EQUITY	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
EQUITY
EQUITY	11. EQUITY In June 2013, the U.S. Treasury held a private auction to sell its warrant positions in several financial institutions which included the Company’s warrant to purchase up to 79,288 shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $10 per share. On June 6, 2013, we were notified that we were the winning bidder of the warrant at our bid of $752 thousand. The warrant was being carried as a derivative liability on our balance sheet at $828 thousand at March 31, 2013. Accordingly, we recorded a credit to other noninterest expense of $76 thousand during the quarter related to the gain on the purchase of the warrant. After the completion of this transaction, the U.S. Treasury no longer holds any outstanding shares of our common stock, or any warrants to purchase our common stock they received in connection with our participation in the Troubled Assets Relief Program. We have generated considerable tax benefits, including net operating loss carry-forwards and federal and state tax credits. Our use of the tax benefits in the future would be significantly limited if we experience an “ownership change” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, an “ownership change” will occur if there is a cumulative increase in the Company’s ownership by “5-percent shareholders” (as defined under U.S. income tax laws) that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. On November 23, 2010, our Board declared a dividend of preferred share purchase rights (“Rights”) in respect to our common stock which were issued pursuant to a Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, dated as of November 23, 2010 (the “Tax Benefits Preservation Plan”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as rights agent. Each Right represents the right to purchase, upon the terms and subject to the conditions in the Plan, 1/10,000th of a share of our Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series C, no par value, for $6.00, subject to adjustment. The Tax Benefits Preservation Plan is designed to reduce the likelihood that the Company will experience an ownership change by discouraging any person from becoming a beneficial owner of 4.99% or more of our common stock (a “Threshold Holder”). To further protect our tax benefits, on January 26, 2011, our Board approved an amendment to our restated articles of incorporation to restrict transfers of our stock if the effect of an attempted transfer would cause the transferee to become a Threshold Holder or to cause the beneficial ownership of a Threshold Holder to increase (the “Protective Charter Amendment”). At our annual meeting of shareholders on April 27, 2011, we proposed the amendment which shareholders approved. There is no guarantee, however, that the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan or the Protective Charter Amendment will prevent the Company from experiencing an ownership change. As set forth above, our ability to pay dividends with respect to common stock was restricted until our obligations under our trust preferred securities were brought current which occurred in March 2013. Additionally, our ability to pay dividends depends on our ability to obtain dividends from our bank. As a Hawaii state-chartered bank, Central Pacific Bank may only pay dividends to the extent it has retained earnings as defined under Hawaii banking law (“Statutory Retained Earnings”), which differs from GAAP retained earnings. As of September 30, 2013, the bank had Statutory Retained Earnings of $175.5 million. In light of the Company’s improved capital position and financial condition, our Board and management, in consultation with our regulators, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share on the Company’s outstanding common shares on October 29, 2013. The dividend will be payable on December 16, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 29, 2013. This represents our second consecutive quarterly cash dividend.

EQUITY

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

11. EQUITY

In June 2013, the U.S. Treasury held a private auction to sell its warrant positions in several financial institutions which included the Company’s warrant to purchase up to 79,288 shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $10 per share. On June 6, 2013, we were notified that we were the winning bidder of the warrant at our bid of $752 thousand. The warrant was being carried as a derivative liability on our balance sheet at $828 thousand at March 31, 2013. Accordingly, we recorded a credit to other noninterest expense of $76 thousand during the quarter related to the gain on the purchase of the warrant. After the completion of this transaction, the U.S. Treasury no longer holds any outstanding shares of our common stock, or any warrants to purchase our common stock they received in connection with our participation in the Troubled Assets Relief Program.

We have generated considerable tax benefits, including net operating loss carry-forwards and federal and state tax credits. Our use of the tax benefits in the future would be significantly limited if we experience an “ownership change” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, an “ownership change” will occur if there is a cumulative increase in the Company’s ownership by “5-percent shareholders” (as defined under U.S. income tax laws) that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period.

On November 23, 2010, our Board declared a dividend of preferred share purchase rights (“Rights”) in respect to our common stock which were issued pursuant to a Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, dated as of November 23, 2010 (the “Tax Benefits Preservation Plan”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as rights agent. Each Right represents the right to purchase, upon the terms and subject to the conditions in the Plan, 1/10,000th of a share of our Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series C, no par value, for $6.00, subject to adjustment. The Tax Benefits Preservation Plan is designed to reduce the likelihood that the Company will experience an ownership change by discouraging any person from becoming a beneficial owner of 4.99% or more of our common stock (a “Threshold Holder”).

To further protect our tax benefits, on January 26, 2011, our Board approved an amendment to our restated articles of incorporation to restrict transfers of our stock if the effect of an attempted transfer would cause the transferee to become a Threshold Holder or to cause the beneficial ownership of a Threshold Holder to increase (the “Protective Charter Amendment”). At our annual meeting of shareholders on April 27, 2011, we proposed the amendment which shareholders approved. There is no guarantee, however, that the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan or the Protective Charter Amendment will prevent the Company from experiencing an ownership change.

As set forth above, our ability to pay dividends with respect to common stock was restricted until our obligations under our trust preferred securities were brought current which occurred in March 2013. Additionally, our ability to pay dividends depends on our ability to obtain dividends from our bank. As a Hawaii state-chartered bank, Central Pacific Bank may only pay dividends to the extent it has retained earnings as defined under Hawaii banking law (“Statutory Retained Earnings”), which differs from GAAP retained earnings. As of September 30, 2013, the bank had Statutory Retained Earnings of $175.5 million. In light of the Company’s improved capital position and financial condition, our Board and management, in consultation with our regulators, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share on the Company’s outstanding common shares on October 29, 2013. The dividend will be payable on December 16, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 29, 2013. This represents our second consecutive quarterly cash dividend.