Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. Completes Shareholder Rights Offering
June 07 2005 - 3:04PM
PR Newswire (US)
Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. Completes Shareholder Rights
Offering FORT WORTH, Texas, June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. (AMEX:HAF.EC) today announced the
completion of its shareholder rights offering. Shareholders
exercised subscription rights to purchase all 50.0 million shares
offered at the subscription price of $0.90 per share, resulting in
gross offering proceeds to the Company of $45.0 million.
Shareholders exercised basic subscriptions for approximately 36.8
million shares and over-subscriptions for the remaining
approximately 13.2 million shares. Approximately $3.8 million in
additional funds attributable to excess over-subscriptions will be
returned to the subscribing shareholders by the subscription agent.
The Company's transfer agent is in the process of preparing and
transmitting stock certificates representing the shares issued in
the rights offering. "The successful completion of this aspect of
our strategic plan has significantly increased the capitalization
and underwriting capacity of our Company," stated Mark E. Schwarz,
Hallmark's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Hallmark is
continuing to pursue the regulatory process necessary to
consolidate the underwriting of all of its non-standard automobile
insurance into one insurance subsidiary and to convert its other
personal lines insurance subsidiary to a commercial lines insurance
carrier," Mr. Schwarz continued. Mark J. Morrison, Hallmark's Chief
Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, stated, "The $45.0
million in new equity capital raised in the rights offering,
together with $30.0 million in proceeds from new debt presently
being negotiated, will be used as working capital for the Company's
business and general corporate purposes. The Company believes that
the infusion of this additional working capital and realignment of
its insurance operations will allow it to write and retain
additional personal lines business, permit it to directly write
commercial lines business presently being sold as agent for a third
party insurer, and enable both insurance subsidiaries to achieve
more favorable financial strength ratings from our rating
agencies." Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. engages primarily in
the sale of property and casualty insurance products. The Company's
business involves marketing and underwriting of non-standard
personal automobile insurance primarily in Texas, Arizona and New
Mexico, marketing commercial insurance primarily in Texas, New
Mexico, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, third party claims
administration, and other insurance related services. The Company
is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and its common stock is
listed on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol "HAF.EC".
Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the
"safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act
of 1995. Investors are cautioned that actual results may differ
substantially from such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not
limited to, continued acceptance of the Company's products and
services in the marketplace, competitive factors, interest rate
trends, the availability of financing, underwriting loss experience
and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's
registration statement and periodic reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. For further information, please
contact: Mark J. Morrison Chief Operating Officer & Chief
Financial Officer 817.348.1600 http://www.hallmarkgrp.com/
DATASOURCE: Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. CONTACT: Mark J.
Morrison, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer of
Hallmark Financial Services, Inc., +1-817-348-1600 Web site:
http://www.hallmarkgrp.com/
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