Form 8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_________________

FORM 8-K

_________________

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 24, 2019

_______________________________

WESTAMERICA BANCORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

_______________________________

California	001-09383	94-2156203
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1108 Fifth Avenue

San Rafael, California 94901

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(707) 863-6000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

_______________________________

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, no par value	WABC	The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company,indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On October 24, 2019, the Registrant issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Exhibit 99.1. Press release dated October 24, 2019

Exhibit 104. Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	WESTAMERICA BANCORPORATION


Date: October 24, 2019	By:	/s/ John "Robert" Thorson
		John "Robert" Thorson
		Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EdgarFiling

EXHIBIT 99.1

Westamerica Bancorporation Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Oct. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Westamerica Bancorporation (NASDAQ: WABC) today declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.41 per share on common stock outstanding to shareholders of record at the close of business November 4, 2019. The dividend is payable November 15, 2019.

Chairman, President and CEO David Payne stated, “This dividend recognizes Westamerica’s healthy capital level, sound asset quality, and profitability.”

On October 17, 2019, Westamerica reported $20.4 million in net income for the three months ended September 30, 2019, or $0.75 diluted earnings per common share.

Westamerica Bancorporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Westamerica Bank, operates banking and trust offices throughout Northern and Central California.

Westamerica Bancorporation Web Address: www.westamerica.com

For additional information contact:
	Westamerica Bancorporation
	1108 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
	Robert A. Thorson – SVP & Chief Financial Officer
	707-863-6840
	investments@westamerica.com

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

The following appears in accordance with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This press release may contain forward-looking statements about the Company, including descriptions of plans or objectives of its management for future operations, products or services, and forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other measures of economic performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may."

Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors — many of which are beyond the Company's control — could cause actual conditions, events or results to differ significantly from those described in the forward-looking statements. The Company's most recent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the annual report for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed on Form 10-K and quarterly report for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 filed on Form 10-Q, describe some of these factors, including certain credit, interest rate, operational, liquidity and market risks associated with the Company's business and operations. Other factors described in these reports include changes in business and economic conditions, competition, fiscal and monetary policies, disintermediation, cyber security risks, legislation including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2011, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, and mergers and acquisitions.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date forward looking statements are made.

Cover	Oct. 24, 2019
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Oct. 24, 2019
Entity File Number	001-09383
Entity Registrant Name	WESTAMERICA BANCORPORATION
Entity Central Index Key	0000311094
Entity Tax Identification Number	94-2156203
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	CA
Entity Address, Address Line One	1108 Fifth Avenue
Entity Address, City or Town	San Rafael
Entity Address, State or Province	CA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	94901
City Area Code	707
Local Phone Number	863-6000
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, no par value
Trading Symbol	WABC
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false