Icahn Enterprises Announces Extension and Amendment to Southwest Gas Tender Offer

Rhea-AI Summary

On March 23, 2022, IEP Utility Holdings LLC extended its tender offer for Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. until April 21, 2022, at an offer price of $82.50 per share. The regulatory approval condition has been removed, allowing for the possible acceptance of shares over 24.9%. Currently, approximately 12.55 million shares, or 20.8% of outstanding shares, have been tendered. IEP Utility Holdings aims for a proxy contest to replace Southwest Gas's board, hoping to eliminate the poison pill and expedite payments to tendering shareholders.

Positive

• Extended tender offer provides more time for shareholders to respond.
• Removal of regulatory approval condition simplifies the tender process.
• Proxy contest may lead to beneficial changes in board leadership.

Negative

• Current tendered shares represent only 20.8% of outstanding shares, indicating limited shareholder support.

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla., March 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IEP Utility Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Icahn Enterprises L.P. (the "Offeror"), announced that it has extended the expiration date of its tender offer (the "Offer") to purchase any and all of the issued and outstanding shares of the common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Common Stock"), of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company" or "Southwest Gas"), including the associated rights issued pursuant to the Rights Agreement, dated October 10, 2021 (as it may be amended from time to time, the "Rights Agreement"), between the Company and Equiniti Trust Company, as rights agent, that are issued and outstanding (the "Rights" and, together with the Common Stock, the "Shares"), for $82.50 per Share in cash, without interest, less any applicable withholding taxes (the "Offer Price"), until 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Thursday, April 21, 2022, unless further extended or earlier terminated in the event that a condition to the Offer becomes incapable of being satisfied.

The Offeror also announced today that it is removing the regulatory approval condition to the Offer. As previously announced, upon the closing of the Offer, if Shares are tendered that would result in the Offeror (and its affiliates) holding more than 24.9% of the Shares, then all of the Shares in excess of 24.9% will be transferred to one or more independent Delaware statutory trusts with each trust being independent of the other trusts and not owning more than 24.9% of all Shares. The trust agreements, which will limit the number of Shares that the Offeror (and its affiliates) are entitled to vote to a maximum of 24.9% of the Shares, allow the Offeror to close the Offer and accept all Shares that are validly tendered and not withdrawn in the Offer, without first obtaining regulatory approvals that may have otherwise been required if the closing of the Offer results in the Offeror obtaining voting power or control in excess of 24.9% of the Shares. In light of the foregoing, the Offeror has determined to remove the regulatory approval condition to the Offer. As a result, the only meaningful condition to the Offer is now in the hands of the stockholders. Affiliates of the Offeror are now conducting a proxy contest to replace the entire incumbent board of directors of the Company at the upcoming annual meeting of stockholders. The Offeror is confident that, if its affiliates are successful in replacing a majority of the incumbent directors, the poison pill will be eliminated and those stockholders choosing to tender their Shares will receive their money promptly.

The Offer continues to be subject to the remaining conditions set forth in Section 14 — "Conditions of the Offer" of the Offer to Purchase. Complete terms and conditions of the tender offer can be found in the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal, the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, the Supplement to the Offer to Purchase, and certain other materials contained in the Offeror's tender offer statement on Schedule TO originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on October 27, 2021, as amended and as may be further amended from time to time, and are available at www.sec.gov. Except as described in this press release, the terms of the tender offer remain the same as set forth in the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal, the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, and the Supplement to the Offer to Purchase, in each case, as amended.

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the depositary for the tender offer, has advised the Offeror that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 23, 2022, a total of approximately 12,554,796 Shares had been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn, representing approximately 20.8% of the outstanding Shares. Of the Shares tendered, 2,649,625 Shares were tendered pursuant to guaranteed delivery procedures. Stockholders who have previously validly tendered and not withdrawn their shares do not need to re-tender their shares or take any other action in response to this extension. 

Copies of the Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal and other materials related to the tender offer may be obtained for free from the information agent, Harkins Kovler, LLC, at (800) 326-5997 (U.S. banks and brokerage firms, please call (212) 468-5380). The depositary for the tender offer is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company.

Additional Information and Where to Find It;
Participants in the Solicitation and Notice to Investors

SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES BY CARL C. ICAHN AND HIS AFFILIATES FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS, INC. ("SOUTHWEST GAS") FOR USE AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN SUCH PROXY SOLICITATION. WHEN COMPLETED, A DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND A FORM OF PROXY WILL BE MAILED TO STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS AND WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE AT THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION'S ("SEC") WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. INFORMATION RELATING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN SUCH PROXY SOLICITATION IS CONTAINED IN THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT FILED BY ICAHN PARTNERS LP AND ITS AFFILIATES WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 15, 2022. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE DISCLOSED IN THE SCHEDULE 14A, THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE NO INTEREST IN SOUTHWEST GAS. THE SOLICITATION DISCUSSED HEREIN RELATES TO THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR USE AT THE 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS. 

THIS COMMUNICATION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION, AN OFFER TO PURCHASE OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL SHARES. IEP UTILITY HOLDINGS LLC, AN AFFILIATE OF ICAHN ENTERPRISES, FILED A TENDER OFFER STATEMENT AND RELATED EXHIBITS WITH THE SEC ON OCTOBER 27, 2021. SOUTHWEST GAS FILED A SOLICITATION/ RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE TENDER OFFER WITH THE SEC ON NOVEMBER 9, 2021. STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO READ THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT (INCLUDING THE RELATED EXHIBITS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT, AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR SHARES. THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT (INCLUDING THE RELATED EXHIBITS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ARE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE ON THE SEC'S WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV. THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED BY IEP UTLITY HOLDINGS LLC WITH THE SEC WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS FREE OF CHARGE UPON REQUEST TO THE INFORMATION AGENT FOR THE TENDER OFFER. THE INFORMATION AGENT FOR THE TENDER OFFER IS HARKINS KOVLER, LLC, 3 COLUMBUS CIRCLE, 15TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10019, TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE: +1 (800) 326-5997, EMAIL: SWX@HARKINSKOVLER.COM. 

Other Important Disclosure Information

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING THIS PRESS RELEASE

THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS OUR CURRENT VIEWS ON THE VALUE OF SOUTHWEST GAS SECURITIES AND CERTAIN ACTIONS THAT SOUTHWEST GAS' BOARD MAY TAKE TO ENHANCE THE VALUE OF ITS SECURITIES. OUR VIEWS ARE BASED ON OUR OWN ANALYSIS OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND ASSUMPTIONS WE BELIEVE TO BE REASONABLE. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE INFORMATION WE CONSIDERED AND ANALYZED IS ACCURATE OR COMPLETE. SIMILARLY, THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT OUR ASSUMPTIONS ARE CORRECT. SOUTHWEST GAS' PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM OUR ASSUMPTIONS AND ANALYSIS.

WE HAVE NOT SOUGHT, NOR HAVE WE RECEIVED, PERMISSION FROM ANY THIRDPARTY TO INCLUDE THEIR INFORMATION IN THIS PRESS RELEASE. ANY SUCH INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS INDICATING THE SUPPORT OF SUCH THIRD PARTY FOR THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN.

OUR VIEWS AND OUR HOLDINGS COULD CHANGE AT ANY TIME. WE MAY SELL ANY OR ALL OF OUR HOLDINGS OR INCREASE OUR HOLDINGS BY PURCHASING ADDITIONAL SECURITIES. WE MAY TAKE ANY OF THESE OR OTHER ACTIONS REGARDING SOUTHWEST GAS WITHOUT UPDATING THIS PRESS RELEASE OR PROVIDING ANY NOTICE WHATSOEVER OF ANY SUCH CHANGES (EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY LAW).

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements that are predications of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or activities and are subject to many risks and uncertainties. Due to such risks and uncertainties, actual events or results or actual performance may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of the future tense or other forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "should," "may," "will," "objective," "projection," "forecast," "management believes," "continue," "strategy," "position" or the negative of those terms or other variations of them or by comparable terminology.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations set forth in this press release include, among other things, the factors identified in Southwest Gas' public filings. Such forward-looking statements should therefore be construed in light of such factors, and we are under no obligation, and expressly disclaim any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts: 

Information Agent

Harkins Kovler, LLC
Peter Harkins / Jordan Kovler
(212) 468-5390 / (212) 468-5384
pharkins@harkinskovler.com  / jkovler@harkinskovler.com   

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SOURCE Icahn Enterprises L.P.

FAQ

What is the new expiration date for IEP's tender offer for Southwest Gas Holdings?

The new expiration date is April 21, 2022.

What is the offer price for the tender offer by IEP for Southwest Gas?

The offer price is $82.50 per share.

How many shares have been tendered as of March 23, 2022?

Approximately 12,554,796 shares, or 20.8% of outstanding shares, have been tendered.

What significant condition was removed from IEP's tender offer?

The regulatory approval condition was removed.

What does IEP Utility Holdings aim to achieve in the proxy contest?

They aim to replace the incumbent board of directors at Southwest Gas.