TriCo Bancshares Files Definitive Merger Agreement with First Hawaiian, Discloses $2.5M CEO Bonus
TCBK sits 50% above its 52-week low of $39.69 on elevated volume (3.3× avg).
Summary
TriCo Bancshares filed the definitive merger agreement for its $2.0 billion acquisition by First Hawaiian, disclosing a $2.5 million CEO bonus and detailed deal terms including a 2.095 exchange ratio and $80 million termination fee.
Key Events · M&A and Partnerships · TCBK
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Definitive Merger Agreement Filed
TriCo Bancshares entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by First Hawaiian in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $2.0 billion, with TriCo shareholders receiving 2.095 First Hawaiian shares per TriCo share.
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CEO Transaction Bonus
CEO Richard P. Smith will receive a special one-time $2.5 million bonus at closing, payable in cash, restricted stock units, or a combination, contingent on his continued employment through the merger close.
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Deal Protection and Governance
The agreement includes a $80 million mutual termination fee and provides for four TriCo directors to join First Hawaiian's board upon closing.
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Equity Award Treatment
Outstanding TriCo equity awards will be converted into First Hawaiian stock or assumed, with performance-based awards granted over 12 months ago vesting based on actual performance through closing.
Analysis · TCBK · Finance
TriCo Bancshares filed the definitive merger agreement for its $2.0 billion all-stock acquisition by First Hawaiian. The filing reveals a special $2.5 million transaction bonus for CEO Richard P. Smith, payable at closing, and confirms a fixed exchange ratio of 2.095 First Hawaiian shares per TriCo share. The deal includes a $80 million termination fee and will add four TriCo directors to First Hawaiian's board. This formalizes the merger announced two days ago and provides the binding legal framework, moving the transaction from announcement to execution phase.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Sep 16, 2026, 39.8% of the 397 measured filings Wiseek scored 9 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.50%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
Measured one observation per ticker per day, after exclusions. Current figures: Filing Impact Tracker · open dataset
At the time of this filing, TCBK was trading at $59.43 on NASDAQ in the Finance sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.9B. The 52-week trading range was $39.69 to $60.42. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 9 out of 10.