BALTIMORE, Maryland, Aug. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MarketWise, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKTW) (“MarketWise” or the “Company”), a leading multi-brand digital subscription services platform providing premium financial research, software, education, and tools for self-directed investors, today announced that it has commenced an exchange offer (the “Offer”) and consent solicitation (the “Consent Solicitation”) relating to its outstanding (i) public warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A common stock”), which warrants trade on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “MKTWW”(the “public warrants”), and (ii) private placement warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock (the “private placement warrants” and, together with the public warrants, the “warrants”). The purpose of the Offer and Consent Solicitation is to simplify the Company’s capital structure and reduce the potential dilutive impact of the warrants, thereby providing the Company with more flexibility for financing its operations in the future.
Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation Relating to Warrants
The Company is offering to all holders of the warrants the opportunity to receive 0.1925 shares of Class A common stock in exchange for each outstanding warrant tendered by the holder and exchanged pursuant to the Offer. Pursuant to the Offer, the Company is offering up to an aggregate of 5,963,648 shares of its Class A common stock in exchange for the warrants.
Concurrently with the Offer, the Company is also soliciting consents from holders of the warrants to amend the warrant agreement that governs all of the warrants (the “Warrant Agreement”) to permit the Company to require that each warrant that is outstanding upon the closing of the Offer be exchanged for 0.17325 shares of Class A common stock, which is a ratio 10% less than the exchange ratio applicable to the Offer (such amendment, the “Warrant Amendment”). Pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agreement, all except certain specified modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent of holders of at least 50% of each of the outstanding public warrants and the outstanding private placement warrants. Parties representing approximately 57.9% of the outstanding public warrants and approximately 52.4% of the outstanding private placement warrants have agreed to tender their public warrants and private placement warrants (as applicable) in the Offer and to consent to the Warrant Amendment in the Consent Solicitation, pursuant to a tender and support agreement. Accordingly, because holders of approximately 57.9% of the outstanding public warrants and approximately 52.4% of the private placement warrants have agreed to consent to the Warrant Amendment in the Consent Solicitation, if the other conditions of the Offer are satisfied or waived, then the Warrant Amendment will be adopted. The offering period will continue until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 14, 2022, or such later time and date to which the Company may extend (the “Expiration Date”), as described in the Company’s Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange (each as defined below). Tendered warrants may be withdrawn by holders at any time prior to the Expiration Date.
The Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made pursuant to a prospectus/offer to exchange, dated August 17, 2022 (the “Prospectus/Offer to Exchange”), and Schedule TO, dated August 17, 2022 (the “Schedule TO”), each of which have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and more fully set forth the terms and conditions of the Offer and Consent Solicitation.
The Company’s Class A common stock and public warrants are listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbols “MKTW” and “MKTWW,” respectively. As of August 17, 2022, there were (i) 27,933,763 shares of Class A common stock outstanding, (ii) 291,092,303 shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value of $0.0001 per share (the “Class B common stock”), outstanding, and (iii) a total of 30,979,993 warrants outstanding, including 20,699,993 public warrants and 10,280,000 private placement warrants. Assuming all warrant holders tender their warrants for exchange in the Offer, the Company would expect to issue up to 5,963,648 shares of Class A common stock, resulting in 33,897,411 shares of Class A common stock outstanding (an increase of approximately 21%) and 291,092,303 shares of Class B common stock outstanding for a total issued share capital of 324,989,714 shares of common stock (an increase of approximately 2%), and no public or private placement warrants outstanding.
The Company has engaged BofA Securities as the dealer manager for the Offer and Consent Solicitation (the “Dealer Manager”). Any questions or requests for assistance concerning the Offer and Consent Solicitation may be directed to BofA Securities at:
BofA Securities
NC1-004-03-43
200 North College Street, 3rd floor
Charlotte NC 28255-0001
Attn: Prospectus Department
Email: dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com
D.F. King & Co., Inc. has been appointed as the information agent for the Offer and Consent Solicitation (the “Information Agent”), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company has been appointed as the exchange agent (the “Exchange Agent”).
Important Additional Information Has Been Filed with the SEC
Copies of the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange will be available free of charge at the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov. Requests for documents may also be directed to the Information Agent at (888) 605-1958 (for warrant holders) or (212) 269-5550 (for banks and brokers) or via the following email address: marketwise@dfking.com. A registration statement on Form S-4 relating to the securities to be issued in the Offer has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. Such securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.
This announcement is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell the warrants or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any shares of Class A common stock in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under the laws of any such state. The Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made only through the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange, and the complete terms and conditions of the Offer and Consent Solicitation are set forth in the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange.
Holders of the warrants are urged to read the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange carefully before making any decision with respect to the Offer and Consent Solicitation because they contain important information, including the various terms of, and conditions to, the Offer and Consent Solicitation.
None of the Company, any of its management or its board of directors, or the Information Agent, the Exchange Agent, or the Dealer Manager makes any recommendation as to whether or not holders of warrants should tender warrants for exchange in the Offer or consent to the Warrant Amendment in the Consent Solicitation.
About MarketWise
Founded with a mission to level the playing field for self-directed investors, today MarketWise is a leading multi-brand subscription services platform providing premium financial research, software, education, and tools for investors.
With more than 20 years of operating history, MarketWise is currently comprised of 11 primary customer facing brands, offering more than 180 products, and serving a community of approximately 16 million free and paid subscribers. MarketWise’s products are a trusted source for high-value financial research, education, actionable investment ideas, and investment software. MarketWise is a 100% digital, direct-to-customer company offering its research across a variety of platforms including mobile, desktops, and tablets. MarketWise has a proven, agile, and scalable platform and our vision is to become the leading financial solutions platform for self-directed investors.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the expected timing of the Offer and Consent Solicitation. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, filed August 17, 2022, as such factors may be updated from time to time in the Company’s periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. We do not give any assurance that we will achieve our expectations.
MarketWise Investor Relations Contact
Jonathan Shanfield - MarketWise Investor Relations
Jamie Lillis - Solebury Trout
(800) 290-4113
ir@marketwise.com
MarketWise MediaContact
Email: media@marketwise.com
