Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On June 30, 2009, Vector Group Ltd. (the "Company") accepted for exchange
$99.94 million of its outstanding 5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes
due 2011 ("Old Notes"), valued at 107% of aggregate principal amount, from the
holders of the Old Notes, for $106.94 million of its 6.75% Variable Interest
Senior Convertible Exchange Notes Due 2014 of the Company ("New Notes"). The New
Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of June 30, 2009 (the
"Indenture"), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as trustee (the
"Trustee").
The Company issued the New Notes to the holders in reliance on the
exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, afforded by Section 3(a)(9) thereof. Pursuant to such exemption, the
New Notes are freely tradable upon exchange. No holder of any Old Note has made
or will make any cash payment to the Company in connection with the exchange of
notes.
The New Notes are convertible, at the option of the holder at any time on
or prior to maturity, into shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion
price of $17.06 per share, which is equal to a conversion rate of approximately
58.6063 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of New Notes, subject
to adjustment.
Interest on the New Notes is payable quarterly on February 15, May 15,
August 15 and November 15 of each year, beginning August 15, 2009. The New Notes
accrue interest at 3.75% per annum, with an additional amount of interest
payable on each interest payment date equal to the product of the amount of cash
dividends paid by the Company on its common stock during the prior three-month
period ending on the record date for such interest payment multiplied by the
number of shares of the Company's common stock into which the Notes are
convertible on such record date (such additional interest, on an annualized
basis, the "Additional Interest Payment," and the sum of 3.75% per annum of the
outstanding principal amount of the notes plus the Additional Interest Payment,
being the "Total Interest"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, annual interest
payable shall be the higher of (i) the Total Interest or (ii) 6.75% per annum of
such outstanding principal amount. The New Notes will mature on November 15,
2014. The Company will redeem on June 15, 2014 and at the end of each interest
accrual period thereafter an additional amount, if any, of the New Notes
necessary to prevent the New Notes from being treated as an "Applicable High
Yield Discount Obligation" under the Internal Revenue Code.
The New Notes will be the Company's unsecured and unsubordinated
obligations and will rank on a parity in right of payment with all of its
existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. In addition, the
New Notes will effectively rank junior to the Company's existing and any future
secured indebtedness and junior to liabilities of the Company's subsidiaries.
Upon a fundamental change (as defined in the New Notes), each holder of the
New Notes may require the Company to repurchase some or all of its New Notes at
a repurchase price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the New
Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any.
If an event of default (as defined in the New Notes) has occurred and is
continuing (as defined in the New Notes), the holders of at least 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the outstanding New Notes may declare the New
Notes immediately due and payable at their principal amount together with
accrued interest, except that an event of default resulting from a bankruptcy or
similar proceeding will automatically cause the New Notes to become immediately
due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of any Note
holders.
The summary of the foregoing transaction is qualified in its entirety by
reference to the text of the related Indenture, which is included as an exhibit
hereto and are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.
See Item 1.01, which is incorporated herein by reference.
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