant economic impact on the banking industry and on competitive conditions in the financial services industry generally.
USA Patriot Act of 2001. The USA Patriot Act of 2001 was enacted in response to the terrorist attacks that occurred in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001. The Act is intended to strengthen the ability of U.S. law enforcement and the intelligence community to work cohesively to combat terrorism on a variety of fronts. The potential impact of the Act on financial institutions of all kinds is significant and wide ranging. The Act contains sweeping anti-money laundering and financial transparency laws and requires various regulations, including standards for verifying customer identification at account opening, and rules to promote cooperation among financial institutions, regulators, and law enforcement entities in identifying parties that may be involved in terrorism or money laundering.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. On July 30, 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was signed into law and became some of the most sweeping federal legislation addressing accounting, corporate governance and disclosure issues. The impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is wide-ranging as it applies to all public companies and imposes significant new requirements for public company governance and disclosure requirements. Some of the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act became effective immediately while others are still being implemented.
In general, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act mandates important new corporate governance and financial reporting requirements intended to enhance the accuracy and transparency of public companies’ reported financial results. It establishes new responsibilities for corporate chief executive officers, chief financial officers and audit committees in the
financial reporting process and creates a new regulatory body to oversee auditors of public companies. It backs these requirements with new SEC enforcement tools, increases criminal penalties for federal mail, wire and securities fraud, and creates new criminal penalties for document and record destruction in connection with federal investigations. It also increases the opportunity for more private litigation by lengthening the statute of limitations for securities fraud claims and providing new federal corporate whistleblower protection.
The economic and operational effects of this new legislation on public companies, including us, will be significant in terms of the time, resources and costs associated with complying with the new law. Because the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, for the most part, applies equally to larger and smaller public companies, we will be presented with additional challenges as a smaller, community-oriented financial institution seeking to compete with larger financial institutions in our market.
Other. Additional regulations require annual examinations of all insured depository institutions by the appropriate federal banking agency, with some exceptions for small, well-capitalized institutions and state chartered institutions examined by state regulators. Additional regulations also establish operational and managerial, asset quality, earnings and stock valuation standards for insured depository institutions, as well as compensation standards.
The Bank is subject to examination by the FDIC and the Commissioner. In addition, the Bank is subject to various other state and federal laws and regulations, including state usury laws, laws relating to fiduciaries, consumer credit and equal credit, fair credit reporting laws and laws relating to branch banking. The Bank, as an insured North Carolina commercial bank, is prohibited from engaging as a principal in activities that are not permitted for national banks, unless (i) the FDIC determines that the activity would pose no significant risk to the appropriate deposit insurance fund and (ii) the Bank is, and continues to be, in compliance with all applicable capital standards.
Under Chapter 53 of the North Carolina General Statutes, if the capital stock of a North Carolina commercial bank is impaired by losses or otherwise, the Commissioner is authorized to require payment of the deficiency by assessment upon the bank's shareholders, pro rata, and to the extent necessary, if any such assessment is not paid by any shareholder, upon 30 days notice, to sell as much as is necessary of the stock of such shareholder to make good the deficiency.
ITEM 2.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
At December 31, 2004, the Bank conducted its business from the headquarters office in Newton, North Carolina, and its sixteen other branch offices in Lincolnton, Hickory, Newton, Catawba, Conover, Claremont, Maiden, Denver, Triangle, Hiddenite and Charlotte, North Carolina. The following table sets forth certain information regarding the Bank's properties at December 31, 2004.
Owned Leased
Corporate Office 1333 2nd Street NE
518 West C Street Hickory, North Carolina 28601
Newton, North Carolina 28658
1910 East Main Street
420 West A Street Lincolnton, North Carolina 28092
Newton, North Carolina 28658
2050 Catawba Valley Boulevard
2619 North Main Avenue Hickory, North Carolina 28601
Newton, North Carolina 28658
Highway 27 West
213 1st Street, West Lincolnton, North Carolina 28092
Conover, North Carolina 28613
Leonard Avenue
3261 East Main Street Newton, North Carolina 28658
Claremont, North Carolina 28610
South Boulevard
6125 Highway 16 South Suite 100
Denver, North Carolina 28037 Charlotte, North Carolina 28217
5153 N.C. Highway 90E
Hiddenite, North Carolina 28636
200 Island Ford Road
Maiden, North Carolina 28650
3310 Springs Road NE
Hickory, North Carolina 28601
142 South Highway 16
Denver, North Carolina 28037
106 North Main Street
Catawba, North Carolina
ITEM 3.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
In the opinion of management, the Company is not involved in any pending legal proceedings other than routine, non-material proceedings occurring in the ordinary course of business.
ITEM 4.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
No matter was submitted to a vote of the Bank's shareholders during the quarter ended December 31, 2004.
PART II
ITEM 5.
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES
OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The information required by this Item is set forth under the section captioned "Market for the Company’s Common Equity and Related Shareholder Matters" on page A-23 of the Annual Report, which section is incorporated herein by reference. See "Item 1. BUSINESS--Supervision and Regulation" above for regulatory restrictions which limit the ability of the Company to pay dividends.
ITEM 6.
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The information required by this Item is set forth in the table captioned "Selected Financial Data" on page A-2 of the Annual Report, which table is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 7.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The information required by this Item is set forth in the section captioned “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” on pages A-3 through A-24 of the Annual Report, which section is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 7A.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The information required by this Item is set forth in the section captioned “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” on page A-21 of the Annual Report, which section is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 8.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The consolidated financial statements of the Company and supplementary data set forth on pages A-25 through A-50 of the Annual Report are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 9.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.
ITEM 9A.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
The Company’s management, under the supervision and with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively) have concluded, based on their evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this Report, that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports filed or submitted by it under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the applicable rules and forms. The Company’s management has further concluded, that the controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in such reports is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There have been no significant changes in internal control over financial reporting during the period covered by this annual report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None
PART III
ITEM 10.
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
The information required by this Item regarding directors and executive officers of the Company is set forth under the sections captioned “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors - Nominees” on pages 5 and 6 of the Proxy Statement and “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors - Executive Officers” on page 10 of the Proxy Statement, which sections are incorporated herein by reference.
The information required by this Item regarding compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is set forth under the section captioned “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” set forth on page 5 of the Proxy Statement, which section is incorporated herein by reference.
The information required by this Item regarding identification of members of the Company’s Audit Committee is set forth under the section captioned “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors - Committees of the Board” on page 8 of the Proxy Statement, which section is incorporated herein by reference. The Board of Directors of the Company has determined that the chair of the Audit Committee, Benjamin Zachary, qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert.” Mr. Zachary was licensed as a certified public accountant from 1981 until May 1992. He is presently the President and Treasurer of Alexander Railroad Company.
The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to the Company’s employees, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer. The Company will provide to any person, without charge, upon request, a copy of the Code of Ethics. To request a copy, a written request should be submitted to the Company’s corporate headquarters, addressed to the attention of A. Joseph Lampron, Chief Financial Officer.
ITEM 11.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item is set forth under the sections captioned “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors - Director Compensation” on pages 9 and 10 and “- Management Compensation,” “ - Stock Benefits Plan,” “- Employment Agreements,” “- Incentive Compensation Plans,” “- Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plans,” “- Deferred Compensation Plan,” “- Supplemental Retirement Plan,” and "- Discretionary Bonuses and Service Awards," on pages 11 through 20 of the Proxy Statement, which sections are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 12.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference from the section captioned “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners” on pages 2 through 5 of the Proxy Statement and the section captioned “Equity Compensation Plan Information” on page 14 of the Proxy Statement.
ITEM 13.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
See the section captioned “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors - Indebtedness of and Transactions with Management and Directors” on page 20 of the Proxy Statement, which section is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 14.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
See the section captioned “Proposal 2 - Ratification of Selection of Independent Auditor” on page 23 of the Proxy Statement, which section is incorporated herein by reference.
PART IV
ITEM 15.
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
15(a)1.
Consolidated Financial Statements (contained in the Annual Report attached hereto as Exhibit (13) and incorporated herein by reference)
(a)
Independent Auditors' Report
(b)
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2004 and
(c)
Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the Years Ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and
(d)
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002
(e)
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002
(f)
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and
(g)
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
15(a)2.
Financial Consolidated Statement Schedules
All schedules have been omitted as the required information is either inapplicable or included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
15(a)3.
Exhibits
Exhibit (3)(i)
Articles of Incorporation of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc.,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (3)(i) to the Form 8-A filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 1999
Exhibit (3)(ii)
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina,
Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit (3)(ii) to the Form 10-K filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 26,
Exhibit (4)
Specimen Stock Certificate, incorporated by reference to Exhibit (4) to
the Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
September 2, 1999
Exhibit (10)(a)
Employment Agreement between Peoples Bank and Tony W. Wolfe
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(a) to the Form 10-K filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2000
Exhibit (10)(b)
Employment Agreement between Peoples Bank and Joseph F. Beaman,
Jr. incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(b) to the Form 10-K filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30,
Exhibit (10)(c )
Employment Agreement between Peoples Bank and William D. Cable
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(d) to the Form 10-K filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2000
Exhibit (10)(d)
Employment Agreement between Peoples Bank and Lance A. Sellers
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(e) to the Form 10-K filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2000
Exhibit (10)(e)
Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. Omnibus Stock Ownership and
Long Term Incentive Plan incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(f) to
the Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
March 30, 2000
Exhibit (10)(f)
Employment Agreement between Peoples Bank and A. Joseph Lampron,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(g) to the Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2002
Exhibit (10)(g)
Peoples Bank Directors' and Officers' Deferral Plan, incorporated by
reference to Exhibit (10)(h) to the Form 10-K filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 28, 2002
Exhibit (10)(h)
Rabbi Trust for the Peoples Bank Directors' and Officers' Deferral Plan,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(i) to the Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2002
Exhibit (10)(i)
Description of Service Recognition Program maintained by Peoples Bank,
incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)(i) to the Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2003
Exhibit (11)
Statement Regarding Computation of Per Share Earnings
Exhibit (12)
Statement Regarding Computation of Ratios
Exhibit (13)
Annual Report of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc.
Exhibit (14)
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of Peoples Bancorp of North
Carolina, Inc.
Exhibit (21)
Subsidiaries of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc., incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 21 to the Form 10-K filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 27, 2003
Exhibit (23)(a)
Consent of Porter Keadle Moore, LLP for Registration Statement on
Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August
10,
Exhibit (23)(b)
Consent of Porter Keadle Moore, LLP for Registration Statement on
Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
September 28, 2000
Exhibit (31)(a)
Certification of principal executive officer pursuant to section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Exhibit (31)(b)
Certification of principal financial officer pursuant to section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Exhibit (32)
Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
/s/ Fred L. Sherrill, Jr.
Director
March 25, 2005
Fred L. Sherrill, Jr.
/s/ William Gregory Terry
Director
March 25, 2005
William Gregory Terry
/s/ Dan Ray Timmerman, Sr.
Director
March 25, 2005
Dan Ray Timmerman, Sr.
/s/ Benjamin I. Zachary
Director
March 25, 2005
Benjamin I. Zachary