HARCOURT GENERAL INC
SC TO-T/A, 2001-01-08
DEPARTMENT STORES
Previous: GANNETT CO INC /DE/, 4, 2001-01-08
Next: HARCOURT GENERAL INC, SC TO-T/A, EX-99.A10, 2001-01-08



================================================================================


                                 UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                            -----------------------

                                 SCHEDULE TO/A

                                 (RULE 14d-100)

       Tender Offer Statement Pursuant to Section 14(d)(1) or 13(e)(1) of
                      the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                               (Amendment No. 5)

                             HARCOURT GENERAL, INC.
                           (Name of Subject Company)

                               REH MERGERSUB INC.
                               REED ELSEVIER INC.
                        REED ELSEVIER U.S. HOLDINGS INC.
                           REED ELSEVIER OVERSEAS BV
                           REED ELSEVIER HOLDINGS BV
                               REED ELSEVIER PLC
                           REED INTERNATIONAL P.L.C.
                                  ELSEVIER NV
                                   (Offerors)

                    COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $1.00 PER SHARE

                                      and

                     SERIES A CUMULATIVE CONVERTIBLE STOCK,
                           PAR VALUE $1.00 PER SHARE
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                            -----------------------

                            Common Stock (41163G101)
               Series A Cumulative Convertible Stock (41163G200)
                     (Cusip Number of Class of Securities)

                          Henry Z. Horbaczewski, Esq.
                               Reed Elsevier Inc.
                             275 Washington Street
                                Newton, MA 02458
                           Telephone: (617) 558-4227
  (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices
                and Communications on Behalf of Filing Persons)

                                   Copies to:
                              Joseph Rinaldi, Esq.
                             Davis Polk & Wardwell
                              450 Lexington Avenue
                            New York, New York 10017
                           Telephone: (212) 450-4000

                           CALCULATION OF FILING FEE
================================================================================
      Transaction Valuation*                          Amount of Filing Fee**
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          $4,400,646,387                                     $880,130
================================================================================


<PAGE>


*    Estimated for purposes of calculating the amount of the filing fee only.
     This calculation assumes (i) the purchase of 72,313,841 shares of common
     stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Common Shares"), of Harcourt
     General, Inc. at a price per Common Share of $59.00 in cash and (ii) the
     purchase of 775,713 shares of series A cumulative convertible preferred
     stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Preferred Shares") of the Company
     at a price of $77.29 per Preferred Share. This calculation also assumes
     payments to holders of options with an exercise price less than $59.00 in
     an amount per option equal to the difference between (a) $59.00 and (b)
     the applicable exercise price, based on 3,289,353 outstanding options with
     an average weighted exercise price of $36.45 per share.

**   Calculated as 1/50 of 1% of the transaction value. Fee was paid on
     November 8, 2000.

[ ]  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Rule 0-11(a)(2)
     and identify the filing with which the offsetting fee was previously paid.
     Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form
     or Schedule and the date of its filing.

Amount Previously Paid:   Not applicable           Filing Party:  Not applicable
Form or Registration No.: Not applicable           Date Filed:    Not applicable

[ ]  Check the box if the filing relates solely to preliminary communications
     made before the commencement of a tender offer.

     Check the appropriate boxes below to designate any transactions to which
     the statement relates:

     [X]  third-party tender offer subject to Rule 14d-1.
     [ ]  issuer tender offer subject to Rule 13e-4.
     [ ]  going-private transaction subject to Rule 13e-3.
     [ ]  amendment to Schedule 13D under Rule 13d-2.

Check the following box if the filing is a final amendment reporting the
results of the tender offer. [ ]
================================================================================


<PAGE>


                         AMENDMENT NO. 5 TO SCHEDULE TO

     This Amendment No. 5 to the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO amends
and supplements the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO originally filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2000, as amended by
Amendment No. 1 filed on November 20, 2000, Amendment No. 2 filed on December
6, 2000, Amendment No. 3 filed on December 18, 2000 and Amendment No. 4 filed
on December 21, 2000 (as amended, the "Schedule TO") relating to an offer by
REH Mergersub Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Purchaser") and a wholly owned
subsidiary of Reed Elsevier Inc., a Massachusetts corporation ("Reed
Elsevier"), to purchase (i) all outstanding shares of common stock, par value
$1.00 per share (the "Common Shares") of Harcourt General, Inc. a Delaware
corporation (the "Company" or "Harcourt"), at $59.00 per Common Share, net to
the seller in cash, and (ii) all of the outstanding shares of series A
cumulative convertible stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Preferred
Shares") of the Company at a price of $77.29 per Preferred Share, net to the
seller in cash, in each case upon the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth in the Offer to Purchase (the "Offer to Purchase") and in the related
Letter of Transmittal (which, together with any amendments or supplements
thereto, collectively constitute the "Offer"). Copies of the Offer to Purchase
and the Letter of Transmittal are attached as Exhibits (a)(l) and (a)(2),
respectively, to Schedule TO.

     The information in the Offer to Purchase, including all schedules and
annexes thereto, is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth
in the Offer to Purchase.

Offer to Purchase

     All references in the Offer to Purchase to "Monday, January 8, 2001" are
deleted and replaced with "Thursday, February 8, 2001".

Item 12.  Exhibits

     Item 12 of the Schedule TO is hereby amended and supplemented by adding
thereto the following:

(a)(10)   Press Release of Reed Elsevier dated January 8, 2001.


<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Dated: January 8, 2001                         REH Mergersub Inc.

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ----------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Vice President

                                               Reed Elsevier Inc.

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ------------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Senior Vice President

                                               Reed Elsevier U.S. Holdings Inc.

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ------------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Vice President

                                               Reed Elsevier Overseas BV

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ------------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Attorney-in-Fact

                                               Reed Elsevier Holdings BV

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ------------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Attorney-in-Fact

                                               Reed Elsevier plc

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ------------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Attorney-in-Fact

                                               Reed International P.L.C.

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ------------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Attorney-in-Fact

                                               Elsevier NV

                                               By: /s/ Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                                  ------------------------------
                                               Name:  Henry Z. Horbaczewski
                                               Title: Attorney-in-Fact




<PAGE>



                                                   EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.
-----------

 (a)(1)     Offer to Purchase dated November 8, 2000.*

 (a)(2)     Letter of Transmittal.*

 (a)(3)     Notice of Guaranteed Delivery.*

 (a)(4)     Letter to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust Companies and
            Other Nominees.*

 (a)(5)     Letter to Clients for Use by Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks,
            Trust Companies and Other Nominees.*

 (a)(6)     Guidelines for Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number on
            Substitute Form W-9.*

 (a)(7)     Summary Advertisement dated November 8, 2000.*

 (a)(8)     Instructions for Participants in Harcourt's Dividend Reinvestment
            Plan.*

 (a)(9)     Press Release of Reed Elsevier dated December 6, 2000.*

 (a)(10)    Press Release of Reed Elsevier dated January 8, 2001.

 (b)(1)     Commitment Letter, dated November 7, 2000, among Reed
            International P.L.C., Elsevier NV, Reed Elsevier, Elsevier Finance
            S.A., Deutsche Bank AG London (as Lead Arranger), Morgan Stanley
            Dean Witter Bank Limited (as Lead Arranger), Deutsche Bank AG
            London (as Underwriter) and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. (as
            Underwriter), and attached Term Sheet.*

 (b)(2)     Credit Agreement, dated as of December 13, 2000, between Reed
            Elsevier, and Elsevier Finance SA (as Original Borrowers), Reed
            Elsevier (UK) Limited (as Borrowers' Agent), Reed International
            P.L.C. and Elsevier NV (as Original Guarantors), Deutsche Bank AG
            London and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Bank Limited (as Joint Lead
            Arrangers, Joint Book Runners and Documentation Agents), Deutsche
            Bank AG London (as Facility Agent and Euro Swingline Agent) and
            Deutsche Bank AG, New York branch (as Dollar Swingline Agent).*

 (b)(3)     Letter of cancellation relating to the Credit Agreement, dated
            December 13, 2000.*

 (b)(4)     Letter of amendment relating to the Credit Agreement, dated December
            20, 2000.*

 (b)(5)     Transfer certificate, dated December 20, 2000.*

 (d)(1)     Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 27, 2000,
            among Harcourt, Reed Elsevier and Purchaser.*

 (d)(2)     Stockholder Agreement, dated as of October 27, 2000, among Reed
            Elsevier, Purchaser and the stockholders named therein.*

 (d)(3)     Confidentiality Agreement, dated as of June 28, 2000, between
            Harcourt and Reed Elsevier plc.*

 ---------------------
 * Previously filed.




© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission