SouthFirst Bancshares Inc. announced that its Board of Directors approved a change in the company's fiscal year-end from September 30, to a calendar year-end of December 31. The company intends to operate a stub year from October 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012, and then begin a new fiscal year starting January 1, 2013. The company believes this change will provide certain benefits, including aligning its reporting periods to be more consistent with that of other financial institutions regulated by the office of the comptroller of the currency, the company's new banking regulator.