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 (Date of earliest event reported)
December 15, 2025
SM Energy Company
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 001-31539 | 41-0518430 | ||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||
| 1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 3200 | 80203 | |||||||
Denver, Colorado | (Zip Code) | |||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | ||||||||
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (303) 861-8140
Not applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
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 (see General Instruction A.2.):
☑ 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 symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Common stock, $0.01 par value | SM | 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 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On December 15, 2025, SM Energy Company (the “Company”) announced that Kenneth J. Knott, its Senior Vice President – Business Development and Land, will conclude his service in his current role with the Company upon closing of the Mergers, as defined below. The Company anticipates that Mr. Knott will continue to contribute to the Company as an advisor after the closing of the Mergers, supporting transition and integration matters, on terms to be agreed upon.
Mr. Knott has served as a key leader of the Company for over 25 years, and the Company thanks Mr. Knott for his dedicated leadership.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
As previously announced, on November 2, 2025, the Company, Cars Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), and Civitas Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Civitas”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger pursuant to which (i) Merger Sub will merge with and into Civitas, with Civitas surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “First Company Merger”), and (ii) immediately following the First Company Merger, Civitas as the surviving corporation will merge with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Second Company Merger” and, together with the First Company Merger, the “Mergers”).
The closing of the Mergers is subject to, among other things, the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (“HSR Act”). Early termination of the 30-day waiting period under the HSR Act was granted by the Federal Trade Commission effective December 18, 2025. The closing of the Mergers is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions.
The information in this Item 7.01 is being furnished and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for 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 and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Exchange Act, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This current report on Form 8-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements in this report include the Company’s expectation that the remaining conditions to the closing of the Mergers will be satisfied or waived, and that the closing of the Mergers will occur in the first quarter of 2026. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this communication. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and may be impacted by the risks discussed in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s annual reports on Form10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K that are available on its website at www.sm-energy.com/investors and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable but that may not prove to be accurate. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of perceptions of current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors that the Company believes are appropriate under the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events may be materially different from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed Mergers, the Company has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, as amended (the “Registration Statement”), that includes a joint proxy statement of the Company and Civitas and a prospectus of the Company (the “Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus”). Each of the Company and Civitas may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed Mergers. This communication is not a substitute for the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus or Registration Statement or any other document that the Company or Civitas, as applicable, may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed Mergers. After the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, a definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be mailed to the stockholders of each of the Company and Civitas. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING
OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY AND CIVITAS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, CIVITAS, THE PROPOSED MERGERS AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, as well as other filings containing important information about the Company, Civitas and the proposed Mergers, once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at https://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by the Company will be available free of charge on the Company’s website at https://www.sm-energy.com/investors. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Civitas will be available free of charge on Civitas’ website at https://ir.civitasresources.com/investor-relations/Overview/default.aspx. The information included on, or accessible through, the Company’s or Civitas’ website is not incorporated by reference into this communication.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company, Civitas and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed Mergers. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in the Company’s proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 7, 2025 (and which is available at https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/893538/000089353825000032/sm-20250404.htm) and a Form 8-K filed by the Company on September 8, 2025 (and which is available at https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/893538/000089353825000116/sm-20250904.htm). Information about the directors and executive officers of Civitas, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in a Form 8-K filed by Civitas on August 6, 2025 (and which is available at https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1509589/000110465925074774/tm2522747d1_8k.htm), a Form 8-K filed by Civitas on May 7, 2025 (and which is available at https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1509589/000110465925045550/tm2514090d1_8k.htm), and Civitas’ proxy statement for its 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 21, 2025 (and which is available at https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1509589/000155837025005077/civi-20241231xdef14a.htm). Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed Mergers when such materials become available. Investors should read the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the Company and Civitas using the sources indicated above.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| SM ENERGY COMPANY | |||||||||||
| Date: | December 19, 2025 | By: | /s/ JAMES B. LEBECK | ||||||||
| James B. Lebeck | |||||||||||
| Executive Vice President Corporate Development and General Counsel | |||||||||||