sm-20220907

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware	001-31539	41-0518430
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 3200		80203
Denver, Colorado		(Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (303) 861-8140

(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 (see General Instruction A.2.):

☐ 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, $0.01 par value	SM	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.

In accordance with General Instruction B.2. of Form 8-K, the following information shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

On September 7, 2022, SM Energy Company (“Company”) issued a press release announcing that its Board of Directors has approved a program to return capital to stockholders. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this report and is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 8.01 Other Events.

On September 7, 2022, the Company announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $500 million in aggregate value of its common stock through December 31, 2024, and has increased its fixed dividend to $0.60 per share annually, to be paid in quarterly increments of $0.15 per share.

The repurchase authorization permits the Company to repurchase shares from time to time in open market transactions, through privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws. The Company intends to fund repurchases from available working capital and cash provided by operating activities. The timing, as well as the number and value of shares repurchased under the program, will be determined by certain authorized officers of the Company at their discretion and will depend on a variety of factors, including the market price of the Company’s common stock, general market and economic conditions and applicable legal requirements. The value of shares authorized for repurchase by the Company’s Board of Directors does not require the Company to repurchase such shares or guarantee that such shares will be repurchased, and the program may be suspended, modified, or discontinued at any time without prior notice. No assurance can be given that any particular amount of common stock will be repurchased.

In connection with the increased fixed dividend, the Board of Directors approved a dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock outstanding that will be paid on November 7, 2022, to stockholders of record at the close of business on October 25, 2022.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.


Exhibit Number			Description
99.1			Press release of SM Energy Company dated September 7, 2022, entitled "SM Energy Announces Program to Return Capital to Stockholders"
104			Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and included as Exhibit 101)

Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


			SM ENERGY COMPANY

Date:	September 7, 2022	By:	/s/ PATRICK A. LYTLE
			Patrick A. Lytle
			Vice President - Chief Accounting Officer and Controller
			(Principal Accounting Officer)