STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

NOTE 18 – STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Common Stock

As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Corporation had 2,000,000,000 authorized shares of common stock with a par value of $0.10 per share. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there were 218,089,106and 216,051,128 shares issued, respectively, and 217,011,555 and 215,088,698 shares outstanding, respectively. On July 30, 2009, the Corporation announced the suspension of common and preferred stock dividends effective with the preferred dividend for the month of August 2009. Refer to Note 3 for information about transactions related to common stock under the Omnibus Plan.

Preferred Stock

The Corporation has 50,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock with a par value of $1.00, redeemable at the Corporation's option subject to certain terms. This stock may be issued in series and the shares of each series will have such rights and preferences as are fixed by the Board of Directors when authorizing the issuance of that particular series. As of March 31, 2016, the Corporation has five outstanding series of non-convertible, non-cumulative preferred stock: 7.125% non-cumulative perpetual monthly income preferred stock, Series A; 8.35% non-cumulative perpetual monthly income preferred stock, Series B; 7.40% non-cumulative perpetual monthly income preferred stock, Series C; 7.25% non-cumulative perpetual monthly income preferred stock, Series D; and 7.00% non-cumulative perpetual monthly income preferred stock, Series E. The liquidation value per share is $25.

Effective January 17, 2012, the Corporation delisted all of its outstanding series of non-convertible, non-cumulative preferred stock from the New York Stock Exchange. The Corporation has not arranged for listing and/or registration on another national securities exchange or for quotation of the Series A through E Preferred Stock in a quotation medium.

Treasury stock

During the first quarter of 2016 and 2015, the Corporation withheld an aggregate of 115,121shares and 50,708 shares, respectively,of the common stockpaid to certain senior officers as additional compensation andvested restricted stockto cover employees' payroll and income tax withholding liabilities; these shares are held as treasury shares. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Corporation had1,077,551and962,430shares held as treasury stock, respectively.

FirstBank Statutory Reserve (Legal Surplus)

The Banking Law of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico requires that a minimum of 10% of FirstBank's net income for the year be transferred to legal surplus until such surplus equals the total of paid-in-capital on common and preferred stock. Amounts transferred to the legal surplus account from the retained earnings account are not available for distribution to the stockholders without the prior consent of the Puerto Rico Commissioner of Financial Institutions. The Puerto Rico Banking Law provides that, when the expenditures of a Puerto Rico commercial bank are greater than receipts, the excess of the expenditures over receipts shall be charged against the undistributed profits of the bank, and the balance, if any, shall be charged against the reserve fund, as a reduction thereof. If there is no reserve fund sufficient to cover such balance in whole or in part, the outstanding amount shall be charged against the capital account and the Bank cannot pay dividends until it can replenish the reserve fund to an amount of at least 20% of the original capital contributed.During the fourth quarter of 2015, $2.8 million was transferred to the legal surplus reserve. FirstBank's legal surplus reserve, included as part of retained earnings in the Corporation's statement of financial condition, amounted to $42.8 million as of March 31, 2016.There were no transfers to the legal surplus reserve during the quarter ended March 31, 2016.