UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): July 30, 2021
CABOT OIL & GAS CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 1-10447 | 04-3072771 | ||||||||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
| Three Memorial City Plaza | ||||||||
| 840 Gessner Road, Suite 1400 | ||||||||
| Houston, Texas | 77024 | |||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (281) 589-4600
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2):
☒ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share | COG | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On July 30, 2021, we issued a press release with respect to our 2021 second quarter earnings. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report. The press release contains certain measures (discussed below) which may be deemed “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined in Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). In each case, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure and information reconciling the GAAP and non-GAAP measures is also included in the press release.
Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act unless specifically identified in such filing as being incorporated therein by reference.
From time to time management discloses Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Earnings per Share, Return on Capital Employed, Discretionary Cash Flow, Free Cash Flow, EBITDAX and Net Debt calculations and ratios. These non-GAAP financial measures, to the extent included in Exhibit 99.1, are reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measures in Exhibit 99.1.
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Share are presented based on our management's belief that these non-GAAP measures enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of identified adjustments on reported results. Adjusted Net Income is defined as net income plus gain and loss on sale of assets, gain and loss on derivative instruments, stock-based compensation expense, severance expense, merger-related costs and tax effect on selected items. Adjusted Earnings per Share is defined as Adjusted Net Income divided by weighted-average common shares outstanding. Additionally, our management believes these measures provide beneficial comparisons to similarly adjusted measurements of prior periods, and uses these measures for that purpose. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Share are not measures of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income and earnings per share, as defined by GAAP.
Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) is defined as Adjusted Net Income (defined above) plus after-tax net interest expense divided by average capital employed, which is defined as total debt plus stockholders’ equity. ROCE is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when evaluating our profitability and the efficiency with which management has employed capital over time. Our management uses ROCE for that purpose. ROCE is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered an alternative to net income, as defined by GAAP.
Discretionary Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities excluding changes in assets and liabilities. Discretionary Cash Flow is widely accepted and is used by our management as a financial indicator of an oil and gas company’s ability to generate cash which is used to internally fund exploration and development activities, return capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, and service debt. Discretionary Cash Flow is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when comparing our cash flows with the cash flows of other companies that use the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas producing activities or have different financing and capital structures or tax rates. Discretionary Cash Flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities or net income, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity.
Free Cash Flow is defined as Discretionary Cash Flow (defined above) less capital expenditures and investment in equity method investments. Free Cash Flow is an indicator of a company's ability to generate cash flow after spending the money required to maintain or expand its asset base, and is used by our management for that purpose. Free Cash Flow is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when comparing our cash flows with the cash flows of other companies. Free Cash Flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities or net income, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity.
EBITDAX is defined as net income plus interest expense, other expense, income tax expense and benefit, depreciation, depletion and amortization (including impairments), exploration expense, gain and loss on sale of assets, non-cash gain and loss on derivative instruments, earnings and loss on equity method investments, stock-based compensation expense and merger-related costs. EBITDAX is presented based on our management's belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when evaluating our ability to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service or incur debt without regard to financial or capital structure. Our management uses EBITDAX for that purpose. EBITDAX is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities or net income, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity.
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The total debt to total capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing total debt by the sum of total debt and total stockholders’ equity. This ratio is a measurement which is presented in our annual and interim filings and our management believes this ratio is useful to investors in determining our leverage. Net Debt is calculated by subtracting cash and cash equivalents from total debt. The Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing Net Debt by the sum of Net Debt and total stockholders' equity. Net Debt and the Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio are non-GAAP measures which our management believes are also useful to investors since we have the ability to and may decide to use a portion of our cash and cash equivalents to retire debt. Our management uses these measures for that purpose. Additionally, as we may incur additional expenditures without increasing debt, our management believes it is appropriate to apply cash and cash equivalents to debt in calculating the Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Additional Information about the Merger and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (hereinafter we or Cabot) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) a registration statement on Form S-4 on June 29, 2021, that includes a preliminary joint proxy statement with Cimarex Energy Co. (Cimarex) and that also constitutes a preliminary prospectus of Cabot. If and when the registration statement becomes effective and the joint proxy statement/prospectus is in definitive form, such joint proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to the stockholders of Cabot and Cimarex. Each of Cabot and Cimarex also intends to file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction, including the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus. The information in the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. This communication is not a substitute for the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document that we or Cimarex may file with the SEC. The definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus (if and when available) will be mailed to stockholders of Cabot and Cimarex. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE PRELIMINARY JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, THE DEFINITIVE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IF AND WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CABOT, CIMAREX AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus and all other documents containing important information about Cabot, Cimarex and the proposed transaction, once such documents are filed with the SEC, including the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus if and when it becomes available, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Cabot may be obtained free of charge on Cabot’s website at www.cabotog.com/investor-relations or by contacting Matt Kerin by email at matt.kerin@cabotog.com or by phone at 281-589-4642. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Cimarex may be obtained free of charge on Cimarex’s website at www.cimarex.com/investor-relations.
Participants in the Solicitation
Cabot, Cimarex and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Cabot, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Cabot’s proxy statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 12, 2021, and Cabot’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021. Information about the directors and executive officers of Cimarex, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Cimarex’s proxy statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 26, 2021, and Cimarex’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on February 23, 2021. Investors may obtain additional information regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction by reading the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus, including any amendments thereto, as well as the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus if and when it becomes available and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when such materials become available. Investors should read the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus, and the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus if and when it becomes available, carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from Cabot or Cimarex using the sources indicated above.
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Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| CABOT OIL & GAS CORPORATION | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ TODD M. ROEMER | |||||||
| Todd M. Roemer | ||||||||
| Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer | ||||||||
Date: July 30, 2021
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