Energizer Announces Receipt of Regulatory Clearance from European Commission for Divestiture of the Europe-Based Varta® Consumer Battery Business

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Dec 03, 2019, 12:30 ET

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Energizer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ENR) announced that today the European Commission ("EC") cleared Varta AG's proposed acquisition of the Europe-based Varta® consumer battery business. The parties received all outstanding approvals to close. The Company expects the net proceeds from Varta AG and Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. to be approximately $300 million USD.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation the anticipated timing of the completion of the proposed transaction. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "opportunity," "offers," "expected," "intends," "anticipated" and similar words and expressions. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact should be considered to be forward-looking statements. Any such forward looking statements are made based on information currently known and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties to which these forward-looking statements are subject include, without limitation: (1) market and economic conditions; (2) market trends in the categories in which we compete; (3) our ability to integrate businesses, to realize the projected results of acquisitions of the Acquired Businesses (defined below) (the "Acquisitions"), including our ability to promptly and effectively integrate the global battery, portable lighting and power business (the "Acquired Battery Business") and the global auto care business (the "Acquired Auto Care Business" or "GAC", and together with the Acquired Battery Business, the "Acquired Businesses") acquired from Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. ("Spectrum"); and to obtain expected cost savings, synergies and other anticipated benefits of the Acquisitions within the expected timeframe, or at all; (4) the impact of the acquisitions of the Acquired Businesses on our business operations; (5) our ability to close the divestiture of the Varta Business; (6) the success of new products and the ability to continually develop and market new products; (7) our ability to attract, retain and improve distribution with key customers; (8) our ability to continue planned advertising and other promotional spending; (9) our ability to timely execute strategic initiatives, including restructurings, and international go-to-market changes in a manner that will positively impact our financial condition and results of operations and does not disrupt our business operations; (10) the impact of strategic initiatives, including restructurings, on our relationships with employees, customers and vendors; (11) our ability to maintain and improve market share in the categories in which we operate despite heightened competitive pressure; (12) financial strength of distributors and suppliers; (13) our ability to improve operations and realize cost savings; (14) the impact of foreign currency exchange rates and currency controls, as well as offsetting hedges; (15) the risk of economic uncertainty associated with the pending exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union or any other similar referendums that may be held; (16) the impact of adverse or unexpected weather conditions; (17) uncertainty from the expected discontinuance of LIBOR and the transition to any other interest rate benchmark; (18) the impact of raw materials and other commodity costs; (19) the impact of legislative changes or regulatory determinations or changes by federal, state and local, and foreign authorities, including customs and tariff determinations, as well as the impact of potential changes to tax laws, policies and regulations; (20) costs and reputational damage associated with cyber-attacks or information security breaches or other events; (21) the impact of advertising and product liability claims and other litigation; and (22) compliance with debt covenants and maintenance of credit ratings as well as the impact of interest and principal repayment of our existing and any future debt.

In addition, other risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we consider immaterial could affect the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. The list of factors above is illustrative, but by no means exhaustive. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. Additional risks and uncertainties include those detailed from time to time in our publicly filed documents, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 19, 2019.

About Energizer Holdings, Inc.
Energizer Holdings, Inc. ("Energizer", NYSE: ENR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of primary batteries, portable lights, and auto care appearance, performance, refrigerant, and fragrance products. Our portfolio of globally recognized brands include Energizer®, Armor All®, Eveready®, Rayovac®, STP®, Varta®, A/C Pro®, Refresh Your Car!®, California Scents®, Driven®, Bahama & Co.®, LEXOL®, Eagle One®, Nu Finish®, Scratch Doctor®, and Tuff Stuff®. As a global branded consumer products company, Energizer's mission is to lead the charge to deliver value to our customers and consumers better than anyone else. Visit www.energizerholdings.com for more details.

SOURCE Energizer Holdings, Inc.