CF Industries and OCI Announce Expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act Waiting Period

Loading...
Loading...
DEERFIELD, Ill. & AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. CF and OCI N.V. OCI today announced the expiration of the waiting period mandated for United States government antitrust review of proposed transactions under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 ("HSR Act") in connection with the previously announced combination of CF with OCI's European, North American and Global Distribution businesses.

Expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions necessary for the combination. The proposed transaction remains subject to approval by the shareholders of CF and OCI, as well as certain other regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

About CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, through its subsidiaries is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of nitrogen products, serving both agricultural and industrial customers. CF Industries operates world-class nitrogen manufacturing complexes in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and distributes plant nutrients through a system of terminals, warehouses, and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States. The company also owns a 50 percent interest in an ammonia facility in The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. CF Industries routinely posts investor announcements and additional information on the company's website at www.cfindustries.com and encourages those interested in the company to check there frequently.

About OCI N.V.

OCI N.V. is a global producer and distributor of natural gas-based fertilizers and industrial chemicals based in the Netherlands. The company produces nitrogen fertilizers, methanol and other natural gas based products, serving agricultural and industrial customers from the Americas to Asia. The company ranks among the world's largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, and can produce more than 8.4 million metric tons of nitrogen fertilizers and industrial chemicals at production facilities in the Netherlands, the United States, Egypt and Algeria. OCI N.V. is listed on the Euronext in Amsterdam.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements in this communication by CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company"), other than those relating to historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by their use of terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict" or "project" and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. These statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits, expected timing of closing and other aspects of the proposed acquisition (the "OCI Transaction") by the Company from OCI N.V. ("OCI") of OCI's European, North American and global distribution businesses and certain other assets (the "Business") and the proposed strategic venture (the "CHS Strategic Venture") with CHS Inc. ("CHS"); statements about future strategic plans; and statements about future financial and operating results. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the volatility of natural gas prices in North America and Europe; the cyclical nature of the Company's business and the agricultural sector; the global commodity nature of the Company's fertilizer products, the impact of global supply and demand on the Company's selling prices, and the intense global competition from other fertilizer producers; conditions in the U.S. and European agricultural industry; difficulties in securing the supply and delivery of raw materials, increases in their costs or delays or interruptions in their delivery; reliance on third party providers of transportation services and equipment; the significant risks and hazards involved in producing and handling the Company's products against which the Company not be fully insured; risks associated with cyber security; weather conditions; the Company's ability to complete its production capacity expansion projects on schedule as planned and on budget or at all; risks associated with other expansions of the Company's business, including unanticipated adverse consequences and the significant resources that could be required; an inability to achieve, or a delay in achieving, the expected benefits of the GrowHow transaction as contemplated; difficulties associated with the integration of GrowHow; unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with the GrowHow transaction; and the risk that disruptions from the GrowHow transaction as contemplated will harm relationships with customers, employees and suppliers; potential liabilities and expenditures related to environmental and health and safety laws and regulations; the Company's potential inability to obtain or maintain required permits and governmental approvals or to meet financial assurance requirements from governmental authorities; future regulatory restrictions and requirements related to greenhouse gas emissions; the seasonality of the fertilizer business; the impact of changing market conditions on the Company's forward sales programs; risks involving derivatives and the effectiveness of the Company's risk measurement and hedging activities; the Company's reliance on a limited number of key facilities; risks associated with joint ventures; acts of terrorism and regulations to combat terrorism; risks associated with international operations; losses on the Company's investments in securities; deterioration of global market and economic conditions; and the Company's ability to manage its indebtedness. Other important factors, relating to the OCI Transaction, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others: risks and uncertainties relating to the ability to obtain the requisite approvals of stockholders of the Company and OCI with respect to the OCI Transaction; the risk that the Company, OCI and the new holding company ("New CF") for the OCI Transaction are unable to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals required for the OCI Transaction, or that required governmental and regulatory approvals delay the OCI Transaction or result in the imposition of conditions that could reduce the anticipated benefits from the OCI Transaction or cause the parties to abandon the OCI Transaction; the risk that a condition to closing of the OCI Transaction may not be satisfied; the length of time necessary to consummate the OCI Transaction; the risk that the businesses of the Company and the Business will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the OCI Transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the risk that access to financing, including for refinancing of indebtedness of the Business or the Company, may not be available on a timely basis and on reasonable terms; the risk that the Business is unable to complete its current production capacity development and improvement projects on schedule as planned and on budget or at all; the risk that the OCI Transaction or the prospect of the OCI Transaction disrupts or makes it more difficult to maintain existing relationships or impedes establishment of new relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the risk that New CF, the Company and the Business are unable to retain and hire key personnel; the effect of future regulatory or legislative actions on New CF, the Company and the Business; the risk that the OCI Transaction is not accorded the tax and accounting treatment anticipated by the Company; unanticipated costs or liabilities associated with the OCI Transaction-related financing; and the risk that the credit ratings of New CF and the Company, including such ratings taking into account the OCI Transaction and related financing, may differ from the Company's expectations. Other important factors, relating to the CHS Strategic Venture, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others: risks and uncertainties arising from the possibility that the consummation of the CHS Strategic Venture as contemplated may be delayed or may not occur; difficulties associated with the operation or management of the CHS Strategic Venture; risks and uncertainties relating to the market prices of the fertilizer products that are the subject of the supply agreement over the life of the supply agreement and risks that disruptions from the CHS Strategic Venture as contemplated will harm the Company's other business relationships. More detailed information about factors that may affect the Company's performance and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements may be found in CF Industries Holdings, Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including CF Industries Holdings, Inc.'s most recent periodic reports filed on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, which are available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's web site. Forward-looking statements are given only as of the date of this communication and the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to or in connection with the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law.

Additional Information

New CF will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include the proxy statement of CF Industries and the shareholders circular of OCI that also constitute prospectuses of New CF. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, THE SHAREHOLDERS CIRCULAR/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus, the shareholders circular and other documents filed with the SEC by New CF and CF Industries through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus, the shareholders circular and other documents filed by CF Industries and New CF with the SEC by contacting CF Industries Investor Relations at: CF Industries Holdings, Inc., c/o Corporate Communications, 4 Parkway North, Suite 400, Deerfield, Illinois, 60015 or by calling (847) 405-2542.

Participants in the Solicitation

CF Industries and its directors and executive officers and OCI and its executive directors and non-executive directors may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of CF Industries in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of CF Industries in connection with the proposed transaction, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of CF Industries is contained in CF Industries' proxy statement for its 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 2, 2015, and CF Industries' Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 25, 2015. Information about the executive directors and non-executive directors of OCI is contained in OCI's annual report for the year ended December 31, 2014, available on OCI's web site at www.oci.nl.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
Chris Close
Director, Corporate Communications
847-405-2542 – cclose@cfindustries.com
or
Dan Aldridge
Director, Investor Relations
847-405-2530 – daldridge@cfindustries.com

Loading...
Loading...
Posted In: Press Releases
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!

Loading...