PIRAEUS, Greece, June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- NewLead Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: NEWL) ("NewLead" or the "Company") today announced that, on June 25, 2014, the Company received a letter from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Staff (the "Staff") of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ") notifying the Company that the Staff has determined pursuant to its discretionary authority set forth in Listing Rule 5101 to delist the Company's securities based on public interest concerns raised by certain false and misleading public disclosures made by the Company and the fact that the Company has not demonstrated an ability to sustain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Global Select Market, as set forth in Listing Rule 5450(a)(1), as required by a NASDAQ Hearings Panel decision dated January 3, 2014. As a separate and additional basis for delisting, the Company was notified that it had not regained compliance, by June 23, 2014, with the $50 million in market value of listed securities requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Global Select Market, as set forth in Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(A). As a result of the foregoing, the Company's securities will be subject to delisting unless the Company requests a hearing before the NASDAQ Hearings Panel (the "Panel") by July 7, 2014 to present a plan to regain compliance and address the Staff's concerns. NewLead intends to timely request a hearing before the Panel. The Company's securities will continue to be listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market until such time as the Panel determination is made.
About NewLead Holdings Ltd.
NewLead Holdings Ltd. is an international, vertically integrated shipping, logistics and commodity company. NewLead owns three dry bulk vessels, one Handysize vessel and two Panamax vessels and manages three third party tanker vessels, two small bitumen tanker vessels and one Handysize MR product tanker. The Company took delivery of one of the three modern eco-type dry bulk Handysize vessels, the Newlead Albion on May 19, 2014 and expects to take delivery of the other two, one of which is newbuilding, between July and August 2014. The Company has also signed a term sheet for 75% financing to acquire two dry bulk Panamax vessels. Upon completion of the above acquisitions and together with the vessels under management. NewLead is expected to have a fleet of ten vessels, seven owned and three vessels under management. Furthermore, the Company owns a wash plant and a mine in Kentucky, USA and has been granted access to develop and mine another mine, that includes a CSX rail load facility, the Andy Rail Terminal, in Kentucky, USA. NewLead's common shares are traded under the symbol "NEWL" on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. To learn more about NewLead Holdings Ltd., please visit the new website at www.newleadholdings.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release includes assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events. These statements, as well as words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," and "expect," are intended to be 'forward-looking" statements. We caution that assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events may vary from actual results and the differences can be material. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, such matters as the creditworthiness of our counterparties, the reliability of reserve reports, our ability to extract or acquire coal to fulfill contracts, the consummation of conditional contracts, future operating or financial results; our liquidity position and cash flows, our ability to borrow additional amounts under our revolving credit facility and, if needed, to obtain waivers from our lenders and restructure our debt, and our ability to continue as a going concern; statements about planned, pending or recent vessel disposals and/or acquisitions, business strategy, future dividend payments and expected capital spending or operating expenses, including dry-docking and insurance costs; statements about trends in the product tanker and dry bulk vessel shipping segments, including charter rates and factors affecting supply and demand; expectations regarding the availability of vessel acquisitions; completion of repairs; length of off-hire; availability of charters; and anticipated developments with respect to any pending litigation. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although NewLead believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, NewLead cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections described in the forward looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including changes in charter rates and vessel values, failure of a seller to deliver one or more vessels, and other factors discussed in NewLead's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. NewLead expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in NewLead's expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
Investor and Media Relations:
Elisa Gerouki
NewLead Holdings Ltd.
Telephone: + 30 213 014 8023
Email: egerouki@newleadholdings.com
SOURCE NewLead Holdings Ltd.
