SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) October 25, 2017

CENTERSTATE BANK CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:   (863) 293-4710

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

___________________

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☒ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

On October 25, 2017, CenterState Bank Corporation  (NASDAQ: CSFL) (the “Company”) announced that it has received approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the merger of Sunshine Bank with and into CenterState Bank, N.A., the wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The merger of the two banks will occur immediately after the merger of Sunshine Bank’s parent company, Sunshine Bancorp, Inc. (“SBI”) with and into the Company pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 12, 2017, between the Company and SBI (“Merger Agreement”).  The Company had previously obtained a waiver from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta from the requirement to file an application under the Bank Holding Company Act for the Company to acquire SBI under the Merger Agreement.  

Pending the approval by the stockholders of SBI of the Merger Agreement, as well as satisfaction of other closing conditions described in the Merger Agreement, the Company expects that the merger will become effective in early January 2018.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Some of the statements in this report constitute forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements related to future events, other future financial and operating performance, costs, revenues, economic conditions in our markets, loan performance, credit risks, collateral values and credit conditions, or business strategies, including expansion and acquisition activities and may be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “scheduled,” “plans,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. Actual events or results may differ materially. In evaluating these statements, you should specifically consider the factors described throughout this report. We cannot assure you that future results, levels of activity, performance or goals will be achieved, and actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward looking statements.

Forward-looking statements, with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond the Company’s control, as well as beyond the control of Sunshine, which the Company has proposed to acquire in the transaction.  These forward looking statements, many of which, with respect to future business decisions and actions, are subject to change, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company or CenterState Bank to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Examples of uncertainties and contingencies include, among other important factors, general economic and business conditions, expectations of and actual timing and amount of interest rate movements, including the slope and shape of the yield curve, which can have a significant impact on a financial services institution, market and monetary fluctuations, including fluctuations in mortgage markets,  responses to any or all of these conditions, the actions of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and other regulators and agencies, including in connection with the regulatory approval process associated with the proposed merger, pending, threatened, or possible future regulatory or judicial actions, proceedings or outcomes, changes in laws and regulations applicable to the Company, Sunshine, the possibility that the proposed transaction will not close when expected or at all because required regulatory, or other approvals are not received or other conditions to the closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all, the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the transaction will not be realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the company, the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events, diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities, the Company’s and Sunshine’s success in executing their respective business plans and strategies and managing the risks involved in the foregoing; and other factors that may affect future results of the Company and Sunshine, both individually and as a combined entity. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and otherwise in the Company’s SEC reports and filings, and in Sunshine’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and in its other SEC reports and filings. You should not expect us to update any forward-looking statements. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and otherwise in our SEC reports and filings.

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Additional Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find

In connection with the proposed merger of the Company with Sunshine, the Company has filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (No. 333-220582) and a definitive Proxy Statement of Sunshine and a Prospectus of the Company, as well as other relevant documents concerning the proposed Sunshine transaction.  The proposed transaction is being submitted to Sunshine’s stockholders for their consideration. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. STOCKHOLDERS OF SUNSHINE ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY DO AND WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Stockholders can obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about the Company and Sunshine, without charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and the filings with the SEC that are incorporated by reference in the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to Corporate Secretary, CenterState Bank Corporation, 1101 First Street South, Winter Haven, FL 33880 or Corporate Secretary, Sunshine Bancorp, Inc. 102 West Baker Street, Plant City, FL 33563.  

Participants in the Solicitation

Sunshine and certain of its respective directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed Sunshine transaction. Information regarding Sunshine’s directors and executive officers is available in its definitive proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC on March 30, 2017, and certain of its Current Reports on Form 8-K.  Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, are contained in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC, which may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.  

Date:  October 26, 2017

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