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HighPoint Resources Corp

US:HPRUS:BBG
No current share price held for this company.

Past year: ▲ 1326%(23.0c – 10.88 USD)

Market cap
—
Shares on issue
—
Story beats
16 since 2017
Last event
19 Apr 2021

History

Bill Barrett Corporation merged with Fifth Creek in 2018 to become HighPoint Resources, then sold itself to Bonanza Creek in 2021 through a prepackaged Chapter 11, leaving shareholders about 1.6%.

2017-2018: The Fifth Creek merger

The record begins in December 2017, when a new holding company, Red Rider Holdco, filed to register shares for a merger of Bill Barrett Corporation (BBG) with Fifth Creek Energy Operating Company, backed by NGP Natural Resources XI. Each BBG share would convert into one Holdco share, and Fifth Creek's owner would receive 100,000,000 shares. A February 2018 amended filing put the expected ownership at about 52% for existing BBG holders and about 48% for Fifth Creek's sole member.

The merger closed on March 19, 2018, and the company, renamed HighPoint Resources, became parent of both businesses. BBG holders received 110,933,552 shares and Fifth Creek's owners received 100,000,000. Trading under the ticker HPR on the NYSE began March 20, 2018. HighPoint guaranteed BBG's bank credit agreement and its 7.0% notes due 2022 and 8.75% notes due 2025, and signed a Stockholders Agreement giving Fifth Creek's owner board designation rights while it held at least 10%.

The share counts in the feed fall sharply in 2017 and are not explained by the beats, so they are not relied on here. In September 2018 a subsidiary signed a new credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase as agent: a $1.5 billion maximum, a $500 million initial borrowing base, and maturity extended from April 2020 to September 2023.

2019-2020: Losses and shrinking credit

The record for 2019 is quiet until early 2020. In February 2020, HighPoint reported a 2019 net loss of $134.8 million ($0.64 per share). Production was 12.5 MMBoe (million barrels of oil equivalent), up 23%, and year-end proved reserves were 127.4 MMBoe, up 22%. It guided 2020 spending about 40% below 2019 with no increased debt. It also agreed with Fifth Creek's owner and NGP to cut the board from twelve to eight directors at the April 28, 2020 annual meeting.

In March 2020 the NYSE warned that the average share price over 30 trading days was below the $1.00 minimum, giving six months to regain compliance. The company proposed a reverse stock split, though the beats do not record the outcome.

Lenders then tightened. In May 2020 the borrowing base and commitment were cut from $500.0 million to $300.0 million, with a higher interest rate and a $50.0 million minimum availability requirement. In November a second amendment cut the commitment to $185.0 million and the borrowing base to $200.0 million, and removed the minimum availability requirement.

2020-2021: Sale to Bonanza Creek

On November 9, 2020, HighPoint agreed to be acquired by Bonanza Creek Energy. Its $625 million of 7.0% and 8.75% senior notes would be exchanged for Bonanza Creek shares plus up to $100 million of new notes. HighPoint shareholders would receive 0.114 Bonanza Creek share per share, about 1.6% of the combined company, against 68% for existing Bonanza Creek holders and 30.4% for participating noteholders. HighPoint paid a $6 million fee at signing. Holders of at least 46.5% of the equity, linked to Fifth Creek, signed a support agreement.

The deal needed at least 97.5% of the notes to tender; otherwise a prepackaged Chapter 11 (a bankruptcy plan agreed in advance) was the fallback. The registration statements were declared effective on February 9, 2021, and a shareholder meeting was set for March 12.

The out-of-court route was not completed. HighPoint and two subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware on March 14, 2021, which accelerated $140 million of credit facility borrowings, $350 million of 2022 notes and $275 million of 2025 notes, though enforcement was stayed. The court confirmed the plan on March 18.

The acquisition completed on April 1, 2021. Each HighPoint share became 0.11464 Bonanza Creek shares; existing holders received 490,221 shares in total, about 1.6%. Noteholders received 9,314,214 shares plus $100 million of new 7.5% notes due 2026, and the credit facility was paid off and terminated. All directors left, and Woodall, Crawford and Wonstolen were deemed to have resigned. HighPoint's shares were suspended from the NYSE on April 5, and its securities registration was terminated on April 19, 2021. As of April 1, 2021, HighPoint was a wholly owned subsidiary of Bonanza Creek with no debt facilities remaining.

Written from the 16 story beats below (2017 to 19 Apr 2021), which come from the company's own announcements and filings.

Beat by beat

The events that changed the company's story, in plain English, each written against everything known about the company at the time. The dot shows whether it was good, bad or neutral for shareholders.

shares on issue market cap (log scale)

20214.3m shares · US$20.3m market cap

  1. 19 Apr

    HighPoint Resources Corp terminated the registration of a class of securities, ending its reporting obligation for them.

    listing compliance notice

    4.3m shUS$20.3m
  2. 5 Apr

    HighPoint Resources Corp's exchange filed to remove a class of its securities from listing.

    listing compliance notice

    4.3m shUS$20.3m
  3. 1 Apr

    On April 1, 2021, Bonanza Creek completed its acquisition of HighPoint through the confirmed plan, and HighPoint is now a wholly owned Bonanza Creek subsidiary. Each HighPoint share was converted into 0.11464 Bonanza Creek shares (cash for fractions), the $625 million of senior notes were cancelled for 9,314,214 Bonanza Creek shares and $100 million of new notes, and the credit facility was paid off in full and terminated. Shares will be suspended from the NYSE before the open on April 5, 2021, all directors left and Woodall, Crawford and Wonstolen were deemed to have resigned, and the company intends to file a Form 15 to stop its SEC reporting.

    bankruptcy or receivership

    4.3m shUS$20.3m
  4. 24 Mar

    On March 18, 2021, the Delaware bankruptcy court confirmed HighPoint's prepackaged plan, four days after the filing. The plan terms are unchanged from the earlier filing: noteholders receive 9,314,214 Bonanza Creek shares plus $100 million of new notes, and existing shareholders receive a share of 490,221 Bonanza Creek shares (about 1.6%). Closing still depends on the remaining conditions in the plan, merger agreement and related documents.

    bankruptcy or receivership

    4.3m shUS$43.2m
  5. 15 Mar

    On March 14, 2021, HighPoint and two subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware to carry out the prepackaged plan that implements the Bonanza Creek merger, so the out-of-court route was not completed. Under the plan, existing HighPoint shareholders get a share of 490,221 Bonanza Creek shares (about 1.6% of the combined company) and noteholders get 9,314,214 shares (about 30.4%) plus $100 million of new 7.5% notes. The filing also says the bankruptcy filing accelerated $140 million of credit facility borrowings, $350 million of 2022 notes and $275 million of 2025 notes, but enforcement is stayed, and it warns that trading in the securities is highly speculative.

    bankruptcy or receivership

    4.3m shUS$43.4m
  6. 12 Feb

    HighPoint announced that its shareholder vote on the Bonanza Creek merger will be a special meeting on March 12, 2021 (record date February 1, 2021), which settles the meeting date left open earlier. Bonanza Creek also began offers to swap HighPoint's 7.0% 2022 and 8.75% 2025 notes for Bonanza Creek shares and new 7.5% notes due 2026, with a vote on the prepackaged Chapter 11 plan running alongside as the fallback if the merger is not approved or 97.5% of each note series does not participate. The filing says the merger registration statements were declared effective February 9, 2021, resolving the earlier open point that they were not yet effective.

    business combination

    4.3m shUS$46.8m
  7. 10 Feb

    HighPoint filed the final joint proxy statement asking its shareholders to vote on the Bonanza Creek merger, which Bonanza Creek shareholders will vote on at a March 12, 2021 meeting. It repeats the terms: about 1.6% of the combined company for HighPoint shareholders (0.114 Bonanza Creek share per HighPoint share) and about 30.4% for participating noteholders. Shareholders also vote on a prepackaged bankruptcy plan to be used if the out-of-court route fails. Fifth Creek holds about 46.5% of HighPoint's shares and has agreed to vote for the merger. The HighPoint meeting date is not in the excerpt shown.

    business combination

    4.3m shUS$46.8m

20204.3m shares · US$23.8m market cap

  1. 9 Nov

    On November 9, 2020, HighPoint agreed to be acquired by Bonanza Creek Energy, with HighPoint's $625 million of 7.0% and 8.75% senior notes to be exchanged for Bonanza Creek shares plus up to $100 million of new Bonanza Creek notes. HighPoint shareholders would get a fixed 0.114 Bonanza Creek share per HighPoint share, about 1.6% of the combined company, versus 68% for existing Bonanza Creek holders and 30.4% for participating noteholders. HighPoint paid Bonanza Creek a $6 million fee at signing. The deal closes out of court if shareholders approve and at least 97.5% of the notes tender; otherwise HighPoint may file a prepackaged Chapter 11 case, with an April 8, 2021 deadline in some scenarios. Fifth Creek-related holders of at least 46.5% of the equity and large noteholder groups have signed a support agreement.

    business combination

    4.3m shUS$23.8m
  2. 6 Nov

    On November 2, 2020, a second credit agreement amendment cut the commitment from $300.0 million to $185.0 million and the borrowing base from $300.0 million to $200.0 million, continuing the reductions from May 2020. It removes the $50.0 million minimum availability requirement added in May and changes some covenants.

    material agreement

    4.3m shUS$23.8m
  3. 26 May

    On May 21, 2020, in its twice-yearly borrowing base review, HighPoint's lenders cut both the borrowing base and the commitment under the 2018 credit agreement from $500.0 million to $300.0 million. The amendment also raises the interest rate on borrowings and requires at least $50.0 million of availability.

    material agreement

    215m shUS$71.3m
  4. 13 Mar

    On March 10, 2020 the NYSE told HighPoint its average share price over 30 trading days was below the $1.00 minimum, giving it six months to regain compliance (delisting is possible sooner if the price falls below certain lower thresholds). The company says it proposed a reverse stock split for the April 28, 2020 annual meeting to fix this; shares keep trading as HPR with a ".BC" tag, and the company says there is no event of default under its debt.

    listing compliance notice

    214m shUS$145m
  5. 26 Feb

    On February 20, 2020, HighPoint, FCEC (the former Fifth Creek owner) and NGP amended the 2018 Stockholders Agreement so the board shrinks from twelve to eight directors at the April 28, 2020 annual meeting, with FCEC's board designation right adjusted to match. The same filing furnished 2019 results: a net loss of $134.8 million ($0.64 per share), production of 12.5 MMBoe (up 23%), year-end proved reserves of 127.4 MMBoe (up 22%), and 2020 spending guided about 40% below 2019 with no increased debt.

    material agreement

    214m shUS$248m

2018212m shares · US$1.17bn market cap

  1. 18 Sept

    On September 14, 2018, HighPoint's subsidiary HighPoint Operating Corporation signed a Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement with JPMorgan Chase as agent, replacing the earlier Third Amended and Restated agreement that was amended at the merger. The facility has a $1.5 billion maximum, a $500 million initial borrowing base and commitment, and its maturity moves from April 8, 2020 to September 14, 2023, with interest rates unchanged and looser covenants.

    debt financing

    212m shUS$1.17bn
  2. 19 Mar

    The BBG and Fifth Creek merger closed on March 19, 2018, and the company, now named HighPoint Resources, became the parent of both. BBG holders received one HighPoint share per BBG share (110,933,552 shares) and Fifth Creek's owners received 100,000,000 shares, matching the proposed terms; trading under ticker HPR on the NYSE starts March 20, 2018. HighPoint also guaranteed BBG's bank credit agreement and its 7.0% notes due 2022 and 8.75% notes due 2025, and signed a Stockholders Agreement giving Fifth Creek's owner board designation rights while it holds at least 10%.

    business combination

    2.2m shUS$10.0m
  3. 9 Feb

    Second amended merger filing now states the expected ownership: existing BBG holders about 52% and Fifth Creek's sole member about 48% of the combined company. It also adds a fourth vote on an amendment to BBG's 2012 Equity Incentive Plan; the merger terms are otherwise the same and the meeting date was still blank.

    business combination

    2.2m shUS$11.3m

201775.7m shares · US$443m market cap

  1. 22 Dec

    A new holding company, Red Rider Holdco, filed to register shares for a planned merger of Bill Barrett Corporation (BBG) with Fifth Creek Energy Operating Company, backed by NGP Natural Resources XI. Under the December 4, 2017 merger agreement, each BBG share would convert into one Holdco share, and Fifth Creek's owner would receive 100,000,000 Holdco shares. BBG shareholders must vote to approve it; the ownership split was left blank in this first draft.

    business combination

    75.7m shUS$443m