UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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| Item 5.02 | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
On April 27, 2023, NewMarket Corporation (the “Company”) held its 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”), at which the Company’s shareholders approved the NewMarket Corporation 2023 Incentive Compensation and Stock Plan (the “2023 Incentive Plan”). For a description of the terms and conditions of the 2023 Incentive Plan, see “Proposal 5: Approval of NewMarket Corporation 2023 Incentive Compensation and Stock Plan” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2023 (the “Proxy Statement”), which description is incorporated herein by reference. Such description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the 2023 Incentive Plan, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 5.07 | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
At the Annual Meeting, the proposals listed below were submitted to a vote of shareholders. The proposals are described in more detail in the Proxy Statement. The results are as follows:
1. The shareholders elected each of the Company’s seven (7) nominees to serve on its Board of Directors for the ensuing year, as set forth below:
| Director | Votes For | Votes Against | Abstentions | Broker Non- Votes |
||||||||||||
| Mark M. Gambill |
7,472,847 | 1,123,435 | 9,565 | 478,368 | ||||||||||||
| Bruce C. Gottwald |
8,495,365 | 105,770 | 4,712 | 478,368 | ||||||||||||
| Thomas E. Gottwald |
8,442,774 | 158,679 | 4,394 | 478,368 | ||||||||||||
| Patrick D. Hanley |
8,263,393 | 335,270 | 7,184 | 478,368 | ||||||||||||
| H. Hiter Harris, III |
8,365,917 | 233,014 | 6,916 | 478,368 | ||||||||||||
| James E. Rogers |
8,251,279 | 347,956 | 6,612 | 478,368 | ||||||||||||
| Ting Xu |
8,366,762 | 231,508 | 7,577 | 478,368 | ||||||||||||
2. The shareholders ratified the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, as set forth below:
| Votes For |
Votes Against |
Abstentions | ||
| 8,886,029 | 194,296 | 3,890 |
3. The shareholders approved, on an advisory basis, the Company’s executive compensation program for its named executive officers disclosed in the Proxy Statement, as set forth below:
| Votes For |
Votes Against |
Abstentions |
Broker Non- Votes | |||
| 8,538,881 | 53,424 | 13,542 | 478,368 |
4. The shareholders approved, on an advisory basis, holding future advisory votes on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers every one year, as set forth below:
| One Year |
Two Years |
Three Years |
Abstentions |
Broker Non-Votes | ||||
| 8,443,416 | 4,313 | 149,631 | 8,487 | 478,368 |
Consistent with the shareholder vote and the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors, the Company will hold a shareholder advisory vote on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers annually until the next vote on the frequency of such advisory vote.
5. The shareholders approved the 2023 Incentive Plan, as set forth below:
| Votes For |
Votes Against |
Abstentions |
Broker Non-Votes | |||
| 8,477,487 | 119,281 | 9,079 | 478,368 |
6. The shareholders did not approve the shareholder proposal regarding the publication of GHG emissions and setting short-, medium- and long-term emission reduction targets to align business activities with net zero emissions by 2050 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as set forth below:
| Votes For |
Votes Against |
Abstentions |
Broker Non-Votes | |||
| 2,426,163 | 5,181,513 | 998,171 | 478,368 |
| Item 8.01 | Other Events. |
On April 27, 2023, the Company issued a press release reporting that the Company’s Board of Directors had approved raising the quarterly dividend approximately 7.1% from $2.10 per share on the common stock of the Company to $2.25 per share. The quarterly dividend is equivalent to an annual dividend of $9.00 per share, up from $8.40 per share. Future dividends are subject to quarterly determination and declaration by the Board of Directors. The current quarterly dividend is payable July 3, 2023, to Company shareholders of record at the close of business on June 15, 2023. A copy of this press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit 10.1 | NewMarket Corporation 2023 Incentive Compensation and Stock Plan (incorporated by reference to Annex B of the definitive proxy statement filed by NewMarket Corporation on March 10, 2023) | |
| Exhibit 99.1 | Press release regarding the quarterly dividend issued by the Company on April 27, 2023 | |
| Exhibit 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (Embedded within the inline XBRL document) | |
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.
Date: April 27, 2023
| NewMarket Corporation | ||
| By: | /s/ William J. Skrobacz | |
| Name: | William J. Skrobacz | |
| Title: | Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
EXHIBIT 99.1
NEWMARKET CORPORATION INCREASES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND
Richmond, VA, April 27, 2023 - The Board of Directors of NewMarket Corporation (NYSE: NEU) declared a quarterly dividend in the amount of $2.25 per share on the common stock of the Corporation, an increase of $0.15 as compared to the last quarterly dividend of $2.10 per share. The dividend is payable July 3, 2023, to NewMarket shareholders of record at the close of business on June 15, 2023.
NewMarket Corporation, through its subsidiaries Afton Chemical Corporation and Ethyl Corporation, develops, manufactures, blends, and delivers chemical additives that enhance the performance of petroleum products. From custom-formulated additive packages to market-general additives, the NewMarket family of companies provides the world with the technology to make engines run smoother, machines last longer, and fuels burn cleaner.
Some of the information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although NewMarket’s management believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from expectations.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, the availability of raw materials and distribution systems; disruptions at production facilities, including single-sourced facilities; hazards common to chemical businesses; the ability to respond effectively to technological changes in our industry; failure to protect our intellectual property rights; sudden, sharp, or prolonged raw material price increases; competition from other manufacturers; current and future governmental regulations; the loss of significant customers; failure to attract and retain a highly-qualified workforce; an information technology system failure or security breach; the occurrence or threat of extraordinary events, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, wars and health-related epidemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic; risks related to operating outside of the United States; political, economic, and regulatory factors concerning our products; the impact of substantial indebtedness on our operational and financial flexibility; the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; resolution of environmental liabilities or legal proceedings; limitation of our insurance coverage; our inability to realize expected benefits from investment in our infrastructure or from future acquisitions, or our inability to successfully integrate future acquisitions into our business; the underperformance of our pension assets resulting in additional cash contributions to our pension plans; and other factors detailed from time to time in the reports that NewMarket files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risk factors in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, which is available to shareholders upon request.
You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made by NewMarket in the foregoing discussion speaks only as of the date on which such forward-looking statement is made. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. We have no duty to, and do not intend to, update or revise the forward-looking statements in this discussion after the date hereof, except as may be required by law. In light of these risks and uncertainties, you should keep in mind that the events described in any forward-looking statement made in this discussion, or elsewhere, might not occur.
CONTACTS:
William J. Skrobacz
Investor Relations
Phone: 804.788.5555
Fax: 804.788.5688
Email: [email protected]