CP believes that pursuing its STB Application
is in the best interests of both KCS and the public so that the
pro-competitive CP/KCS transaction can proceed to be
reviewed
CALGARY, AB, May 21, 2021 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific Railway
Limited (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) sent the following letter to the
Surface Transportation Board ("STB") today in response to the
Kansas City Southern ("KCS") Board of Directors' decision to
terminate the Merger Agreement with CP:
The Honorable Cynthia T. Brown
Chief, Section of Administration, Office of Proceedings
Surface Transportation Board
395 E Street S.W.
Washington, DC 20423
Re: Finance Docket No. 36500,
Canadian Pacific Ry. – Control – Kansas City
Southern
Dear Ms. Brown:
I am writing on behalf of the Canadian Pacific Applicants in
this proceeding1 to advise the Board and Interested
Parties of the CP Applicants' intentions in light of Kansas City
Southern's ("KCS") decision to terminate the merger agreement
between CP and Kansas City Southern and to enter a merger agreement
with Canadian National Railway ("CN"). For the reasons
explained below, CP intends to proceed to prepare and file its
Application in this docket seeking Board authority to control KCS
and its U.S. rail carrier subsidiaries.
- The decision of KCS's board of directors to designate CN's
offer a "superior proposal" reflects the extreme price CN has
offered KCS in order to extinguish CP's proposed
transaction,2 coupled with CN's undertaking to attempt
to absolve KCS and its shareholders of the regulatory risks
associated with CN's proposed acquisition through the use of a
voting trust.
- In order to neutralize the regulatory risks posed by CN's
proposed transaction from the perspective of KCS's shareholders,
CN's agreement to acquire KCS is conditioned on CN's ability to
acquire KCS shares in advance of receiving Board approval to
control KCS via the use of a voting trust. See CN/KCS
Merger Agreement, Section 6.1(e) (condition of closing that "[t]he
STB Voting Trust Approval shall have been obtained").
- On May 17, the Board ruled in
Finance Docket No. 36514 that CN's proposed acquisition of KCS is
subject to the 2001 Major Merger rules, and, accordingly, that CN's
proposed use of a voting trust requires formal STB approval under
49 U.S.C. §1180.4(b)(4)(iv) ("applicants contemplating the use of a
voting trust must explain how the trust would insulate them from an
unlawful control violation and why their proposed use of the
trust, in the context of their impending control application, would
be consistent with the public interest."). The Board
explained that it would "take a more cautious approach to a voting
trust" in the CN proceeding and that its "consideration of whether
the proposed use of a voting trust in a potential CN-KCS
transaction is 'consistent with the public interest' would be
informed by argument on both the potential benefits and costs of
such use." Finance Docket No. 36514 (Decision No. 3 served
May 17, 2021) at 7.
- CP believes that CN cannot demonstrate that its proposed use of
a voting trust would be "consistent with the public interest" for
reasons CP has already summarized and will address further in its
comments on CN's proposal in Finance Docket No. 36514, once CN
refiles its motion seeking Board approval and the Board establishes
a comment period.3 See also CP's
April 27 Letter (CP-14 in Finance
Docket No. 36500, CP-2 in Finance Docket No. 36514).
- Because STB Voting Trust Approval is a condition to closing,
were CN unable to use a voting trust, CN's proposed acquisition of
KCS could not be consummated. KCS would then face the choice
of whether to renegotiate the CN-KCS merger agreement in order to
proceed with CN without the use of a voting trust.4
- Were KCS presented with the question of how to proceed
following a decision by the Board not to approve CN's proposed use
of a voting trust, CP anticipates being available to engage with
KCS to enter into another agreement to acquire KCS. CP
expects that such an agreement would be in substantially the form
of the merger agreement previously entered into by CP and KCS,
which was previously noticed in this docket and reviewed by the
Board in connection with its approval of CP's proposed voting trust
agreement.5
- Accordingly, CP intends to proceed forward with the preparation
of its Application in this docket seeking Board authority to
acquire control of KCS. CP believes that pursuing its
Application is in the best interests of both KCS and the public so
that the pro-competitive CP/KCS transaction can proceed to be
reviewed by the Board and – in the event KCS's agreement with CN is
terminated or CN is otherwise unable to acquire control of KCS – a
potential acquisition of KCS by CP could be implemented without
undue delay, all in accord with the rulings and processes already
established by the Board in this docket.6
CP looks forward to establishing that its acquisition of control
of KCS would be consistent with the public interest.
CP appreciates the Board's attention to this matter.
Respectfully submitted,
David L. Meyer
Attorney for Canadian Pacific Railway Limited
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION
This news release includes certain forward-looking statements
and forward looking information (collectively, FLI). FLI is
typically identified by words such as "anticipate", "expect",
"project", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "intend", "target",
"believe", "likely" and similar words suggesting future outcomes or
statements regarding an outlook. All statements other than
statements of historical fact may be FLI.
Although we believe that the FLI is reasonable based on the
information available today and processes used to prepare it, such
statements are not guarantees of future performance and you are
cautioned against placing undue reliance on FLI. By its
nature, FLI involves a variety of assumptions, which are based
upon factors that may be difficult to predict and that may involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which
may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by these FLI,
including, but not limited to, the following: the timing and
completion of the transaction, including receipt of regulatory and
shareholder approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions
precedent; interloper risk; the realization of anticipated benefits
and synergies of the transaction and the timing thereof; the
success of integration plans; the focus of management time and
attention on the transaction and other disruptions arising from
the transaction; estimated future dividends; financial
strength and flexibility; debt and equity market conditions,
including the ability to access capital markets on favourable terms
or at all; cost of debt and equity capital; the pending share split
of CP's issued and outstanding common shares; potential
changes in the CP share price which may negatively impact the value
of consideration offered to KCS shareholders; the ability of
management of CP, its subsidiaries and affiliates to execute key
priorities, including those in connection with the transaction;
general Canadian, U.S., Mexican and global social, economic,
political, credit and business conditions; risks associated with
agricultural production such as weather conditions and insect
populations; the availability and price of energy commodities;
the effects of competition and pricing pressures, including
competition from other rail carriers, trucking companies and
maritime shippers in Canada, the
U.S. and Mexico; industry
capacity; shifts in market demand; changes in commodity prices;
uncertainty surrounding timing and volumes of commodities being
shipped; inflation; geopolitical instability; changes in laws,
regulations and government policies, including regulation of rates;
changes in taxes and tax rates; potential increases in maintenance
and operating costs; changes in fuel prices; disruption in fuel
supplies; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other
types of claims and litigation; compliance with environmental
regulations; labour disputes; changes in labour costs and labour
difficulties; risks and liabilities arising from derailments;
transportation of dangerous goods; timing of completion of capital
and maintenance projects; currency and interest rate fluctuations;
exchange rates; effects of changes in market conditions and
discount rates on the financial position of pension plans and
investments; trade restrictions or other changes to international
trade arrangements; the effects of current and future multinational
trade agreements on the level of trade among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico; climate change and the market and
regulatory responses to climate change; anticipated in-service
dates; success of hedging activities; operational performance
and reliability; customer, shareholder, regulatory and other
stakeholder approvals and support; regulatory and legislative
decisions and actions; the adverse impact of any termination or
revocation by the Mexican government of Kansas City Southern de
Mexico, S.A. de C.V.'s Concession;
public opinion; various events that could disrupt operations,
including severe weather, such as droughts, floods, avalanches and
earthquakes, and cybersecurity attacks, as well as security threats
and governmental response to them, and technological changes; acts
of terrorism, war or other acts of violence or crime or risk of
such activities; insurance coverage limitations; material adverse
changes in economic and industry conditions, including the
availability of short and long-term financing; and the pandemic
created by the outbreak of COVID-19 and resulting effects on
economic conditions, the demand environment for logistics
requirements and energy prices, restrictions imposed by public
health authorities or governments, fiscal and monetary policy
responses by governments and financial institutions, and
disruptions to global supply chains.
We caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive
and is made as of the date hereof. Additional information about
these and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties can be
found in reports and filings by CP and KCS with Canadian and U.S.
securities regulators, including any proxy statement, prospectus,
material change report, management information circular or
registration statement to be filed in connection with
the transaction. Due to the interdependencies and correlation
of these factors, as well as other factors, the impact of any one
assumption, risk or uncertainty on FLI cannot be determined with
certainty.
Except to the extent required by law, we assume no obligation to
publicly update or revise any FLI, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. All FLI in this webpage is
expressly qualified in its entirety by these cautionary
statements.
ABOUT CANADIAN PACIFIC
Canadian Pacific (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) is a transcontinental
railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to major
ports on the west and east coasts. CP provides North American
customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in
every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers,
offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics
solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit www.cpr.ca to see the
rail advantages of CP. CP-IR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION AND WHERE
TO FIND IT
CP will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) a registration statement on Form F-4, which will include a
proxy statement of KCS that also constitutes a prospectus of CP,
and any other documents in connection with the transaction. The
definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to the
shareholders of KCS. CP will also file a management proxy circular
in connection with the transaction with applicable securities
regulators in Canada and the
management proxy circular will be sent to CP shareholders.
INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF KCS AND CP ARE URGED TO READ THE
PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND MANAGEMENT PROXY CIRCULAR, AS
APPLICABLE, AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE
SEC OR APPLICABLE SECURITIES REGULATORS IN CANADA IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION
WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT KCS, CP, THE TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. The
registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus and other
documents filed by CP and KCS with the SEC, when filed, will
be available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In
addition, investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free
copies of the registration statement, proxy statement/prospectus,
management proxy circular and other documents which will be filed
with the SEC and applicable securities regulators in Canada by CP online at investor.cpr.ca and
www.sedar.com, upon written request delivered to CP at 7550 Ogden
Dale Road S.E., Calgary, Alberta,
T2C 4X9, Attention: Office of the Corporate Secretary, or by
calling CP at 1-403-319-7000, and will be able to obtain free
copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed
with the SEC by KCS online at www.investors.kcsouthern.com, upon
written request delivered to KCS at 427 West 12th Street,
Kansas City, Missouri 64105,
Attention: Corporate Secretary, or by calling KCS's Corporate
Secretary's Office by telephone at 1-888-800-3690 or by email at
corpsec@kcsouthern.com.
You may also read and copy any reports, statements and
other information filed by KCS and CP with the SEC at the SEC
public reference room at 100 F Street N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at
1-800-732-0330 or visit the SEC's website for further information
on its public reference room. This communication shall not
constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy
any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful prior to appropriate registration or qualification under
the securities laws of 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.
PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
This communication is not a solicitation of proxies in
connection with the transaction. However, under SEC rules, CP, KCS,
and certain of their respective directors and executive officers
may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in
connection with the transaction. Information about CP's directors
and executive officers may be found in its 2021 Management Proxy
Circular, dated March 10, 2021, as
well as its 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and
applicable securities regulators in Canada on February 18,
2021, available on its website at investor.cpr.ca and at
www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov. Information about KCS's directors
and executive officers may be found on its website at
www.kcsouthern.com and in its 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
with the SEC on January 29, 2021,
available at www.sec.gov and www.investors.kcsouthern.com. These
documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated
above. Additional information regarding the interests of such
potential participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection
with the transaction will be included in the proxy
statement/prospectus and management proxy circular and other
relevant materials filed with the SEC and applicable securities
regulators in Canada when they
become available.
___________________________
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1
Canadian Pacific Applicants are Canadian Pacific Railway Limited,
Canadian Pacific Railway Company, and their U.S. rail carrier
subsidiaries Soo Line Railroad Company, Central Maine & Quebec
Railway US Inc., Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad
Corporation, and Delaware and Hudson Railway Company, Inc.
(collectively "Canadian Pacific" or "CP").
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2
CN's proposed financial terms reflect a 45% premium over KCS's
previous all-time high share price – double the premium offered by
CP in its bid against private equity buyers, and at the far end of
the range for public company mergers across all industries,
especially measured relative to the KCS's 52-week high share
price. In addition, CN has proposed to spend more than $19
billion in cash, $11+ billion more than in CP's offer to acquire
KCS, and take on total debt in excess of $32 billion.
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3
CN's prior motion was denied by the Board in Decision No. 3 in
Finance Docket No. 36514 due to a significant and obvious
deficiency.
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4
If the CN merger agreement were terminated for this reason, CN
would owe KCS a termination fee of $1 billion. See
CN-KCS Merger Agreement, Section 7.3(b)(i) (CN shall pay KCS a $1
billion reverse termination fee if Agreement terminated because
requirement of STB Voting Trust Approval (under Section 6.1(e))
"has not been satisfied or waived").
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5
See CP-1/KCS-1 (Notice of Intent to File); CP-17 (Submission
of March 22, 2021 Request for Review of Voting Trust, attaching
CP/KCS Merger Agreement); Decision No. 5 (STB served May 6, 2021)
(approving use of voting trust).
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6
Board precedent allows for the parallel presentation of multiple,
potentially inconsistent proposals to acquire control of a rail
carrier. See, e.g., Norfolk Southern Corp. & Norfolk
Southern Ry. – Control – Conrail Inc. & Consolidated Rail
Corp., Finance Docket No 33286 (Decision No. 4 served Jan. 30,
1997) (establishing procedural schedule for consideration of
Norfolk Southern's proposed control of Conrail notwithstanding
absence of an agreement between Norfolk Southern and
Conrail). Here, KCS has already affirmed that a combination
with CP would be a "perfect fit" and in the public interest, and
the Board has already determined the rules applicable to CP's
proposed transaction and is evaluating Applicants' proposed
procedural schedule for Board review of that
transaction.
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SOURCE Canadian Pacific