ARCBEST CORPORATION FORT SMITH, Ark., Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of ArcBest® (Nasdaq: ARCB) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of eight cents ($0.08) per share to holders of record of its Common Stock, $0.01 par value, on November 12, 2021, payable on November 26, 2021.
ArcBest also announced that the Board has authorized ArcBest to enter into an accelerated share repurchase program ("ASR") with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC ("Morgan Stanley") to repurchase $100 million of ArcBest's common stock. The ASR authorization is in addition to the authorization under the existing ArcBest share repurchase program, which currently has $41.9 million available. ArcBest intends to enter into the ASR shortly after the release of its earnings for third quarter 2021 scheduled for November 2, 2021.
"We are pleased to increase the return of capital to ArcBest's shareholders by entering into this accelerated share repurchase agreement," said Judy R. McReynolds, ArcBest chairman, president and CEO. "Given our prospects for continued growth and value creation, the Board believes the current stock price does not reflect ArcBest's intrinsic value. Importantly, as evidenced by the recent MoLo transaction, we have the balance sheet capacity and solid free cash flow to pursue accretive external growth opportunities, even while making value-enhancing organic investments, paying an attractive dividend and repurchasing shares. We are implementing our capital allocation plan and advancing our growth strategy, building on ArcBest's leading position as an integrated logistics company."
Under the ASR agreement, ArcBest will make an initial payment of $100 million to Morgan Stanley and will receive an initial delivery of ArcBest common stock. The final number of shares to be repurchased will be based on the volume-weighted average price of ArcBest's common stock during the term of the ASR and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms of the ASR. The final settlement of the ASR is expected to be completed in first quarter 2022.
About ArcBest
ArcBest® (Nasdaq: ARCB) is a multibillion-dollar integrated logistics company that helps keep the global supply chain moving. Founded in 1923 and now with over 14,000 employees across more than 250 campuses and service centers, the company is a logistics powerhouse, fueled by the simple notion of finding a way to get the job done. Through innovative thinking, agility and trust, ArcBest leverages their full suite of shipping and logistics solutions to meet customers' critical needs, each and every day. For more information, visit arcb.com.
The following is a "safe harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements and information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among others, statements regarding (i) our expectations about our intrinsic value or our prospects for growth and value creation and (ii) our financial outlook, position, strategies, goals, and expectations. Terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "foresee," "int end," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "scheduled," "should," "would," and similar expressions and the negatives of such terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's beliefs, assumptions, and expectations based on currently available information, are not guarantees of future performance, and involve certain risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control). Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, we cannot provide assurance that our expectations will prove to be correct. Actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted in these statements due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to: market fluctuations and interruptions affecting the price of our stock or the price or timing of our accelerated share repurchase program; widespread outbreak of an illness or disease, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, or any other public health crisis, as well as regulatory measures implemented in response to such events; external events which may adversely affect us or the third parties who provide services for us, for which our business continuity plans may not adequately prepare us; a failure of our information systems, including disruptions or failures of services essential to our operations or upon which our information technology platforms rely, data breach, and/or cybersecurity incidents; interruption or failure of third-party software or information technology systems or licenses; untimely or ineffective development and implementation of, or failure to realize potential benefits associated with, new or enhanced technology or processes, including the pilot test program at ABF Freight; the loss or reduction of business from large customers; the ability to manage our cost structure, and the timing and performance of growth initiatives; inability to close the contemplated MoLo acquisition in the anticipated timeframe or at all; the cost, integration, and performance of any recent or future acquisitions, including the MoLo acquisition, and the inability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition within the expected time period or at all; the timing or amount of the earnout payments for the MoLo acquisition, if any; maintaining our corporate reputation and intellectual property rights; competitive initiatives and pricing pressures; increased prices for and decreased availability of new revenue equipment, decreases in value of used revenue equipment, and higher costs of equipment-related operating expenses such as maintenance, fuel, and related taxes; availability of fuel, the effect of volatility in fuel prices and the associated changes in fuel surcharges on securing increases in base freight rates, and the inability to collect fuel surcharges; relationships with employees, including unions, and our ability to attract, retain, and develop employees; unfavorable terms of, or the inability to reach agreement on, future collective bargaining agreements or a workforce stoppage by our employees covered under ABF Freight's collective bargaining agreement; union employee wages and benefits, including changes in required contributions to multiemployer plans; availability and cost of reliable third-party services; our ability to secure independent owner operators and/or operational or regulatory issues related to our use of their services; litigation or claims asserted against us; governmental regulations; environmental laws and regulations, including emissions-control regulations; default on covenants of financing arrangements and the availability and terms of future financing arrangements; self-insurance claims and insurance premium costs; potential impairment of goodwill and intangible assets; general economic conditions and related shifts in market demand that impact the performance and needs of industries we serve and/or limit our customers' access to adequate financial resources; seasonal fluctuations and adverse weather conditions; and other financial, operational, and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in ArcBest Corporation's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
For additional information regarding known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our projected results, please see our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Investor Relations Contact: David Humphrey
Title: Vice President – Investor Relations
Phone: 479-785-6200
Email: dhumphrey@arcb.com
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