First Bancorp’s recently completed $525 million capital raise will enable it to be “more aggressive” in resolving its problem loans and putting itself back on the path of profitability, research, trading and investment banking analyst firm B. Riley said Monday.
First BanCorp, parent company for FirstBank Puerto Rico, announced that it has received approval at the special meeting of stockholders held earlier today to issue 150 million shares of its common stock for $3.50 per share to institutional investors.
After many months of talk that it would sell its operation off partially or entirely to offset its financial problems, First BanCorp on Tuesday announced it has entered into a definitive investment agreement with private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. under which THL would purchase about $180 million of the bank’s common stock.