13D Filing: Scopia Capital and Itron Inc (ITRI)

*	The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

Schedule 13D

Schedule 13D

Schedule 13D

Schedule 13D

Amendment No. 10 to Schedule 13D

The following constitutes Amendment No. 10 to the Schedule 13D filed by the undersigned (“Amendment No. 10”).  This Amendment No. 10 amends the Schedule 13D as specifically set forth herein.

All capitalized terms contained herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Schedule 13D, as amended. Information given in response to each item shall be deemed incorporated by reference in all other items, as applicable.

Item 3 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended and restated as follows:

The aggregate purchase price of the shares of common stock, no par value per share, of the Issuer (“Common Stock”) directly held by the Investment Vehicles reported herein was $194,885,506.84. The shares of Common Stock directly held by the Investment Vehicles were purchased with the working capital of the Investment Vehicles (which may, at any given time, include margin loans made by brokerage firms in the ordinary course of business). All shares of Common Stock reported herein were purchased in open market transactions through a broker unless as otherwise previously disclosed in this Schedule 13D, as amended.

Item 4 of Schedule 13D is supplemented and superseded, as the case may be, as follows:

This Amendment No. 10 is being filed to report acquisitions of beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in an amount equal to one percent or more of the Issuer’s outstanding Common Stock since the Reporting Persons filed their previous Schedule 13D amendment. The disclosure in Item 5(c) below regarding transactions in the Issuer’s Common Stock effected during the previous 60 days is incorporated by reference herein. Consistent with their investment purpose, the Reporting Persons may make, or cause, further acquisitions of Common Stock from time to time and may dispose, or cause to be disposed, additional shares of Common Stock, in each case depending on market conditions and other factors.

On December 8, 2017, Scopia Capital entered into a Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”) with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) pursuant to which Morgan Stanley will effect purchases of up to a total of 122,000 shares of Common Stock on behalf of Scopia Capital in compliance with the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c).  Pursuant to the Purchase Plan, purchases could commence starting on December 11, 2017 and will continue until January 31, 2018 or until all of the shares of Common Stock to be purchased under the Purchase Plan are purchased or the Purchase Plan is otherwise terminated.

The Reporting Persons intend to review their investment in the Issuer on a continuing basis and may from time to time and at any time in the future depending on various factors, including, without limitation, the outcome of any discussions with directors and officers of the Issuer, the Issuer’s financial position and strategic direction, actions taken by the Board, price levels of the Issuer’s securities, other investment opportunities available to the Reporting Persons, conditions in the securities market and general economic and industry conditions, take such actions with respect to the investment in the Issuer as they deem appropriate. These actions may include: (i) acquiring additional shares of Common Stock and/or other equity, debt, notes, other securities, or derivative or other instruments that are based upon or relate to the value of securities of the Issuer (collectively, “Securities”) in the open market or otherwise; (ii) disposing of any or all of their Securities in the open market or otherwise; (iii) engaging in any hedging or similar transactions with respect to the Securities; or (iv) proposing or considering one or more of the actions described in subsections (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D.

Except as set forth herein or previously disclosed in the Schedule 13D, the Reporting Persons do not have present plans or proposals at this time that relate to or would result in any of the transactions described in subparagraphs (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D.

Item 5 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended and restated as follows:

(a) and (b) Items 7 through 11 and 13 of each of the cover pages of this Schedule 13D are incorporated herein by reference. Such information is based on 38,725,212 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2017, as reported in the Issuer’s Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 2, 2017.

The Investment Vehicles have delegated to Scopia Capital sole voting and investment power over the securities held by the Investment Vehicles pursuant to their respective Investment Management Agreements with Scopia Capital. As a result, each of Scopia Capital, Scopia Management, as the general partner of Scopia Capital, and Messrs. Sirovich and Mindich, as Managing Directors of Scopia Management, may be deemed to exercise voting and investment power over the shares of Common Stock directly held by the Investment Vehicles. The Investment Vehicles specifically disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities of the Issuer directly held by them by virtue of their inability to vote or dispose of such securities as a result of their respective Investment Management Agreements with Scopia Capital.

(c) Except as set forth on Schedule A attached hereto or previously disclosed in the Schedule 13D, there have been no transactions in shares of Common Stock during the 60 days prior to the date hereof by any of the Reporting Persons. The information set forth on Schedule A is incorporated herein by reference.

(d) The disclosure regarding the relationship between the Reporting Persons in Item 2(c) of this Schedule 13D is incorporated by reference herein. All securities reported in this Schedule 13D are directly held by the Investment Vehicles, all of which are investment management clients of Scopia Capital. None of the Investment Vehicles individually directly holds more than 5% of the Issuer’s outstanding shares of Common Stock. The limited partners of (or investors in) each of the Investment Vehicles have the right to participate in the receipt of dividends from, or proceeds from the sale of, the shares of Common Stock held for the accounts of their respective Investment Vehicles in accordance with their respective limited partnership interests (or investment percentages) in their respective Investment Vehicles.

(e) Not applicable.

The disclosure in Item 4 regarding the Purchase Plan is incorporated herein by reference.

SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Dated as of December 11, 2017

	SCOPIA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP
	By:		Scopia Management, Inc., its general partner
	By:		/s/ Matthew Sirovich
	Name:		Matthew Sirovich
	Title:		Managing Director
	SCOPIA MANAGEMENT, INC.
	By:		/s/ Matthew Sirovich
	Name:		Matthew Sirovich
	Title:		Managing Director
	By:		/s/ Matthew Sirovich
	By:		/s/ Jeremy Mindich

SCHEDULE A

TRANSACTIONS

Except as previously disclosed in the Schedule 13D, the following table sets forth all transactions by the Reporting Persons (on behalf of the Investment Vehicles) with respect to shares of Common Stock effected in the last 60 days, inclusive of any transactions effected through 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 8, 2017. Except as otherwise noted below, all such transactions were purchases of Common Stock effected in the open market, and the table excludes commissions paid in per share prices.