Zions Bancorporation Announces Plans to Auction $143.75 Million of Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Through Zions Direct

SALT LAKE CITY, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zions Bancorporation (Nasdaq: ZION) ("Zions") today announced its plans to offer 5,750,000 depositary shares each representing a 1/40th interest in a share of Series F non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock via an auction pursuant to a previously filed prospectus supplement to its prospectus dated April 4, 2011.  The public offering price and the allocation of the preferred stock in this offering will be determined by an online auction process facilitated by Zions Direct, Inc. ("Zions Direct"), as Auction Agent.  Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. is serving as sole underwriter and sole-book running manager for the offering.

The auction is expected to open on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 3:00pm Eastern Time and close on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 3:00pm Eastern Time. 

Zions intends to use the net cash proceeds from this offering to redeem all outstanding shares of its Series E fixed-rate resettable non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock.

Zions Bancorporation is one of the nation's premier financial services companies, consisting of a collection of great banks in select Western U.S. markets. Zions operates its banking businesses under local management teams and community identities through nearly 500 offices in 10 Western and Southwestern states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. The company is a national leader in Small Business Administration lending and public finance advisory services. In addition, Zions is included in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Financial 100 indices.

The preferred stock will be issued pursuant to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-173299) previously filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). The Registration Statement is effective. Copies of the applicable prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained when available by contacting Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, Harborside Financial Center, 100 Plaza One, Floor 2, Jersey City, New Jersey 07311-3988, telephone toll-free: 1-800-503-4611 or by email: [email protected], or by visiting Zions Direct's auction website at www.zionsdirect.com, or by visiting EDGAR on the Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to preferred stock of the Company or any other securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

This press release contains statements that relate to the projected or modeled performance or condition of Zions Bancorporation and elements of or affecting such performance or condition, including statements with respect to forecasts, opportunities, models, illustrations, scenarios, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, guidance, expectations, anticipations or estimates, and similar matters.  These statements constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.  Actual facts, determinations, results or achievements may differ materially from the statements provided in this presentation since such statements involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties.  Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to:  competitive pressures among financial institutions; economic, market and business conditions, either nationally, internationally, or locally in areas in which Zions Bancorporation conducts its operations, being less favorable than expected; changes in the interest rate environment reducing expected interest margins; changes in debt, equity and securities markets; adverse legislation or regulatory changes and/or determinations; and other factors described in Zions Bancorporation's most recent annual and quarterly reports.  In addition, the statements contained in this presentation are based on facts and circumstances as understood by management of the company on the date of this press release, which may change in the future.  Except as required by law, Zions Bancorporation disclaims any obligation to update any statements or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events, developments, determinations or understandings.

SOURCE Zions Bancorporation