CIT to Acquire Mutual of Omaha Bank

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) and Mutual of Omaha (Mutual) today announced a definitive agreement for CIT’s banking subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A., to acquire Mutual’s savings bank subsidiary, Mutual of Omaha Bank, for a purchase price of $1 billion. The purchase price will be comprised primarily of cash and up to $150 million of CIT common stock, the amount of which will be determined by CIT. The transaction will diversify and enhance CIT’s funding profile with stable, lower-cost deposits from Mutual of Omaha Bank’s market-leading homeowner’s association (HOA) banking business. In addition, it will advance CIT’s strategic plan, extend its commercial banking capabilities and enhance profitability.

The transaction includes $6.8 billion in deposits, $4.5 billion of which are HOA deposits from more than 31,000 community associations nationwide, and $2.3 billion of which are from commercial and consumer financial centers in key markets. In addition, $8.3 billion of total assets, including $3.9 billion of middle-market commercial loans, are part of the transaction, which adds to CIT’s growing franchise. On a pro forma basis, CIT will have approximately $42.1 billion of total deposits and $58.9 billion of total assets.   

CIT Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer Ellen R. Alemany said, “Following our multi-year strategic transformation, we entered the next phase of our plan focused on thoughtful growth and value creation. This transaction squarely aligns to those goals by immediately enhancing our deposit and commercial banking capabilities and improving our profitability. This is a unique opportunity to accelerate our strategic plan through the addition of a market-leading HOA deposit franchise, a broader set of product and technology solutions and an expanded business footprint that complements CIT’s existing franchise.”  

“Mutual of Omaha Bank has a talented and dedicated team that built a successful, vibrant institution. The integration of Mutual of Omaha Bank into CIT creates great opportunity to leverage the strengths of both institutions,” said Mutual of Omaha Chairman and CEO James Blackledge. “This transaction allows Mutual of Omaha to focus on, and invest in, growth in its core insurance businesses.”

CIT Strategic Benefits

The acquisition will accelerate the next phase of CIT’s strategic plan and complement the company’s focus on serving small and midsized businesses with thoughtful solutions, competitive financing and deposit products. The HOA business offers a national, highly scalable deposit channel with a strong market presence and differentiated technology-enabled solutions. The commercial banking business and financial centers add additional talent and expertise in key metro markets that supplement CIT’s presence. 

CIT Financial Benefits

The transaction is expected to improve CIT’s deposit costs by approximately 20 basis points upon closing. The company’s return on tangible common equity ratio is expected to be enhanced by 80 basis points in 2020 and increase to more than 100 basis points over two years. The transaction is expected to be accretive to 2020 estimated earnings per share (EPS) by 2 percent, based on CIT’s consensus estimate with cost savings fully phased in, and EPS accretion is expected to grow to double-digits over time.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory approval and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The agreement excludes Mutual’s mortgage subsidiary, Synergy One Lending.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as lead financial advisor to CIT and rendered a fairness opinion to the CIT Board of Directors. Evercore also served as a financial advisor, and Sullivan and Cromwell LLP served as legal advisor to CIT. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a Stifel Company, served as financial advisor and Squire Patton Boggs served as legal advisor for Mutual of Omaha.

Investor Conference Call

CIT will host a conference call today, Tuesday, Aug. 13, to discuss the transaction. Conference call details are as follows and the presentation, which includes an appendix reconciling non-GAAP disclosures, can be found in the Investor Relations section of cit.com.

The conference call will also be webcast, which can be accessed from the Investor Relations section of cit.com. A replay of the conference call will be available on the website. 

About CIT
CIT is a leading national bank focused on empowering businesses and personal savers with the financial agility to navigate their goals. CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) is a financial holding company with over a century of experience, approximately $50 billion in assets as of June 30, 2019, and operates a principal bank subsidiary, CIT Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender). The company's commercial banking segment includes commercial financing, real estate financing, equipment financing, factoring and railcar financing. CIT's consumer banking segment includes its national online bank, CIT Bank, and a Southern California branch bank, OneWest Bank. Discover more at cit.com/about.

About Mutual of Omaha

Founded in 1909, Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 500 organization offering a variety of insurance and financial products for individuals, businesses and groups throughout the United States. In the individual market, Mutual is a leader in the senior health, life, long-term care, disability and annuity lines. The company also offers a portfolio of employee benefit and retirement solutions. For more information about Mutual of Omaha, visit www.mutualofomaha.com.