NEW YORK, July 18, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP has filed a class action lawsuit against The Bancorp, Inc. ("The Bancorp" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:TBBK) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, District of Delaware, and docketed under 14-cv-00952-UNA, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased The Bancorp securities between April 24, 2013 and June 10, 2014, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").
If you are a shareholder who purchased The Bancorp securities during the Class Period, you have until September 16, 2014 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, x237. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.
The Bancorp, Inc. operates as the financial holding company for The Bancorp Bank, which provides various commercial, retail, and related banking products and services to small and mid-size businesses. The Company provides services in Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania; New Castle County in Delaware; and Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Ocean, and Cape May Counties in New Jersey.
The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company had under-reserved for loan losses due to adverse loans; (2) Bancorp's operations and credit practices were in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA"); and (3) as a result of the above, the Company's financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On April 23, 2014, after the market close, Bancorp announced financial results for the first quarter of 2014, reporting that net income for the period decreased to $298,000, or fully diluted earnings per share of $.01, compared to net income of $7.4 million or $.20 per diluted share for the comparable period in 2013. According to Bancorp's Chief Executive Officer, the quarter was significantly impacted by an additional loan loss provision of $11.8 million principally related to "newly identified adversely classified loans".
On this news, Bancorp shares fell $2.76, or over 15%, to close at $15.84 on April 24, 2014, on unusually heavy trading volume.
On June 10, 2014, the Company filed a Form 8-K with the SEC, announcing that it had entered into a Stipulation and Consent to the Issuance of a Consent Order with the FDIC. The Order became effective on June 5, 2014, and requires the bank to correct the weaknesses in its Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Program.
On this news, shares of Bancorp fell $4.66, or over 28%, on extremely heavy volume, to close at $11.54 on June 11, 2014.
The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and San Diego, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 70 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.