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): August 22, 2018

 

STEWART INFORMATION SERVICES CORPORATION

(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

 

DELAWARE   001-02658   74-1677330

(STATE OR OTHER

JURISDICTION)

   (COMMISSION FILE NO.)  

(I.R.S. EMPLOYER

IDENTIFICATION NO.)

         

1980 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, Texas 77056 

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (713) 625-8100

 

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:

 

  ¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
  x 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))

 

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 8.01. Other Events.

 

On August 22, 2018, Stewart issued a press release announcing its receipt of Canadian antitrust clearance in connection with its merger with Fidelity National Financial, Inc. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, but not limited to, Stewart’s expectations or predictions of future financial or business performance conditions. All statements, other than statements of historical or current fact, included in this communication that address activities, events, conditions or developments that Stewart expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “evaluate,” “expect,” “explore,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “view,” or “will,” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology. Forward looking statements give our current expectations and projections relating to our financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business and these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. The forward looking statements in this communication speak only as of the date of this communication. Stewart assumes no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, as of any future date. The risks and uncertainties which forward-looking statements are subject to include, but are not limited to: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; weakness or adverse changes in the level of real estate activity, which may be caused by, among other things, high or increasing interest rates, a limited supply of mortgage funding or a weak U. S. economy; our potential inability to find suitable acquisition candidates; our dependence on distributions from our title insurance underwriters as a main source of cash flow; significant competition that our operating subsidiaries face; compliance with extensive government regulation of our operating subsidiaries; the risk that Stewart shareholders may not adopt the merger agreement with Fidelity; the risk that the necessary regulatory approvals for the Merger may not be obtained or may be obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; risks that any of the closing conditions to the Merger may not be satisfied in a timely manner; the risk that the businesses of Stewart and Fidelity will not be integrated successfully following the Merger, that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected or that the expected benefits of the Merger will not be realized; and other risks detailed in the risk factors discussed in “Item 1.A. Risk Factors” in Stewart’s and Fidelity’s most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as updated by any Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, the Form S-4 (as defined below), the Definitive Proxy Statement (as defined below) and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

Additional Information and Where to Find It

 

This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed merger between Stewart and Fidelity. In connection with the proposed merger, Fidelity filed with the SEC on May 30, 2018, a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a proxy statement/prospectus, as amended by Amendment No. 1 on July 12, 2018 and Amendment No. 2 on July 26, 2018, which was declared effective by the SEC on August 1, 2018 (the “Form S-4”). Stewart filed a definitive proxy statement on August 1, 2018 (the “Definitive Proxy Statement”) and began to mail the Definitive Proxy Statement to its shareholders on August 1, 2018. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF STEWART ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE FORM S-4 and THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of the Form S-4 and the Definitive Proxy Statement, as well as other filings containing information about Stewart and Fidelity, without charge, at the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Stewart (when they are available) will be available free of charge within the investor relations section of Stewart’s website at http://www.stewart.com/investor-relations.html. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Fidelity (when they are available) will be available free of charge within the investor relations section of Fidelity’s website at http://www.investr.fnf.com.

 

Participants in Solicitation

 

Stewart and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement between Stewart and Fidelity, including the Merger. Information regarding Stewart’s directors and executive officers is contained in Stewart’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2018, its Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on March 29, 2017, the Form S-4 and the Definitive Proxy Statement.

 

 

 

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, 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 offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

  ITEM 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
     
Exhibit No.   Description
99.1   Press Release issued by Stewart Information Services Corporation, dated August 22, 2018.

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

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 thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

STEWART INFORMATION SERVICES CORPORATION

 

     
     
  By: /s/ David C. Hisey  
  David C. Hisey, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, Treasurer  
       

Date: August 22, 2018