Document

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

April 15, 2020

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported)

J. C. PENNEY COMPANY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware	1-15274		26-0037077
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(Commission File Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

6501 Legacy Drive	Plano	Texas	75024-3698
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)			(Zip Code)

(972) 431-1000

Registrant's telephone number, including area code

Not Applicable

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

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:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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



Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock of 50 cents par value	JCP	New York Stock Exchange
Preferred Stock Purchase Rights	JCP	New York Stock Exchange

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.



Item 7.01	Regulation FD Disclosure.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. and J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. (together, the “Company”) have elected not to make the approximately $12 million interest payment (the “Interest Payment”) due and payable on April 15, 2020 with respect to their 6.375% Senior Notes due 2036 (the “2036 Senior Notes”) on the due date. Under the indenture governing the 2036 Senior Notes, the Company has a 30-day grace period to make the Interest Payment before such non-payment constitutes an “event of default” with respect to the 2036 Senior Notes. The Company has elected to enter into the 30-day grace period with respect to the Interest Payment in order to evaluate certain strategic alternatives, none of which have been implemented at this time.

The information disclosed in this Item 7.01 is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, regardless of any general incorporation language in such a filing.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

The Company has included statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expect” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based only on the Company’s current assumptions and views of future events and financial performance. They are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of the Company’s control that may cause the Company’s actual results to be materially different from planned or expected results. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the potential outcome of the Company’s evaluation of strategic alternatives and the Company’s debt levels, liquidity and ability to access financing sources and capital markets, in particular as the Company manages its business through the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions and uncertainties in the general economic and business environment. Please refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 2, 2020 for a further discussion of risks and uncertainties. Investors should take such risks into account and should not rely on forward-looking statements when making investment decisions. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this Current Report on Form 8-K is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We do not undertake to update these forward-looking statements as of any future date.



Item 9.01	Financial Statements and Exhibits.



(d)	Exhibit 104	Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document

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 hereunto duly authorized.



	J. C. PENNEY COMPANY, INC.

By:	/s/ Bill Wafford
	Bill Wafford
	Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Date: April 15, 2020