As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 22, 2010

Registration No. 333-164380

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

 

Amendment No. 3

to

Form S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

 

First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

401 North 31st Street
Billings, Montana 59116
(406) 255-5390
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

Terrill R. Moore
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
401 North 31st Street
Billings, Montana 59116

(406) 255-5390

(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:  As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  o

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

Subject to Completion, dated March 22, 2010

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

8,700,000 Shares

 

Class A Common Stock

 

 

This is the initial public offering of the Class A common stock of First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. We are offering 8,700,000 shares of our Class A common stock. No public market currently exists for our Class A common stock.

 

Our Class A common stock has been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol “FIBK.”

 

Following this offering, we will have two classes of authorized common stock, Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote per share. Each share of Class B common stock is entitled to five votes per share and is convertible at any time into one share of Class A common stock.

 

We anticipate that the initial public offering price will be between $14.00 and $16.00 per share.

 

Investing in our Class A common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 of this prospectus.

 

 

We have granted the underwriters the option to purchase an additional 1,305,000 shares of Class A common stock from us on the same terms and conditions set forth above if the underwriters sell more than 8,700,000 shares of Class A common stock in this offering.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed on the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

These securities are not savings accounts, deposits or obligations of any bank and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

Barclays Capital, on behalf of the underwriters, expects to deliver the shares on or about          , 2010.

 

 

Barclays Capital

 

 

D.A. Davidson & Co.

 

 

Prospectus dated          , 2010

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are offering to sell and seeking offers to buy, shares of Class A common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our Class A common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires, all information in this prospectus:

 

 

 

INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

 

This prospectus includes industry and government data and forecasts that we have prepared based, in part, upon industry and government data and forecasts obtained from industry and government publications and surveys. These sources include publications and data compiled by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and SNL Financial LC. For example, when we refer to “our UBPR peer group” in this prospectus, we mean the group of FDIC-insured bank holding companies with assets between $3 billion and $10 billion included in our Uniform Bank Performance Report, as reported by the Federal Reserve and the FDIC.

 

Third-party industry publications, surveys and forecasts generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but there can be no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of included information. While we are responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in this prospectus, we have not independently verified any of the data from third-party sources nor have we ascertained the underlying economic assumptions relied upon therein. Forecasts are particularly likely to be inaccurate, especially over long periods of time. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the industry data presented herein, our estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed in the section captioned “Risk Factors.”

 

SUMMARY

		Pre-Offering												Post-Offering
						% Total												% Total
		Shares of Class B				Common				% Total				Shares of Class B				Common				% Total
Stockholder Group		Common Stock				Stock(1)				Voting Control				Common Stock				Stock				Voting Control
All executive officers and directors			16,513,128				51.25				51.25				16,513,128				41.34				50.07
All Scott family stockholders(2)			24,928,208				79.13				79.13				24,928,208				62.41				75.58
All existing stockholders			31,243,292				100.00				100.00				31,243,292				78.22				94.72

(1)		As of February 28, 2010, there were no shares of Class A common stock outstanding. For further information regarding our Class A common stock and Class B common stock, see “Description of Capital Stock.”
(2)		Includes Scott family stockholders who are executive officers or directors.

 

THE OFFERING

Class A Common Stock Offered		8,700,000 shares. 10,005,000 shares if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full.
Class A Common Stock to be Outstanding Immediately After this Offering		8,700,000 shares. 10,005,000 shares if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full.
Class B Common Stock Outstanding Immediately After this Offering		31,243,292 shares.
Total Common Stock Outstanding After this Offering		39,943,292 shares. 41,248,292 shares if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full.
Use of Proceeds		We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and estimated offering expenses, will be approximately $119.6 million, or approximately $137.8 million if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full, based on an assumed offering price of $15.00 per share. We intend to use the net proceeds to support our long-term growth, to repay our variable rate term notes issued under our syndicated credit agreement and for general corporate purposes, including potential strategic acquisition opportunities. We have no present agreement or plan concerning any specific acquisition or similar transaction. See “Use of Proceeds.”
Dividend Policy		It has been our policy to pay a dividend to all common stockholders. Dividends are declared and paid in the month following the end of each calendar quarter. Our dividend policy and practice may change in the future, however, and our Board of Directors, or Board, may change or eliminate the payment of future dividends at its discretion, without notice to our stockholders and. Any future determination to pay dividends to our stockholders will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operation, capital requirements, banking regulations and any other factors that the Board may deem relevant.
		For information regarding our recent dividends, see “Dividend Policy.”

Proposed NASDAQ Listing		Our Class A common stock has been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol “FIBK.”

	•	3,775,396 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options at a weighted average exercise price of $16.00 per share;

	•	1,600,000 shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon conversion of our outstanding shares of our Series A preferred stock; and
	•	1,280,352 shares of our Class A common stock available for future issuance under our equity compensation plans.

 

RISK FACTORS

	•	we may incur significant credit losses, particularly in light of current market conditions;
	•	our concentration of real estate loans subjects us to increased risks in the event real estate values continue to decline due to the economic recession, a further deterioration in the real estate markets or other causes;
	•	economic and market developments, including the potential for inflation, may have an adverse effect on our business, possibly in ways that are not predictable or that we may fail to anticipate;
	•	many of our loans are to commercial borrowers, which have a higher degree of risk than other types of loans;
	•	if we experience loan losses in excess of estimated amounts, our earnings will be adversely affected;
	•	our goodwill may become impaired, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition and may limit our Bank’s ability to pay dividends to us, thereby causing liquidity issues;
	•	our dividend policy may change;
	•	there is no prior public market for our common stock and one may not develop;
	•	our Class A common stock share price could be volatile and could decline following this offering, resulting in a substantial or complete loss of your investment; and
	•	holders of the Class B common stock have voting control of our company and are able to determine virtually all matters submitted to stockholders, including potential change in control transactions.

 

SUMMARY HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

		As of or for the
		Year Ended December 31,
		2009				2008				2007				2006				2005
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Selected Balance Sheet Data:
Net loans		$	4,424,974			$	4,685,497			$	3,506,625			$	3,262,911			$	2,991,904
Investment securities			1,446,280				1,072,276				1,128,657				1,124,598				1,019,901
Total assets			7,137,653				6,628,347				5,216,797				4,974,134				4,562,313
Deposits			5,824,056				5,174,259				3,999,401				3,708,511				3,547,590
Securities sold under repurchase agreements			474,141				525,501				604,762				731,548				518,718
Long-term debt			73,353				84,148				5,145				21,601				54,654
Subordinated debentures held by subsidiary trusts			123,715				123,715				103,095				41,238				41,238
Preferred stockholders’ equity			50,000				50,000				—				—				—
Common stockholders’ equity			524,434				489,062				444,443				410,375				349,847
Total stockholders’ equity		$	574,434			$	539,062			$	444,443			$	410,375			$	349,847

		As of or for the
		Year Ended December 31,
		2009				2008				2007				2006				2005
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Selected Income Statement Data:
Interest income		$	328,034			$	355,919			$	325,557			$	293,423			$	233,857
Interest expense			84,898				120,542				125,954				105,960				63,549
Net interest income			243,136				235,377				199,603				187,463				170,308
Provision for loan losses			45,300				33,356				7,750				7,761				5,847
Net interest income after provision for loan losses			197,836				202,021				191,853				179,702				164,461
Non-interest income			100,690				128,597				92,367				102,181				70,651
Non-interest expense			217,710				222,541				178,786				164,775				151,087
Income before income taxes			80,816				108,077				105,434				117,108				84,025
Income tax expense			26,953				37,429				36,793				41,499				29,310
Net income			53,863				70,648				68,641				75,609				54,715
Preferred stock dividends			3,422				3,347				—				—				—
Net income available to common stockholders		$	50,441			$	67,301			$	68,641			$	75,609			$	54,715
Common Stock Data:
Earnings per share:
Basic		$	1.61			$	2.14			$	2.11			$	2.33			$	1.71
Diluted			1.59				2.10				2.06				2.28				1.68
Dividends per share			0.50				0.65				0.74				0.57				0.47
Book value per share(1)			16.73				15.50				13.88				12.60				10.80
Tangible book value per share(2)			10.53				9.27				12.70				11.44				9.61
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic			31,335,668				31,484,136				32,507,216				32,450,440				32,006,728
Diluted			31,678,500				32,112,672				33,289,920				33,215,960				32,597,348
Financial Ratios:
Return on average assets			0.79	%			1.12	%			1.37	%			1.60	%			1.26	%
Return on average common stockholders’ equity			9.98				14.73				16.14				20.38				16.79
Yield on earning assets			5.44				6.37				7.21				6.94				6.12
Cost of average interest bearing liabilities			1.63				2.50				3.43				3.05				1.99
Net interest spread			3.81				3.87				3.78				3.89				4.13
Net interest margin(3)			4.05				4.25				4.46				4.47				4.48
Efficiency ratio(4)			63.32				61.14				61.23				56.89				62.70
Common stock dividend payout ratio(5)			31.06				30.37				35.07				24.46				27.49
Loan to deposit ratio			77.75				92.24				88.99				89.26				85.53
Asset Quality Ratios:
Non-performing loans to total loans(6)			2.75	%			1.90	%			0.98	%			0.53	%			0.63	%
Non-performing assets to total loans and other real estate owned (OREO)(7)			3.57				2.03				1.00				0.55				0.67
Non-performing assets to total assets			2.28				1.46				0.68				0.36				0.45
Allowance for loan losses to total loans			2.28				1.83				1.47				1.43				1.40
Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans			82.64				96.03				150.66				269.72				220.73
Net charge-offs to average loans			0.63				0.28				0.08				0.09				0.19

		As of or for the
		Year Ended December 31,
		2009				2008				2007				2006				2005
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Capital Ratios:
Tangible common equity to tangible assets(8)			4.76	%			4.55	%			7.85	%			7.55	%			6.88	%
Tier 1 common capital to total risk weighted assets(9)			6.43				5.35				9.95				9.68				8.94
Leverage ratio			7.30				7.13				9.92				8.61				7.91
Tier 1 risk-based capital			9.74				8.57				12.39				10.71				10.07
Total risk-based capital			11.68				10.49				13.64				11.93				11.27

(1)		For purposes of computing book value per share, book value equals common stockholders’ equity.
(2)		Tangible book value per share is a non-GAAP financial measure. For purposes of computing tangible book value per share, tangible book value (also referred to as “tangible common stockholders’ equity” or “tangible common equity”) equals common stockholders’ equity less goodwill and other intangible assets (except mortgage servicing rights). Tangible book value per share is calculated as tangible common stockholders’ equity divided by shares of common stock outstanding, and its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is book value per share. See our reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures under the caption “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data.”
(3)		Net interest margin ratio is presented on a fully taxable equivalent, or FTE, basis.
(4)		Efficiency ratio represents non-interest expenses, excluding loan loss provision, divided by the aggregate of net interest income and non-interest income.
(5)		Common stock dividend payout ratio represents dividends per share divided by basic earnings per share. See “Dividend Policy.”
(6)		Non-performing loans include nonaccrual loans, loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest and restructured loans.
(7)		Non-performing assets include nonaccrual loans, loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest, restructured loans and OREO.
(8)		Tangible common equity to tangible assets is a non-GAAP financial measure. For purposes of computing tangible common equity to tangible assets, tangible common equity is calculated as common stockholders’ equity less goodwill and other intangible assets (except mortgage servicing rights), and tangible assets is calculated as total assets less goodwill and other intangible assets (except mortgage servicing rights). The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total stockholders’ equity to total assets. See our reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures under the caption “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data.”
(9)		For purposes of computing tier 1 common capital to total risk weighted assets, tier 1 common capital is calculated on Tier 1 capital less preferred stock and trust preferred securities.

 

Before investing in our Class A common stock, you should carefully consider all information included in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. In particular, you should carefully consider the risks described below before purchasing shares of our Class A common stock in this offering. Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. Any of the following factors could harm our future business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects and could result in a partial or complete loss of your investment. These risks are not the only ones that we may face. Other risks of which we are not aware, including those which relate to the banking and financial services industry in general and us in particular, or those which we do not currently believe are material, may harm our future business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Risks Relating to the Market and Our Business

 

We may incur significant credit losses, particularly in light of current market conditions.

 

We take on credit risk by virtue of making loans and extending loan commitments and letters of credit. Our credit standards, procedures and policies may not prevent us from incurring substantial credit losses, particularly in light of market developments in recent years. During 2008 and 2009, we experienced deterioration in credit quality, particularly in certain real estate development loans, due, in part, to the impact resulting from the downturn in the prevailing economic, real estate and credit markets. This deterioration resulted in higher levels of non-performing assets, including other real estate owned, or OREO, and internally risk classified loans, thereby increasing our provision for loan losses and decreasing our operating income in 2008 and 2009. As of December 31, 2009, we had total non-performing assets of approximately $163 million, compared with approximately $97 million as of December 31, 2008 and approximately $36 million as of December 31, 2007. In the first two months of 2010, we have continued to experience elevated levels of non-performing assets and provisions for loan losses which will continue to affect our earnings. Given the current economic conditions and trends, management believes we will continue to experience credit deterioration and higher levels of non-performing loans in the near-term, which will likely have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Our concentration of real estate loans subjects us to increased risks in the event real estate values continue to decline due to the economic recession, a further deterioration in the real estate markets or other causes.

 

At December 31, 2009, we had approximately $3.0 billion of commercial, agricultural, construction, residential and other real estate loans, representing approximately 65% of our total loan portfolio. The current economic recession, deterioration in the real estate markets and increasing delinquencies and foreclosures have had an adverse effect on the collateral value for many of our loans and on the repayment ability of many of our borrowers. The continuation or further deterioration of these factors, including increasing foreclosures and unemployment, will continue to have the same or similar adverse effects. In addition, these factors could reduce the amount of loans we make to businesses in the construction and real estate industry, which could negatively impact our interest income and results of operations. A continued decline in real estate values could also lead to higher charge-offs in the event of defaults in our real estate loan portfolio. Similarly, the occurrence of a natural or manmade disaster in our market areas could impair the value of the collateral we hold for real estate secured loans. Any one or a combination of the factors identified above could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Economic and market developments, including the potential for inflation, may have an adverse effect on our business, possibly in ways that are not predictable or that we may fail to anticipate.

Recent economic and market developments and the potential for continued economic disruptions and inflation present considerable risks and challenges to us. Dramatic declines in the housing market, with decreasing home prices and increasing delinquencies and foreclosures throughout most of the nation, have negatively impacted the credit performance of mortgage and construction loans and resulted in significant writedowns of assets by many financial institutions. General downward economic trends, reduced availability of commercial credit and increasing unemployment have also negatively impacted the credit performance of commercial and consumer credit, resulting in additional writedowns. These risks and challenges have significantly diminished overall confidence in the national economy, the financial markets and many financial institutions. This reduced confidence could further compound the overall market disruptions and risks to banks and bank holding companies, including us.

 

In addition to economic conditions, our business is also affected by political uncertainties, volatility, illiquidity, interest rates, inflation and other developments impacting the financial markets. Such factors have affected and may further adversely affect, both credit and financial markets and future economic growth, resulting in adverse effects on us and other financial institutions in ways that are not predictable or that we may fail to anticipate.

 

Many of our loans are to commercial borrowers, which have a higher degree of risk than other types of loans.

 

Commercial loans, including commercial real estate loans, are often larger and involve greater risks than other types of lending. Because payments on such loans are often dependent on the successful operation or development of the property or business involved, repayment of such loans is more sensitive than other types of loans to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the general economy. Accordingly, the recent downturn in the real estate market and economy has heightened our risk related to commercial loans, particularly commercial real estate loans. Unlike residential mortgage loans, which generally are made on the basis of the borrowers’ ability to make repayment from their employment and other income and which are secured by real property whose value tends to be more easily ascertainable, commercial loans typically are made on the basis of the borrowers’ ability to make repayment from the cash flow of the commercial venture. If the cash flow from business operations is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Due to the larger average size of each commercial loan as compared with other loans such as residential loans, as well as the collateral which is generally less readily-marketable, losses incurred on a small number of commercial loans could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. At December 31, 2009, we had approximately $2.3 billion of commercial loans, including approximately $1.6 billion of commercial real estate loans, representing approximately 51% of our total loan portfolio.

 

If we experience loan losses in excess of estimated amounts, our earnings will be adversely affected.

 

The risk of credit losses on loans varies with, among other things, general economic conditions, the type of loan being made, the creditworthiness of the borrower over the term of the loan and, in the case of a collateralized loan, the value and marketability of the collateral for the loan. We maintain an allowance for loan losses based upon, among other things, historical experience, an evaluation of economic conditions and regular reviews of loan portfolio quality. Based upon such factors, our management makes various assumptions and judgments about the ultimate collectability of our loan portfolio and provides an allowance for loan losses. These assumptions and judgments are even more complex and difficult to determine given recent market developments, the potential for continued market turmoil and the significant uncertainty of future conditions in the general economy and banking industry. If management’s assumptions and judgments prove to be incorrect and the allowance for loan losses is inadequate to absorb future losses, or if the banking authorities or regulations require us to increase the allowance for loan losses, our earnings, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly and adversely affected.

As of December 31, 2009, our allowance for loan losses was approximately $103 million, which represented 2.28% of total outstanding loans. Our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover future loan losses. Future adjustments to the allowance for loan losses may be necessary if economic conditions differ substantially from the assumptions used or further adverse developments arise with respect to our non-performing or performing loans. Material additions to our allowance for loan losses could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Our goodwill may become impaired, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition and may limit our Bank’s ability to pay dividends to us, thereby causing liquidity issues.

 

The excess purchase price over the fair value of net assets from acquisitions, or goodwill, is evaluated for impairment at least annually and on an interim basis if an event or circumstance indicates that it is likely an impairment has occurred. In testing for impairment, the fair value of net assets will be estimated based on an analysis of our market value. Consequently, the determination of goodwill will be sensitive to market-based trading of our Class A common stock. As such, variability in market conditions could result in impairment of goodwill, which is recorded as a noncash adjustment to income. As of December 31, 2009, we had goodwill of approximately $184 million, which was 3% of our total assets. An impairment of goodwill could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Furthermore, an impairment of goodwill could cause our Bank to be unable to pay dividends to us, which would reduce our cash flow and cause liquidity issues. See below “—Our Bank’s ability to pay dividends to us is subject to regulatory limitations, which, to the extent we are not able to receive such dividends, may impair our ability to grow, pay dividends, cover operating expenses and meet debt service requirements.”

 

Changes in interest rates could negatively impact our net interest income, may weaken demand for our products and services or harm our results of operations and cash flows.

 

Our earnings and cash flows are largely dependent upon net interest income, which is the difference between interest income earned on interest-earning assets such as loans and securities and interest expense paid on interest-bearing liabilities such as deposits and borrowed funds. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies, particularly the Federal Reserve. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence not only the interest we receive on loans and securities and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings, but such changes could also adversely affect (1) our ability to originate loans and obtain deposits, (2) the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities, including mortgage servicing rights, (3) our ability to realize gains on the sale of assets and (4) the average duration of our mortgage-backed investment securities portfolio. An increase in interest rates may reduce customers’ desire to borrow money from us as it increases their borrowing costs and may adversely affect the ability of borrowers to pay the principal or interest on loans which may lead to an increase in non-performing assets and a reduction of income recognized, which could harm our results of operations and cash flows. Further, because many of our variable rate loans contain interest rate floors, as market interest rates begin to rise, the interest rates on these loans may not increase correspondingly. In contrast, decreasing interest rates have the effect of causing customers to refinance mortgage loans faster than anticipated. This causes the value of assets related to the servicing rights on mortgage loans sold to be lower than originally recognized. If this happens, we may need to write down our mortgage servicing rights asset faster, which would accelerate expense and lower our earnings. Any substantial, unexpected or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. If the current low interest rate environment were to continue for a prolonged period, our interest income could decrease, adversely impacting our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We may not continue to have access to low-cost funding sources.

 

We depend on checking and savings, negotiable order of withdrawal, or NOW, and money market deposit account balances and other forms of customer deposits as our primary source of funding. Such account and deposit balances can decrease when customers perceive alternative investments, such as the stock market, as providing a better risk/return tradeoff. If customers move money out of bank deposits and into other investments, we could lose a relatively low cost source of funds, increasing its funding costs and reducing our net interest income and net income.

 

Our deposit insurance premiums could be substantially higher in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our future earnings.

 

The FDIC insures deposits at FDIC insured depository institutions, including the Bank. Under current FDIC regulations, each insured depository institution is subject to a risk-based assessment system and, depending on its assigned risk category, is assessed insurance premiums based on the amount of deposits held. The FDIC charges insured financial institutions premiums to maintain the Deposit Insurance Fund, or DIF, at a certain level. Recent bank failures have reduced the DIF’s reserves to their lowest level in more than 15 years. On October 16, 2008, the FDIC published a restoration plan designed to replenish the DIF over a period of five years and to increase the deposit insurance reserve ratio to 1.15% of insured deposits by December 31, 2013. To implement the restoration plan, the FDIC changed both its risk-based assessment system and its base assessment rates. For the first quarter of 2009 only, the FDIC increased all FDIC deposit assessment rates by 7 basis points. On February 27, 2009, the FDIC amended the restoration plan to extend the restoration plan horizon to seven years. The amended restoration plan was accompanied by a final rule on March 4, 2009, which adjusted how the risk-based assessment system differentiates for risk and that set new assessment rates. Under the final rule, the base assessment rates increased substantially beginning April 1, 2009.

 

On May 22, 2009, the FDIC adopted a final rule imposing a 5 basis point special assessment on each insured depository institution’s assets minus Tier 1 capital, as of June 30, 2009. On November 17, 2009, the FDIC also published a final rule requiring insured depository institutions to prepay their estimated quarterly risk-based assessments for the fourth quarter of 2009 and for all of 2010, 2011 and 2012.

 

A change in the risk category assigned to our Bank, further adjustments to base assessment rates and additional special assessments could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, financial condition and results of operation.

 

We may not be able to continue growing our business.

 

Our total assets have grown from $5.2 billion as of December 31, 2007 to $7.1 billion as of December 31, 2009. Our ability to grow depends, in part, upon our ability to successfully attract deposits, identify favorable loan and investment opportunities, open new branch banking offices and expand into new and complementary markets when appropriate opportunities arise. In the event we do not continue to grow, our results of operations could be adversely impacted.

 

Our ability to grow successfully depends on our capital resources and whether we can continue to fund growth while maintaining cost controls and asset quality, as well as on other factors beyond our control, such as national and regional economic conditions and interest rate trends. If we are not able to make loans, attract deposits and maintain asset quality due to constrained capital resources or other reasons, we may not be able to continue growing our business, which could adversely impact our earnings, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

Adverse economic conditions affecting Montana, Wyoming and western South Dakota could harm our business.

 

Our customers with loan and/or deposit balances are located predominantly in Montana, Wyoming and western South Dakota. Because of the concentration of loans and deposits in these states, existing or future adverse economic conditions in Montana, Wyoming or western South Dakota

could cause us to experience higher rates of loss and delinquency on our loans than if the loans were more geographically diversified. The current economic recession has adversely affected the real estate and business environment in certain areas in Montana, Wyoming and western South Dakota, especially in markets dependent upon resort communities and second homes such as Bozeman, Montana, Kalispell, Montana, and Jackson, Wyoming. In the future, adverse economic conditions, including inflation, recession and unemployment and other factors, such as political or business developments, natural disasters, wide-spread disease, terrorist activity, environmental contamination and other unfavorable conditions and events that affect these states, could reduce demand for credit or fee-based products and may delay or prevent borrowers from repaying their loans. Adverse conditions and other factors identified above could also negatively affect real estate and other collateral values, interest rate levels and the availability of credit to refinance loans at or prior to maturity. These results could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We are subject to significant governmental regulation and new or changes in existing regulatory, tax and accounting rules and interpretations could significantly harm our business.

 

The financial services industry is extensively regulated. Federal and state banking regulations are designed primarily to protect the deposit insurance funds and consumers, not to benefit a financial company’s stockholders. These regulations may impose significant limitations on operations. The significant federal and state banking regulations that affect us are described in this prospectus under the heading “Regulation and Supervision.” These regulations, along with the currently existing tax, accounting, securities, insurance and monetary laws and regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations control the methods by which we conduct business, implement strategic initiatives and tax compliance and govern financial reporting and disclosures. These laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations are undergoing significant review, are constantly evolving and may change significantly, particularly given the recent market developments in the banking and financial services industries.

 

Recent events have resulted in legislators, regulators and authoritative bodies, such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and various taxing authorities responding by adopting and/or proposing substantive revisions to laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations. Further, federal monetary policy as implemented through the Federal Reserve can significantly affect credit conditions in our markets.

 

The nature, extent and timing of the adoption of significant new laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations, or changes in or repeal of these items or specific actions of regulators, may increase our costs of compliance and harm our business. For example, potential increases in or other modifications affecting regulatory capital thresholds could impact our status as “well capitalized.” We may not be able to predict accurately the extent of any impact from changes in existing laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies and interpretations.

 

Non-compliance with laws and regulations could result in fines, sanctions and other enforcement actions and the loss of our financial holding company status.

 

Federal and state regulators have broad enforcement powers. If we fail to comply with any laws, regulations, rules, standards, policies or interpretations applicable to us, we could face various sanctions and enforcement actions, which include:

 

 

The imposition of any such sanctions or other enforcement actions could adversely impact our earnings, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Furthermore, as a financial holding company, we may engage in authorized financial activities provided we are in compliance with applicable regulatory standards and guidelines. If we fail to meet such standards and guidelines, we may be required to cease certain financial holding company activities and, in certain circumstances, to divest the Bank.

 

The effects of recent legislative and regulatory efforts are uncertain.

 

In response to market disruptions, legislators and financial regulators have implemented a number of mechanisms designed to stabilize the financial markets, including the provision of direct and indirect assistance to distressed financial institutions, assistance by the banking authorities in arranging acquisitions of weakened banks and broker-dealers and implementation of programs by the Federal Reserve, to provide liquidity to the commercial paper markets. On October 3, 2008, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, as amended, or EESA, was enacted which, among other things, authorized the United States Department of the Treasury, or the Treasury, to provide up to $700 billion of funding to stabilize and provide liquidity to the financial markets. On October 14, 2008, the Secretary of the Treasury announced the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, Capital Purchase Program, a program in which $250 billion of the funds under EESA are made available for the purchase of preferred equity interests in qualifying financial institutions. On February 17, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, or ARRA, was enacted which amended, in certain respects, EESA and provided an additional $787 billion in economic stimulus funding. Also in 2009, legislation proposing significant structural reforms to the financial services industry was also introduced in the U.S. Congress and passed by the House of Representatives. Among other things, the legislation proposes the establishment of a consumer financial protection agency, which would have broad authority to regulate providers of credit, savings, payment and other consumer financial products and services.

 

Other recent developments include:

 

 

These initiatives may increase our expenses or decrease our income by, among other things, making it harder for us to foreclose on mortgages. Further, the overall effects of these and other legislative and regulatory efforts on the financial markets remain uncertain and they may not have the intended stabilization results. These efforts may even have unintended harmful consequences on the U.S. financial system and our business. Should these or other legislative or regulatory initiatives have unintended effects, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

 

In addition, we may need to modify our strategies and business operations in response to these changes. We may also incur increased capital requirements and constraints or additional costs in

order to satisfy new regulatory requirements. Given the volatile nature of the current market and the uncertainties underlying efforts to mitigate or reverse disruptions, we may not timely anticipate or manage existing, new or additional risks, contingencies or developments in the current or future environment. Our failure to do so could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Furthermore, on November 17, 2009, the Federal Reserve published a final rule under Regulation E regarding overdraft fees. Effective July 1, 2010 for new accounts and August 15, 2010 for existing account, this rule generally prohibits financial institutions from charging overdraft fees for ATM and one-time debit card transactions that overdraw consumer deposit accounts, unless the consumer “opts in” to having such overdrafts authorized and paid. The Federal Reserve’s rule will impact the amount of overdraft fees we will be able to charge and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, recent legislative proposals in Congress, if enacted, could further impact how we assess fees on deposit accounts for items and transactions that either overdraw an account or that are returned for nonsufficient funds.

 

We are dependent upon the services of our management team.

 

Our future success and profitability is substantially dependent upon the management skills of our executive officers and directors, many of whom have held officer and director positions with us for many years. The unanticipated loss or unavailability of key executives, including Lyle R. Knight, President and Chief Executive Officer, who has announced his plan to retire in March 2012, Terrill R. Moore, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Gregory A. Duncan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Edward Garding, Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer, and Julie A. Castle, President—First Interstate Bank Wealth Management, could harm our ability to operate our business or execute our business strategy. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in retaining these key employees or finding suitable successors in the event of their loss or unavailability.

 

We may not be able to attract and retain qualified employees to operate our business effectively.

 

There is substantial competition for qualified personnel in our markets. Although unemployment rates have been rising in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and the surrounding region, it may still be difficult to attract and retain qualified employees at all management and staffing levels. Failure to attract and retain employees and maintain adequate staffing of qualified personnel could adversely impact our operations and our ability to execute our business strategy. Furthermore, relatively low unemployment rates in certain of our markets, compared with national unemployment rates, may lead to significant increases in salaries, wages and employee benefits expenses as we compete for qualified, skilled employees, which could negatively impact our results of operations and prospects.

 

A failure of the technology we use could harm our business and our information systems may experience a breach in security.

 

We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business and we depend heavily upon data processing, software, communication and information exchange from a number of vendors on a variety of computing platforms and networks and over the internet. We cannot be certain that all of our systems are entirely free from vulnerability to breaches of security or other technological difficulties or failures. A breach in the security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan, investment, credit card and other information systems. A breach of the security of our information systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny and expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability.

 

Furthermore, the computer systems and network infrastructure we use could be vulnerable to other unforeseen problems, such as damage from fire, privacy loss, telecommunications failure or

other similar events which would also have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

An extended disruption of vital infrastructure and other business interruptions could negatively impact our business.

 

Our operations depend upon vital infrastructure components including, among other things, transportation systems, power grids and telecommunication systems. A disruption in our operations resulting from failure of transportation and telecommunication systems, loss of power, interruption of other utilities, natural disaster, fire, global climate changes, computer hacking or viruses, failure of technology, terrorist activity or the domestic and foreign response to such activity or other events outside of our control could have an adverse impact on the financial services industry as a whole and/or on our business. Our business recovery plan may not be adequate and may not prevent significant interruptions of our operations or substantial losses.

 

Recent market disruptions have caused increased liquidity risks.

 

The recent disruption and illiquidity in the credit markets are continuing challenges that have generally made potential funding sources more difficult to access, less reliable and more expensive. In addition, liquidity in the inter-bank market, as well as the markets for commercial paper and other short-term instruments, have contracted significantly. Reflecting concern about the stability of the financial markets generally and the strength of counterparties, many lenders and institutional investors have reduced and in some cases, ceased to provide funding to borrowers, including other financial institutions. These market conditions have made the management of our own and our customers’ liquidity significantly more challenging. A further deterioration in the credit markets or a prolonged period without improvement of market liquidity could adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, including our regulatory capital ratios, and could adversely affect our business, results of operations and prospects.

 

We may not be able to meet the cash flow requirements of our depositors and borrowers unless we maintain sufficient liquidity.

 

Liquidity is the ability to meet current and future cash flow needs on a timely basis at a reasonable cost. Our liquidity is used to make loans and to repay deposit liabilities as they become due or are demanded by customers. Potential alternative sources of liquidity include federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements. We maintain a portfolio of investment securities that may be used as a secondary source of liquidity to the extent the securities are not pledged for collateral. Other potential sources of liquidity include the sale of loans, the utilization of available government and regulatory assistance programs, the ability to acquire national market, non-core deposits, the issuance of additional collateralized borrowings such as Federal Home Loan Bank, or FHLB, advances, the issuance of debt securities, issuance of equity securities and borrowings through the Federal Reserve’s discount window. Without sufficient liquidity from these potential sources, we may not be able to meet the cash flow requirements of our depositors and borrowers.

 

We may not be able to find suitable acquisition candidates.

 

Although our growth strategy is to primarily focus and promote organic growth, we also have in the past and intend in the future to complement and expand our business by pursuing strategic acquisitions of banks and other financial institutions. We believe, however, there are a limited number of banks that will meet our acquisition criteria and, consequently, we cannot assure you that we will be able to identify suitable candidates for acquisitions. In addition, even if suitable candidates are identified, we expect to compete with other potential bidders for such businesses, many of which may have greater financial resources than we have. Our failure to find suitable acquisition candidates, or successfully bid against other competitors for acquisitions, could adversely affect our ability to successfully implement our business strategy.

 

We may be unable to manage our growth due to acquisitions, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Acquisitions of other banks and financial institutions involve risks of changes in results of operations or cash flows, unforeseen liabilities relating to the acquired institution or arising out of the acquisition, asset quality problems of the acquired entity and other conditions not within our control, such as adverse personnel relations, loss of customers because of change of identity, deterioration in local economic conditions and other risks affecting the acquired institution. In addition, the process of integrating acquired entities will divert significant management time and resources. We may not be able to integrate successfully or operate profitably any financial institutions we may acquire. We may experience disruption and incur unexpected expenses in integrating acquisitions. There can be no assurance that any such acquisitions will enhance our cash flows, business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects and such acquisitions may have an adverse effect on our results of operations, particularly during periods in which the acquisitions are being integrated into our operations.

 

We face significant competition from other financial institutions and financial services providers.

 

We face substantial competition in all areas of our operations from a variety of different competitors, many of which are larger and may have more financial resources, higher lending limits and large branch networks. Such competitors primarily include national, regional and community banks within the various markets we serve. We also face competition from many other types of financial institutions, including, without limitation, savings and loans, credit unions, finance companies, brokerage firms, insurance companies, factoring companies and other financial intermediaries. The financial services industry could become even more competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and continued consolidation. Banks, securities firms and insurance companies can merge under the umbrella of a financial holding company, which can offer virtually any type of financial service, including banking, securities underwriting, insurance (both agency and underwriting) and merchant banking. Increased competition among financial services companies due to the recent consolidation of certain competing financial institutions and the conversion of certain investment banks to bank holding companies may adversely affect our ability to market our products and services. Also, technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for nonbanks to offer products and services traditionally provided by banks, such as automatic funds transfer and automatic payment systems. Many of our competitors have fewer regulatory constraints and may have lower cost structures. Additionally, due to their size, many competitors may offer a broader range of products and services as well as better pricing for those products and services than we can.

 

Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors, including, among other things:

 

 

Failure to perform in any of these areas could significantly weaken our competitive position, which could adversely affect our growth and profitability, which, in turn, could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We may not be able to manage risks inherent in our business, particularly given the recent turbulent and dynamic market conditions.

A comprehensive and well-integrated risk management function is essential for our business. We have adopted various policies, procedures and systems to monitor and manage risk and are currently implementing a centralized risk oversight function. These policies, procedures and systems may be inadequate to identify and mitigate all risks inherent in our business. In addition, our business and the markets and industry in which we operate are continuously evolving. We may fail to understand fully the implications of changes in our business or the financial markets and fail to adequately or timely enhance our risk framework to address those changes, particularly given the recent turbulent and dynamic market conditions. If our risk framework is ineffective, either because it fails to keep pace with changes in the financial markets or in our business or for other reasons, we could incur losses and otherwise experience harm to our business.

 

Our systems of internal operating controls may not be effective.

 

We establish and maintain systems of internal operational controls that provide us with critical information used to manage our business. These systems are subject to various inherent limitations, including cost, judgments used in decision-making, assumptions about the likelihood of future events, the soundness of our systems, the possibility of human error and the risk of fraud. Moreover, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions and the risk that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate over time. Because of these limitations, any system of internal operating controls may not be successful in preventing all errors or fraud or in making all material information known in a timely manner to the appropriate levels of management. From time to time, control deficiencies and losses from operational malfunctions or fraud have occurred and may occur in the future. Any future deficiencies, weaknesses or losses related to internal operating control systems could have an adverse effect on our business and, in turn, on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We may become liable for environmental remediation and other costs on repossessed properties, which could adversely impact our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

 

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. If hazardous or toxic substances are found on these properties, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase our exposure to environmental liability. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We may not effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers.

 

The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve customers and to reduce costs. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to use technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse impact on our business and, in turn, on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We are subject to claims and litigation pertaining to our fiduciary responsibilities.

 

Some of the services we provide, such as trust and investment services, require us to act as fiduciaries for our customers and others. From time to time, third parties make claims and take legal

action against us pertaining to the performance of our fiduciary responsibilities. If these claims and legal actions are not resolved in a manner favorable to us, we may be exposed to significant financial liability and/or our reputation could be damaged. Either of these results may adversely impact demand for our products and services or otherwise have a harmful effect on our business and, in turn, on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

The Federal Reserve may require us to commit capital resources to support our bank subsidiary.

 

As a matter of policy, the Federal Reserve, which examines us and our subsidiaries, expects a bank holding company to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to a subsidiary bank and to commit resources to support such subsidiary bank. Under the “source of strength” doctrine, the Federal Reserve may require a bank holding company to make capital injections into a troubled subsidiary bank and may charge the bank holding company with engaging in unsafe and unsound practices for failure to commit resources to such a subsidiary bank. A capital injection may be required at times when the holding company may not have the resources to provide it and therefore may be required to borrow the funds. Any loans by a holding company to its subsidiary bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary bank. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, the bankruptcy trustee will assume any commitment by the holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank. Moreover, bankruptcy law provides that claims based on any such commitment will be entitled to a priority of payment over the claims of the institution’s general unsecured creditors, including the holders of its note obligations. Thus, any borrowing that must be done by the holding company in order to make the required capital injection becomes more difficult and expensive and will adversely impact the holding company’s cash flows, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We may be adversely affected by the soundness of other financial institutions.

 

The financial services industry as a whole, as well as the securities markets generally, have been materially and adversely affected by significant declines in the values of nearly all asset classes and a serious lack of liquidity. If other financial institutions in our markets dispose of real estate collateral at below-market prices to meet liquidity or regulatory requirements, such actions could negatively impact overall real estate values, including properties securing our loans. Our credit risk is exacerbated when the collateral we hold cannot be realized upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the credit exposure due to us. Any such losses could harm our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Financial institutions in particular have been subject to increased volatility and an overall loss of investor confidence. Our ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services companies are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties. For example, we execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks and other institutional clients. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services companies or the financial services industry generally, have led to market-wide liquidity problems and could lead to losses or defaults by us or by other institutions. Many of these transactions expose us to increased credit risk in the event of default of a counterparty or client.

 

The short-term and long-term impact of the new Basel II capital standards and the forthcoming new capital rules to be proposed for non-Basel II U.S. banks is uncertain.

 

On December 17, 2009, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, or the Basel Committee, proposed significant changes to bank capital and liquidity regulation, including revisions to the definitions of Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital applicable to the Basel Committee’s Revised Framework for the International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards, or Basel II.

 

The short-term and long-term impact of the new Basel II capital standards and the forthcoming new capital rules to be proposed for non-Basel II U.S. banks is uncertain. As a result of the

recent deterioration in the global credit markets and the potential impact of increased liquidity risk and interest rate risk, it is unclear what the short-term impact of the implementation of Basel II may be or what impact a pending alternative standardized approach to Basel II option for non-Basel II U.S. banks may have on the cost and availability of different types of credit and the potential compliance costs of implementing the new capital standards.

 

Our Bank’s ability to pay dividends to us is subject to regulatory limitations, which, to the extent we are not able to receive such dividends, may impair our ability to grow, pay dividends, cover operating expenses and meet debt service requirements.

 

We are a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank, our only bank subsidiary. Since we are a holding company with no significant assets other than the capital stock of our subsidiaries, we depend upon dividends from the Bank for a substantial part of our revenue. Accordingly, our ability to grow, pay dividends, cover operating expenses and meet debt service requirements depends primarily upon the receipt of dividends or other capital distributions from the Bank. The Bank’s ability to pay dividends to us is subject to, among other things, its earnings, financial condition and need for funds, as well as federal and state governmental policies and regulations applicable to us and the Bank, which limit the amount that may be paid as dividends without prior approval. For example, in general, the Bank is limited to paying dividends that do not exceed the current year net profits together with retained earnings from the two preceding calendar years unless the prior consents of the Montana and federal banking regulators are obtained.

 

Furthermore, the terms of our Series A preferred stock, of which 5,000 shares were outstanding as of December 31, 2009, prohibit us from declaring or paying dividends or distributions on any class of our common stock, unless all accrued and unpaid dividends for the three prior consecutive dividend periods have been paid. Any reduction or elimination of our Class A common stock dividend in the future could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

 

Risks Relating to Investments in Our Class A Common Stock

 

Our dividend policy may change.

 

Although we have historically paid dividends to our stockholders, we have no obligation to continue doing so and may change our dividend policy at any time without notice to our stockholders. Holders of our Class A common stock are only entitled to receive such cash dividends as our Board may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. Furthermore, consistent with our strategic plans, growth initiatives, capital availability, projected liquidity needs and other factors, we have made and adopted and will continue to make and adopt, capital management decisions and policies that could adversely impact the amount of dividends paid to our stockholders.

 

There is no prior public market for our common stock and one may not develop.

 

Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for any class of our common stock. An active trading market for our Class A common stock may never develop or be sustained, which could affect your ability to sell your shares and could depress the market price of your shares. We estimate that following this offering, approximately 78% of our outstanding common stock will be owned by existing stockholders, consisting principally of members of the Scott family, our executive officers and directors and current and former employees. This substantial amount of stock that is owned by these individuals may adversely affect the development of an active and liquid trading market.

 

Our Class A common stock share price could be volatile and could decline following this offering, resulting in a substantial or complete loss of your investment.

 

The initial public offering price has been determined through negotiations between us and the underwriters and may bear no relationship to the price at which our Class A common stock will trade upon completion of this offering. The market price of our Class A common stock following this offering

is likely to be volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in price in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include:

 

 

At times the stock markets, including the NASDAQ Stock Market, on which our Class A common stock has been approved for listing, may experience significant price and volume fluctuations. As a result, the market price of our Class A common stock is likely to be similarly volatile and investors in our Class A common stock may experience a decrease in the value of their shares, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. In addition, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

 

No assurance can be given that you will be able to resell your shares at a price equal to or greater than the offering price or that the offering price will necessarily indicate the fair market value of our Class A common stock. Consequently, investors of our Class A common stock could realize a substantial or complete loss of their investment.

 

Holders of the Class B common stock have voting control of our company and are able to determine virtually all matters submitted to stockholders, including potential change in control transactions.

 

Members of the Scott family, who as of February 28, 2010, owned 24,928,208 shares of the outstanding Class B common stock, controlled approximately 79% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. Immediately following the offering, members of the Scott family will own approximately 62% of our common stock, but such members will control approximately 76% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. Following the offering, we expect the Savings and Profit Sharing Plan for Employees of First Interstate BancSystem, Inc., or our profit sharing plan, will convert, and other existing holders of the Class B common stock may convert, their shares of Class B common stock into shares of Class A common stock. These conversions will reduce the total number of votes to be cast by holders of the common stock, thereby increasing the voting control percentages of our common stock by existing holders of the Class B common stock, including members of the Scott family. Therefore, Scott family members could control substantially more than 76% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock following the offering.

 

Due to their holdings of Class B common stock, members of the Scott family are able to determine the outcome of virtually all matters submitted to stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our articles of incorporation (except when a class vote is required by law), any merger or consolidation requiring common stockholder approval and the sale of all or substantially all of the company’s assets. Accordingly, such holders have the ability to prevent change in control transactions as long as they maintain voting control of the company.

 

In addition, because these holders will have the ability to elect all of our directors they will be able to control our policies and operations, including the appointment of management, future issuances of our common stock or other securities, the payments of dividends on our common stock and entering into extraordinary transactions, and their interests may not in all cases be aligned with your interests. Further, because of our dual class structure, members of the Scott family will continue to be able to control all matters submitted to our stockholder for approval even if they come to own

less than 50% of the total outstanding shares of our common stock. The Scott family members have entered into a stockholder agreement giving family members a right of first refusal to purchase shares of common stock that are intended to be sold or transferred, subject to certain exceptions, by other family members. This agreement may have the effect of continuing ownership of the Class B common stock and control within the Scott family. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters. As a result, the market price of our Class A common stock could be adversely affected.

 

A substantial number of shares of our common stock will be eligible for sale in the near future, which could adversely affect our stock price and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of equity securities.

 

If our stockholders sell, or the market perceives that our stockholders intend to sell, in the public market following this offering substantial amounts of our Class A common stock, including Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline significantly. These sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price we deem appropriate. Upon completion of this offering, 8,700,000 shares of our Class A common stock, or 10,005,000 shares of our Class A common stock if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full, will be outstanding. All of such shares will be freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our “affiliates” as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Holders of Class B common stock may at any time convert their shares into shares of Class A common stock on a share-for-share basis. Assuming all outstanding shares of Class B common stock are converted into Class A common stock and subject where applicable to the volume limitation of Rule 144, up to approximately 3,825,752 shares of our Class A common stock could be sold immediately following this offering and approximately 27,417,540 additional shares of our Class A common stock could be sold upon the expiration of the 180-day lock-up period described in “Underwriting—Lock-Up Agreements.” In addition, 3,775,396 shares of our Class B common stock will be issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of February 28, 2010. We have also filed or intend to file registration statements on Form S-8 registering the issuance of shares of our Class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options and of our Class A common stock that will be issuable in the future pursuant to equity compensation plans. Shares covered by these registration statements will be available for sale immediately upon issuance, subject to the lock-up agreements, if applicable. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.” As restrictions on resale end, the market price of our Class A common stock could drop significantly if the holders of restricted shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them.

 

Future equity issuances could result in dilution, which could cause our Class A common stock price to decline.

 

Except as described under “Underwriting,” we are not restricted from issuing additional Class A common stock, including any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Class A common stock. We may issue additional Class A common stock in the future pursuant to current or future employee stock option plans or in connection with future acquisitions or financings. Should we choose to raise capital by selling shares of Class A common stock for any reason, the issuance would have a dilutive effect on the holders of our Class A common stock and could have a material negative effect on the market price of our Class A common stock.

 

We will retain broad discretion in using the net proceeds from this offering remaining after repayment of our variable rate term notes and may not use such proceeds effectively.

 

Except for the amount of net proceeds to be used for the repayment of our variable rate term notes as described below under “Use of Proceeds,” we have not designated the amount of net proceeds we will use for any other particular purpose. Accordingly, our management will retain broad discretion to allocate such remaining net proceeds of this offering. Such net proceeds may be applied in ways with which you and other investors in the offering may not agree. Moreover, our management may use those proceeds for corporate purposes that may not increase our market value or make us profitable. In

addition, given our current liquidity position, it may take us some time to effectively deploy the remaining proceeds from this offering. Until such proceeds are effectively deployed, our return on equity and earnings per share may be negatively impacted. Management’s failure to spend the proceeds effectively could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

An investment in our Class A common stock is not an insured deposit.

 

Our Class A common stock is not a bank savings account or deposit and, therefore, is not insured against loss by the FDIC, any other deposit insurance fund or any other public or private entity. As a result, if you acquire our Class A common stock, you could lose some or all of your investment.

 

“Anti-takeover” provisions and the regulations to which we are subject also may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change in control would be beneficial to stockholders.

 

We are a financial and bank holding company incorporated in the State of Montana. Anti-takeover provisions in Montana law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws, as well as regulatory approvals that would be required under federal law, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us and may prevent stockholders from receiving a premium for their shares of our Class A common stock. These provisions could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock and could reduce the amount that stockholders might receive if we are sold.

 

Our articles of incorporation provide that our Board may issue up to 95,000 additional shares of preferred stock, in one or more series, without stockholder approval and with such terms, conditions, rights, privileges and preferences as the Board may deem appropriate. In addition, our articles of incorporation provide for staggered terms for our Board and limitations on persons authorized to call a special meeting of stockholders. In addition, certain provisions of Montana law may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our Class A common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such Class A common stock.

 

Further, the acquisition of specified amounts of our common stock (in some cases, the acquisition or control of more than 5% of our voting stock) may require certain regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Federal Reserve and one or more of our state banking regulatory agencies. The filing of applications with these agencies and the accompanying review process can take several months. Additionally, as discussed above, the holders of the Class B common stock will have voting control of our company. This and the other factors described above may hinder or even prevent a change in control of us, even if a change in control would be beneficial to our stockholders.

 

We intend to qualify as a “controlled company” under the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules and, once qualified, may rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

 

As a result of the combined voting power of the members of the Scott family described above, we expect to qualify as a “controlled company” under the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules within the near term following this offering. At such time, we intend to rely on exemptions from certain NASDAQ corporate governance standards that are available to controlled companies. Under the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain NASDAQ corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:

 

 

As a result, in the future, our compensation and governance & nominating committees may not consist entirely of independent directors. As long as we choose to rely on these exemptions from NASDAQ Marketplace Rules in the future, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the NASDAQ corporate governance requirements.

 

The Class A common stock is equity and is subordinate to our existing and future indebtedness and to our existing Series A preferred stock.

 

Shares of our Class A common stock are equity interests and do not constitute indebtedness. As such, shares of our Class A common stock rank junior to all our indebtedness, including our subordinated term loans, the subordinated debentures held by trusts that have issued trust preferred securities and other non-equity claims on us with respect to assets available to satisfy claims on us. Additionally, holders of our Class A common stock are subject to the prior dividend and liquidation rights of any holders of our Series A preferred stock then outstanding.

 

In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources or, if our Bank’s capital ratios fall below the required minimums, we or the Bank could be forced to raise additional capital by making additional offerings of debt or equity securities, including medium-term notes, trust preferred securities, senior or subordinated notes and preferred stock. Or, we may issue additional debt or equity securities as consideration for future mergers and acquisitions. Such additional debt and equity offerings may place restrictions on our ability to pay dividends on or repurchase our common stock, dilute the holdings of our existing stockholders or reduce the market price of our Class A common stock. Furthermore, acquisitions typically involve the payment of a premium over book and market values and therefore, some dilution of our tangible book value and net income per Class A common stock may occur in connection with any future transaction. Holders of our Class A common stock are not entitled to preemptive rights or other protections against dilution.

 

This prospectus, including the sections entitled “Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Use of Proceeds,” “Dividend Policy,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business” and “Shares Eligible For Future Sale,” contains forward-looking statements. These statements include statements about our plans, strategies and prospects and involve known and unknown risks that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “likely,” “will,” “would” and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations are described in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and include, but are not limited to:

 

 

These factors and the other risk factors described in this prospectus are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could harm our results.

 

All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth above. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we do not undertake or assume any obligation to update publicly any of these statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

 

We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and estimated offering expenses, will be approximately $119.6 million, or approximately $137.8 million if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full, based on an assumed initial offering price of $15.00 per share. A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $8.1 million, or approximately $9.3 million if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full.

 

We currently intend to use the net proceeds:

 

 

The variable rate term notes were issued in January 2008 in conjunction with our acquisition of the First Western Bank. The variable rate term notes mature on December 31, 2010. As of December 31, 2009, the interest rate on the variable rate term notes was 3.75%. The variable rate term notes may be repaid, without penalty, at any time. We have chosen to use a portion of the proceeds from this offering to repay the entire outstanding balance of our variable rate term notes, which was $33.9 million as of December 31, 2009, thereby reducing our interest expense and eliminating the restrictive covenants and other restrictions contained in the credit agreement.

 

We have no present agreement or plan concerning any specific acquisition or similar transaction.

 

Pending application of net proceeds from this offering as set forth above, we intend to invest net proceeds in short-term liquid securities.

 

We have not designated the amount of net proceeds we will use for any particular purpose, other than repayment of the variable rate term notes. Accordingly, our management will retain broad discretion to allocate the net proceeds of this offering.

 

Dividends

 

It has been our policy to pay a quarterly dividend to all common stockholders. Dividends are declared and paid in the month following the calendar quarter. However, our Board may change or eliminate the payment of future dividends at its discretion, without notice to our stockholders and our dividend policy and practice may change in the future. Any future determination to pay dividends to our stockholders will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operation, capital requirements, banking regulations and any other factors that the Board may deem relevant.

 

In addition, we are a holding company and are dependent upon the payment of dividends by our Bank to us as our principal source of funds to pay dividends, if any, in the future and to make other payments. Our Bank is also subject to various regulatory and other restrictions on its ability to pay dividends and make other distributions and payments to us. See “Regulation and Supervision—Restrictions on Transfers of Funds to Us and the Bank.”

 

The following table summarizes recent quarterly and special dividends that have been paid:

 

 

 

 

Dividend Restrictions

 

For a description of restrictions on the payment of dividends, see “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to the Market and Our Business—Our Bank’s ability to pay dividends to us is subject to regulatory limitations, which, to the extent we are not able to receive such dividends, may impair our ability to grow, pay dividends, cover operating expenses and meet debt service requirements” and “Regulation and Supervision—Restrictions on Transfers of Funds to Us and the Bank.”

 

The following table sets forth our capitalization and regulatory capital and other ratios as of December 31, 2009, as follows:

 

 

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $8.1 million, or approximately $9.3 million if the underwriters’ option is exercised in full.

 

The following should be read in conjunction with “Use of Proceeds,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Our Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data” and our financial statements and accompanying notes that are included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

 

 

The following table sets forth certain of our historical consolidated financial data. The selected consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2009 and 2008 and for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The selected consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 and for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this prospectus.

 

In January 2008, we acquired First Western Bank which included 18 offices located in western South Dakota. At the time of the acquisition, First Western Bank had total assets of approximately $913.0 million. The results and other financial data of First Western Bank are not included in the table below for the periods prior to the date of acquisition and, therefore, the results and other financial data for such prior periods may not be comparable in all respects. In December 2008, we completed the disposition of our i_Tech subsidiary to Fiserv Solutions, Inc., which eliminated our technology services segment, one of our two historical operating segments. Because the operating results attributable to the former segment are not included in our operating results for periods subsequent to the date of disposition, our results for periods prior to the date of that transaction may not be comparable in all respects. See Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this prospectus.

 

This selected historical consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with other information contained in this prospectus, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.