Rent-A-Center announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Vintage Rodeo Parent, LLC, an affiliate of Vintage Capital Management, LLC, pursuant to which Vintage will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Rent-A-Center common stock for $15.00 per share in cash.

The transaction, which is not subject to a financing condition, and is expected to close by the end of 2018, subject to customary closing conditions including the receipt of stockholder and regulatory approvals, represents a total consideration of approximately $1.365B, including net debt. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Rent-A-Center stockholders will receive $15.00 in cash for each share of Rent-A-Center common stock, which represents a premium of approximately 49 percent over the Company's closing stock price on October 30, 2017, immediately prior to the announcement that the Company's Board of Directors initiated a process to evaluate strategic and financial alternatives focused on maximizing stockholder value. The Rent-A-Center Board has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends that stockholders vote in favor of the transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, Rent-A-Center will become a privately held company and its common shares will no longer be listed on any public market.

"The Rent-A-Center Board, having just completed a comprehensive review of strategic and financial alternatives in consultation with outside legal and financial advisors, unanimously supports this transaction and is confident it maximizes value for stockholders while delivering a significant and immediate cash premium," said Mitch Fadel, CEO of Rent-A-Center.