Additional Information Regarding the Tender Offer
The tender offer described in this press release has not yet commenced, and there can be no assurance that PROG Holdings will commence the tender offer on the terms described in this release. The information regarding the tender offer in this press release is for informational purposes only. This press release is not a recommendation to buy or sell shares of common stock or any other securities, and it is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of common stock or any other securities. On the commencement date of the tender offer, a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase, a letter of transmittal and related materials, will be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by PROG Holdings. The tender offer will only be made pursuant to the offer to purchase, the letter of transmittal and related materials filed as a part of the Schedule TO. When available, shareholders should read carefully the offer to purchase, letter of transmittal and related materials because they contain important information, including the various terms of, and conditions to, the tender offer. Once the tender offer is commenced, shareholders will be able to obtain a free copy of the tender offer statement on Schedule TO, the offer to purchase, letter of transmittal and other documents that PROG Holdings will be filing with the SEC at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or from the information agent for the tender offer.
Forward Looking Statements:
Statements in this news release regarding our business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “continue”, “continued”, “expects”, “expected”, “outlook”, “intends” and similar forward-looking terminology. These risks and uncertainties include factors such as (i) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related measures taken by governmental or regulatory authorities to combat the pandemic, including the impact of the pandemic and such measures on: (a) demand for the lease-to-own products offered by our Progressive Leasing segment, (b) Progressive Leasing’s POS partners, and Vive’s and Four’s merchant partners, (c) Progressive Leasing’s, Vive’s and Four’s customers, including their ability and willingness to satisfy their obligations under their lease agreements and loan agreements, (d) Progressive Leasing’s point-of-sale partners being able to obtain the merchandise its customers need or desire, (e) our employees and labor needs, including our ability to adequately staff our operations, (f) our financial and operational performance, and (g) our liquidity, including risks arising from the increased level of debt that we expect to incur in connection with the tender offer to purchase up to $425 million of our common stock; (ii) changes in the enforcement of existing laws and regulations and the adoption of new laws and regulations that may unfavorably impact our businesses; (iii) the effects on our business and reputation resulting from Progressives Leasing’s announced settlement and related consent order with the FTC, including the risk of losing existing POS partners or being unable to establish new relationships with additional POS partners, and of any follow-on regulatory and/or civil litigation arising therefrom; (iv) other types of legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations, including those related to consumer protection, customer privacy, third party and employee fraud and information security; (v) our ability to protect confidential, proprietary, or sensitive information, including the personal and confidential information of our customers, which may be adversely affected by cyber-attacks, employee or other internal misconduct, computer viruses, electronic break-ins or “hacking”, or similar disruptions, any one of which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition, and prospects; (vi) increased competition from traditional and virtual lease-to-own competitors and also from competitors of our Vive segment; (vii) increases in lease merchandise write-offs and the provision for returns and uncollectible renewal payments