Phillips 66 Files Definitive Proxy Statement and Issues Letter to Shareholders
Highlights Results of Transformative Strategy and Path to Future Value Creation
Demonstrates Elliott’s Thesis is Based on Flawed Assumptions and Changes Would be Destructive to Long-Term Shareholder Value
Urges Shareholders to Vote “FOR” ONLY
In addition, the Board wrote a letter to shareholders that highlights valuable information to make an informed voting decision, including:
-
The consistent, compelling value
Phillips 66 delivers for its shareholders; -
The bold steps
Phillips 66 has taken to drive shareholder value under Mark Lashier’s leadership; - Progress made across business areas and future actions that will drive continued outperformance;
- Phillips 66’s track record of allocating capital effectively and prioritizing consistent shareholder returns across economic and industry cycles; and
- How Elliott’s misguided proposals will disrupt Phillips 66’s momentum by pushing for irreversible change that will destroy shareholder value.
The full text of the Board’s letter to shareholders follows:
Dear Fellow Shareholders,
Thank you for your investment in
The Board is committed to protecting your investment and focused on sustainable long-term value creation. For twelve years, we reliably grew our dividend and consistently returned capital to shareholders, delivering more than
Phillips 66’s Strategy Delivers Consistent and Compelling Long-Term Value
Our ability to continue to deliver long-term value for you is on the line – and your vote at our 2025 Annual Meeting is very important to us.
You face an important choice regarding your
- On one side is a Board and management team implementing a clear transformative strategy that has delivered results. The strategy is in its early stages and has significant room to deliver further value.
- On the other side is an activist hedge fund pushing an aggressive short-term agenda – including a rushed breakup of our Company based on flawed analysis – that would introduce unnecessary risk and disruption, slow our momentum and jeopardize your invested capital and long-term returns.
We do not dismiss Elliott’s ideas – in fact, we’ve welcomed their ideas throughout our entire engagement with them. We encourage healthy debate in the board room and that spirit extends to how we incorporate shareholder feedback. We care about finding the right path to drive the highest value for your investment.
Given our assessment of where
Elliott continues to use its activist playbook to avoid collaboration, cloud the discussion and drive a false narrative to promote their short-term agenda. Meanwhile, Phillips 66’s Board and management team are taking bold steps to drive shareholder value.
Under CEO
-
Returning
$13.6 billion to shareholders;1 - Nearly doubling EBITDA contributions from our Midstream segment from 2021 levels;
-
Divesting a total of
$3.5 billion in assets; -
Announcing plans to cease operations at our
Los Angeles refinery ; and - Fulfilling our commitment to substantially reduce controllable costs.
These are significant actions where the benefits to shareholders are just starting to be realized. Since Mark became CEO, we have delivered strong total shareholder returns, significantly outperforming a weighted average of our proxy peers2 – 67%3 vs 42%3.
Phillips 66’s Strategy and Current Initiatives are Built for Consistent Returns While Providing Shareholders with Meaningful Upside
Elliott wants a quick win by breaking up the Company, based on inflated and unrealistic assumptions. As we continue to execute our strategy, we are confident we will continue to deliver outperformance for our shareholders.
The path to additional shareholder value is in the ongoing efforts across our business, including:
-
We’re in the early stages of building out a world-class midstream business in the advantaged
Permian Basin . We have expanded our integrated NGL value chain while nearly doubling our midstream adjusted EBITDA4 in just three years, from$2.1 billion in 2021 to$3.7 billion in 2024. To date, we have realized$500 million in annual run-rate synergies from the successful integration ofDCP Midstream (well in excess of our original target of$300 million ), with more value from integration to come.
There is still more to come. We have a clear line of sight to reaching$4.5 billion in midstream adjusted EBITDA by 2027.
-
We have improved our cost structure in refining while maintaining a commitment to operational excellence. From 2022 to 2024, we lowered our Refining Adjusted Controllable Costs per barrel5 from
$6.98 /BBL to$5.90 /BBL (a 15% reduction). Over the same period, our refining utilization rates have outperformed the industry average for eight consecutive quarters, and we reached a record annual clean product yield of 87% in 2024.
We’re not done. We have a goal of lowering our Refining Adjusted Controllable Costs per barrel to$5.50 /BBL by 2027 (a 21% reduction from 2022 levels).
-
We continue to position
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (“CPChem”) as the lowest cost producer of ethylene with 95% advantaged feedstock, allowing it to withstand commodity cycles. Since its inception in 2000, the world leading joint venture has returned over$17 billion of after-tax distributions to its partners, allowingPhillips 66 to continually increase returns to its shareholders.
CPChem is adding significant production capacity at the lowest end of the cost curve. Projects on theU.S. Gulf Coast and inQatar are expected to be online by late 2026.
Since our formation in 2012, we have returned more than
So, What is at Risk with Elliott’s Proposals?
Elliott seeks rapid, irreversible change in pursuit of an unrealistic thesis – and risks halting the momentum on our long-term value-creating strategic plan.
- Elliott’s thesis jeopardizes shareholders’ realization of value from our long-term strategy.
- Their thesis is inherently based on short-term market fluctuations, aspirational valuations and unrealistic assumptions.
- Elliott’s analysis of a potential spin of the midstream business understates one-time costs and ongoing dis-synergies.
-
Their analysis of a potential sale of the midstream business unrealisticallyasserts that cash buyers exist at a
$50 billion price tag and would pay for 100% of synergies, both of which are highly unlikely. In addition, tax leakage costs could be as high as$10 billion . - Elliott’s analysis notably excludes external factors, such as the timing risk of valuations in commodity businesses, which can significantly impact transactions in our industry.
The Board is committed to thoroughly evaluating Phillips 66’s portfolio to maximize long-term shareholder value. We debate these topics rigorously and always carefully review all options, but we will not favor short-term decision making under the pressure of one shareholder at the expense of all others.
To Sum it All Up: Long-Term Value Creation is Phillips 66’s
We urge you to support
We unanimously recommend you vote “FOR” ONLY Phillips 66’s nominees on the WHITE proxy card.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
The Phillips 66 Board of Directors
_________________________________________ |
|
1 |
Shareholder distribution through dividends paid on common stock and repurchases of common stock. |
2 |
Calculated as the weighted average of Refining (CVI, DINO, DK, MPC, PBF, VLO), Midstream (OKE, TRGP, WMB), and Chemicals (DOW, LYB, WLK) Performance Proxy Peers’ TSR based on the weighting of consensus NTM EBITDA estimates for PSX’s segments. |
3 |
Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) from |
4 |
Non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measure can be found here. |
5 |
Excludes adjusted turnaround expenses. Non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measure can be found here. |
About
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws relating to Phillips 66’s operations, strategy and performance. Words such as “anticipated,” “committed,” “estimated,” “expected,” “planned,” “scheduled,” “targeted,” “believe,” “continue,” “intend,” “will,” “would,” “objective,” “goal,” “project,” “efforts,” “strategies” and similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes generally indicate forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on management’s expectations, estimates and projections as of the date they are made. These statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, and you should not unduly rely on them as they involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include: changes in governmental policies or laws that relate to our operations, including regulations that seek to limit or restrict refining, marketing and midstream operations or regulate profits, pricing, or taxation of our products or feedstocks, or other regulations that restrict feedstock imports or product exports; our ability to timely obtain or maintain permits necessary for projects; fluctuations in NGL, crude oil, refined petroleum, renewable fuels and natural gas prices, and refining, marketing and petrochemical margins; the effects of any widespread public health crisis and its negative impact on commercial activity and demand for refined petroleum or renewable fuels products; changes to worldwide government policies relating to renewable fuels and greenhouse gas emissions that adversely affect programs including the renewable fuel standards program, low carbon fuel standards and tax credits for renewable fuels; potential liability from pending or future litigation; liability for remedial actions, including removal and reclamation obligations under existing or future environmental regulations; unexpected changes in costs for constructing, modifying or operating our facilities; our ability to successfully complete, or any material delay in the completion of, any asset disposition, acquisition, shutdown or conversion that we have announced or may pursue, including receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals or permits related thereto; unexpected difficulties in manufacturing, refining or transporting our products; the level and success of drilling and production volumes around our midstream assets; risks and uncertainties with respect to the actions of actual or potential competitive suppliers and transporters of refined petroleum products, renewable fuels or specialty products; lack of, or disruptions in, adequate and reliable transportation for our products; failure to complete construction of capital projects on time or within budget; our ability to comply with governmental regulations or make capital expenditures to maintain compliance with laws; limited access to capital or significantly higher cost of capital related to illiquidity or uncertainty in the domestic or international financial markets, which may also impact our ability to repurchase shares and declare and pay dividends; potential disruption of our operations due to accidents, weather events, including as a result of climate change, acts of terrorism or cyberattacks; general domestic and international economic and political developments, including armed hostilities (such as the
Additional Information
On
Certain Information Regarding Participants
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
Non-GAAP Measures — This letter includes non-GAAP financial measures, including, "adjusted EBITDA," "refining adjusted controllable costs,” and “return on capital employed.” These are non-GAAP financial measures that are included to help facilitate comparisons of operating performance across periods and to help facilitate comparisons with other companies in our industry. Where applicable, these measures exclude items that do not reflect the core operating results of our businesses in the current period or other adjustments to reflect how management analyzes results. Click here to find reconciliations to, or further discussion of, the most comparable GAAP financial measures.
This letter also includes forward-looking non-GAAP financial measure estimates such as, but not limited to “adjusted EBITDA,” “controllable costs” and “refining adjusted controllable costs,” which, as used in certain places herein, are forward looking non-GAAP financial measures. These forward-looking estimates or targets depend on future levels of revenues and/or expenses, including amounts that could be attributable to non-controlling interests or related joint ventures, which are not reasonably estimable at this time. Accordingly, reconciliations of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest GAAP financial measure cannot be provided without unreasonable effort. Below are definitions of these non-GAAP measures and identification of the most directly comparable GAAP measure.
EBITDA is defined as estimated net income plus estimated net interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as estimated EBITDA plus the proportional share of selected equity affiliates’ estimated net interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization less the portion of estimated adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interests. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for the consolidated company and income before income taxes is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for operating segments. Refining adjusted controllable cost is the sum of operating and SG&A expenses for our Refining segment, plus our proportional share of operating and SG&A expenses of two refining equity affiliates that are reflected in equity earnings of affiliates. The per barrel amounts are based on total processed inputs, including our proportional share of processed inputs of an equity affiliate, for the respective period.
References in this letter to shareholder distributions and returns to shareholders refer to the sum of dividends paid to
Basis of Presentation - Effective
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832-765-2297
jeff.dietert@p66.com
832-765-2297
owen.simpson@p66.com
855-841-2368
thaddeus.f.herrick@p66.com
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