8-K

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): May 13, 2020

VECTOR GROUP LTD.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

1-5759			65-0949535
(Commission File Number)			(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
4400 Biscayne Boulevard	Miami	Florida	33137
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)			(Zip Code)

(305) 579-8000

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):

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

Securities Registered Pursuant to 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class:	Trading	Name of each exchange
	Symbol(s)	on which registered:
Common stock, par value $0.10 per share	VGR	New York Stock Exchange

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 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On May 13, 2020, Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR) (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of its common stock, subject to market and other conditions.  

A copy of the press release announcing the commencement of the offering is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, and is incorporated by reference herein.

The Company has also prepared materials for presentations to investors. The materials are furnished (not filed) as Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K pursuant to Regulation FD.

This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Exhibit 99.2 contains the Non-GAAP Financial Measures discussed below.

Please refer to Current Reports on Form 8-K dated May 8, 2020, February 28, 2020, November 5, 2019, October 4, 2019, May 3, 2019, and February 28, 2019 for reconciliations of financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures. Non-GAAP Financial Measures include adjustments for the purchase accounting associated with the Company’s 2013 acquisition of an additional 20.59% interest in Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, the impact of non-controlling interest associated with the 29.41% of Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC that was purchased by the Company on December 31, 2018, adjustment for the derivative associated with acquisition of 29.41% of Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, litigation settlements and judgments, settlements of long-standing disputes related to the Master Settlement Agreement in the Tobacco segment, net interest expense capitalized to real estate ventures, stock-based compensation expense (for purposes of Adjusted EBITDA only) and non-cash interest expense associated with the Company’s convertible debt.

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Operating Income, Tobacco Adjusted EBITDA, New Valley LLC Adjusted EBITDA and Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC Adjusted EBITDA (hereafter, referred to as “the Non-GAAP Financial Measures”) are financial measures not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company believes that the Non-GAAP Financial Measures are important measures that supplement discussions and analysis of its results of operations and enhances an understanding of its operating performance. The Company believes the Non-GAAP Financial Measures provide investors and analysts with a useful measure of operating results unaffected by differences in capital structures and ages of related assets among otherwise comparable companies. In the case of Adjusted Revenues, management believes revenue growth in its real estate segment is an important measure of growth because increased revenues generally result in increased gross margin as a result of absorption of fixed operating costs, which management believes will lead to increased future profitability as well as increased capacity to expand into new and existing markets. A key strategy of the Company is its ability to move into new markets and therefore gross revenues provide information with respect to the Company's ability to achieve its strategic objectives.

Management uses the Non-GAAP Financial Measures as measures to review and assess operating performance of the Company's business, and management and investors should review both the overall performance (GAAP net income) and the operating performance (the Non-GAAP Financial Measures) of the Company's business. While management considers the Non-GAAP Financial Measures to be important, they should be considered in addition to, but not as substitutes for or superior to, other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP, such as operating income, net income and cash flows from operations. In addition, the Non-GAAP Financial Measures are susceptible to varying calculations and the Company's measurement of the Non-GAAP Financial Measures may not be comparable to those of other companies.

EBITDA is defined as net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA, as defined above, and as adjusted for changes in fair value of derivatives embedded with convertible debt, equity in earnings (losses) on long-term investments, net gains (losses) recognized on investment securities, equity in earnings (losses) from real estate joint ventures, loss on extinguishment of debt, stock-based compensation expense (for purposes of Adjusted EBITDA only), litigation settlement and judgment expense, settlements of long-standing disputes related to the MSA, purchase accounting adjustments, impairments of goodwill and intangible assets, and other charges.

New Valley LLC (“New Valley”), the real estate subsidiary of the Company, owns real estate and Douglas Elliman, the largest residential brokerage firm in the New York metropolitan area, as well as a minority stake in numerous real estate investments. New Valley LLC Adjusted EBITDA is defined as the portion of Adjusted EBITDA that relates to New Valley. New Valley's Adjusted EBITDA does not include an allocation of expenses from the Corporate and Other segment of Vector Group Ltd.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements, which involve risk and uncertainties. The words "could", “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “plan,” or “continue” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company’s actual results could differ significantly from the results discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences in results and outcomes include, without limitation, those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any obligation to) revise or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, or otherwise (except as may be required by law), in order to reflect any event or circumstance which may arise after the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibit.

Exhibit No.	Exhibit
99.1	Press Release issued on May 13, 2020.
99.2	Investor presentation of Vector Group Ltd. dated May 2020 (furnished pursuant to Regulation FD).

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

VECTOR GROUP LTD.
By:	/s/ J. Bryant Kirkland III
	J. Bryant Kirkland III
	Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Date: May 13, 2020

EX-99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VECTOR GROUP ANNOUNCES PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING OF 5,000,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

MIAMI, FL, May 13, 2020 - Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE: VGR) today announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering (“the Offering”) of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock. All of the shares to be sold in the Offering will be offered by Vector Group. Vector Group expects to grant the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 shares of Vector Group’s common stock at the Offering price. Vector Group currently intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes. The Offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Offering may be completed, or the actual size or terms of the Offering.

The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, copies of which, when available, may be obtained from the offices of Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, telephone: 1-877-821-7388, or by emailing Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com.

The shares of Vector Group’s common stock will be issued pursuant to an effective automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3. Before investing in the Offering, interested parties should read the prospectus and related prospectus supplement for the Offering, the documents incorporated by reference therein and the other documents Vector Group has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These documents may be obtained for free by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the applicable securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

Jefferies LLC is acting as the book-running manager of the offering.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends”, “could” and similar expressions. These statements reflect the Company’s current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to it. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements.

All information set forth in this press release is as of May 13, 2020. Vector Group does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update this information to reflect future events or circumstances. Risk factors and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include, among others, its ability to successfully complete the proposed offering.

***

About Vector Group Ltd.

Vector Group is a holding company for Liggett Group LLC, Vector Tobacco Inc., New Valley LLC, and Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC. Additional information concerning the company is available on the Company's website, www.VectorGroupLtd.com.

Contacts

Vector Group Ltd.

J. Bryant Kirkland III

305-579-8000

or

Sard Verbinnen & Co

Emily Claffey/Ben Spicehandler/Columbia Clancy

212-687-8080

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XML

Document and Entity Information Document	Jul. 01, 2020	May 13, 2020
Entity Information [Line Items]
Document Type		8-K
Document Period End Date		May 13, 2020
Entity Registrant Name		VECTOR GROUP LTD.
Entity Central Index Key		0000059440
Amendment Flag		false
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code		DE
Entity File Number		1-5759
Entity Tax Identification Number		65-0949535
Entity Address, Address Line One		4400 Biscayne Boulevard
Entity Address, City or Town		Miami
Entity Address, State or Province		FL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code		33137
City Area Code	305
Local Phone Number		579-8000
Written Communications		false
Soliciting Material		false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer		false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer		false
Title of 12(b) Security		Common stock, par value $0.10 per share
Trading Symbol		VGR
Security Exchange Name		NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company		false