Emera Announces Offering of $200 Million of Preferred Shares

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This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of Emera’s prospectus supplement dated July 11, 2019 (as amended on November 17, 2020 by amendment no. 1 thereto) to its short form base shelf prospectus dated June 14, 2019

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, March 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emera Incorporated (“Emera”) (TSX:EMA) announced today that it will issue 8,000,000 Cumulative Minimum Rate Reset First Preferred Shares, Series J (the “Series J Preferred Shares”) at a price of $25.00 per share and at an initial annual dividend rate of 4.25 per cent, for aggregate gross proceeds of $200 million on a bought deal basis to a syndicate of underwriters in Canada led by Scotiabank and RBC Capital Markets. Emera has granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable at any time up to two business days prior to the closing of the offering, to purchase up to an additional 2,000,000 Series J Preferred Shares at a price of $25.00 per share (the “Underwriters’ Option”). If the Underwriters’ Option is exercised in full, the aggregate gross proceeds to Emera will be $250 million.

The holders of the Series J Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive fixed cumulative preferential cash dividends at an annual rate of $1.0625 per share, payable quarterly, as and when declared by the board of directors of Emera, yielding 4.25 per cent per annum, for the initial period ending on May 15, 2026. The first of such dividends, if declared, shall be payable on August 15, 2021, and shall be $0.38134 per Series J Preferred Share, based on the anticipated closing of the offering on April 6, 2021. The dividend rate will be reset on May 15, 2026 and every five years thereafter at a rate equal to the sum of the then five-year Government of Canada bond yield plus 3.28 per cent, provided that, in any event, such rate shall not be less than 4.25 per cent per annum. The Series J Preferred Shares are redeemable by Emera, at its option, on May 15, 2026 and on May 15 of every fifth year thereafter.

The holders of Series J Preferred Shares will have the right to convert their shares into Cumulative Floating Rate First Preferred Shares, Series K (the “Series K Preferred Shares”), subject to certain conditions, on May 15, 2026 and on May 15 of every fifth year thereafter. The holders of the Series K Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive quarterly floating rate cumulative preferential cash dividends, as and when declared by the board of directors of Emera, at a rate equal to the sum of the 90-day Government of Canada treasury bill rate at such time plus 3.28 per cent.