The KeyW Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:KEYW) announced today that it
has signed a definitive agreement and plan of merger (the “Merger
Agreement”) with Jacobs (NYSE: JEC) and Atom Acquisition Sub,
Inc., a newly created wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Jacobs
(“Merger Sub”), to be acquired by Jacobs for $11.25 per share in
cash. The transaction has an enterprise value, net of tax assets,
of approximately $815 million, including an estimated $272 million
of KeyW net debt. The merger consideration represents a
premium of 43% to KeyW’s closing stock price on April 18,
2019. KeyW is a leader in intelligence, cyber and mission IT
and analytics in the intelligence and national security
communities.
Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will
conduct an all-cash tender offer for 100% of KeyW’s common stock
(the "Offer") and, subject to the successful completion of the
Offer, Merger Sub will merge with and into KeyW (the "Merger")
resulting in KeyW becoming a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of
Jacobs. The Merger Agreement was unanimously approved by the
members of each company’s Board of Directors voting on the
transaction.
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Jacobs will commence
the Offer as promptly as practicable. Any shares of KeyW common
stock not tendered in the Offer will be acquired by Jacobs in the
Merger and the holders thereof will be entitled to receive the per
share merger consideration. The KeyW Board intends to recommend
that KeyW shareholders tender their shares to Jacobs in the
Offer.
“This transaction will propel KeyW’s capabilities further and
create new opportunities for research and development our customers
need to enhance their national security and intelligence
capabilities,” said KeyW CEO and President Bill Weber. “With the
currently strong federal funding scenario and KeyW’s solid
reputation in ISR, Cyber and Analytics services technologies, I
believe combining with Jacobs will provide our customers a wide
array of capabilities and services via a broad range of contracting
vehicles.”
“Cultural fit and exceptional shareholder value were of
paramount importance in the selection criteria for partnership in
KeyW’s next chapter,” said Weber. “We believe that joining
with Jacobs will enable KeyW’s talented team to deliver even more
innovative technologies and capabilities to customers.”
Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering
solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With $15 billion
in fiscal 2018 revenue and a talent force of more than 80,000,
Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific,
technical, professional and construction- and program-management
for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure
sectors.
“Jacobs’ global reach and proven track record executing large
complex enterprise contracts provide a powerful platform to unleash
KeyW’s complementary rapid technology development,” said Jacobs
Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou. “We are positioned to further
accelerate KeyW’s success in leveraging its unique technical
solutions and drive value creation for shareholders and customers
alike, including a multi-billion-dollar space opportunity
delivering next generation intelligence and analytics solutions.
Given the compelling fit of Jacobs’ capabilities and contract
execution expertise with KeyW’s differentiated, mission driven
technology, we are optimistic that we can drive strong double-digit
adjusted EBITDA growth well into the future.”
The closing of the transaction is subject to KeyW shareholders
validly tendering more than 50% of the outstanding shares of KeyW
common stock prior to the expiration of the Offer. Following the
successful closing of the Offer, Jacobs will acquire any remaining
shares of KeyW common stock not tendered in the Offer through a
second-step merger at the same per share merger consideration. The
closing of the transaction is also subject to customary closing
conditions and approvals, including receipt of regulatory approval
and is expected to be completed by August 31, 2019.
Guggenheim Securities, LLC served as the exclusive financial
advisor to KeyW. Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as
external legal counsel to KeyW. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver &
Jacobson LLP is serving as external legal counsel to Jacobs and
Barclays is serving as its exclusive financial advisor.
Cautionary Notes on Forward Looking
Statements
The matters discussed in this communication may
constitute forward-looking statements. These statements involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may
cause our actual results, activity levels, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
activity levels, performance or achievements expressed or implied
by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify
these statements by forward-looking words such as “could”,
“expect”, “estimate”, “may”, “potential”, “will”, and “would”, or
similar words. You should read statements that contain these words
carefully because they discuss our future expectations, contain
projections of our future results of operations or of our financial
position, or state other forward-looking information. There may be
events in the future that we are not able to predict or control
accurately, and numerous factors may cause events, our results of
operations, financial performance, achievements, or industry
performance, to differ materially from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements.
In addition to factors previously disclosed in KeyW
Holding Corporation’s (“KeyW”) reports filed with securities
regulators in the United States and those identified elsewhere in
this communication, the following factors, among others, could
cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking
statements and information or historical performance: the
occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could
give rise to the right of one or both of KeyW and Jacobs (“Jacobs”)
to terminate the definitive merger agreement between KeyW and
Jacobs; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted
against KeyW, Jacobs or their respective shareholders or directors;
the ability to obtain regulatory approvals and meet other
conditions to the consummation of the tender offer and the other
conditions set forth in the merger agreement, including the risk
that regulatory approvals required for the merger are not obtained
or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated or
that are material and adverse to KeyW’s business; a delay in
closing the merger; business disruptions from the proposed tender
offer and merger that will harm KeyW’s business, including current
plans and operations; potential adverse reactions or changes to
business relationships resulting from the announcement or
completion of the tender offer or merger; certain restrictions
during the pendency of the tender offer or merger that may impact
KeyW’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities or
strategic transactions; the ability of KeyW to retain and hire key
personnel; and the business, economic and political conditions in
the sectors in which KeyW operates. For a more detailed
discussion of these factors, also see the information under the
captions “Risk Factors” and “Management's Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in KeyW’s most
recent report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018,
and in each case any material updates to these factors contained in
any of KeyW’s future filings.
As for the forward-looking statements and
information that relate to future financial results and other
projections, actual results will be different due to the inherent
uncertainties of estimates, forecasts and projections and may be
better or worse than projected and such differences could be
material. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as
of the date of this communication. Subsequent events and
developments may cause our views to change. While we may elect to
update the forward-looking statements at some point in the future,
we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. Annualized,
pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used for
illustrative purpose only, are not forecasts and may not reflect
actual results.
Additional Information and Where to Find
It
The Offer for the outstanding shares of KeyW referenced in this
press release has not yet commenced. This announcement is for
informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor
a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of KeyW, nor is it a
substitute for the tender offer materials that Jacobs and Atom
Acquisition Sub, Inc. (“Purchaser”) will file with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) upon commencement of
the Offer. At the time the Offer is commenced, Jacobs and
Purchaser will file tender offer materials on Schedule TO, and KeyW
will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9
with the SEC with respect to the Offer. THE OFFER MATERIALS
(INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND THE
SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION. HOLDERS OF SHARES OF KEYW COMMON STOCK ARE URGED
TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY
WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT HOLDERS OF KEYW COMMON
STOCK SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING
TENDERING THEIR SHARES. The Offer to Purchase, the related
Letter of Transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, as
well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, will be made
available to all holders of shares of KeyW at no expense to them.
In addition, KeyW and Jacobs file annual, quarterly and special
reports and other information with the SEC.
Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the
tender offer materials and the Solicitation/Recommendation
Statement (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC
by KeyW or Jacobs through the website maintained by the SEC at
http://www.sec.gov, KeyW’s website at keywcorp.com or Jacobs’s
website at Jacobs.com. In addition, the documents (when available)
may be obtained free of charge by contacting the investor relations
department of KeyW or Jacobs.
KeyW |
|
Investors: |
Media: |
Mark Zindler |
Karen
Coker |
703.817.4908 |
443.733.1613 |
investors@keywcorp.com |
communications@keywcorp.com |
|
|
Jacobs |
|
Investors: |
Media: |
Jonathan Doros,
817-239-3457 |
Amy
Ochs, 214-912-9171 |
jonathan.doros@jacobs.com |
amy.ochs@jacobs.com |
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