Tracking Stocks |
3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2018 | |
Tracking Stocks | |
Tracking Stocks |
(3) Tracking Stocks A tracking stock is a type of common stock that the issuing company intends to reflect or "track" the economic performance of a particular business or "group," rather than the economic performance of the company as a whole. While the Liberty SiriusXM Group, Braves Group and Formula One Group have separate collections of businesses, assets and liabilities attributed to them, no group is a separate legal entity and therefore cannot own assets, issue securities or enter into legally binding agreements. Therefore, the Liberty SiriusXM Group, Braves Group and Formula One Group do not represent separate legal entities, but rather represent those businesses, assets and liabilities that have been attributed to each respective group. Holders of tracking stock have no direct claim to the group's stock or assets and therefore, do not own, by virtue of their ownership of a Liberty tracking stock, any equity or voting interest in a public company, such as SIRIUS XM or Live Nation, in which Liberty holds an interest and that is attributed to a Liberty tracking stock group, such as the Liberty SiriusXM Group or the Formula One Group. Holders of tracking stock are also not represented by separate boards of directors. Instead, holders of tracking stock are stockholders of the parent corporation, with a single board of directors and subject to all of the risks and liabilities of the parent corporation. The Liberty SiriusXM common stock is intended to track and reflect the separate economic performance of the businesses, assets and liabilities attributed to the Liberty SiriusXM Group. As of March 31, 2018, the Liberty SiriusXM Group is comprised of SIRIUS XM, corporate cash, Liberty’s 2.125% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2048 and a margin loan obligation incurred by a wholly-owned special purpose subsidiary of Liberty. As of March 31, 2018, the Liberty SiriusXM Group has cash and cash equivalents of approximately $658 million, which includes $79 million of subsidiary cash. On January 23, 2018, SIRIUS XM’s board of directors declared a quarterly dividend on its common stock in the amount of $0.011 per share of common stock to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 7, 2018. The dividend was paid in cash on February 28, 2018 in the amount of $49 million, of which Liberty has received $35 million. On April 26, 2018, SIRIUS XM’s board of directors declared a quarterly dividend on its common stock in the amount of $0.011 per share of common stock payable on May 31, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 10, 2018. The Liberty Braves common stock is intended to track and reflect the separate economic performance of the businesses, assets and liabilities attributed to the Braves Group. As of March 31, 2018, the Braves Group is comprised primarily of Braves Holdings, LLC (“Braves Holdings”), which indirectly owns the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball Club (“ANLBC”) and certain assets and liabilities associated with ANLBC’s stadium and mixed use development project (the “Development Project”) and corporate cash. As of March 31, 2018, the Braves Group has cash and cash equivalents of approximately $114 million. The Liberty Formula One common stock is intended to track and reflect the separate economic performance of the businesses, assets and liabilities attributed to the Formula One Group. As of March 31, 2018, the Formula One Group is comprised of all of the businesses, assets and liabilities of Liberty, other than those specifically attributed to the Braves Group or the Liberty SiriusXM Group, including Liberty’s interests in Formula 1 and Live Nation, a minority equity investment in Time Warner, Inc. (“Time Warner”), cash, an intergroup interest in the Braves Group, Liberty’s 1.375% Cash Convertible Notes due 2023 and related financial instruments, Liberty’s 2.25% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2046 and Liberty’s 1% Cash Convertible Notes due 2023. As of March 31, 2018, the Formula One Group has cash and cash equivalents of approximately $270 million, which includes $140 million of subsidiary cash. The number of notional shares representing the intergroup interest held by the Formula One Group is 9,084,940, representing a 15.1% intergroup interest in the Braves Group at March 31, 2018. The intergroup interest is a quasi-equity interest which is not represented by outstanding shares of common stock; rather, the Formula One Group has an attributed value in the Braves Group which is generally stated in terms of a number of shares of Series C Liberty Braves common stock issuable to the Formula One Group with respect to its interest in the Braves Group. The intergroup interest may be settled, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, through the transfer of newly issued shares of Liberty Braves common stock, cash and/or other assets to the Formula One Group. Accordingly, the intergroup interest attributable to the Formula One Group is presented as an asset and the intergroup interest attributable to the Braves Group is presented as a liability in the attributed financial statements and the offsetting amounts between tracking stock groups are eliminated in consolidation. The intergroup interest will remain outstanding until the redemption of the outstanding interest, at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors, through a transfer of securities, cash and/or other assets from the Braves Group to the Formula One Group. See Exhibit 99.1 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for unaudited attributed financial information for Liberty's tracking stock groups. |