UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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| Item 5.07. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
On November 1, 2024, Kellanova (the “Company”) held a special meeting of shareowners (the “Special Meeting”) to consider certain proposals related to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 13, 2024 (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with its terms, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, Acquiror 10VB8, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Acquiror”), Merger Sub 10VB8, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Acquiror (“Merger Sub”), and, solely for the limited purposes specified in the Merger Agreement, Mars, Incorporated, a Delaware corporation. The Merger Agreement provides that, among other things, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Acquiror.
At the close of business on September 24, 2024, the record date of the Special Meeting, there were 344,684,757 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.25 per share (“Common Stock”), outstanding, each of which was entitled to one vote with respect to each proposal voted on at the Special Meeting. A total of 267,219,852 shares of Common Stock, representing approximately 77.5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, were present virtually or by proxy, constituting a quorum for the transaction of business at the Special Meeting pursuant to the Company’s bylaws.
The following is a summary of the matters voted on at the Special Meeting based on the final, certified report of the voting results by the independent inspector of elections. The definitive proxy statement related to the Special Meeting that was filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under cover of Schedule 14A (File No. 001-04171) on September 26, 2024 (the “Definitive Proxy”) contains a description of the following proposals considered at the Special Meeting. There were no recorded broker non-votes.
Proposal 1: The Merger Proposal
To adopt and approve the Merger Agreement (the “Merger Proposal”). The following votes were cast at the Special Meeting (virtually or by proxy), and the proposal was approved:
| For |
Against |
Abstentions | ||
| 265,528,357 |
1,243,789 | 447,706 |
Proposal 2: The Advisory Compensation Proposal
To approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that may be paid or become payable to the Company’s named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the Merger. The following non-binding, advisory votes were cast at the Special Meeting (virtually or by proxy), and the proposal was not approved:
| For |
Against |
Abstentions | ||
| 111,656,930 |
154,613,148 | 949,774 |
Proposal 3: The Adjournment Proposal
To approve one or more adjournments of the Special Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if a quorum is not present or there are not sufficient votes cast at the Special Meeting to approve the Merger Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”). The following votes were cast at the Special Meeting (virtually or by proxy), and the proposal was approved:
| For |
Against |
Abstentions | ||
| 254,052,061 |
12,638,806 | 528,985 |
Although the Adjournment Proposal was approved, adjournment of the Special Meeting was not necessary or appropriate because the Company’s shareowners approved the Merger Proposal.
No other business properly came before the Special Meeting.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Report”) includes statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, including statements regarding the Merger, shareowner and regulatory approvals, the expected timetable for completing the Merger, the expected benefits of the Merger, and any other statements regarding the Company’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions or future events or performance that are not historical facts. This information may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the timing to consummate the Merger and the risk that the Merger may not be completed at all or the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement, including circumstances requiring a party to pay the other party a termination fee pursuant to the Merger Agreement; the risk that the conditions to closing of the Merger may not be satisfied or waived; the risk that a governmental or regulatory approval that may be required for the Merger is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; potential litigation relating to, or other unexpected costs resulting from, the Merger; legislative, regulatory, and economic developments; risks that the Merger disrupts the Company’s current plans and operations; the risk that certain restrictions during the pendency of the Merger may impact the Company’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; the diversion of management’s time on transaction-related issues; continued availability of capital and financing and rating agency actions; the risk that any announcements relating to the Merger could have adverse effects on the market price of the Company’s Common Stock, credit ratings or operating results; and the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability to retain and hire key personnel, to retain customers and to maintain relationships with business partners, suppliers and customers. The Company can give no assurance that the conditions to the Merger will be satisfied, or that it will close within the anticipated time period.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, should be considered forward-looking statements made in good faith by the Company, as applicable, and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this Report, or any other documents, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “objective,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “strategy,” “target,” “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management at the time that these statements were prepared and are inherently uncertain. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, are described in greater detail in the Definitive Proxy and the Company’s reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2023, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Forms 8-K and in other SEC filings made by the Company. The Company cautions that these risks and factors are not exclusive. Management cautions against putting undue reliance on forward-looking statements or projecting any future results based on such statements or present or prior earnings levels. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Report, and, except as required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information, future events, changes in its expectations or other circumstances that exist after the date as of which the forward-looking statements were made.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| KELLANOVA | ||||||
| Date: November 4, 2024 | By: | /s/ Todd Haigh | ||||
| Name: Todd Haigh | ||||||
| Title: Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | ||||||