Sunoco LP and NuStar Energy L.P. Announce Expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act Waiting Period
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Insights
The completion of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act is a significant legal milestone for the Sunoco and NuStar merger. This indicates that the proposed transaction has passed one of the major antitrust scrutiny stages. For stakeholders, it means reduced legal uncertainty surrounding the deal. The HSR Act essentially allows the government to investigate and address any antitrust concerns before a merger is finalized. This expiration does not imply approval of the merger, but rather that there is no further action required by the parties to comply with the antitrust laws at this stage.
From a legal standpoint, the next steps would involve ensuring compliance with any remaining regulatory requirements and preparing for the NuStar unitholder vote. The definitive proxy statement is a critical document that provides unitholders with the necessary information to make an informed decision. The fact that the transaction is expected to close shortly after unitholder approval suggests confidence from both parties in the deal's completion.
The strategic implications of Sunoco's acquisition of NuStar are notable in the energy sector. Sunoco's core operations will benefit from enhanced distribution capabilities and an expanded footprint in the motor fuel distribution market. For investors, the successful merger could translate into operational synergies that might improve profitability and efficiency. The anticipated receipt of Sunoco's distributions by NuStar unitholders post-transaction is an immediate financial incentive for approval.
It's important to consider the broader market context. The energy sector is often subject to volatility due to fluctuating commodity prices and regulatory changes. The consolidation of these entities could provide a more stable platform for growth and resilience against market shifts. However, investors should also be aware of integration risks and the potential for unforeseen operational challenges.
The financial implications of the Sunoco and NuStar transaction will be closely monitored by the market. The merger's impact on Sunoco's liquidity and debt levels should be evaluated, as well as the potential for cost savings and revenue enhancements. The market will look for signs of accretive value to Sunoco's earnings per share and whether the transaction aligns with Sunoco's long-term financial strategy.
Furthermore, the transaction is significant in terms of scale, given Sunoco's distribution network across a substantial portion of the U.S. and territories. The financial health of the combined entity post-merger will be critical, especially considering the capital-intensive nature of the energy sector. Investors will need to assess how the merger affects the competitive dynamics of the industry and Sunoco's positioning within it.
The expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies an important condition necessary for the completion of the transaction.
A NuStar unitholder vote is scheduled for May 1, 2024 at 9:00 am Central Time. The details of the NuStar Special Meeting, including the terms of the proposed acquisition, have been outlined in the NuStar Definitive Proxy Statement, filed on April 3, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The transaction is expected to close shortly after unitholder approval.
NuStar unitholders are anticipated to receive Sunoco’s distributions for the first quarter of 2024 following the closing of the transaction.
Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN) is a master limited partnership with core operations that include the distribution of motor fuel to approximately 10,000 convenience stores, independent dealers, commercial customers and distributors located in more than 40 U.S. states and territories as well as refined product transportation and terminalling assets in the
About NuStar
NuStar Energy L.P. (NYSE: NS) is an independent liquids terminal and pipeline operator. NuStar currently has approximately 9,500 miles of pipeline and 63 terminal and storage facilities that store and distribute crude oil, refined products, renewable fuels, ammonia and specialty liquids. The partnership’s combined system has approximately 49 million barrels of storage capacity, and NuStar has operations in
Forward Looking Statements
This current report on Form 8-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address future business and financial events, conditions, expectations, plans or ambitions, and often include, but are not limited to, words such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “see,” “target” or similar expressions, or variations or negatives of these words, but not all forward-looking statements include such words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. All such forward-looking statements are based upon current plans, estimates, expectations and ambitions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond the control of Sunoco and NuStar, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the completion of the proposed transaction on anticipated terms and timing, or at all, NuStar unitholder approval; anticipated tax treatment, unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of the combined company’s operations, including the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the ability of Sunoco and NuStar to integrate the business successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies and value creation; potential litigation relating to the proposed transaction that could be instituted against Sunoco, NuStar or the directors of their respective general partners; the risk that disruptions from the proposed transaction will harm Sunoco’s or NuStar’s business, including current plans and operations and that management’s time and attention will be diverted on transaction-related issues; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships, including with employees, suppliers, customers, competitors or credit rating agencies, resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; rating agency actions and Sunoco and NuStar’s ability to access short- and long-term debt markets on a timely and affordable basis; potential business uncertainty, including the outcome of commercial negotiations and changes to existing business relationships during the pendency of the proposed transaction that could affect Sunoco’s and/or NuStar’s financial performance and operating results; certain restrictions during the pendency of the merger that may impact NuStar’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions or otherwise operate its business; dilution caused by Sunoco’s issuance of additional units representing limited partner interests in connection with the proposed transaction; fees, costs and expenses and the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated; those risks described in Item 1A of Sunoco’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 16, 2024, and its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K; those risks described in Item 1A of NuStar’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, and its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K; and those risks that will be more fully described in the registration statement on Form S-4, filed with the SEC and subsequently declared effective on April 3, 2024 (the “Registration Statement”). The disclosures set forth on the Registration Statement are incorporated by reference in this presentation. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the registration statement and the proxy statement/prospectus are considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is as of the date of this current report on Form 8-K. Sunoco and NuStar do not intend to update these statements unless required by the securities laws to do so, and Sunoco and NuStar undertake no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this current report on Form 8-K.
Important Information about the Transaction and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction between Sunoco and NuStar, Sunoco filed a Registration Statement on March 20, 2024, which includes a prospectus with respect to Sunoco’s units to be issued in the proposed transaction and a proxy statement for NuStar’s unitholders (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”), and each party may file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. The Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC on April 3, 2024. NuStar filed the Definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus on Schedule DEFM14A with the SEC on April 3, 2024, and it was first mailed to NuStar unitholders on or about April 3, 2024. This current report on Form 8-K is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, Proxy Statement/Prospectus or any other document that Sunoco or NuStar (as applicable) may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF SUNOCO AND NUSTAR ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the Proxy statement/Prospectus, as well as other filings containing important information about Sunoco or NuStar, without charge at the SEC’s website, at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Sunoco will be available free of charge on Sunoco’s website at www.sunocolp.com. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by NuStar will be available free of charge on NuStar’s website at www.nustarenergy.com. The information included on, or accessible through, Sunoco’s or NuStar’s website is not incorporated by reference into this current report on Form 8-K.
Participants in the Solicitation
Sunoco, NuStar and the directors and certain executive officers of their respective general partners may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of NuStar’s general partner is set forth in (i) its proxy statement for its 2024 annual meeting of unitholders (https://www.sec.gov/ixviewer/ix.html?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1110805/000111080524000010/ns-20240306.htm), which was filed with the SEC on March 6, 2024, including under the sections entitled “Information About Our Executive Officers”, “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, “Summary Compensation Table”, “Pay Ratio”, “Grants of Plan-Based Awards During the Year Ended December 31, 2023”, “Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2023”, “Option Exercises and Units Vested During the Year Ended December 31, 2023”, “Pension Benefits for the Year Ended December 31, 2023”, “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation for the Year Ended December 31, 2023”, “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control”, “Pay Versus Performance”, “Director Compensation” and “Security Ownership”, (ii) in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1110805/000111080524000007/ns-20231231.htm), which was filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, including under the sections entitled “Item. 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance,” “Item 11. Executive Compensation,” “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Unitholder Matters” and “Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence” and (iii) subsequent statements of changes in beneficial ownership on file with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Sunoco’s general partner is set forth in (i) its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, (https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1552275/000155227524000013/sun-20231231.htm) which was filed with the SEC on February 16, 2024, including under the sections entitled “Item. 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance,” “Item 11. Executive Compensation,” “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Unitholder Matters” and “Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence” and (ii) subsequent statements of changes in beneficial ownership on file with the SEC. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Proxy statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC when they become available.
No Offer or Solicitation
This current report on Form 8-K is for informational purposes only and is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any offer, issuance, exchange, transfer, solicitation or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, issuance, exchange, transfer, solicitation or sale would be in contravention of applicable law. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240408162735/en/
SUN Investors:
Scott Grischow
(214) 840-5660
scott.grischow@sunoco.com
SUN Media:
Vicki Granado
(214) 981-0761
vicki.granado@sunoco.com
NS Investors:
Pam Schmidt
(210) 918-2854
pam.schmidt@nustarenergy.com
NS Media:
Chris Cho
(210) 918-3953
chris.cho@nustarenergy.com
Source: NuStar Energy L.P.
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