QXO, Inc. (NYSE: QXO) today released a letter to Beacon
Roofing Supply, Inc. shareholders regarding its $124.25 per share
all-cash offer, addressing misrepresentations in Beacon’s recent
14D-9 filing.
Dear Beacon Shareholders,
We seek to set the record straight on some of the numerous
misleading statements in Beacon’s recent communications.
1. QXO’s Offer to
Acquire Beacon Roofing Supply is Highly Compelling and at a
Significant Premium to Beacon’s Unaffected Share PriceIn
evaluating QXO’s offer, Beacon conveniently ignores that its share
price reflects our acquisition interest following the Wall Street
Journal’s November 18, 2024 report. That day, Beacon’s stock rose
9.9%, compared to a 0.4% increase in the S&P 500. Yet, Beacon
compares QXO’s offer to share price metrics as of January 14,
2025—a misleading approach that distorts expectations of Beacon’s
standalone value.
A more appropriate analysis shows that QXO’s offer
represents:
-
A 37% premium to Beacon’s 90-day unaffected VWAP of $91.02 per
share as of November 15, 2024;
-
A 26% premium to Beacon’s unaffected spot price of $98.75 per share
as of November 15, 2024; and
-
A higher price than Beacon’s stock has ever traded.
Indeed, Beacon acknowledges that November 15,
2024 is a significant date, referencing stock performance “from
January 2, 2020 to November 15, 2024 (the last trading day before
rumors surfaced).” Moreover, since November 15, 2024, Beacon’s
Building Products Proxy Peers have lost 10.5% in value1, making
QXO’s offer even more compelling:
-
A 41% premium to an implied spot share price of $88.42; and
-
A 52% premium to the peer-adjusted 90-day VWAP of $81.502.
2. Data Indicates that
Beacon Will Miss its Margin Targets. The Board’s Claim of Strong
Performance is FlawedBeacon’s Board touts cherry-picked
historical performance, painting a misleading picture of its track
record. Consensus analysts’ estimates indicate that Beacon will
miss all margin targets under its “Ambition 2025” plan. Further,
Beacon’s revenue growth largely stems from extraordinary inflation
and inorganic growth between 2022 and 2024. From 2019 through LTM
September 2024, Beacon’s 7.7% revenue CAGR is the lowest of its
peer group and well below the peer median of 12.1%3.
Despite setting unambitious “Ambition 2025”
targets, consensus analysts’ estimates indicate that Beacon
will:
-
Miss its 2025 Gross Margin target by 130 basis points;
-
Miss its 2025 EBITDA Margin target by 114 basis points; and
-
Deliver EBITDA margins 20bps lower in 2025 than when the “Ambition
2025” plan was introduced4.
Furthermore, Beacon’s claims of superior stock performance are
easily debunked. Over the past five years, Beacon’s total
shareholder return has trailed its Building Products Proxy Peers by
86% and trailed those peers by 140% since CEO Julian Francis took
over as CEO in August 20195.
3. QXO’s Offer
Represents a 3.0x Premium to Beacon’s Historical
MultipleBeacon’s lackluster operational performance and
relative share price underperformance are reflected in its
enterprise value to next-twelve-months EBITDA multiple, which has
remained rangebound at an average of 8.1x over the past three
years. Meanwhile, its valuation gap relative to its Building
Products Proxy Peers widened by 1.3x6 over the same period.
Since Beacon has not closed the valuation multiple gap despite
implementing “Ambition 2025,” reporting supposedly strong results
and stock markets nearing all-time highs, we urge shareholders to
decide if the current management and Board are the right team to
create value for shareholders. QXO’s proposal provides a 3.0x
premium to Beacon’s average historical next-twelve-months EBITDA
multiple7, providing substantial immediate cash-certain value to
shareholders.4. If Beacon
is Truly Confident in its Future, it Should Release its Projections
TodayBeacon’s upcoming financial projections for its March
Investor Day warrant skepticism. Management itself acknowledged in
its filings that its upcoming 2028 targets are "ambitious,"
implying they may not be realistic. Beacon has already fallen short
of some "Ambition 2025" goals. Adding to the skepticism, its
decision to announce the Investor Day came only days after QXO
disclosed its plan to go directly to shareholders.
Further, these newly constructed projections will not be
revealed for another month—more than three months after Beacon’s
Board first rejected QXO‘s offer. Why the delay? What is Beacon
formulating in the interim? If the company had strong, credible
projections, there would be no reason for such a drawn-out
disclosure process.
5. Actions Speak
Louder than Words: Beacon Insiders Recently Sold Shares at Prices
Far Below QXO’s OfferSince early 2024, Beacon’s Chairman
and CEO have sold a significant percentage of their shares at
prices well below QXO’s $124.25 per share offer:
-
Chairman Stuart Randle sold 20.9% of his shares at $94.808;
-
CEO Julian Francis sold 9.8% of his shares at $97.919;
-
CD&R, arguably the most sophisticated financial sponsor in the
distribution space, exited its position in Beacon at $83.16 per
share.
If Beacon’s future is so bright under current management, why
are insiders selling shares sharply below QXO’s offer price?
Additionally, Beacon’s Board and management collectively own
only 1.3% of outstanding10 shares, signaling a lack of alignment
with shareholder interests and demonstrating their lack of
confidence in Beacon’s standalone prospects.
6. Beacon’s Own
Filings Suggest that No Actionable Competing Offer
ExistsBeacon’s recent filings indicate no viable
third-party alternative to QXO’s premium
offer. Beacon’s 14D-9 filing has not
disclosed any competing offers, or even a single NDA being signed.
Interestingly, on December 2, 2024, representatives of J.P. Morgan
explicitly informed representatives of Morgan Stanley that they had
been authorized to approach other potential suitors for Beacon.
QXO’s letter to Beacon sent on the following day stated this
clearly, yet Beacon made no effort to dispute this until two months
later, on February 6, 2025.
QXO’s offer is clear, compelling and in shareholders’ best
interest. It is time for Beacon’s Board to stop obstructing
shareholders and let them decide their own financial future.
QXO's tender offer for all of Beacon’s outstanding common stock
will be effective until 12:00 midnight (New York City time) at the
end of February 24, 2025, and QXO is prepared to complete the
acquisition shortly after the tender expires, subject to the terms
of the offer. The transaction is not subject to any financing
conditions or due diligence conditions, and QXO expects that the
waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and the Canadian
Competition Act will have expired or been waived by the time the
tender offer expires.
AdvisorsMorgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting
as lead financial advisor to QXO, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton
& Garrison LLP is acting as legal counsel.
About QXO
QXO provides technology solutions, primarily to clients in the
manufacturing, distribution and service sectors. The company
provides consulting and professional services, including
specialized programming, training and technical support, and
develops proprietary software. As a value-added reseller of
business application software, QXO offers solutions for accounting,
financial reporting, enterprise resource planning, warehouse
management systems, customer relationship management, business
intelligence and other applications. QXO plans to become a
tech-forward leader in the $800 billion building products
distribution industry. The company is targeting tens of billions of
dollars of annual revenue in the next decade through accretive
acquisitions and organic growth. Visit QXO.com for more
information.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements.
Statements that are not historical facts, including statements
about beliefs, expectations, targets, goals, regulatory approval
timing and nominating directors are forward-looking statements.
These statements are based on plans, estimates, expectations and/or
goals at the time the statements are made, and readers should not
place undue reliance on them. In some cases, readers can identify
forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terms such
as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “opportunity,” “intend,”
“plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,”
“potential,” “target,” “goal,” or “continue,” or the negative of
these terms or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements
involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned
that a number of important factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in any such forward-looking
statements. Such factors include but are not limited to: the
ultimate outcome of any possible transaction between QXO, Inc.
(“QXO”) and Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (“Beacon”), including the
possibility that the parties will not agree to pursue a business
combination transaction or that the terms of any definitive
agreement will be materially different from those proposed;
uncertainties as to whether Beacon will cooperate with QXO
regarding the proposed transaction; the ultimate result should QXO
commence a proxy contest for election of directors to Beacon’s
board of directors; QXO’s ability to consummate the proposed
transaction with Beacon; the conditions to the completion of the
proposed transaction, including the receipt of any required
shareholder approvals and any required regulatory approvals; QXO’s
ability to finance the proposed transaction; the substantial
indebtedness QXO expects to incur in connection with the proposed
transaction and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to
service and repay such debt; that operating costs, customer loss
and business disruption (including, without limitation,
difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers
or suppliers) may be greater than expected following the proposed
transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction;
QXO’s ability to retain certain key employees; and general economic
conditions that are less favorable than expected. QXO cautions that
forward-looking statements should not be relied on as predictions
of future events, and these statements are not guarantees of
performance or results. Forward-looking statements herein speak
only as of the date each statement is made. QXO does not assume any
obligation to update any of these statements in light of new
information or future events, except to the extent required by
applicable law.
Important Additional Information and Where to Find
It
This communication is for informational purposes only and does
not constitute a recommendation, an offer to purchase or a
solicitation of an offer to sell Beacon securities. QXO and Queen
MergerCo, Inc. (the “Purchaser”) filed a Tender Offer Statement on
Schedule TO with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
on January 27, 2025, and Beacon filed a Solicitation/Recommendation
Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer with
the SEC on February 6, 2025. Investors and security holders are
urged to carefully read the Tender Offer Statement (including the
Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain
other tender offer documents, as each may be amended or
supplemented from time to time) and the Solicitation/Recommendation
Statement, as these materials contain important information that
investors and security holders should consider before making any
decision regarding tendering their common stock, including the
terms and conditions of the tender offer. The Tender Offer
Statement, Offer to Purchase, Solicitation/Recommendation Statement
and related materials are filed with the SEC, and investors and
security holders may obtain a free copy of these materials and
other documents filed by QXO and Beacon with the SEC at the website
maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Tender Offer
Statement and other documents that QXO and the Purchaser file with
the SEC will be made available to all investors and security
holders of Beacon free of charge from the information agent for the
tender offer: Innisfree M&A Incorporated, 501 Madison Avenue,
20th Floor, New York, NY 10022, toll-free telephone: +1 (888)
750-5834.
QXO and the other participants intend to file a preliminary
proxy statement and accompanying WHITE universal proxy card with
the SEC to be used to solicit proxies for, among other matters, the
election of its slate of director nominees at the 2025 annual
meeting of stockholders of Beacon. QXO strongly advises all
stockholders of Beacon to read the preliminary proxy statement, any
amendments or supplements to such proxy statement, and other proxy
materials filed by QXO with the SEC as they become available
because they will contain important information. Such proxy
materials will be available at no charge on the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov and at QXO’s website at investors.qxo.com. In addition,
the participants in this proxy solicitation will provide copies of
the proxy statement, and other relevant documents, without charge,
when available, upon request. Requests for copies should be
directed to the participants’ proxy solicitor.
Certain Information Concerning the
Participants
The participants in the proxy solicitation are anticipated to be
QXO, Brad Jacobs, Ihsan Essaid, Matt Fassler, Mark Manduca and the
individuals nominated by QXO (the “QXO Nominees”). QXO expects to
determine and announce the QXO Nominees prior to the nomination
deadline for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders of Beacon. As
of the date of this communication, other than 100 shares of common
stock of Beacon beneficially owned by QXO, none of the participants
who have been identified has any direct or indirect interest, by
security holdings or otherwise, in Beacon.
Media ContactsJoe Checklerjoe.checkler@qxo.com
203-609-9650
Steve Lipin / Lauren OdellGladstone Place
Partners212-230-5930
Investor ContactsMark
Manducamark.manduca@qxo.com 203-321-3889
Scott Winter / Jonathan SalzbergerInnisfree M&A
Incorporated212-750-5833
1 Market data as of February 7, 2025. Average of building
products subset of the peer list presented in Beacon’s April 2024
Proxy Statement; includes: Builders FirstSource, Boise Cascade,
GMS, Pool Corp, SiteOne, WATSCO, Wesco (“Building Products Proxy
Peers”)2 Based on Beacon’s unaffected share price as of November
15, 2024 and the average share price performance since November 15,
2024 for the Building Products Proxy Peers3 Reported revenues for
Beacon and Building Products Proxy Peers4 Based on median 2025E
Wall Street research estimates, sourced from Capital IQ as of
February 7, 20255 Market data as of November 15, 2024. Total
shareholder return reflects stock price performance adjusted for
cash dividends paid, stock splits, rights offerings and spin-offs
during the period6 As per Capital IQ as of November 15, 20247 As of
November 15, 2024; next-twelve-months EBITDA calculated using
calendarized annual broker EBITDA estimates for Beacon8 As per Mr.
Randle’s Form 4 filed with the SEC on May 28, 2024. According to
Mr. Randle’s Form 4, this sale was not made pursuant to a Rule
10b5-1 plan or to pay any exercise price or tax liability incident
to the receipt, exercise or vesting of equity awards.9 As per Mr.
Francis’s Form 4 filed with the SEC on May 22, 2024. According to
Mr. Francis’s Form 4, this sale was not made pursuant to a Rule
10b5-1 plan or to pay any exercise price or tax liability incident
to the receipt, exercise or vesting of equity awards.10 As per
Schedule 14D-9 filed with the SEC on February 6, 2025
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5854092c-16b2-41c5-918c-3c0e68bd5705
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