CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Financial
Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: FFCH) ('First Financial' or 'Company') today announced
that through an arrangement with Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett, Inc., it will
make individual presentations to several institutional investors at their 13th
Annual Bank Conference. R. Wayne Hall, Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer, will be attending the conference August 19 & 20 in Chicago,
IL.
The presentations will focus on the Company's performance and its
corporate strategy. The slides used for these presentations will be available
on the Company's website, www.firstfinancialholdings.com, on Tuesday, August
19, 2008, and will remain available through October 31, 2008. This updated
presentation will be used throughout the quarter.
First Financial is the holding company for First Federal Savings and Loan
Association of Charleston, which operates 56 offices located in the Charleston
metropolitan area, Horry, Georgetown, Florence and Beaufort counties in South
Carolina and Brunswick County in coastal North Carolina. The Company also
provides insurance, brokerage and trust services through First Southeast
Insurance Services, The Kimbrell Insurance Group, First Southeast Investor
Services and First Southeast Fiduciary and Trust Services.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain matters in this news release constitute forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These forward-looking statements relate to, among others, expectations of the
business environment in which the Company operates, projections of future
performance, including operating efficiencies, perceived opportunities in the
market, potential future credit experience, and statements regarding the
Company's mission and vision. These forward-looking statements are based upon
current management expectations, and may, therefore, involve risks and
uncertainties. Management's ability to predict results or the effect of
future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. The Company's actual
results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those
suggested, expressed or implied by forward-looking statements due to a wide
range of factors including, but not limited to, the general business
environment, general economic conditions nationally and in the State of South
Carolina, interest rates, the South Carolina real estate market, the demand
for mortgage loans, the credit risk of lending activities, including changes
in the level of and trend of loan delinquencies and charge-offs, results of
examinations by our banking regulators, competitive conditions between banks
and non-bank financial services providers, regulatory changes and other risks
detailed in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2007. Accordingly, these factors should be considered in
evaluating the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be
placed on these statements.
Such forward-looking statements may include projections. Such projections
were not prepared in accordance with published guidelines of the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants or the SEC regarding projections and
forecasts nor have such projections been audited, examined or otherwise
reviewed by independent auditors of the Company. In addition, such
projections are based upon many estimates and inherently subject to
significant economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of
which are beyond the control of management of the Company. Accordingly,
actual results may be materially higher or lower than those projected. The
inclusion of such projections herein should not be regarded as a
representation by the Company that the projections will prove to be correct.
The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that
may be made on behalf of the Company.
For additional information about First Financial, please visit our web
site at www.firstfinancialholdings.com or contact Dorothy B. Wright, Vice
President-Investor Relations and Corporate Secretary, (843) 529-5931.
SOURCE First Financial Holdings, Inc.
