Vroom Announces Equity-for-Debt Recapitalization
13 November 2024 - 8:05AM
Business Wire
Positions the Company for Long-Term
Growth
Vroom, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRM), a leading automotive finance company
and an AI-powered analytics and digital services platform for
automotive retail, today announced that it has made the strategic
decision to enter into a Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) with
holders of an overwhelming majority of its outstanding funded debt
and its largest stockholder. The parties to the RSA have agreed to
pursue a comprehensive transaction that will restructure Vroom,
Inc.’s outstanding funded debt, consisting of approximately $290
million of unsecured convertible senior notes due in 2026 (Notes),
into equity. Vroom, Inc. is the holding company of operating
subsidiaries including United Auto Credit Corporation (UACC),
CarStory, LLC (CarStory), and Vroom Automotive, LLC and does not
itself have operations.
- Vroom, Inc. intends to voluntarily file a prepackaged plan of
reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Vroom,
Inc.’s subsidiaries are not expected to be impacted by the
prepackaged Chapter 11 case and are expected to continue to operate
in the ordinary course. Vroom, Inc. anticipates emerging promptly
from the prepackaged Chapter 11 case at the end of 2024 or early
2025.
Pursuant to the transaction, the Notes will
be converted into new shares of common stock (New Common Stock)
and, upon consummation of the plan of reorganization, certain
classes of claims and interests will receive the following
treatment:
- Existing holders of Vroom, Inc. common stock will exchange each
existing share of common stock for one share of New Common Stock
and one warrant to purchase a share of New Common Stock. The
warrants will be exercisable for five years at a strike price of
$12.19 per share. The current common stockholders will own
approximately 7.06% of the New Common Stock following the execution
of the restructuring transactions, subject to dilution.
- Each holder of Notes will receive New Common Stock equal to 75%
of the face value of its Notes, assuming a per share value of $9.14
(the average daily market price of Vroom Inc.’s existing common
stock from September 23, 2024, the date on which the new Long-Term
Strategic Plan was released, to November 8, 2024, two business days
before the signing of the RSA based on current outstanding shares).
The holders of the unsecured Notes will own approximately 92.94% of
the New Common Stock as of consummation of the transactions, and
subject to dilution.
- Existing holders of options or restricted stock units will
receive new awards exchangeable into New Common Stock on the same
terms and conditions, and for the same number of units, applicable
to their existing awards in respect of the existing Vroom
stock.
- Trade creditors and all other general unsecured creditors are
expected to be paid in full in connection with the chapter 11 case.
Additionally, trade creditors of Vroom’s operating subsidiaries are
not expected to be impacted.
- Vroom does not anticipate that any creditors of the
consolidated enterprise will ultimately be affected other than the
holders of the unsecured Notes.
- Vroom intends to structure the prepackaged Chapter 11 case in a
manner that maximizes the ability to utilize a substantial portion
of its approximately $1.5 billion in federal tax net operating
losses after emerging from Chapter 11.
“Since winding down our ecommerce used automotive dealer
business, we have been focused on maximizing the value of our
remaining assets for our stakeholders. We believe eliminating our
unsecured Notes will significantly strengthen our balance sheet and
allow us to emerge without any long-term debt at Vroom, Inc., while
its subsidiary, UACC, will continue to be obligated to debt that is
related to asset-backed securitizations and their trust preferred
securities. Our team remains focused on executing our Long-Term
Strategic Plan,” said Tom Shortt, Chief Executive Officer of
Vroom.
“As an investor in the Company since 2022, we have seen Vroom
leadership consistently deliver on its commitments, and we are
excited to be a major stakeholder in the next chapter as they
implement their Long-Term Strategic Plan,” said Jason Mudrick,
Chief Investment Officer of Mudrick Capital Management, LP, which
was instrumental in the negotiations leading to the RSA.
As part of the case, Vroom, Inc. intends to file a number of
customary motions with the bankruptcy court that will allow the
continuation of normal business operations. Following court
approval and the completion of the anticipated prepackaged Chapter
11 case, reorganized Vroom, Inc. intends to use commercially
reasonable efforts to relist the New Common Stock for trading on
Nasdaq, the New York Stock Exchange, or a comparable nationally
recognized securities exchange following the consummation of the
plan of reorganization.
Advisors
Porter Hedges LLP is serving as bankruptcy counsel, Latham &
Watkins LLP is serving as special corporate counsel, Stout Risius
Ross, LLC is serving as financial advisor, and Verita Global is
serving as claims and noticing agent.
About Vroom (Nasdaq: VRM)
Vroom owns and operates United Auto Credit Corporation (UACC), a
leading automotive lender serving the independent and franchise
dealer market nationwide, and CarStory, a leader in AI-powered
analytics and digital services for automotive retail. Prior to
January 2024, Vroom also operated an end-to-end ecommerce platform
to buy and sell used vehicles. Pursuant to its previously announced
Value Maximization Plan, Vroom discontinued its ecommerce
operations and wound down its used vehicle dealership business.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not
relate to matters of historical fact should be considered
forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements
regarding the anticipated prepackaged Chapter 11 case contemplated
by the RSA, the recapitalization of debt, their intended benefits,
their impact on our ongoing operations and operating subsidiaries,
our intention to list New Common Stock on a national securities
exchange, our expectations regarding UACC’s business, including
with respect to its securitizations, our ability to execute on our
Long-Term Strategic Plan, and the timing of any of the foregoing.
These statements are based on management’s current assumptions and
are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this press release include: we are
subject to risks and uncertainties associated with the anticipated
prepackaged Chapter 11 case; we may not be able to obtain
confirmation of the plan of reorganization contemplated by the RSA;
if the RSA is terminated, our ability to confirm and consummate the
plan of reorganization contemplated by the RSA could be materially
and adversely affected; the RSA is subject to significant
conditions and milestones that may be difficult for us to satisfy;
trading in our securities is highly speculative and poses
substantial risks; if the plan of reorganization contemplated by
the RSA becomes effective, the holders of our existing common stock
will be diluted; following the effectiveness of the plan of
reorganization contemplated by the RSA, certain holders of claims
or causes of action relating to the unsecured Notes, if they choose
to act together, will have the ability to significantly influence
all matters submitted to stockholders of the reorganized company
for approval; our business could suffer from a long and protracted
restructuring; as a result of the anticipated prepackaged Chapter
11 case, our historical financial information will not be
indicative of our future performance; we are subject to claims that
will not be discharged in the anticipated prepackaged Chapter 11
case, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial
condition and results of operations; the anticipated prepackaged
Chapter 11 case has consumed and is expected to continue to consume
a substantial portion of the time and attention of our management,
which may have an adverse effect on our business and results of
operations, and we may experience increased levels of employee
attrition; upon our emergence from bankruptcy, the composition of
our board of directors may change; the anticipated prepackaged
Chapter 11 case raises substantial doubt regarding our ability to
continue as a going concern; our indebtedness and liabilities could
limit the cash flow available for our operations, expose us to
risks that could materially adversely affect our business,
financial condition and results of operations and impair our
ability to satisfy our debt obligations; we may be unable to
satisfy a continued listing rule from Nasdaq, and if we are
delisted, we may not be able to satisfy an initial listing rule
from Nasdaq or another national securities exchange; our tax
attributes and future tax deductions may be reduced or
significantly limited as a result of the consummation of the plan
of reorganization contemplated by the RSA and any restructuring or
reorganization in connection therewith; there are risks associated
with the discontinuance of our ecommerce operations and wind-down
of our used vehicle dealership business; we may not generate
sufficient liquidity to operate our business; as well as the other
important risks and uncertainties identified under the heading
“Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2023, as updated by our Quarterly report on Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, which is available on our
Investor Relations website at ir.vroom.com and on the SEC website
at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs
and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We
undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to
reflect future events or circumstances.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241112947071/en/
Investor Relations: Vroom Jon Sandison
investors@vroom.com
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