Versum Materials, Inc. (NYSE:VSM) Files An 8-K Other Events
Item 8.01 Other Events.
This Current Report on Form 8-K is filed in connection with the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 12, 2019 (the Merger Agreement), by and among Versum Materials, Inc. (Versum), Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (Parent) and EMD Performance Materials Holding, Inc. (Merger Sub), to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Versum, with Versum surviving and continuing as the surviving corporation in the merger and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the Merger).
As previously disclosed, on May 13, 2019, Versum filed a definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the special meeting of its stockholders to be held on June 17, 2019 (the Special Meeting) to consider and vote on various proposals necessary to approve the Merger Agreement (the proxy statement).
Following the filing of the proxy statement a purported shareholder filed the putative class action Robert v. Versum Materials, Inc. et al., 1;19-cv-00922 (filed May 17, 2019) (the Action) against Versum and the members of the Versum Board of Directors.The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that the proxy statement, misstates or fails to disclose certain material information in violation of federal securities laws. The lawsuit seeks, among other relief, either an order enjoining the merger or rescission if the merger is consummated.
Solely to avoid the costs, burden, nuisance and uncertainties inherent in litigation and to allow the Versum stockholders to vote on the Merger at the Special Meeting, without admitting any liability or wrongdoing, Versum hereby supplements the disclosures contained in the proxy statement (the Supplemental Disclosures). The Supplemental Disclosures are set forth below and should be read in conjunction with the proxy statement.
Versum vigorously denies that the proxy statement is deficient in any respect and that the Supplemental Disclosures are material or required. Versum believes that the Action is without merit and that no further disclosure is required to supplement the proxy statement under applicable laws. Nothing in this Current Report on Form 8-K will be deemed an admission of the legal necessity or materiality under any applicable laws for any of the disclosures set forth herein.
SUPPLEMENT TO PROXY STATEMENT
In connection with the settlement of the Action, Versum has agreed to make these supplemental disclosures to the proxy statement. This supplemental information should be read in conjunction with the proxy statement, which should be read in its entirety. Defined terms used but not defined below have the meanings set forth in the proxy statement.
Lazard performed a discounted cash flow analysis of Versum, which is an analysis designed to estimate an implied value of a company by calculating the present value of the estimated future unlevered, after-tax free cash flows of that company over the projection period and the terminal value of that company at the end of the projection period. Lazard performed a discounted cash flow analysis of Versum by calculating the estimated present value (as of March 31, 2019) of the unlevered, after-tax free cash flows that Versum was forecasted to generate through fiscal year 2023 based on the projections provided by Versum management and extrapolations based on discussions with, and guidance from, Versum management and approved for Lazards use by Versum management, which were calculated by taking net operating profit after tax, adding depreciation and amortization and pension expenses and subtracting increases in net working capital, capital expenditures and pension contributions. The unlevered, after-tax free cash flows were calculated by Lazard based on inputs provided by Versum management and approved for Lazards use by Versum management. Lazard also calculated estimated terminal values for Versum by applying a perpetual growth rate of 1.5% to 2.5% to the terminal year unlevered, after-tax free cash flow, which growth rate was derived using publicly available data and Lazards professional judgment. Lazard then discounted to present value (as of March 31, 2019) the unlevered, after-tax free cash flows and estimated terminal values using discount rates ranging from 9.5% to 10.5%, derived (1) using market data as of January 25, 2019 (the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Entegris merger) and (2) from an analysis of the weighted average cost of capital of Versum, Entegris and Cabot Microelectronics, which Lazard performed utilizing the capital asset pricing model with inputs that Lazard determined were relevant based on publicly available data and Lazards professional judgment, including target capital structure, after-tax cost of debt, unlevered betas for the companies listed in the Public Trading Valuation Analysis described above, tax rates, the equity market risk premium and yields for U.S. treasury notes. This analysis indicated an implied enterprise value range for Versum, of which the present value of the terminal values for Versum calculated by Lazard accounted for 71% to 77% of the implied enterprise value ranges calculated by Lazard, from which Lazard then calculated an equity value range using an estimated net debt position of $534 million and an estimated noncontrolling interest of $38 million based on Versums estimated March 31, 2019 balance sheet provided by Versum management and approved for Lazards use by Versum management.
To calculate the range of the present value of future share prices for Versum, Lazard used the projections provided by Versum management and extrapolations based on discussions with, and guidance from, Versum management and approved for Lazards use by Versum management. Lazard applied a range of illustrative next twelve months (or NTM) EV / EBITDA multiples of 9.0x to 11.0x, derived based on the methodology described in the Public Trading Valuation Analysis section above, to forward EBITDA from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2022 to calculate a future enterprise value range for Versum, then calculated an equity value range using an estimated net debt position and an estimated noncontrolling interest based on the projected balance sheet and included the value of cumulative dividends received. Lazard then discounted such figures back to March 31, 2019 using a discount rate of 12.2%, which reflects an estimate of Versums cost of equity that was calculated by Lazard based on (1) market data as of January 25, 2019 (the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Entegris merger) and (2) the capital asset pricing model with inputs that Lazard determined were relevant based on publicly available data and Lazards professional judgment. This analysis indicated the following implied per share equity value reference range for Versum:
To calculate the range of the present value of future share prices for Versum, Lazard used the projections provided by Versum management and extrapolations based on discussions with, and guidance from, Versum management and approved for Lazards use by Versum management. Lazard applied a range of illustrative NTM P / E multiples of 14.0x to 17.0x, derived based on the methodology described in the Public Trading Valuation Analysis section above, to forward EPS from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2022 and included the value of cumulative dividends received. Lazard then discounted such figures back to March 31, 2019 using a discount rate of 12.2%, which reflects an estimate of Versums cost of equity that was calculated by Lazard based on (1) market data as of January 25, 2019 (the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Entegris merger) and (2) the capital asset pricing model with inputs that Lazard determined were relevant based on publicly available data and Lazards professional judgment. This analysis indicated the following implied per share equity value reference range for Versum:
Citi performed a discounted cash flow analysis of Versum in which Citi calculated the estimated present value (as of December 31, 2018) of the standalone unlevered after-tax free cash flows that Versum was forecasted to generate during calendar year 2019 through calendar year 2023, which Citi derived from the fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2023 projections of Unlevered Free Cash Flow provided by the management of Versum as described in Versum Unaudited Financial Projections beginning on page 61, in the manner described above in Opinion of Versums Financial AdvisorsOpinion of Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.Financial Analysis on page 57 and used by Citi at the direction of the management of Versum. Based on its professional judgment and experience, Citi calculated terminal values for Versum by applying a selected range of perpetuity growth rates of 1.5% to 2.5% to the standalone Unlevered Free Cash Flow of Versum for the calendar year ending December 31, 2023. Citi then discounted to present value (as of December 31, 2018) the Unlevered Free Cash Flow and implied estimated terminal value using discount rates ranging from 8.9% to 10.3%, derived from a calculation of the weighted average cost of capital of Versum, which Citi performed utilizing the capital asset pricing model with inputs that Citi determined were relevant based on publicly available data and Citis professional judgment, including target capital structure, after-tax cost of debt, unlevered betas for the companies listed in the Comparable Companies Analysis described above, tax rates, the equity market risk premium and yields for U.S. treasury notes. This analysis indicated an implied firm value reference range for Versum of approximately $4.8 billion to $6.4 billion, of which the present value of the terminal values for Versum calculated by Citi accounted for 71% to 78% of the implied firm value ranges calculated by Citi. From this implied firm value reference range, after taking into account, an assumed net debt position of approximately $579 million and, an assumed non-controlling interest of approximately $36 million, in each case, based on Versums December 31, 2018 balance sheet, the following approximate implied equity value per share of Versum common stock reference range for Versum was derived, as compared to the merger consideration to be received in the merger:
at www.emdgroup.com or in Versums Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) for the fiscal year ended on September 30, 2018 and Versums other filings with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov and Versums website at www.versummaterials.com. Except as otherwise required by law, Versum assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof.
Additional Important Information and Where to Find It
This communication relates to the proposed merger transaction involving Versum and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. In connection with the proposed merger, Versum and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany have filed relevant materials with the SEC, including Versums definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the Proxy Statement), and may file other relevant materials with the SEC. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, and is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or any other document that Versum or Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has filed or may file with the SEC or have sent or may send to Versums stockholders in connection with the proposed merger. STOCKHOLDERS OF VERSUM ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN OR MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE PROXY STATEMENT, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors and security holders may obtain the documents free of charge at the SECs web site, http://www.sec.gov, or Versums website at http://investors.versummaterials.com or by phone at 484-275-5907.
Participants in Solicitation
Versum, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the holders of Versum common stock in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Versum is set forth in Versums Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on November 21, 2018, and the proxy statement for Versums 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on December 20, 2018. Information about the directors and executive officers of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is set forth on Schedule I of the Schedule 14A filed by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany with the SEC on March 22, 2019. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC in respect of the proposed transaction when they become available.
