Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation and Navios Maritime Midstream Partners L.P. announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Navios Acquisition will acquire all of the publicly held units of Navios Midstream in exchange for shares of Navios Acquisition (the “Transaction”).
The Transaction is expected to:
- Simplify the capital and organizational structure
- Increase trading liquidity and float of the Navios Acquisition common stock
- Enhance access to the capital markets
- Enhance the credit profile
- Allow cash retention to support self-funded growth
- Build scale through a larger asset base that is capable of generating increased profitability
- Create significant savings in public company costs
- Reduce cost of capital
- Provide public unitholders of Navios Midstream who receive Navios Acquisition common stock in the Transaction with consideration reflecting a 9.2% premium (based on the respective closing prices of the
- Navios Acquisition common stock and Navios Midstream units on October 5, 2018) and a more liquid security
- Provide public unitholders of Navios Midstream who receive Navios Acquisition preferred stock in the Transaction with a convertible security ranking senior to Navios Acquisition common stock as to liquidation
- Provide all public unitholders of Navios Midstream with the opportunity to continue to participate in the combined company
Under the terms of the Transaction, public unitholders of Navios Midstream may exchange each Navios Midstream common unit for either:
- 6.292 newly issued shares of Navios Acquisition common stock (or 0.42 shares, after giving effect to the 1:15 reverse stock split described below); or
- 1.0 share of a newly issued series of convertible participating preferred stock (“Preferred Stock”) of Navios Acquisition. Each share of Preferred Stock will be convertible by its holder into 5.1 shares of Navios Acquisition common stock (or 0.34 shares, after giving effect to the 1:15 reverse stock split described below) at any time beginning six months after closing of the Transaction. The Preferred Stock will have the other material features set forth below in “Other Material Features of Navios Acquisition’s Preferred Stock.”
Navios Midstream publicly held units for which no election is made will be deemed to have elected the form of consideration most elected by holders of publicly held units of Navios Midstream. In addition, if holders representing 80% or more of the publicly held units of Navios Midstream elect (or are deemed to have elected) to receive Navios Acquisition common stock consideration, all publicly held units of Navios Midstream will be exchanged for Navios Acquisition common stock.
The exchange of held units of Navios Midstream for shares of common stock or Preferred Stock of Navios Acquisition in the Transaction is expected to be a tax-free exchange to Navios Midstream unitholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
The conflicts committee of the board of directors of Navios Midstream (“Conflicts Committee”) negotiated the transaction on behalf of Navios Midstream and its public unitholders. The transaction was unanimously approved by the Conflicts Committee, the board of directors of Navios Midstream and the board of directors of Navios Acquisition.
The approval and adoption of the merger agreement and the merger by Navios Midstream requires approval by a majority of the outstanding Navios Midstream common units. Navios Acquisition owns a sufficient number of Navios Midstream common units to approve the merger on behalf of all Navios Midstream unitholders and has agreed to consent to the merger. The closing of the merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including effectiveness of a registration statement on Form F-4 related to the issuance of new shares of Navios Acquisition to the public unitholders of Navios Midstream and the mailing of an information statement to such unitholders.
The transaction is expected to close around December 2018.
A presentation outlining the transaction described in this press release will be posted on the Navios Acquisition website.
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP acted as legal advisor and S. Goldman Advisors LLC acted as financial advisor to Navios Acquisition. Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal advisor and Simmons & Company acted as financial advisor to the Conflicts Committee of Navios Midstream.
Other Material Features of Navios Acquisition’s Preferred Stock
Dividends: The Preferred Stock will be entitled to any dividends declared by the board of directors of Navios Acquisition, pro rata with the Navios Acquisition common stock, on an as-converted basis.
Voting Rights: The Preferred Stock will be entitled to vote, on an as-converted basis, along with the Navios Acquisition common stock.
Liquidation Preference: The Preferred Stock will have a liquidation preference of $3.01 per share.
Automatic Conversion: Each share of Preferred Stock will be automatically converted into 5.1 shares of Navios Acquisition common stock (or 0.34 shares, after giving effect to the 1:15 reverse stock split described below) upon the first to occur:
• After 24 months from the closing of the Transaction, the Navios Acquisition common stock will have closed on 20 of any 30 consecutive trading days at or above $0.62 (or $9.24, after giving effect to the 1:15 reverse stock split described below);
• 30 months elapsed since closing of the Transaction; or
• 80% or more of the Navios Midstream units outstanding at the closing of the Transaction, other than those held by Navios Acquisition, have converted into Navios Acquisition common stock, whether through an initial or default election to receive Navios Acquisition common stock in the Transaction or whether through a subsequent voluntary election.
Listing: If a majority of the Navios Midstream units outstanding at the closing of the Transaction, other than those held by Navios Acquisition, elect (or are deemed to have elected) to receive the Preferred Stock, the Preferred Stock will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) to the extent permitted by the NYSE. Whether or not listed, the Preferred Stock will be transferable.
Reverse Stock Split
Navios Acquisition also announced that its Board of Directors has approved a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock. The reverse stock split is subject to stockholder approval, which Navios Acquisition intends to seek at a special meeting of its stockholders scheduled to be held in November 2018. The reverse stock split is expected to be effected before the closing of the Transaction.
Source: Navios Acquisition
