EverBank Financial Corp. Tuesday morning confirmed “it is in advanced negotiations with a well-respected financial services company” for a possible $2.4 billion buyout.
The Jacksonville-based banking company said the financial services company would pay $19.50 a share to buy EverBank, 26 percent higher than EverBank’s closing stock price on Friday.
EverBank’s stock rose $2.06 Monday to $17.56 after Bloomberg News reported the company was in negotiations with an unnamed suitor.
EverBank said it is in exclusive negotiations with the potential buyer through Aug. 8 but there is no certainty there will be an agreement, and the company will not make any further comment.
EverBank also Tuesday reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of 32 cents a share, 3 cents lower than last year’s second quarter and 4 cents lower than the average analysts’ forecast, according to Thomson Financial.
The company had been scheduled to release its financial results Wednesday, but apparently moved up the release after news of the buyout talks leaked out.
EverBank had scheduled a conference call for Wednesday morning to discuss its results with analysts but because of the negotiations, it cancelled the call.
EverBank roots basically go back to 1994 when a private investor group acquired Alliance Mortgage Co. in Jacksonville. The company chartered a new bank called First Alliance Bank in 1998 and expanded into its main business, online banking, with the acquisition of CustomerOne Financial Network Inc. in 2002.
The company was renamed EverBank in 2004 and began expanding its banking business and profile, eventually buying naming rights to the Jacksonville Jaguars' stadium, which became EverBank Field in 2010.
The bank has 13 branches in Florida and one in New York, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., but serves customers nationwide through its online banking system.
EverBank ranked as the 60th largest U.S. banking company with $26.6 billion in assets as of March 31.
EverBank went public in May 2012 by selling 19.22 million shares of stock at $10 each.
The company has no controlling shareholder. Five investment firms own more than 5 percent of its stock but none has more than 8.2 percent, according to its annual proxy statement in the spring.