Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc SC 14D9/A, filed Mar 7, 2022
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (SWX)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14D-9
SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT
UNDER SECTION 14(d)(4) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Amendment No. 11)
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.
(Name of Subject Company)
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.
(Name of Persons Filing Statement)
Common Stock, par value $1 per share
Preferred Stock Purchase Rights
(Title of Class of Securities)
844895102
(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)
Karen S. Haller
Executive Vice President / Chief Legal & Administrative Officer
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.
8360 S. Durango Dr., P.O. Box 98510
Las Vegas, Nevada
(702) 876-7237
(Name, Address and Telephone Number, including area code, of Agent For Service)
With copies to:
Brandon C. Parris
Morrison & Foerster LLP
425 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 268-7000
(Name, address, and telephone numbers of person authorized to receive notices and communications
on behalf of the persons filing statement)
| ☐ | Check the box if the filing relates solely to preliminary communications made before the commencement of a tender offer. |
Introduction
This Amendment No. 11 to Schedule 14D-9 (this “Amendment”) amends and supplements the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 (as amended from time to time, the “Statement”) originally filed by Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 9, 2021. The Statement relates to the unsolicited tender offer by IEP Utility Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, to purchase any and all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $1 per share, of the Company at a price of $75.00 per share, in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. Except as otherwise set forth in this Amendment, the information set forth in the Statement remains unchanged.
The Statement is hereby amended and supplemented as follows:
| Item 9 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
Item 9 of the Statement is hereby amended and supplemented by adding the following exhibits:
| Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| (a)(23) | Press Release, dated March 7, 2022, with respect to Carl Icahn’s publicly released letter |
SIGNATURE
After due inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this Statement is true, complete and correct.
| SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
| /s/ Thomas E. Moran | ||
| Date: March 7, 2022 | Thomas E. Moran | |
| Vice President/Corporate Secretary/Legal Counsel | ||
Exhibit (a)(23)
Southwest Gas Holdings Issues Statement
March 7, 2022
LAS VEGAS, March 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) (“Southwest Gas”) today issued the following statement in response to a publicly released letter from Carl C. Icahn.
We are moving forward expeditiously to complete the separation of Centuri within 9 to 12 months because we believe that this is the optimal time to create two strong independent companies. Centuri is expected to achieve a premium valuation among peers due to its attractive, investment-grade utility customer base and track record of significant EBITDA growth. Upon fully separating Centuri, our company will be a pure-play, fully regulated natural gas business with strong regulatory relationships that underpinned near-record growth in revenues and rate base in 2021. The recently acquired regulated pipeline business, MountainWest, provides a complementary and compelling suite of high-return assets to generate substantial cashflows and earnings accretion. Our regulated natural gas operations enjoy unique strength and stability and we are confident in our ability to obtain permanent financing on attractive terms and to lower our future borrowing costs as a pure-play regulated entity.
About Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the business of purchasing, distributing and transporting natural gas, and providing comprehensive utility infrastructure services across North America. Southwest Gas Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary, safely and reliably delivers natural gas to over two million customers in Arizona, California and Nevada. The Company’s MountainWest subsidiary provides natural gas storage and interstate pipeline services within the Rocky Mountain region. Centuri Group, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, is a strategic infrastructure services company that partners with regulated utilities to build and maintain the energy network that powers millions of homes and businesses across the United States and Canada.
How to Find Further Information
This communication does not constitute a solicitation of any vote or approval in connection with the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) (the “Annual Meeting”). In connection with the Annual Meeting, the Company has filed a preliminary proxy statement and will file a definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which the Company will furnish, with any other relevant information or documents, to its stockholders in connection with the Annual Meeting. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, WE URGE STOCKHOLDERS TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND WHITE PROXY CARD AND OTHER DOCUMENTS WHEN SUCH INFORMATION IS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THE ANNUAL MEETING. The proposals for the Annual Meeting will be made solely through the definitive proxy statement. In addition, a copy of the definitive proxy statement (when it becomes available) may be obtained free of charge from www.swgasholdings.com/proxymaterials. Security holders also will be able to obtain, free of charge, copies of the proxy statement and any other documents filed by Company with the SEC in connection with the Annual Meeting at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, and at the companies’ website at www.swgasholdings.com.
Important Information for Investors and Stockholders: This communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. In response to the tender offer for the shares of the Company commenced by IEP Utility Holdings LLC and Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P., the Company has filed a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS ARE URGED TO READ THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and stockholders may obtain a free copy of these documents free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and at the Company’s website at www.swgasholdings.com. In addition, copies of these materials may be requested from the Company’s information agent, Innisfree M&A Incorporated, toll-free at (877) 825-8621.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) and the Company’s expectations or intentions regarding the future. These forward-looking statements can often be identified by the use of words such as “will”, “predict”, “continue”, “forecast”, “expect”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “outlook”, “could”, “target”, “project”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, “estimate”, “should”, “may” and “assume”, as well as variations of such words and similar expressions referring to the future, and include (without limitation) statements regarding expectations with respect to a separation of Centuri, the future performance of Centuri, Southwest Gas’s dividend ratios and Southwest Gas’s future performance. A number of important factors affecting the business and financial results of the Company could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the timing and amount of rate relief, changes in rate design, customer growth rates, the effects of regulation/deregulation, tax reform and related regulatory decisions, the impacts of construction activity at Centuri, whether we will separate Centuri within the anticipated timeframe and the impact to our results of operations and financial position from the separation, the potential for, and the impact of, a credit rating downgrade, the costs to integrate MountainWest, future earnings trends, inflation, sufficiency of labor markets and similar resources, seasonal patterns, the cost and management attention of ongoing litigation that the Company is currently engaged in, the effects of the pending tender offer and proxy contest brought by Carl Icahn and his affiliates, and the impacts of stock market volatility. In addition, the Company can provide no assurance that its discussions about future operating margin, operating income, COLI earnings, interest expense, and capital expenditures of the natural gas distribution segment will occur. Likewise, the Company can provide no assurance that discussions regarding utility infrastructure services segment revenues, EBITDA as a percentage of revenue, and interest expense will transpire, nor assurance regarding acquisitions or their impacts, including management’s plans or expectations related thereto, including with regard to Riggs Distler or MountainWest. Factors that could cause actual results to differ also include (without limitation) those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company’s and Southwest Gas Corporation’s current and periodic reports, including our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, filed from time to time with the SEC. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by the Company on its Web site or otherwise. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward- looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.
Participants in the Solicitation: The directors and officers of the Company may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Annual Meeting. Information regarding the Company’s directors and officers and their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or otherwise is available in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and its most recent definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants is or will be included in the proxy statement for the Annual Meeting and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC, when they become available.
Contacts
For stockholders information, contact: Boyd Nelson (702) 876-7237 boyd.nelson@swgas.com
For media information, contact: Sean Corbett (702) 876-7219 sean.corbett@swgas.com; or Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher, Dan Katcher
/Tim Lynch, (212) 355-4449
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-gas-holdings-issues-statement-301497005.html
SOURCE Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.