Sears Holdings to Separate Sears Hometown and Outlets Businesses and Certain Hardware Stores; Expects to Raise $400-500M

Sears Holdings Corporation

announced today that it intends to separate its Sears Hometown and Outlet Businesses and certain hardware stores through a proposed rights offering that is expected to raise approximately $400 million to $500 million. The rights will entitle holders to purchase shares in the combined Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores businesses and certain hardware stores and will be transferred to holders of Sears Holdings common stock. The record date, subscription price, subscription ratio (the number of rights needed to acquire a share in the newly formed company) and other terms of the rights offering have not yet been determined by the Board of Directors of Sears Holdings, but will be announced prior to the commencement of the offering. Proceeds from the share subscription will provide additional liquidity to Sears Holdings and are expected to be used for general corporate purposes. The separation will also enable Sears Holdings to focus on its core business. Edward S. Lampert, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sears Holdings and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ESL Investments, Inc. (together with its affiliated funds, ESL), has advised us that ESL, which is Sears Holdings' largest shareholder, intends to exercise its subscription rights in full at the anticipated valuation, subject to the successful completion of the transaction process.