Item 2.03 |
Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.
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On May 27, 2022, New Jersey Natural Gas Company (“NJNG”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Jersey Resources Corporation (“NJR”), and certain
institutional investors in the private placement market (the “Purchasers”) entered into a Note Purchase Agreement (the “Note Purchase Agreement”), under which NJNG sold to the Purchasers $100,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of NJNG’s senior
notes consisting of $50,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 4.37% Senior Notes, Series 2022A, due May 27, 2037 (the “Series A Notes”) and $50,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 4.71% Senior Notes, Series 2022B, due May 27, 2052
(the “Series B Notes” and together with the Series A Notes, the “Notes”).
The Notes are secured by an equal principal amount of NJNG’s First Mortgage Bonds issued under the Amended and Restated Indenture of Mortgage, Deed of
Trust and Security dated September 1, 2014, between NJNG and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, in its capacity as Trustee, as heretofore amended and supplemented and as further
amended and supplemented by the Eleventh Supplemental Indenture dated as of May 1, 2022. Accordingly, the Notes are secured ratably with NJNG’s First Mortgage Bonds in the collateral pledged to secure such bonds. The proceeds of the Notes will be
used for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, refinancing or retiring short-term debt and funding capital expenditures.
Interest will accrue on the Series A Notes at 4.37% per annum and will be payable on November 27 and May 27 of each year, beginning on November 28,
2022, and ending on the maturity date of May 27, 2037. Interest will accrue on the Series B Notes at 4.71% per annum and will be payable on November 27 and May 27 of each year, beginning on November 28, 2022, and ending on the maturity date of May
27, 2052. NJNG may prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the Notes, in an amount not less than $1,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding in the case of a partial prepayment, at 100% of the aggregate
principal amount so prepaid together with interest accrued thereon to the date of such prepayment and the make-whole amount (as such term is defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal
amount. The Notes will also be subject to required prepayments upon the occurrence of certain events. The Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), or under the securities laws of any jurisdiction.
The Notes will be subject to certain restrictions on transfer and may only be sold in transactions exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
The Note Purchase Agreement contains customary representations and warranties of NJNG and the Purchasers and also contains customary events of default
and certain covenants which will limit NJNG’s ability beyond agreed upon thresholds, to, among other things: (i) incur liens; (ii) make dispositions of assets; (iii) enter into transactions with affiliates; and (iv) merge, consolidate, transfer, sell
or lease all or substantially all of NJNG’s assets. These covenants are subject to a number of important exceptions and qualifications set forth in the Note Purchase Agreement.
NJR is not obligated directly or contingently with respect to the Notes or the First Mortgage Bonds.
The foregoing description of the Note Purchase Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the entire Note Purchase Agreement attached
hereto as Exhibit 4.1 and incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the Eleventh Supplemental Indenture is qualified in its entirety by reference to the entire Eleventh Supplemental Indenture attached hereto as Exhibit 4.2 and
incorporated herein by reference.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This filing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. NJR cautions readers that
the assumptions forming the basis for forward-looking statements include many factors that are beyond NJR’s ability to control or estimate precisely, such as estimates of future market conditions and the behavior of other market participants. Words
such as “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “should” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking information and such forward-looking statements are made based upon management’s current
expectations and beliefs as of this date concerning future developments and their potential effect upon NJR. There can be no assurance that future developments will be in accordance with management’s expectations or that the effect of future
developments on NJR will be those anticipated by management. Forward-looking information in this filing includes, but is not limited to, certain statements regarding the use of proceeds.
Additional information and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from NJR’s expectations are contained in NJR’s filings with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including NJR’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other SEC filings, which are available at the SEC’s web site,
http:.//www.sec.gov. Information included in this filing is representative as of today only and while NJR periodically reassesses material trends and uncertainties affecting NJR’s results of operations and financial condition in connection with its
preparation of management’s discussion and analysis of results of operations and financial condition contained in its Quarterly and Annual Reports filed with the SEC, NJR does not, by including this statement, assume any obligation to review or
revise any particular forward-looking statement referenced herein in light of future events.