UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): April 30, 2020

GULFPORT ENERGY CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

(405) 252-4600
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following provisions:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

The information set forth in Item 3.03 of this Current Report is incorporated into this Item 1.01 by reference.

The Tax Benefits Preservation Plan. On April 30, 2020, the board of directors (the “Board”) of Gulfport Energy Corporation (the “Company”) declared a dividend distribution of one right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Company common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”) to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 15, 2020 (the “Record Date”). Each Right entitles its holder, under the circumstances described below, to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), at an exercise price of $8.00 per Right, subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in the tax benefits preservation plan (the “Tax Benefits Preservation Plan”), dated as of April 30, 2020, between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as rights agent (and any successor rights agent, the “Rights Agent”).

The Company adopted the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan in order to protect shareholder value against a possible limitation on the Company’s ability to use its tax net operating losses (the “NOLs”) and certain other tax benefits to reduce potential future U.S. federal income tax obligations. The NOLs are a valuable asset to the Company, which may inure to the benefit of the Company and its stockholders. However, if the Company experiences an “ownership change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), its ability to fully utilize the NOLs and certain other tax benefits will be substantially limited and the timing of the usage of the NOLs and such other benefits could be substantially delayed, which could significantly impair the value of those assets. Generally, an “ownership change” occurs if the percentage of the Company’s stock owned by one or more of its “five-percent shareholders” (as such term is defined in Section 382 of the Code) increases by more than 50 percentage points over the lowest percentage of stock owned by such stockholder or stockholders at any time over a three-year period. The Tax Benefits Preservation Plan is intended to prevent against such an “ownership change” by deterring any person or group from acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.9% or more of the Company’s securities.

The Rights. Initially, the Rights are associated with shares of Common Stock and evidenced by Common Stock certificates or, in the case of uncertificated shares of Common Stock, the book-entry account that evidences record ownership of such shares, which will contain a notation incorporating the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan by reference, and are transferable with and only with the underlying shares of Common Stock. New Rights will attach to any shares of Common Stock that become outstanding after the Record Date and prior to the earlier of the Distribution Time (as defined below) and the Expiration Time (as defined below).

Separation and Distribution of Rights; Exercisability. Subject to certain exceptions, the Rights become exercisable and trade separately from Common Stock only upon the “Distribution Time,” which occurs upon the earlier of:

Any existing stockholder or group that beneficially owns 4.9% or more of Common Stock has been grandfathered at its current ownership level, but the Rights will not be exercisable if, at any time after the announcement of the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, such stockholder or group increases its ownership of Common Stock by one share of Common Stock. Certain synthetic interests in securities created by derivative positions, whether or not such interests are considered to be ownership of the underlying Common Stock or are reportable for purposes of Regulation 13D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are treated as beneficial ownership of the number of shares of Common Stock equivalent to the economic exposure created by the derivative position, to the extent actual shares of Common Stock are directly or indirectly held by counterparties to the derivatives contracts.

Until the earlier of the Distribution Time and the Expiration Time, the surrender for transfer of any shares of Common Stock will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with those shares. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Time, separate rights certificates will be mailed to holders of record of Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Time. From and after the Distribution Time, the separate rights certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as otherwise provided in the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, only shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Time will be issued with Rights.

The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Time.

Expiration Time. The Rights will expire on the earliest to occur of (1) the close of business on April 29, 2021 (the “Final Expiration Time”), (2) the time at which the Rights are redeemed or exchanged by the Company (as described below), (3) upon the closing of any merger or other acquisition transaction involving the Company pursuant to a merger or other acquisition agreement that has been approved by the Board before any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and (4) the time at which the Board determines that the NOLs are utilized in all material respects or that an ownership change under Section 382 would not adversely impact in any material respect the time period in which the Company could use the NOLs or materially impair the amount of NOLs that could be used by the Company in any particular time period, for applicable tax purposes (the earliest of (1), (2), (3) and (4) being herein referred to as the “Expiration Time”).

Flip-in Event. In the event that any person or group (other than certain exempt persons) becomes an Acquiring Person (a “Flip-in Event”), each holder of a Right (other than any Acquiring Person and certain related parties, whose Rights automatically become null and void) will have the right to receive, upon exercise, shares of Common Stock having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right.

For example, at an exercise price of $8.00 per Right, each Right not owned by an Acquiring Person (or by certain related parties) following a Flip-in Event will entitle its holder to purchase $16.00 worth of shares of Common Stock (or other consideration, as noted above) for $8.00. Assuming that Common Stock had a per share value of $2.23 at that time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase 7.17 shares of Common Stock for $1.12 per share.

Flip-over Event. In the event that, at any time following the Stock Acquisition Date, any of the following occurs (each, a “Flip-over Event”):

each holder of a Right (except Rights which previously have been voided as described above) will have the right to receive, upon exercise, common stock of the acquiring company having a value equal to two times the exercise price of the Right.

Preferred Share Provisions. Each share of Preferred Stock, if issued: will not be redeemable, wil entitle the holder thereof, when, as and if declared, to quarterly dividend payments equal to the greater of $1,000 per share and 1,000 times the amount of all cash dividends plus 1,000 times the amount of non-cash dividends or other distributions paid on one share of Common Stock, will entitle the holder thereof to receive $1,000 plus accrued and unpaid dividends per share upon liquidation, will have the same voting power as 1,000 shares of Common Stock and, if shares of Common Stock are exchanged via merger, consolidation or a similar transaction, will entitle the holder thereof to a per share payment equal to the payment made on 1,000 shares of Common Stock.

Anti-dilution Adjustments. The exercise price payable and the number of shares of Preferred Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution:

With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the exercise price will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least one percent (1%) of the exercise price. No fractional shares of Preferred Stock will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading day prior to the date of exercise.

Redemption; Exchange. At any time prior to the earlier of (1) the Stock Acquisition Date and (2) the Final Expiration Time, the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right (subject to adjustment and payable in cash, Common Stock or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Board). Immediately upon the action of the Board authorizing any redemption, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price. At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by the Acquiring Person of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by the Acquiring Person, which will have become null and void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).

Exemption Requests. The Board may exempt certain persons from the 4.9% ownership threshold if the Board determines that their beneficial ownership of more than 4.9% of Common Stock will not jeopardize the availability of the Company's NOLs. A person may also request that the Board exempt a transaction that would cause such person to become the beneficial owner of 4.9% or more of Common Stock.

No Rights as Stockholder. Until a Right is exercised, its holder will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.

Amendment of the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan. The Company and the Rights Agent may from time to time amend or supplement the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan without the consent of the holders of the Rights. However, on or after the Stock Acquisition Date, no amendment can materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Rights (other than the Acquiring Person, certain related parties thereof or any transferee of the foregoing persons).

* * *

The foregoing description of the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan and the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan, which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this Current Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

In connection with the adoption of the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan described in Item 3.03 of this Current Report, the Board approved a Certificate of Designation of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, which designates the rights, preferences and privileges of 200,000 shares of a series of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, designated as Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock. The information set forth in Item 3.03 of this Current Report is incorporated into this Item 5.03 by reference.

The Certificate of Designation was filed with the Delaware Secretary of State on April 30, 2020. A copy of the Certificate of Designation has been filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

On April 30, 2020, the Company issued a press release announcing the adoption of the Tax Benefits Preservation Plan. A copy of that press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report and incorporated herein by reference.

(d) Exhibits

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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