Title 12: Banks and Banking
PART 7—BANK ACTIVITIES AND OPERATIONS
Subpart B—Corporate Practices
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§ 7.2020 Acquisition and holding of shares as treasury stock.
(a) Acquisition of outstanding shares. Pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 59, including the requirements for prior approval by the bank's shareholders and the OCC imposed by that statute, a national bank may acquire its outstanding shares and hold them as treasury stock, if the acquisition and retention of the shares is, and continues to be, for a legitimate corporate purpose.
(b) Legitimate corporate purpose. Examples of legitimate corporate purposes include the acquisition and holding of treasury stock to:
(1) Have shares available for use in connection with employee stock option, bonus, purchase, or similar plans;
(2) Sell to a director for the purpose of acquiring qualifying shares;
(3) Purchase a director's qualifying shares upon the cessation of the director's service in that capacity if there is no ready market for the shares;
(4) Reduce the number of shareholders in order to qualify as a Subchapter S corporation; and
(5) Reduce costs associated with shareholder communications and meetings.
(c) Prohibition. It is not a legitimate corporate purpose to acquire or hold treasury stock on speculation about changes in its value.
[64 FR 60099, Nov. 4, 1999]
