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): August 8, 2013

ZIONS BANCORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(801) 524-4787

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(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 obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Item 3.03 Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders

Upon issuance of the Series J Preferred Stock (defined in Item 5.03 below) on August 13, 2013, the ability of Zions Bancorporation (the “Registrant”) to declare or pay dividends on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, shares of its common stock will be subject to certain restrictions in the event that the Registrant fails to pay dividends on its Series J Preferred Stock. These restrictions are set forth in the Articles of Amendment establishing the terms of the Series J Preferred Stock, a copy of which is listed as Exhibits 3.1 and 4.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 5.03 Amendment to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

On August 9, 2013, the Registrant filed Articles of Amendment to its Restated Articles of Incorporation with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, setting forth the terms of its Series J Fixed/Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, liquidation preference $1,000 per share (the “Series J Preferred Stock”). A copy of the Articles of Amendment relating to the Series J Preferred Stock is listed as Exhibits 3.1 and 4.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 8.01 Other Events

On August 8, 2013, the Registrant issued a press release announcing the pricing of its public offering of shares of the Company’s Series J Preferred Stock. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Additional exhibits are filed herewith in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Depositary Shares under the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-173299) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

SIGNATURES

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.