LAS
VEGAS, April 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Gas Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SWX) ("Southwest Gas" or the "Company")
today issued the following statement commenting on an open letter
to Southwest Gas stockholders published by Carl Icahn on April 19,
2022.
Our one and only objective is to maximize value
for stockholders by expeditiously conducting a review of strategic
alternatives. As we stated in our press release, Mr. Icahn is
welcome to be part of the sale process and we are confident that he
will realize that this is a competitive process, overseen by a
committee of independent directors, in which the only "preferred
buyer" cited by Mr. Icahn will be the party that provides the best
value for stockholders.
On April 18, 2022, Southwest Gas
announced that, as a result of the receipt of an indication of
interest well in excess of Carl
Icahn's $82.50 per share
offer, the Southwest Gas Board has authorized the review of a full
range of strategic alternatives to maximize stockholder value.
Lazard is serving as financial advisor to Southwest Gas and
Morrison & Foerster LLP and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP are
serving as legal advisors.
About Southwest Gas Holdings,
Inc.
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages
in the business of purchasing, distributing and transporting
natural gas, and providing comprehensive utility infrastructure
services across North America.
Southwest Gas Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary, safely and
reliably delivers natural gas to over two million customers in
Arizona, California and Nevada. The Company's MountainWest subsidiary
provides natural gas storage and interstate pipeline services
within the Rocky Mountain region. Centuri Group, Inc., a wholly
owned subsidiary, is a strategic infrastructure services company
that partners with regulated utilities to build and maintain the
energy network that powers millions of homes and businesses across
the United States and Canada.
How to Find Further
Information
This communication does not constitute a solicitation of any
vote or approval in connection with the 2022 annual meeting of
stockholders of Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") (the
"Annual Meeting"), scheduled to be held May
12, 2022. In connection with the Annual Meeting, the Company
has filed a definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which the Company has furnished to its
stockholders in connection with the Annual Meeting. The Company may
furnish additional materials in connection with the Annual Meeting.
BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, WE URGE STOCKHOLDERS TO READ THE
PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO)
AND WHITE PROXY CARD AND OTHER DOCUMENTS WHEN SUCH INFORMATION IS
FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY, BECAUSE THEY
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THE ANNUAL
MEETING. The proposals for the Annual Meeting are being made solely
through the definitive proxy statement. In addition, a copy of the
definitive proxy statement may be obtained free of charge from
www.swgasholdings.com/proxymaterials. Security holders also may
obtain, free of charge, copies of the proxy statement and any other
documents filed by Company with the SEC in connection with the
Annual Meeting at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov, and at
the Company's website at www.swgasholdings.com.
Important Information for Investors and Stockholders: This
communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation
of an offer to sell any securities. In response to the tender offer
for the shares of the Company commenced by IEP Utility Holdings LLC
and Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P., the Company has filed a
solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the
SEC. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF SOUTHWEST GAS HOLDINGS ARE URGED
TO READ THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT AND OTHER
DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE
THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and stockholders
may obtain a free copy of these documents free of charge at the
SEC's website at www.sec.gov, and at the Company's website at
www.swgasholdings.com. In addition, copies of these materials may
be requested from the Company's information agent, Innisfree
M&A Incorporated, toll-free at (877) 825-8621.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements
include, without limitation, statements regarding Southwest Gas
Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") and the Company's expectations or
intentions regarding the future. These forward-looking statements
can often be identified by the use of words such as "will",
"predict", "continue", "forecast", "expect", "believe",
"anticipate", "outlook", "could", "target", "project", "intend",
"plan", "seek", "estimate", "should", "may" and "assume", as well
as variations of such words and similar expressions referring to
the future, and include (without limitation) statements regarding
expectations with respect to a separation of Centuri, the future
performance of Centuri, Southwest Gas's dividend ratios and
Southwest Gas's future performance. A number of important factors
affecting the business and financial results of the Company could
cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in the
forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not
limited to, the timing and amount of rate relief, changes in rate
design, customer growth rates, the effects of
regulation/deregulation, tax reform and related regulatory
decisions, the impacts of construction activity at Centuri, whether
we will separate Centuri within the anticipated timeframe and the
impact to our results of operations and financial position from the
separation, the potential for, and the impact of, a credit rating
downgrade, the costs to integrate MountainWest, future earnings
trends, inflation, sufficiency of labor markets and similar
resources, seasonal patterns, the cost and management attention of
ongoing litigation that the Company is currently engaged in, the
effects of the pending tender offer and proxy contest brought by
Carl Icahn and his affiliates, and
the impacts of stock market volatility. In addition, the Company
can provide no assurance that its discussions about future
operating margin, operating income, COLI earnings, interest
expense, and capital expenditures of the natural gas distribution
segment will occur. Likewise, the Company can provide no assurance
that discussions regarding utility infrastructure services segment
revenues, EBITDA as a percentage of revenue, and interest expense
will transpire, nor assurance regarding acquisitions or their
impacts, including management's plans or expectations related
thereto, including with regard to Riggs
Distler or MountainWest. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ also include (without limitation) those discussed
under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent
Annual Report on Form 10-K and in the Company's and Southwest Gas
Corporation's current and periodic reports, including our Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, filed from time to time with the SEC. The
statements in this press release are made as of the date of this
press release, even if subsequently made available by the Company
on its Web site or otherwise. The Company does not assume any
obligation to update the forward-looking statements, whether
written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a
result of new information, future developments, or
otherwise.
Participants in the Solicitation: The directors
and officers of the Company may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies in connection with the Annual Meeting.
Information regarding the Company's directors and officers and
their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or
otherwise is available in its most recent Annual Report on Form
10-K filed with the SEC and the definitive Proxy Statement on
Schedule 14A filed with the SEC in connection with the Annual
Meeting. Additional information regarding the interests of such
potential participants is included in other relevant materials
filed with the SEC.
Contacts
For investor information, contact: Boyd
Nelson, (702) 876-7237, boyd.nelson@swgas.com; or Innisfree
M&A Incorporated, Scott
Winter/Jennifer
Shotwell/Jon Salzberger,
(212) 750-5833.
For media information, contact: Sean
Corbett, (702) 876-7219, sean.corbett@swgas.com; or
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer
Katcher, Dan Katcher / Tim Lynch, (212) 355-4449.
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SOURCE Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc.