Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles has withdrawn its proposal to merge with BBCN Bancorp.
The $4.2 billion-asset Hanmi said in a press release Thursday that its decision follows the $7.6 billion-asset BBCN's
"While we strongly believe that Hanmi's proposal was superior to BBCN's announced agreement with Wilshire, as a disciplined acquirer, we have concluded that, at this time, continued pursuit of a combination with BBCN is not in the best interests of our stockholders," Hanmi's board said in the release.
Hanmi's board said the breakup fee of the BBCN-Wilshire deal would have increased the effective cost of its
"Hanmi remains focused on its disciplined growth strategy," the board added. "Hanmi's superior capital and liquidity positions will also allow us to capitalize on the dislocation that the announced BBCN-Wilshire combination is creating."