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.