TIFFANY & CO false 0000098246 0000098246 2020-12-17 2020-12-17

 

 

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: December 17, 2020

 

 

TIFFANY & CO.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   1-9494   13-3228013

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

200 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

(Address of principle executive offices and zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 755-8000

 

 

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:

 

 

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

Symbols(s)

  

Name of each exchange

on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share    TIF    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 1.01.

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On December 17, 2020, following the receipt of the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Registrant’s outstanding $250,000,000 3.800% senior notes due October 1, 2024 (the “2024 Notes”) and its outstanding $300,000,000 4.900% senior notes due October 1, 2044 (the “2044 Notes” and, together with the 2024 Notes, the “Affected Notes”) pursuant to its previously announced consent solicitations, as amended with respect to the 2044 Notes on December 15, 2020, Registrant entered into a supplemental indenture (the “Supplemental Indenture”) to the indenture governing the Affected Notes, dated as of September 25, 2014 (the “Indenture”), between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as Trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 1 relating to the 2024 Notes, dated September 25, 2014, among Registrant, each of the guarantors party thereto as of the date thereof, and the Trustee, and Supplemental Indenture No. 2 relating to the 2044 Notes, dated September 25, 2014, among Registrant, each of the guarantors party thereto as of the date thereof, and the Trustee.

As previously announced, on October 28, 2020, Registrant, LVMH Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton SE, a societas Europaea (European company) organized under the laws of France (“LVMH”), Breakfast Holdings Acquisition Corp. and Breakfast Acquisition Corp. (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) which provides for, among other things, the acquisition by LVMH of Registrant through the merger of Merger Sub with and into Registrant (the “Merger”), with Registrant continuing as the surviving corporation in the Merger and a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of LVMH. Subject to the terms of the Merger Agreement and its approval by Registrant’s stockholders, the Merger is expected to be completed early in the calendar year 2021.

The Supplemental Indenture provides that if the Merger is completed, LVMH may elect to provide an unconditional guarantee (the “LVMH Guarantee”) of Registrant’s payment obligations with respect to the Affected Notes and any other notes issued from time to time under the Indenture. However, even if the Merger is consummated, LVMH has no obligation to provide any guarantee and there can be no assurance that LVMH will do so. If and for so long as LVMH provides the LVMH Guarantee, LVMH will provide English translations of its periodic and current reporting (under applicable French law) in lieu of Registrant’s existing periodic and current reporting obligations, which reporting obligations will not be applicable at any time and for any period during which the LVMH Guarantee is in force. The amendments also add certain provisions regarding the terms of the LVMH Guarantee, if any.

The Supplemental Indenture is filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

Item 7.01.

Regulation FD Disclosure.

On December 17, 2020, Registrant issued a news release announcing that it had received, on December 14, 2020, with respect to the 2024 Notes, and on December 17, 2020, with respect to the 2044 Notes, the requisite consents from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Affected Notes pursuant to its previously announced solicitation of consents. A copy of the news release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information in this Current Report on Form 8-K is being furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure. In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in this report shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly stated by specific reference in such filing.

Additional Information and Where To Find It:

This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed acquisition of Registrant by LVMH pursuant to the Merger Agreement. In connection with the proposed acquisition, Registrant filed a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and mailed the definitive proxy statement and a proxy card to each stockholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the proposed acquisition. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF REGISTRANT ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING REGISTRANT’S DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT REGISTRANT AND THE PROPOSED ACQUISITION. Investors and security holders are able to obtain copies of the definitive proxy statement and other documents filed with the SEC (when available) free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or at Registrant’s website at investor.tiffany.com/financial-information or by writing to the Corporate Secretary at 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010, Attn: Corporate Secretary (Legal Department).


Participants in Solicitation:

Registrant and its directors, executive officers and certain of its employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Registrant’s stockholders in respect of the proposed acquisition. Information about the directors and executive officers of Registrant is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 20, 2020, and the definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed acquisition on November 27, 2020. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations in connection with the proposed acquisition, and a description of any interests that they have in the proposed acquisition, by security holdings or otherwise, may be contained in other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed acquisition when they become available. These documents may be obtained for free at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by writing to the Corporate Secretary at 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010, Attn: Corporate Secretary (Legal Department).

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this communication including, without limitation, statements relating to the proposed acquisition and conditions to closing of the proposed acquisition, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, each as amended. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed acquisition (and the anticipated benefits thereof) and about the future plans, assumptions and expectations for Registrant’s business and its results. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “may,” “will,” or other similar expressions may identify such forward-looking statements.

These and other forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements, including, as a result of factors, risks and uncertainties over which Registrant has no control. The inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation that any plans, estimates or expectations will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on such statements. Important factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) conditions to the completion of the proposed acquisition, including stockholder approval of the merger proposal, may not be satisfied or the regulatory approvals or waivers required for the proposed acquisition may not be obtained or maintained, in each case, on the terms expected or on the anticipated schedule; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement between the parties to the merger or affect the ability of the parties to recognize the benefits of the proposed acquisition; (iii) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed acquisition on Registrant’s business relationships, operating results, and business generally; (iv) risks that the proposed acquisition disrupts Registrant’s current plans and operations and potential difficulties in Registrant’s employee retention; (v) risks that the proposed acquisition may divert management’s attention from Registrant’s ongoing business operations; (vi) potential litigation that may be instituted against Registrant or its directors or officers related to the proposed acquisition or the Merger Agreement between the parties to the merger and any adverse outcome of any such potential litigation; (vii) the amount and timing of the costs, fees, expenses and other charges related to the proposed acquisition, including in the event of any unexpected delays; (viii) other risks to consummation of the proposed acquisition, including the risk that the proposed acquisition will not be consummated within the expected time period, or at all, which may affect Registrant’s business and the price of the common stock of Registrant; (ix) any adverse effects on Registrant by other general industry, economic, business and/or competitive factors; (x) the COVID-19 pandemic, including the duration and scope thereof, the availability of a vaccine or cure that mitigates the effect of the virus, the potential for additional waves of outbreaks and changes in financial, business, travel and tourism, consumer discretionary spending and other general consumer behaviors, political, public health and other conditions, circumstances, requirements and practices resulting therefrom; (xi) protest activity in the U.S.; and (xii) such other factors as are set forth in Registrant’s periodic public filings with the SEC, including but not limited to those described under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Forward Looking Statements” in Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2020, its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2020, and in its other filings made with the SEC from time to time, which are available via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on Registrant’s financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity or stock price. These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed acquisition, are more fully discussed in the definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, which was filed with the SEC on November 27, 2020, in connection with the proposed acquisition. In addition, there can be no assurance that the proposed acquisition will be completed, or if it is completed, that it will close within the anticipated time period, or that the expected benefits of the proposed acquisition will be realized.


Forward-looking statements reflect the views and assumptions of management as of the date of this communication with respect to future events. Registrant does not undertake, and hereby disclaims, any obligation, unless required to do so by applicable securities laws, to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or other factors. The inclusion of any statement in this communication does not constitute an admission by Registrant or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

    No.    

  

Description of Exhibit

  4.1    Supplemental Indenture No. 3 dated December 17, 2020, between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee.
99.1    News Release dated December 17, 2020.
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).


SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

      TIFFANY & CO.
      (Registrant)
    By:  

/s/ Leigh M. Harlan

      Leigh M. Harlan
      Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel
Date: December 17, 2020