false 0001647639 0001647639 2024-09-16 2024-09-16

 

 

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

September 16, 2024

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

 

 

Upstart Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-39797   46-4332431
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
 

(Commission

File Number)

  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

2950 S. Delaware Street, Suite 410

San Mateo, CA 94403

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(833) 212-2461

(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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

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:

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered:

Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share   UPST   Nasdaq Global Select Market

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 1.01

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

Convertible Notes and the Indenture

On September 19, 2024, Upstart Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) issued $431.25 million in aggregate principal amount of its 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) pursuant to an indenture (the “Indenture”), dated September 19, 2024, between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee.

The Notes will bear interest from September 19, 2024 at a rate of 2.00% per annum, payable semiannually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on April 1, 2025. The Notes may bear additional interest under specified circumstances relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its reporting obligations under the Indenture or if the Notes are not freely tradeable as required by the Indenture. The Notes will mature on October 1, 2029, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted pursuant to their terms.

The initial conversion rate of the Notes is 21.9029 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), per $1,000 principal amount of Notes (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $45.66 per share). The conversion rate will be subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain specified events but will not be adjusted for any accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, upon the occurrence of a make-whole fundamental change (as defined in the Indenture) or an issuance of a notice of redemption, the Company will, in certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate by a number of additional shares for a holder that elects to convert its Notes in connection with such make-whole fundamental change or notice of redemption.

Prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, the Notes will be convertible only under the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter commencing after December 31, 2024, and only during such calendar quarter, if the last reported sale price of the Common Stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) in a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day; (2) during the five business-day period after any five consecutive trading-day period in which the trading price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes for each trading day of such five consecutive trading-day period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the Common Stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day; (3) if the Company calls any or all of the Notes for redemption, at any time prior to the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the redemption date; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. On or after July 1, 2029, until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders of the Notes may convert all or any portion of their Notes regardless of the foregoing conditions. Upon conversion, the Company will pay or deliver, as the case may be, either cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, at the Company’s election.

The Company may not redeem the Notes prior to October 6, 2027. On or after October 6, 2027, the Company may redeem for cash all or any portion of the Notes, at its option, if the last reported sale price of the Common Stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading-day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides a notice of redemption at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. No sinking fund is provided for the Notes. Upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the Indenture) prior to the maturity date, holders may require the Company to repurchase all or a portion of the Notes for cash at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date.

The Notes are the Company’s senior unsecured obligations and will rank senior in right of payment to any of the Company’s indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; equal in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and future unsecured indebtedness that is not so subordinated, including the Company’s outstanding 0.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Notes”); effectively junior in right of payment to any of the Company’s senior, secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness; and structurally junior to all indebtedness and other liabilities of current or future subsidiaries of the Company (including trade payables).


The following events are considered “events of default” with respect to the Notes, which may result in the acceleration of the maturity of the Notes:

(1) the Company defaults in the payment of interest on any Note when due and payable and the default continues for a period of 30 days;

(2) the Company defaults in the payment of any principal of any Note when due and payable at its stated maturity, upon redemption, upon any required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise;

(3) failure by the Company to comply with its obligation to convert the Notes in accordance with the Indenture upon exercise of a holder’s conversion right, and such failure continues for a period of five business days;

(4) failure by the Company to give (i) a fundamental change notice in accordance with the indenture when due and such failure continues for five business days, or (ii) notice of a specified corporate transaction in accordance with the Indenture when due and such failure continues for two business days;

(5) failure by the Company to comply with any of its obligations under the Indenture with respect to consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer and lease of assets of the Company;

(6) failure by the Company for a period of 60 days after written notice from the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding has been received to comply with any of its other agreements contained in the Notes or the Indenture;

(7) default by the Company or any significant subsidiary (as defined in the Indenture) with respect to any mortgage, agreement or other instrument under which there is outstanding, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for money borrowed in excess of $50.0 million (or its foreign currency equivalent) in the aggregate of the Company or any such significant subsidiary, whether such indebtedness now exists or is hereafter created (i) resulting in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to its stated maturity or (ii) constituting a failure to pay the principal or interest of any such indebtedness when due and payable at its stated maturity, upon required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise, in each case, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, if such acceleration shall not have been rescinded or annulled or such failure to pay or default shall not have been cured or waived, or such indebtedness shall not have been paid or discharged, as the case may be, within 30 days after written notice to the Company by the trustee or to the Company and the trustee by the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding in accordance with the Indenture; and

(8) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company or any significant subsidiary.

If such an event of default, other than an event of default described in clause (8) above with respect to the Company, occurs and is continuing, the trustee by written notice to the Company, or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes by notice to the Company and the trustee, may declare 100% of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all the Notes then outstanding to be due and payable. If an event of default described in clause (8) above with respect to the Company occurs, 100% of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes then outstanding will automatically become due and payable.

The net proceeds from the offering were approximately $420.9 million, after deducting the Initial Purchasers’ (as defined below) discounts and commissions and the Company’s estimated offering expenses related to the offering. The Company used approximately $40.9 million of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cost of the Capped Call Transactions (as defined below). In addition, the Company used approximately $302.5 million of the net


proceeds from the offering for the repurchase for cash of approximately $334.2 million aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes in individually negotiated transactions entered into concurrently with the pricing of the offering with certain holders of the 2026 Notes. The Company intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes.

The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Indenture and the Form of 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029, which are attached as Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated herein by reference.

Capped Call Transactions

In connection with the offering of the Notes, on September 16, 2024 and September 17, 2024, the Company entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with each of Barclays Bank PLC, through its agent Barclays Capital Inc., Citibank, N.A., HSBC Bank USA, National Association, Banco Santander, S.A., through its agent Santander US Capital Markets LLC, and The Bank of Nova Scotia (the “Capped Call Transactions”). The Capped Call Transactions each have an initial strike price of approximately $45.66 per share, subject to certain adjustments, which corresponds to the initial conversion price of the Notes. The Capped Call Transactions each have an initial cap price of $70.24 per share. The Capped Call Transactions cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, approximately 9.4 million shares of Common Stock. The Capped Call Transactions are expected generally to offset the potential dilution to the Common Stock upon any conversion of Notes and/or reduce any cash payments the Company is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted Notes, as the case may be, in the event that the market price per share of Common Stock, as measured under the terms of the Capped Call Transactions, is greater than the strike price of the Capped Call Transactions, with such offset and/or reduction subject to a cap. If, however, the market price per share of the Common Stock, as measured under the terms of the Capped Call Transactions, exceeds the cap price of the Capped Call Transactions, there would be dilution and/or there would not be a reduction of such potential cash payments, in each case, to the extent that such market price per share of the Common Stock exceeds the cap price of the Capped Call Transactions. The final component of each of the Capped Call Transactions is scheduled to expire on September 27, 2029.

The description of the Capped Call Transactions contained herein is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Form of Capped Call Confirmation attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 2.03

Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

The information set forth under Item 1.01 is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 3.02

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The information set forth under Item 1.01 is incorporated herein by reference.

On September 16, 2024, the Company entered into a purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Barclays Capital Inc. and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several initial purchasers named therein (collectively, the “Initial Purchasers”), to issue and sell $375.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Notes. In addition, the Company granted the Initial Purchasers an option to purchase up to an additional $56.25 million in aggregate principal amount of Notes on the same terms and conditions. The Initial Purchasers exercised their option in full on September 17, 2024.

The Purchase Agreement includes customary representations, warranties, and covenants by the Company and customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to indemnify the Initial Purchasers against certain liabilities.

The Company offered and sold the Notes to the Initial Purchasers in reliance on the exemption from the registration requirements provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and for resale by the Initial Purchasers to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to the


exemption from registration requirements provided by Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The Company relied on these exemptions from registration based in part on representations made by the Initial Purchasers in the Purchase Agreement . The shares of the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes, if any, have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

To the extent that any shares of the Common Stock are issued upon conversion of the Notes, they will be issued in transactions anticipated to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act by virtue of Section 3(a)(9) thereof, because no commission or other remuneration is expected to be paid in connection with conversion of the Notes and any resulting issuance of shares of the Common Stock.

 

Item 8.01

Other Events.

Launch Press Release

On September 16, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing its intention to offer $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes in a private placement to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Pricing Press Release

On September 16, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing the upsize and pricing of its offering of $375,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes in a private placement to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit
No.
  

Description

 4.1    Indenture, dated September 19, 2024, between Upstart Holdings, Inc. and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association.
 4.2    Form of 2.00% Convertible Senior Note due 2029 (included in Exhibit 4.1).
10.1    Form of Capped Call Confirmation.
99.1    Press Release, dated September 16, 2024.
99.2    Press Release, dated September 16, 2024.
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL).


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

      Upstart Holdings, Inc.
Dated: September 19, 2024     By:  

/s/ Sanjay Datta

      Sanjay Datta
      Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 4.1

Execution Version

 

 

 

UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.

AND

U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

INDENTURE

Dated as of September 19, 2024

2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         PAGE  
ARTICLE 1   
DEFINITIONS   

Section 1.01.

  Definitions      1  

Section 1.02.

  References to Interest      14  
ARTICLE 2   
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF NOTES   

Section 2.01.

  Designation and Amount      14  

Section 2.02.

  Form of Notes      14  

Section 2.03.

  Date and Denomination of Notes; Payments of Interest and Defaulted Amounts      15  

Section 2.04.

  Execution, Authentication and Delivery of Notes      17  

Section 2.05.

  Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer; Depositary      17  

Section 2.06.

  Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Notes      25  

Section 2.07.

  Temporary Notes      26  

Section 2.08.

  Cancellation of Notes Paid, Converted, Etc.      26  

Section 2.09.

  CUSIP Numbers      27  

Section 2.10.

  Additional Notes; Repurchases      27  
ARTICLE 3   
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE   

Section 3.01.

  Satisfaction and Discharge      28  
ARTICLE 4   
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY   

Section 4.01.

  Payment of Principal and Interest      28  

Section 4.02.

  Maintenance of Office or Agency      28  

Section 4.03.

  Appointments to Fill Vacancies in the Trustee’s Role      29  

Section 4.04.

  Provisions as to Paying Agent      29  

Section 4.05.

  Existence      30  

Section 4.06.

  Rule 144A Information Requirement and Annual Reports      30  

Section 4.07.

  Stay, Extension and Usury Laws      33  

Section 4.08.

  Compliance Certificate; Statements as to Defaults      33  

Section 4.09.

  Further Instruments and Acts      34  

 

i


ARTICLE 5   
LISTS OF HOLDERS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE   

Section 5.01.

  Lists of Holders      34  

Section 5.02.

  Preservation and Disclosure of Lists      34  
ARTICLE 6   
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES   

Section 6.01.

  Events of Default      35  

Section 6.02.

  Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment      36  

Section 6.03.

  Additional Interest      37  

Section 6.04.

  Payments of Notes on Default; Suit Therefor      38  

Section 6.05.

  Application of Monies Collected by Trustee      39  

Section 6.06.

  Proceedings by Holders      40  

Section 6.07.

  Proceedings by Trustee      41  

Section 6.08.

  Remedies Cumulative and Continuing      41  

Section 6.09.

  Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority of Holders      42  

Section 6.10.

  Notice of Defaults      42  

Section 6.11.

  Undertaking to Pay Costs      43  
ARTICLE 7   
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE   

Section 7.01.

  Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee      43  

Section 7.02.

  Reliance on Documents, Opinions, Etc.      45  

Section 7.03.

  No Responsibility for Recitals, Etc.      46  

Section 7.04.

  Trustee, Paying Agents, Conversion Agents, Bid Solicitation Agent or Note Registrar May Own Notes      47  

Section 7.05.

  Monies to Be Held in Trust      47  

Section 7.06.

  Compensation and Expenses of Trustee      47  

Section 7.07.

  Officers’ Certificate as Evidence      48  

Section 7.08.

  Eligibility of Trustee      48  

Section 7.09.

  Resignation or Removal of Trustee      48  

Section 7.10.

  Acceptance by Successor Trustee      49  

Section 7.11.

  Succession by Merger, Etc.      50  

Section 7.12.

  Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company      51  
ARTICLE 8   
CONCERNING THE HOLDERS   

Section 8.01.

  Action by Holders      51  

Section 8.02.

  Proof of Execution by Holders      51  

Section 8.03.

  Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners      51  

Section 8.04.

  Company-Owned Notes Disregarded      52  

Section 8.05.

  Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound      52  

 

ii


ARTICLE 9   
HOLDERS’ MEETINGS   

Section 9.01.

  Purpose of Meetings      53  

Section 9.02.

  Call of Meetings by Trustee      53  

Section 9.03.

  Call of Meetings by Company or Holders      53  

Section 9.04.

  Qualifications for Voting      54  

Section 9.05.

  Regulations      54  

Section 9.06.

  Voting      54  

Section 9.07.

  No Delay of Rights by Meeting      55  
ARTICLE 10   
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES   

Section 10.01.

  Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders      55  

Section 10.02.

  Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders      56  

Section 10.03.

  Effect of Supplemental Indentures      57  

Section 10.04.

  Notation on Notes      57  

Section 10.05.

  Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to Be Furnished Trustee      57  
ARTICLE 11   
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE   

Section 11.01.

  Company May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms      58  

Section 11.02.

  Successor Corporation to Be Substituted      58  

Section 11.03.

  Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel to Be Given to Trustee      59  
ARTICLE 12   
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS   

Section 12.01.

  Indenture and Notes Solely Corporate Obligations      59  
ARTICLE 13   
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]   
ARTICLE 14   
CONVERSION OF NOTES   

Section 14.01.

  Conversion Privilege      60  

Section 14.02.

  Conversion Procedure; Settlement Upon Conversion.      63  

Section 14.03.

  Increased Conversion Rate Applicable to Certain Notes Surrendered in Connection with Make-Whole Fundamental Changes or Redemption Notice      68  

Section 14.04.

  Adjustment of Conversion Rate      71  

Section 14.05.

  Adjustments of Prices      81  

Section 14.06.

  Shares to Be Fully Paid      81  

 

iii


Section 14.07.

  Effect of Recapitalizations, Reclassifications and Changes of the Common Stock      81  

Section 14.08.

  Certain Covenants      83  

Section 14.09.

  Responsibility of Trustee      84  

Section 14.10.

  Notice to Holders Prior to Certain Actions      85  

Section 14.11.

  Stockholder Rights Plans      85  

Section 14.12.

  Exchange In Lieu Of Conversion      85  
ARTICLE 15   
REPURCHASE OF NOTES AT OPTION OF HOLDERS   

Section 15.01.

  [Intentionally Omitted]      86  

Section 15.02.

  Repurchase at Option of Holders Upon a Fundamental Change      86  

Section 15.03.

  Withdrawal of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice      89  

Section 15.04.

  Deposit of Fundamental Change Repurchase Price      90  

Section 15.05.

  Covenant to Comply with Applicable Laws Upon Repurchase of Notes      90  
ARTICLE 16   
OPTIONAL REDEMPTION   

Section 16.01.

  Optional Redemption      91  

Section 16.02.

  Notice of Optional Redemption; Selection of Notes      91  

Section 16.03.

  Payment of Notes Called for Redemption      93  

Section 16.04.

  Restrictions on Redemption      93  
ARTICLE 17   
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS   

Section 17.01.

  Provisions Binding on Company’s Successors      93  

Section 17.02.

  Official Acts by Successor Corporation      93  

Section 17.03.

  Addresses for Notices, Etc.      94  

Section 17.04.

  Governing Law; Jurisdiction      94  

Section 17.05.

  Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent; Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to Trustee      95  

Section 17.06.

  Legal Holidays      95  

Section 17.07.

  No Security Interest Created      95  

Section 17.08.

  Benefits of Indenture      96  

Section 17.09.

  Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.      96  

Section 17.10.

  Authenticating Agent      96  

Section 17.11.

  Execution in Counterparts      97  

Section 17.12.

  Severability      98  

Section 17.13.

  Waiver of Jury Trial      98  

Section 17.14.

  Force Majeure      98  

Section 17.15.

  Calculations      98  

Section 17.16.

  USA PATRIOT Act      99  

 

iv


EXHIBIT

 

Exhibit A    Form of Note    A-1

 

v


INDENTURE dated as of September 19, 2024 between Upstart Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as issuer (the “Company,” as more fully set forth in Section 1.01) and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States, as trustee (the “Trustee,” as more fully set forth in Section 1.01).

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized the issuance of its 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”), initially in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $431,250,000, and in order to provide the terms and conditions upon which the Notes are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture; and

WHEREAS, the Form of Note, the certificate of authentication to be borne by each Note, the Form of Notice of Conversion, the Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice and the Form of Assignment and Transfer to be borne by the Notes are to be substantially in the forms hereinafter provided; and

WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent, as in this Indenture provided, the valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company, and this Indenture a valid agreement according to its terms, have been done and performed, and the execution of this Indenture and the issuance hereunder of the Notes have in all respects been duly authorized.

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

That in order to declare the terms and conditions upon which the Notes are, and are to be, authenticated, issued and delivered, and in consideration of the premises and of the purchase and acceptance of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with the Trustee for the equal and proportionate benefit of the respective Holders from time to time of the Notes (except as otherwise provided below), as follows:

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS

Section 1.01. Definitions. The terms defined in this Section 1.01 (except as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the respective meanings specified in this Section 1.01. The words “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision. The terms defined in this Article include the plural as well as the singular.

 

1


Additional Interest” means all amounts, if any, payable pursuant to Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03, as applicable.

Additional Shares” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(a).

Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control,” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the determination of whether one Person is an “Affiliate” of another Person for purposes of this Indenture shall be made based on the facts at the time such determination is made or required to be made, as the case may be, hereunder.

Bid Solicitation Agent” means the Company or the Person appointed by the Company to solicit bids for the Trading Price of the Notes in accordance with Section 14.01(b)(i). The Company shall initially act as the Bid Solicitation Agent.

Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company or a committee of such board duly authorized to act for it hereunder.

Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

Business Day” means, with respect to any Note, any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is authorized or required by law or executive order to close or be closed.

Capital Stock” means, for any entity, any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) stock issued by that entity.

Cash Settlement” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(a).

Clause A Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Clause B Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Clause C Distribution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

close of business” means 5:00 p.m. (New York City time).

Combination Settlement” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(a).

 

2


Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Common Equity” of any Person means Capital Stock of such Person that is generally entitled (a) to vote in the election of directors of such Person or (b) if such Person is not a corporation, to vote or otherwise participate in the selection of the governing body, partners, managers or others that will control the management or policies of such Person.

Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, at the date of this Indenture, subject to Section 14.07.

Company” shall have the meaning specified in the first paragraph of this Indenture, and subject to the provisions of Article 11, shall include its successors and assigns.

Company Order” means a written order of the Company, signed by (a) the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Executive or Senior Vice President or any Vice President (whether or not designated by a number or numbers or word or words added before or after the title “Vice President”) and (b) any such other Officer designated in clause (a) of this definition or the Company’s Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer or Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.

Conversion Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.

Conversion Consideration” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.12(a).

Conversion Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(c).

Conversion Obligation” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01(a).

Conversion Price” means as of any time, $1,000, divided by the Conversion Rate as of such time.

Conversion Rate” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01(a).

Corporate Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01(b)(iii).

Corporate Trust Office” means the designated office of the Trustee at which at any time this Indenture shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 1 California Street, Suite 1000, San Francisco, CA 94111, Attention: D. Jason (Upstart Holdings, Inc.), or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the designated corporate trust office of any successor trustee (or such other address as such successor trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).

Custodian” means the Trustee, as custodian for The Depository Trust Company, with respect to the Global Notes, or any successor entity thereto.

 

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Daily Conversion Value” means, for each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days during the Observation Period, 5.00% of the product of (a) the Conversion Rate on such Trading Day and (b) the Daily VWAP for such Trading Day.

Daily Measurement Value” means the Specified Dollar Amount (if any), divided by 20.

Daily Settlement Amount,” for each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days during the Observation Period, shall consist of:

(a) cash in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the Daily Measurement Value and (ii) the Daily Conversion Value on such Trading Day; and

(b) if the Daily Conversion Value on such Trading Day exceeds the Daily Measurement Value, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to (i) the difference between the Daily Conversion Value and the Daily Measurement Value, divided by (ii) the Daily VWAP for such Trading Day.

Daily VWAP” means, for each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days during the relevant Observation Period, the per share volume-weighted average price as displayed under the heading “Bloomberg VWAP” on Bloomberg page “UPST<equity> AQR” (or its equivalent successor if such page is not available) in respect of the period from the scheduled open of trading until the scheduled close of trading of the primary trading session on such Trading Day (or if such volume-weighted average price is unavailable, the market value of one share of the Common Stock on such Trading Day determined, using a volume-weighted average method, by a nationally recognized independent investment banking firm retained for this purpose by the Company). The “Daily VWAP” shall be determined without regard to after-hours trading or any other trading outside of the regular trading session trading hours.

Default” means any event that is, or after notice or passage of time, or both, would be, an Event of Default.

Defaulted Amounts” means any amounts on any Note (including, without limitation, the Redemption Price, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, principal and interest) that are payable but are not punctually paid or duly provided for.

Deferred Additional Interest” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.06(f).

Deferred Additional Interest Demand Request” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.06(f).

delivered” with respect to any notice to be delivered, given or mailed to a Holder pursuant to this Indenture, shall mean notice (x) in the case of a Global Note, given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices or procedures at the Depositary or (y) in the case of a Physical Note, mailed to such Holder by first class mail, postage prepaid, at its address as it appears on the Note Register, in each case in accordance with Section 17.03. Notice so “delivered” shall be deemed to include any notice to be “mailed” or “given,” as applicable, under this Indenture.

 

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Depositary” means, with respect to each Global Note, the Person specified in Section 2.05(c) as the Depositary with respect to such Notes, until a successor shall have been appointed and become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter, “Depositary” shall mean or include such successor.

Designated Financial Institution” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.12(a).

Distributed Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Effective Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(c), except that, as used in Section 14.04 and Section 14.05, “Effective Date” means the first date on which shares of the Common Stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, reflecting the relevant share split or share combination, as applicable (provided that any alternative trading convention on the applicable exchange or market in respect of shares of Common Stock under a separate ticker symbol or CUSIP number shall not be considered “regular way” for this purpose).

Event of Default” shall have the meaning specified in Section 6.01.

Ex-Dividend Date” means the first date on which shares of the Common Stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive the issuance, dividend or distribution in question, from the Company or, if applicable, from the seller of Common Stock on such exchange or market (in the form of due bills or otherwise) as determined by such exchange or market (provided that any alternative trading convention on the applicable exchange or market in respect of shares of Common Stock under a separate ticker symbol or CUSIP number shall not be considered “regular way” for this purpose).

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Exchange Election” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.12(a).

Form of Assignment and Transfer” means the “Form of Assignment and Transfer” attached as Attachment 3 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” means the “Form of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” attached as Attachment 2 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Form of Note” means the “Form of Note” attached hereto as Exhibit A.

 

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Form of Notice of Conversion” means the “Form of Notice of Conversion” attached as Attachment 1 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Freely Tradable” means, with respect to any Note, that such Note would be eligible to be offered, sold or otherwise transferred pursuant to Rule 144 or otherwise if held by a Person that is not an affiliate (within the meaning of Rule 144) of the Company, and that has not been an affiliate (within the meaning of Rule 144) of the Company during the immediately preceding three months, without any requirements as to volume, manner of sale, availability of current public information or notice under the Securities Act (except that, during the six-month period beginning on, and including, the date that is six months after the last date of original issuance of such Note, any such requirement as to the availability of current public information shall be disregarded if the same is satisfied at that time).

Fundamental Change” shall be deemed to have occurred at the time after the Notes are originally issued if any of the following occurs prior to the Maturity Date:

(a) a “person” or “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, other than the Company, its direct or indirect Wholly Owned Subsidiaries and the employee benefit plans of the Company and its direct or indirect Wholly Owned Subsidiaries, files a Schedule TO or any schedule, form or report under the Exchange Act that discloses that such “person” or “group” has become the direct or indirect “beneficial owner,” as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, of the Common Stock representing more than 50% of the voting power of the Common Stock (provided that no “person” or “group” shall be deemed to be the beneficial owner of any securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such “person” or “group” until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange under such offer);

(b) the consummation of (A) any recapitalization, reclassification or change of the Common Stock (other than changes resulting from a subdivision, combination or change in par value) as a result of which the Common Stock would be converted into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities, other property or assets; (B) any share exchange, consolidation or merger of the Company pursuant to which the Common Stock will be converted into cash, securities or other property or assets; or (C) any sale, lease or other transfer in one transaction or a series of transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person other than one or more of the Company’s Wholly Owned Subsidiaries; provided, however, that a transaction described in clause (A) or (B) in which the holders of all classes of the Company’s Common Equity immediately prior to such transaction own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of all classes of Common Equity of the continuing or surviving corporation or transferee or the parent thereof immediately after such transaction in substantially the same proportions (relative to each other) as such ownership immediately prior to such transaction shall not be a Fundamental Change pursuant to this clause (b);

 

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(c) the stockholders of the Company approve any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or

(d) the Common Stock (or other common stock underlying the Notes) ceases to be listed or quoted on any of The New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Global Select Market or The Nasdaq Global Market (or any of their respective successors);

provided, however, that a transaction or transactions described in clause (a) or clause (b) above shall not constitute a Fundamental Change, if at least 90% of the consideration received or to be received by the common stockholders of the Company, excluding cash payments for fractional shares or pursuant to statutory appraisal rights, in connection with such transaction or transactions consists of shares of common stock or a class of common stock that are listed or quoted on any of The New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Global Select Market or The Nasdaq Global Market (or any of their respective successors) or will be so listed or quoted when issued or exchanged in connection with such transaction or transactions and as a result of such transaction or transactions the Notes become convertible into such consideration, excluding cash payments for fractional shares or pursuant to statutory appraisal rights (subject to the provisions of Section 14.02(a)). Solely for purposes of this definition (and, for the avoidance of doubt, not for purposes of the “Make-Whole Fundamental Change” definition), any transaction that constitutes a Fundamental Change pursuant to both clause (a) and clause (b) of this definition (without giving effect to the proviso in clause (b)) shall be deemed a Fundamental Change solely under clause (b) of this definition (subject to the proviso in clause (b)). If any transaction in which the Common Stock is replaced by the securities of another entity occurs, following completion of any related Make-Whole Fundamental Change Period (or, in the case of a transaction that would have been a Fundamental Change or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change but for the proviso immediately following clause (d) of this definition, following the effective date of such transaction) references to the Company in this definition shall instead be references to such other entity.

Fundamental Change Company Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(c).

Fundamental Change Repurchase Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(a).

Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(b)(i).

Fundamental Change Repurchase Price” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(a).

Global Note” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(b).

Holder,” as applied to any Note, or other similar terms (but excluding the term “beneficial holder”), means any Person in whose name at the time a particular Note is registered on the Note Register.

 

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Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or, if amended or supplemented as herein provided, as so amended or supplemented.

Initial Purchasers” means Barclays Capital Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and the several other initial purchasers named in Schedule I to the Purchase Agreement.

Interest Payment Date” means each April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on April 1, 2025.

Last Reported Sale Price” of the Common Stock (or other security for which a Last Reported Sale Price must be determined) on any date means the closing sale price per share (or if no closing sale price is reported, the average of the bid and ask prices or, if more than one in either case, the average of the average bid and the average ask prices) on that date as reported in composite transactions for the principal U.S. national or regional securities exchange on which the Common Stock (or such other security) is traded. If the Common Stock (or such other security) is not listed for trading on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange on the relevant date, the “Last Reported Sale Price” shall be the last quoted bid price for the Common Stock (or such other security) in the over-the-counter market on the relevant date as reported by OTC Markets Group Inc. or a similar organization. If the Common Stock (or such other security) is not so quoted, the “Last Reported Sale Price” shall be the average of the mid-point of the last bid and ask prices for the Common Stock (or such other security) on the relevant date from each of at least three nationally recognized independent investment banking firms selected by the Company for this purpose. The “Last Reported Sale Price” shall be determined without regard to after-hours trading or any other trading outside of the regular trading session hours.

Make-Whole Fundamental Change” means any transaction or event that constitutes a Fundamental Change (as defined above and determined after giving effect to any exceptions to or exclusions from such definition, but without regard to the proviso in clause (b) of the definition thereof).

Make-Whole Fundamental Change Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(a).

Market Disruption Event” means, for the purposes of determining amounts due upon conversion (a) a failure by the primary U.S. national or regional securities exchange or market on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted for trading to open for trading during its regular trading session or (b) the occurrence or existence prior to 1:00 p.m., New York City time, on any Scheduled Trading Day for the Common Stock for more than one half-hour period in the aggregate during regular trading hours of any suspension or limitation imposed on trading (by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the relevant stock exchange or otherwise) in the Common Stock or in any options contracts or futures contracts relating to the Common Stock.

Maturity Date” means October 1, 2029.

Measurement Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.01(b)(i).

 

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Note” or “Notes” shall have the meaning specified in the first paragraph of the recitals of this Indenture.

Note Register” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(a).

Note Registrar” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(a).

Notice of Conversion” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(b).

Notice of Election to Pay Deferred Additional Interest” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.06(f).

Observation Period” with respect to any Note surrendered for conversion means: (i) subject to clause (ii), if the relevant Conversion Date occurs prior to July 1, 2029, the 20 consecutive Trading Day period beginning on, and including, the second Trading Day immediately succeeding such Conversion Date; (ii) if the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after the date of the Company’s issuance of a Redemption Notice with respect to the Notes pursuant to Section 16.02 and prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the relevant Redemption Date, the 20 consecutive Trading Days beginning on, and including, the 21st Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding such Redemption Date; and (iii) subject to clause (ii), if the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after July 1, 2029, the 20 consecutive Trading Days beginning on, and including, the 21st Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date.

Offering Memorandum” means the preliminary offering memorandum dated September 16, 2024, as supplemented by the related pricing term sheet dated September 16, 2024, relating to the offering and sale of the Notes.

Officer” means, with respect to the Company, the President, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Executive or Senior Vice President or any Vice President (whether or not designated by a number or numbers or word or words added before or after the title “Vice President”).

Officers’ Certificate,” when used with respect to the Company, means a certificate that is delivered to the Trustee and that is signed by (a) two Officers of the Company or (b) one Officer of the Company and one of any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary or the Controller of the Company. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 17.05 if and to the extent required by the provisions of such Section. One of the Officers giving an Officers’ Certificate pursuant to Section 4.08 shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of the Company.

open of business” means 9:00 a.m. (New York City time).

Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion in writing signed by legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, or other counsel acceptable to the Trustee, that is delivered to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 17.05 if and to the extent required by the provisions of such Section 17.05.

 

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Optional Redemption” shall have the meaning specified in Section 16.01.

outstanding,” when used with reference to Notes, shall, subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, mean, as of any particular time, all Notes authenticated and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except:

(a) Notes theretofore canceled by the Trustee or accepted by the Trustee for cancellation;

(b) Notes, or portions thereof, that have become due and payable and in respect of which monies in the necessary amount shall have been irrevocably deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any Paying Agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent);

(c) Notes that have been paid pursuant to Section 2.06 or Notes in lieu of which, or in substitution for which, other Notes shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.06 unless proof satisfactory to the Trustee is presented that any such Notes are held by protected purchasers in due course;

(d) Notes converted pursuant to Article 14 and required to be cancelled pursuant to Section 2.08;

(e) Notes redeemed pursuant to Article 16; and

(f) Notes repurchased by the Company pursuant to Article 15 and Section 2.10 and, in each case, delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Paying Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.02.

Person” means an individual, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a partnership, a joint venture, a joint stock company, a trust, an unincorporated organization or a government or an agency or a political subdivision thereof.

Physical Notes” means permanent certificated Notes in registered form issued in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples thereof.

Physical Settlement” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(a).

Predecessor Note” of any particular Note means every previous Note evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Note; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Note authenticated and delivered under Section 2.06 in lieu of or in exchange for a mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Note shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Note that it replaces.

 

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Purchase Agreement” means that certain Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 16, 2024, between the Company and Barclays Capital Inc. and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representatives of the Initial Purchasers.

Record Date” means, with respect to any dividend, distribution or other transaction or event in which the holders of Common Stock (or other applicable security) have the right to receive any cash, securities or other property or in which the Common Stock (or such other security) is exchanged for or converted into any combination of cash, securities or other property, the date fixed for determination of holders of the Common Stock (or such other security) entitled to receive such cash, securities or other property (whether such date is fixed by the Board of Directors, by statute, by contract or otherwise).

Redemption Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 16.02(a).

Redemption Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 16.02(a).

Redemption Price” means, for any Notes to be redeemed pursuant to Section 16.01, 100% of the principal amount of such Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the Redemption Date (unless the Redemption Date falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the immediately succeeding Interest Payment Date, in which case interest accrued to the Interest Payment Date will be paid to Holders of record of such Notes as of the close of business on such Regular Record Date, and the Redemption Price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of such Notes).

Reference Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).

Regular Record Date,” with respect to any Interest Payment Date, shall mean the March 15 and September 15 (whether or not such day is a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable April 1 and October 1 Interest Payment Date, respectively.

Resale Restriction Termination Date” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(c).

Responsible Officer” means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust office of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture respectively, or any other officer of such Trustee to whom any corporate trust matter relating to this Indenture is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

Restricted Securities” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(c).

 

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Rule 144” means Rule 144 as promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 144A” means Rule 144A as promulgated under the Securities Act.

Scheduled Trading Day” means a day that is scheduled to be a Trading Day on the principal U.S. national or regional securities exchange or market on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted for trading. If the Common Stock is not so listed or admitted for trading, “Scheduled Trading Day” means a Business Day.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Settlement Amount” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(a)(iv).

Settlement Method” means, with respect to any conversion of Notes, Physical Settlement, Cash Settlement or Combination Settlement, as elected (or deemed to have been elected) by the Company.

Settlement Notice” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.02(a)(iii).

Share Exchange Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).

Signature Law” shall have the meaning specified in Section 17.11.

Significant Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of the Company that meets the definition of “significant subsidiary” in Article 1, Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission (or any successor rule).

Specified Dollar Amount” means the maximum cash amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes to be received upon conversion as specified in the Settlement Notice related to any converted Notes (or deemed specified as set forth in Section 14.02(a)(iii)).

Spin-Off” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Stock Price” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.03(c).

Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partners or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (i) such Person; (ii) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person; or (iii) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.

Successor Company” shall have the meaning specified in Section 11.01(a).

Tender Agent” shall have the meaning specified in Section 15.02(b)(i).

 

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Trading Day” means, except for purposes of determining the amount of cash and/or the number of shares of Common Stock due upon conversion, a day on which (i) trading in the Common Stock (or other security for which a closing sale price must be determined) generally occurs on The Nasdaq Global Select Market or, if the Common Stock (or such other security) is not then listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, on the principal other U.S. national or regional securities exchange on which the Common Stock (or such other security) is then listed or, if the Common Stock (or such other security) is not then listed on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange, on the principal other market on which the Common Stock (or such other security) is then traded and (ii) a Last Reported Sale Price for the Common Stock (or closing sale price for such other security) is available on such securities exchange or market; provided that if the Common Stock (or such other security) is not so listed or traded, “Trading Day” means a Business Day; and provided, further, that for purposes of determining the amount of cash and/or the number of shares of the Common Stock due upon conversion only, “Trading Day” means a day on which (x) there is no Market Disruption Event and (y) trading in the Common Stock generally occurs on The Nasdaq Global Select Market or, if the Common Stock is not then listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, on the principal other U.S. national or regional securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed or, if the Common Stock is not then listed on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange, on the principal other market on which the Common Stock is then listed or admitted for trading, except that if the Common Stock is not so listed or admitted for trading, “Trading Day” means a Business Day.

Trading Price” of the Notes on any date of determination means the average of the secondary market bid quotations obtained by the Bid Solicitation Agent for $5,000,000 principal amount of Notes at approximately 3:30 p.m., New York City time, on such determination date from three independent nationally recognized securities dealers the Company selects for this purpose; provided that if three such bids cannot reasonably be obtained by the Bid Solicitation Agent but two such bids are obtained, then the average of the two bids shall be used, and if only one such bid can reasonably be obtained by the Bid Solicitation Agent, that one bid shall be used. If, on any date, the Bid Solicitation Agent cannot reasonably obtain at least one bid for $5,000,000 principal amount of Notes on such date from a nationally recognized securities dealer on any determination date, then the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes on such determination date shall be deemed to be less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate.

transfer” shall have the meaning specified in Section 2.05(c).

Trigger Event” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, as it was in force at the date of execution of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after the date hereof, the term “Trust Indenture Act” shall mean, to the extent required by such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as so amended.

 

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Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder.

unit of Reference Property” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.07(a).

Valuation Period” shall have the meaning specified in Section 14.04(c).

Wholly Owned Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of such Person, except that, solely for purposes of this definition, the reference to “more than 50%” in the definition of “Subsidiary” shall be deemed replaced by a reference to “100%”.

Section 1.02. References to Interest. Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to interest on, or in respect of, any Note in this Indenture shall be deemed to include Additional Interest (including any Deferred Additional Interest and, if applicable, interest thereon) if, in such context, Additional Interest (including any Deferred Additional Interest and, if applicable, interest thereon) is, was or would be payable pursuant to any of Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03. Unless the context otherwise requires, any express mention of Additional Interest, Deferred Additional Interest and/or interest thereon in any provision hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Interest, Deferred Additional Interest and/or interest thereon in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made.

ARTICLE 2

ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, EXECUTION, REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF NOTES

Section 2.01. Designation and Amount. The Notes shall be designated as the “2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029.” The aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is initially limited to $431,250,000, subject to Section 2.10 and except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration or transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of other Notes to the extent expressly permitted hereunder.

Section 2.02. Form of Notes. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by such Notes shall be substantially in the respective forms set forth in Exhibit A, the terms and provisions of which shall constitute, and are hereby expressly incorporated in and made a part of this Indenture. To the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. In the case of any conflict between this Indenture and a Note, the provisions of this Indenture shall control and govern to the extent of such conflict.

Any Global Note may be endorsed with or have incorporated in the text thereof such legends or recitals or changes not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture as may be required by the Custodian or the Depositary, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or any regulation thereunder or with the rules and regulations of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Notes may be listed or traded or designated for issuance or to conform with any usage with respect thereto, or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Notes are subject.

 

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Any of the Notes may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such notations, legends or endorsements as the Officer executing the same may approve (execution thereof to be conclusive evidence of such approval) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Notes may be listed or designated for issuance, or to conform to usage or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Notes are subject.

Each Global Note shall represent such principal amount of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified therein and shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be increased or reduced to reflect redemptions, repurchases, cancellations, conversions, transfers or exchanges permitted hereby. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in such manner and upon instructions given by the Holder of such Notes in accordance with this Indenture. Payment of principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, a Global Note shall be made to the Holder of such Note on the date of payment, unless a record date or other means of determining Holders eligible to receive payment is provided for herein.

Section 2.03. Date and Denomination of Notes; Payments of Interest and Defaulted Amounts. (a) The Notes shall be issuable in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication and shall bear interest from the date specified on the face of such Note. Accrued interest on the Notes shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months and, for partial months, on the basis of the number of days actually elapsed in a 30-day month.

(b) The Person in whose name any Note (or its Predecessor Note) is registered on the Note Register at the close of business on any Regular Record Date with respect to any Interest Payment Date shall be entitled to receive the interest payable on such Interest Payment Date. The principal amount of any Note (x) in the case of any Physical Note, shall be payable at the office or agency of the Company maintained by the Company for such purposes in the United States of America, which shall initially be the Corporate Trust Office and (y) in the case of any Global Note, shall be payable by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee. The Company shall pay, or cause the Paying Agent to pay, interest (i) on any Physical Notes (A) to Holders holding Physical Notes having an aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 or less, by check mailed to the Holders of these Notes at their

 

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address as it appears in the Note Register and (B) to Holders holding Physical Notes having an aggregate principal amount of more than $5,000,000, either by check mailed to each Holder or, upon application by such a Holder to the Paying Agent not later than the relevant Regular Record Date, by wire transfer in immediately available funds to that Holder’s account within the United States if such Holder has provided the Trustee or Paying Agent with the requisite information necessary to make such wire transfer, which application shall remain in effect until the Holder notifies, in writing, the Paying Agent to the contrary or (ii) on any Global Note by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee.

(c) Any Defaulted Amounts shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant payment date but shall accrue interest per annum at the rate borne by the Notes, subject to the enforceability thereof under applicable law, from, and including, such relevant payment date, and such Defaulted Amounts together with any such interest thereon shall be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (i) or (ii) below:

(i) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Amounts to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or their respective Predecessor Notes) are registered at the close of business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Amounts, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of the Defaulted Amounts proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment (which shall be not less than 25 days after the receipt by the Trustee of such notice, unless the Trustee shall consent to an earlier date), and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Amounts or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit on or prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Amounts as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Company shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Amounts which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment, and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of such special record date and the Trustee, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Amounts and the special record date therefor to be delivered to each Holder not less than 10 days prior to such special record date; provided that the Trustee has received such notice at least three Business Days prior to the date such notice is to be sent (or such shorter period as shall be acceptable to the Trustee). Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Amounts and the special record date therefor having been so delivered, such Defaulted Amounts shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or their respective Predecessor Notes) are registered at the close of business on such special record date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (ii) of this Section 2.03(c). The Trustee shall have no responsibility whatsoever for the calculation of the Defaulted Amounts.

 

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(ii) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Amounts in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Notes may be listed or designated for issuance, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange or automated quotation system, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

Section 2.04. Execution, Authentication and Delivery of Notes. The Notes shall be signed in the name and on behalf of the Company by the manual or facsimile or other electronic signature of its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Secretary.

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Notes executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Notes, and the Trustee in accordance with such Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Notes, without any further action by the Company hereunder; provided that the Trustee shall be entitled to receive an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel of the Company with respect to the issuance, authentication and delivery of such Notes.

Only such Notes as shall bear thereon a certificate of authentication substantially in the form set forth on the Form of Note attached as Exhibit A hereto, executed manually by an authorized signatory of the Trustee (or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee as provided by Section 17.10), shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose. Such certificate by the Trustee (or such an authenticating agent) upon any Note executed by the Company shall be conclusive evidence that the Note so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the Holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

In case any Officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Notes shall cease to be such Officer before the Notes so signed shall have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, or disposed of by the Company, such Notes nevertheless may be authenticated and delivered or disposed of as though the person who signed such Notes had not ceased to be such Officer of the Company; and any Note may be signed on behalf of the Company by such persons as, at the actual date of the execution of such Note, shall be the Officers of the Company, although at the date of the execution of this Indenture any such person was not such an Officer.

Section 2.05. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Notes; Restrictions on Transfer; Depositary. (a) The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office a register (the register maintained in such office or in any other office or agency of the Company designated pursuant to Section 4.02, the “Note Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Notes and of transfers of Notes. Such register shall be in written form or in any form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable period of time. The Trustee is hereby initially appointed the “Note Registrar” for the purpose of registering Notes and transfers of Notes as herein provided. The Company may appoint one or more co-Note Registrars in accordance with Section 4.02.

 

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Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Note to the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar, and satisfaction of the requirements for such transfer set forth in this Section 2.05, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Notes of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and bearing such restrictive legends as may be required by this Indenture.

Notes may be exchanged for other Notes of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Notes to be exchanged at any such office or agency maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 4.02. Whenever any Notes are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Notes that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive, bearing registration numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.

All Notes presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange, repurchase or conversion shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer in form attached hereto as an exhibit to the Form of Note and duly executed, by the Holder thereof or its attorney-in-fact duly authorized in writing.

No service charge shall be imposed by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar, any co-Note Registrar or the Paying Agent for any exchange or registration of transfer of Notes, but the Company and the Trustee may require a Holder to pay a sum sufficient to cover any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax required in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of new Notes issued upon such exchange or registration of transfer being different from the name of the Holder of the old Notes surrendered for exchange or registration of transfer.

None of the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar or any co-Note Registrar shall be required to exchange or register a transfer of (i) any Notes surrendered for conversion or, if a portion of any Note is surrendered for conversion, such portion thereof surrendered for conversion, (ii) any Notes, or a portion of any Note, surrendered for repurchase (and not withdrawn) in accordance with Article 15 or (iii) any Notes selected for redemption in accordance with Article 16, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.

In connection with any proposed transfer involving Physical Notes, or any exchange of Global Notes for Physical Notes, the transferor shall provide or cause to be provided to the Trustee all information necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any applicable tax reporting obligations, including without limitation any cost basis reporting obligations under Internal Revenue Code Section 6045. The Trustee may rely on the information provided to it and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information.

 

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All Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Notes in accordance with this Indenture shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as the Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(b) So long as the Notes are eligible for book-entry settlement with the Depositary, unless otherwise required by law, subject to the fourth paragraph from the end of Section 2.05(c) all Notes shall be represented by one or more Notes in global form (each, a “Global Note”) registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in a Global Note that does not involve the issuance of a Physical Note shall be effected through the Depositary (but not the Trustee or the Custodian) in accordance with this Indenture (including the restrictions on transfer set forth herein) and the procedures of the Depositary therefor.

(c) Every Note that bears or is required under this Section 2.05(c) to bear the legend set forth in this Section 2.05(c) (together with any Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Notes that is required to bear the legend set forth in Section 2.05(d), collectively, the “Restricted Securities”) shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section 2.05(c) (including the legend set forth below), unless such restrictions on transfer shall be eliminated or otherwise waived by written consent of the Company, and the Holder of each such Restricted Security, by such Holder’s acceptance thereof, agrees to be bound by all such restrictions on transfer. As used in this Section 2.05(c) and Section 2.05(d), the term “transfer” encompasses any sale, pledge, transfer or other disposition whatsoever of any Restricted Security.

Until the date (the “Resale Restriction Termination Date”) that is the later of (1) the date that is one year after the last date of original issuance of the Notes (including any Notes issued pursuant to the Initial Purchasers’ option to purchase additional Notes), or such shorter period of time as permitted by Rule 144 or any successor provision thereto, and (2) such later date, if any, as may be required by applicable law, any certificate evidencing such Note (and all securities issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof, other than Common Stock, if any, issued upon conversion thereof, which shall bear the legend set forth in Section 2.05(d), if applicable) shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (unless such Notes have been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer, or sold pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act, or unless otherwise agreed by the Company in writing, with notice thereof to the Trustee):

THIS SECURITY AND THE COMMON STOCK, IF ANY, ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE ACQUIRER:

 

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(1) REPRESENTS THAT IT AND ANY ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT IS ACTING IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND THAT IT EXERCISES SOLE INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO EACH SUCH ACCOUNT, AND

(2) AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC. (THE “COMPANY”) THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE LAST ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EXCEPT:

(A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, OR

(B) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR

(C) TO A PERSON REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR

(D) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.

PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH CLAUSE (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF SUCH LEGAL OPINIONS, CERTIFICATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE AS MAY REASONABLY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.

No transfer of any Note prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date will be registered by the Note Registrar unless the applicable box on the Form of Assignment and Transfer has been checked.

Any Note (or security issued in exchange or substitution therefor) (i) as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms, (ii) that has been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer or (iii) that has been sold pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force

 

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under the Securities Act, may, upon surrender of such Note for exchange to the Note Registrar in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.05, be exchanged for a new Note or Notes, of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, which shall not bear the restrictive legend required by this Section 2.05(c) and shall not be assigned a restricted CUSIP number. In the case of the registration of any transfer of the Notes or the Common Stock, if any, issuable upon conversion of the Notes, pursuant to an exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date, the Company and the Trustee reserve the right to require the delivery of such legal opinions, certifications or other evidence as may reasonably be required stating that the proposed transfer is being made in compliance with the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The restrictive legend set forth above and affixed on any Note will be deemed, in accordance with the terms of the certificate representing such Note, to be removed therefrom upon the Company’s delivery to the Trustee of written notice to such effect (and, for the avoidance of doubt, such notice need not be accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel in order to be effective to cause such restrictive legend to be deemed to be removed from such Note), without further action by the Company, the Trustee, the Holder(s) thereof or any other Person other than as specified in Section 4.06(e). Subject to Section 4.06(e), if such Note bears a “restricted” CUSIP number at the time of such delivery, then, upon such delivery, such Note will be deemed, pursuant to this Section 2.05(c) and the footnote to the CUSIP number set forth on the face of the certificate representing such Note, to thereafter bear the “unrestricted” CUSIP number identified in such footnote.

The Company shall be entitled to instruct the Custodian in writing to so surrender any Global Note as to which any of the conditions set forth in clause (i) through (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence have been satisfied, and, upon such instruction, the Custodian shall so surrender such Global Note for exchange; and any new Global Note so exchanged therefor shall not bear the restrictive legend specified in this Section 2.05(c) and shall not be assigned a restricted CUSIP number; provided that the Depositary of any Global Note may require a mandatory exchange or other process to cause such Global Note to be identified by an unrestricted CUSIP number in the facilities of such Depositary. Without limiting the generality of any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee will be entitled to receive an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel from the Company before taking any action with respect to effecting any mandatory exchange or other process. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing upon the occurrence of the Resale Restriction Termination Date and promptly after a registration statement, if any, with respect to the Notes or any Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Notes has become effective under the Securities Act. Any exchange pursuant to the foregoing paragraph shall be in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture (other than the provisions set forth in this Section 2.05(c)), a Global Note may not be transferred as a whole or in part except (i) by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary and (ii) for exchange of a Global Note or a portion thereof for one or more Physical Notes in accordance with the second immediately succeeding paragraph.

 

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The Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act. The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company to act as Depositary with respect to each Global Note. Initially, each Global Note shall be issued to the Depositary, registered in the name of Cede & Co., as the nominee of the Depositary, and deposited with the Trustee as custodian for Cede & Co.

If (i) the Depositary notifies the Company at any time that the Depositary is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the Global Notes and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days, (ii) the Depositary ceases to be registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Notes has occurred and is continuing and a beneficial owner of any Note requests that its beneficial interest therein be issued as a Physical Note, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers’ Certificate and a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of Notes, shall authenticate and deliver (x) in the case of clause (iii), a Physical Note to such beneficial owner in a principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Note corresponding to such beneficial owner’s beneficial interest and (y) in the case of clause (i) or (ii), Physical Notes to each beneficial owner of the related Global Notes (or a portion thereof) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of such Global Notes in exchange for such Global Notes, and upon delivery of the Global Notes to the Trustee such Global Notes shall be canceled.

Physical Notes issued in exchange for all or a part of the Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.05(c) shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, or, in the case of clause (iii) of the immediately preceding paragraph, the relevant beneficial owner, shall instruct the Trustee. Upon execution and authentication, the Trustee shall deliver such Physical Notes to the Persons in whose names such Physical Notes are so registered.

At such time as all interests in a Global Note have been converted, canceled, repurchased, redeemed or transferred, such Global Note shall be, upon receipt thereof, canceled by the Trustee in accordance with standing procedures and existing instructions between the Depositary and the Custodian. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any interest in a Global Note is exchanged for Physical Notes, converted, canceled, repurchased, redeemed or transferred to a transferee who receives Physical Notes therefor or any Physical Note is exchanged or transferred for part of such Global Note, the principal amount of such Global Note shall, in accordance with the standing procedures and instructions existing between the Depositary and the Custodian, be appropriately reduced or increased, as the case may be, and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Note, by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, to reflect such reduction or increase.

 

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None of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Conversion Agent, the Note Registrar or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Note or maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Conversion Agent, the Note Registrar or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for any act or omission of the Depositary.

Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for any act or omission of the Depositary. All notices and communications to be given to the Holders and all payments to be made to Holders in respect of the Notes shall be given or made only to, or upon the order of the registered Holder(s), which shall be the Depositary or its nominee in the case of a Global Note. The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any securities laws or restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among Depositary participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

Except as set forth in the fourth and fifth immediately preceding paragraphs, the rights of beneficial owners in any Global Note shall be exercised only through the Depositary subject to the applicable procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee may rely and shall be fully protected in relying upon information furnished by the Depositary with respect to its members, participants and beneficial owners.

(d) Until the Resale Restriction Termination Date, any stock certificate representing Common Stock issued upon conversion of a Note shall bear a legend in substantially the following form (unless such Common Stock has been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer, or pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act, or such Common Stock has been issued upon conversion of a Note that has been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer, or pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act, or unless otherwise agreed by the Company with written notice thereof to the Trustee and any transfer agent for the Common Stock):

THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE ACQUIRER:

 

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(1) REPRESENTS THAT IT AND ANY ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT IS ACTING IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND THAT IT EXERCISES SOLE INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO EACH SUCH ACCOUNT, AND

(2) AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC. (THE “COMPANY”) THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE LAST ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE OF THE SERIES OF NOTES UPON THE CONVERSION OF WHICH THIS SECURITY WAS ISSUED OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EXCEPT:

(A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, OR

(B) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR

(C) TO A PERSON REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR

(D) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.

PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH CLAUSE (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT FOR THE COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF SUCH LEGAL OPINIONS, CERTIFICATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE AS MAY REASONABLY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.

Any such Common Stock (i) as to which such restrictions on transfer shall have expired in accordance with their terms, (ii) that has been transferred pursuant to a registration statement that has become effective under the Securities Act and that continues to be effective at the time of such transfer or (iii) that has been sold pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144 or any similar provision then in force under the Securities Act, may, upon surrender of the certificates representing such shares of Common Stock for exchange in accordance with the procedures of the transfer agent for the Common Stock, be exchanged for a new certificate or certificates for a like aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, which shall not bear the restrictive legend required by this Section 2.05(d).

 

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(e) Any Note or Common Stock issued upon the conversion or exchange of a Note that is repurchased or owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company (or any Person who was an Affiliate of the Company at any time during the three months immediately preceding) may not be resold by the Company or such Affiliate (or such Person, as the case may be) unless registered under the Securities Act or resold pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in a transaction that results in such Note or Common Stock, as the case may be, no longer being a “restricted security” (as defined under Rule 144).

(f) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, neither the Trustee nor the Note Registrar shall be responsible for ascertaining whether any transfer complies with the registration provisions of, or exemptions from, the Securities Act, applicable state securities law or other applicable law.

Section 2.06. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Notes. In case any Note shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company in its discretion may execute, and upon receipt of a Company Order the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, a new Note, bearing a registration number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Note, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Note so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted Note shall furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless from any loss, liability, cost or expense caused by or connected with such substitution, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Note and of the ownership thereof.

The Trustee or such authenticating agent may authenticate any such substituted Note and deliver the same upon the receipt of such security or indemnity as the Trustee, the Company and, if applicable, such authenticating agent may require. No service charge shall be imposed by the Company, the Trustee, the Note Registrar, any co-Note Registrar or the Paying Agent upon the issuance of any substitute Note, but the Company may require a Holder to pay a sum sufficient to cover any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax required in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new substitute Note being different from the name of the Holder of the old Note that became mutilated or was destroyed, lost or stolen. In case any Note that has matured or is about to mature or has been surrendered for required repurchase or is about to be converted in accordance with Article 14 shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, in its sole discretion, instead of issuing a substitute Note, pay or authorize the payment of or convert or authorize the conversion of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated Note), as the case may be, if the applicant for such payment or conversion shall furnish to the Company, to the Trustee and, if applicable, to such authenticating agent such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless for any loss, liability, cost or expense caused by or connected with such substitution, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee and, if applicable, any Paying Agent or Conversion Agent evidence of their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Note and of the ownership thereof.

 

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Every substitute Note issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section 2.06 by virtue of the fact that any Note is destroyed, lost or stolen shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Note shall be found at any time, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of (but shall be subject to all the limitations set forth in) this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Notes duly issued hereunder. To the extent permitted by law, all Notes shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement, payment, redemption, conversion or repurchase of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes and shall preclude any and all other rights or remedies notwithstanding any law or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement, payment, redemption, conversion or repurchase of negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.

Section 2.07. Temporary Notes. Pending the preparation of Physical Notes, the Company may execute and the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, authenticate and deliver temporary Notes (printed or lithographed). Temporary Notes shall be issuable in any authorized denomination, and substantially in the form of the Physical Notes but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Notes, all as may be determined by the Company. Every such temporary Note shall be executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee or such authenticating agent upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with the same effect, as the Physical Notes. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall execute and deliver to the Trustee or such authenticating agent Physical Notes (other than any Global Note) and thereupon any or all temporary Notes (other than any Global Note) may be surrendered in exchange therefor, at each office or agency maintained by the Company pursuant to Section 4.02 and the Trustee or such authenticating agent shall authenticate and deliver in exchange for such temporary Notes an equal aggregate principal amount of Physical Notes. Such exchange shall be made by the Company at its own expense and without any charge therefor. Until so exchanged, the temporary Notes shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits and subject to the same limitations under this Indenture as Physical Notes authenticated and delivered hereunder.

Section 2.08. Cancellation of Notes Paid, Converted, Etc. The Company shall cause all Notes surrendered for the purpose of payment at maturity, repurchase upon a Fundamental Change, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or conversion, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee (including any of the Company’s agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates), to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. All such Notes delivered to the Trustee shall be canceled by it in accordance with its customary procedures. Except for any Notes surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, or as otherwise expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture, no Notes shall be authenticated in exchange for any Notes surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

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Section 2.09. CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Notes may use CUSIP numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use CUSIP numbers in all notices issued to Holders as a convenience to such Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or on such notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP numbers.

Section 2.10. Additional Notes; Repurchases. The Company may, without the consent of, or notice to, the Holders and notwithstanding Section 2.01, reopen this Indenture and issue additional Notes hereunder with the same terms as the Notes initially issued hereunder (other than differences in the issue date, the issue price, interest accrued prior to the issue date of such additional Notes, and, if applicable, restrictions on transfer in respect of such additional Notes, including the date by which any restrictive legends must be removed) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount; provided that if any such additional Notes are not fungible with the Notes initially issued hereunder for U.S. federal income tax purposes or securities law purposes, such additional Notes shall have one or more separate CUSIP numbers. Prior to the issuance of any such additional Notes, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee a Company Order, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, such Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel to cover such matters, in addition to those required by Section 17.05, as the Trustee shall reasonably request. In addition, the Company may, to the extent permitted by law, and without the consent of Holders, directly or indirectly (regardless of whether such Notes are surrendered to the Company), repurchase Notes in the open market or otherwise, whether by the Company or its Subsidiaries or through a private or public tender or exchange offer or through counterparties to private agreements, including by cash-settled swaps or other derivatives. The Company may, at its option and to the extent permitted by applicable law, reissue, resell or surrender to the Trustee for cancellation in accordance with Section 2.08 any Notes that the Company may repurchase other than Notes repurchased in connection with a Fundamental Change (and in the case of a reissuance or resale, so long as such Notes do not constitute “restricted securities” (as defined under Rule 144) upon such reissuance or resale; provided that if any such reissued or resold Notes are not fungible with the Notes issued on the date hereof under this Indenture for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such reissued or resold Notes shall have one or more separate CUSIP numbers). Any Notes that the Company may repurchase other than Notes repurchased in connection with a Fundamental Change shall be considered outstanding under this Indenture (except for voting purposes) unless and until such time the Company surrenders them to the Trustee for cancellation and, upon receipt of a Company Order, the Trustee shall cancel all Notes so surrendered in accordance with Section 2.08.

 

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ARTICLE 3

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

Section 3.01. Satisfaction and Discharge. This Indenture and the Notes shall upon request of the Company contained in an Officers’ Certificate cease to be of further effect, and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute such instruments reasonably requested by the Company acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and the Notes, when (a) (i) all Notes theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Notes which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced, paid or converted as provided in Section 2.06) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or (ii) the Company has deposited with the Trustee or the transfer agent for the Common Stock or delivered to Holders, as applicable, after the Notes have become due and payable, whether on the Maturity Date, any Redemption Date, any Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, upon conversion or otherwise, cash or cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination thereof, as applicable, solely to satisfy the Company’s Conversion Obligation, sufficient to pay all of the outstanding Notes and all other sums due and payable under this Indenture by the Company; and (b) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and the Notes have been complied with. Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and the Notes, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.06 shall survive.

ARTICLE 4

PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

Section 4.01. Payment of Principal and Interest. The Company covenants and agrees that it will pay, or cause the Paying Agent to pay, the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, accrued and unpaid interest on, and consideration due upon conversion of, each of the Notes at the places, at the respective times and in the manner provided herein and in the Notes.

Section 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company will maintain in the United States of America, an office or agency where the Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange or for presentation for payment or repurchase (“Paying Agent”) or for conversion (“Conversion Agent”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office or the office or agency of the Trustee in the United States of America; provided, however, that the Trustee shall not be deemed an agent of the Company for service of legal process.

The Company may also from time to time designate as co-Note Registrars one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the United States of America, for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency. The terms “Paying Agent” and “Conversion Agent” include any such additional or other offices or agencies, as applicable.

 

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The Company hereby initially designates the Trustee as the Paying Agent, Note Registrar, Custodian and Conversion Agent and the Corporate Trust Office as the office or agency in the United States of America, where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange or for presentation for payment or repurchase or for conversion and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served.

Section 4.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in the Trustee’s Role. The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the role of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.09, a Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.

Section 4.04. Provisions as to Paying Agent. (a) If the Company shall appoint a Paying Agent other than the Trustee, the Company will cause such Paying Agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 4.04:

(i) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, any accrued and unpaid interest on, and consideration due upon conversion of the Notes in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes;

(ii) that it will give the Trustee prompt written notice of any failure by the Company to make any payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, accrued and unpaid interest on, and consideration due upon conversion of the Notes when the same shall be due and payable; and

(iii) that at any time during the continuance of an Event of Default, upon request of the Trustee, it will forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust.

The Company shall, on or before each due date of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, accrued and unpaid interest on, or consideration due upon conversion of, the Notes, deposit with the Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable), accrued and unpaid interest, or such consideration due upon conversion and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any failure to take such action; provided that if such deposit is made on the due date, such deposit must be received by the Paying Agent by 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date.

(b) If the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent, it will, on or before each due date of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, accrued and unpaid interest on, and consideration due upon conversion of, the Notes, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes a sum sufficient to pay such principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable), accrued and unpaid interest and such consideration due

 

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upon conversion so becoming due and will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any failure to take such action and of any failure by the Company to make any payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, accrued and unpaid interest on, or consideration due upon conversion of, the Notes when the same shall become due and payable.

(c) Anything in this Section 4.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, or for any other reason, pay, cause to be paid or deliver to the Trustee all sums or amounts held in trust by the Company or any Paying Agent hereunder as required by this Section 4.04, such sums or amounts to be held by the Trustee upon the trusts herein contained and upon such payment or delivery by the Company or any Paying Agent to the Trustee, the Company or such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability but only with respect to such sums or amounts. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in Section 6.01(h) or Section 6.01(i), the Trustee shall automatically become the Paying Agent.

(d) Subject to applicable law, including applicable escheatment laws, any money or property deposited with the Trustee, the Conversion Agent or any Paying Agent in trust for the payment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of or any accrued and unpaid interest on, or any money and shares of Common Stock deposited with the transfer agent for the Common Stock or then held by the Company in trust for the payment of the consideration due upon conversion of, any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable), interest or consideration due upon conversion has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on request of the Company contained in an Officers’ Certificate, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust and the Trustee shall have no further liability with respect to such funds; and the Holder of such Note shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee, the Conversion Agent or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money and all liability of the transfer agent for the Common Stock with respect to such trust money and shares of Common Stock shall thereupon cease.

Section 4.05. Existence. Subject to Article 11, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence.

Section 4.06. Rule 144A Information Requirement and Annual Reports. (a) At any time the Company is not subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall, so long as any of the Notes or any shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion thereof shall, at such time, constitute “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144(a)(3) under the Securities Act, promptly provide to the Trustee and, upon written request, any Holder, beneficial owner or prospective purchaser of such Notes or any shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of such Notes, the information required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act to facilitate the resale of such Notes or shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 144A.

 

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(b) The Company shall file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the same are required to be filed with the Commission (giving effect to any grace period provided by Rule 12b-25 or any successor rule under the Exchange Act), copies of any documents or reports that the Company is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any such information, documents or reports, or portions thereof, subject to confidential treatment and any correspondence with the Commission). Any such document or report that the Company files with the Commission via the Commission’s EDGAR system (or any successor thereto) shall be deemed to be filed with the Trustee for purposes of this Section 4.06(b) at the time such documents are filed via the EDGAR system (or any successor thereto), it being understood that the Trustee shall not be responsible for determining whether such filings have been made.

(c) Delivery of the information, reports and documents described in subsections (a) and (b) above to the Trustee is for informational purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely on an Officers’ Certificate). The Trustee shall have no liability or responsibility for the filing, timeliness, or content of such reports. The Trustee shall not be obligated to monitor or confirm, on a continuing basis or otherwise, the Company’s compliance with the covenants or with respect to any reports or other documents filed with the Commission or posted to any website or participate in any conference calls.

(d) If, at any time during the six-month period beginning on, and including, the date that is six months after the last date of original issuance of the Notes (including any Notes issued pursuant to the Initial Purchasers’ option to purchase additional Notes), the Company fails to timely file any document or report that it is required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as applicable (after giving effect to all applicable grace periods thereunder and other than reports on Form 8-K), or the Notes are not Freely Tradable, then the Company shall pay Additional Interest on the Notes. Such Additional Interest shall accrue on the Notes at the rate of 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day during such period for which the Company’s failure to file has occurred and is continuing or the Notes are not Freely Tradable. As used in this Section 4.06(d), documents or reports that the Company is required to “file” with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act does not include documents or reports that the Company furnishes to the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

(e) If, and for so long as, the restrictive legend on the Notes specified in Section 2.05(c) has not been, or is not deemed to have been, removed in accordance with Section 2.05(c), the Notes are assigned a restricted CUSIP number or the Notes are not Freely Tradable as of the 380th day after the last date of original issuance of the Notes (including any Notes issued pursuant to the Initial Purchasers’ option to purchase additional Notes), the Company shall pay Additional Interest on the Notes at a rate equal to 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of Notes outstanding until the restrictive legend on the Notes has been, or is deemed to have been, removed in accordance with Section 2.05(c), the Notes are assigned an unrestricted CUSIP

 

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number and the Notes are Freely Tradable. The restrictive legend on the Notes shall be deemed removed pursuant to the terms of this Indenture as provided in Section 2.05(c), and, at such time, the Notes will, pursuant to, and subject to the provisions of, such Section, be deemed assigned an unrestricted CUSIP number. However, for the avoidance of doubt, for Notes that are not in certificated form, the Notes will continue to bear Additional Interest pursuant to this Section 4.06(e) until such time as they are identified by an unrestricted CUSIP number in the facilities of the Depositary or any successor depositary for the Notes, as a result of completion of the Depositary’s mandatory exchange process or otherwise.

(f) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Additional Interest that accrues on the Notes for any period on or after the 380th day after the last date of original issuance of the Notes (including any Notes issued pursuant to the Initial Purchasers’ option to purchase additional Notes) pursuant to Section 4.06(e) will not be payable on any Interest Payment Date occurring on or after such date, unless (x) a Holder or beneficial owner of a Note (in the case of a beneficial owner subject to the satisfactory verification of a beneficial owner’s identity and ownership) has delivered to the Company (with a copy to the Trustee), before the Regular Record Date immediately before such Interest Payment Date, a written notice (a “Deferred Additional Interest Demand Request”) demanding payment of Additional Interest; or (y) the Company, in its sole and absolute discretion, elects, by sending notice of such election (a “Notice of Election to Pay Deferred Additional Interest”) to Holders (with a copy to the Trustee) before such Regular Record Date, to pay such Additional Interest on such Interest Payment Date (any such accrued and unpaid Additional Interest that, in compliance with this Section 4.06(f), is not paid on such Interest Payment Date, “Deferred Additional Interest”). Without further action by the Company or any other Person, interest will automatically accrue on any Deferred Additional Interest from, and including, the applicable Interest Payment Date at a rate per annum equal to the rate per annum at which regular interest accrues to, but excluding, the date on which such Deferred Additional Interest, together with any interest thereon, is paid. Once any accrued and unpaid Additional Interest becomes payable on an Interest Payment Date, whether as a result of the delivery of a written notice pursuant to the foregoing or, if earlier, the Company’s election to pay the same, Additional Interest will thereafter not be subject to deferral pursuant to the foregoing. For the avoidance of doubt, the failure to pay any accrued and unpaid Additional Interest on an Interest Payment Date will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under this Indenture or the Notes if such payment is deferred in accordance with this Section 4.06(f). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture or the Notes, if (i) any unpaid Deferred Additional Interest exists on any Notes as of the close of business on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date; (ii) no Holder or beneficial owner of a Note has delivered a Deferred Additional Interest Demand Request in the manner described above before such Regular Record Date; and (iii) the Company has not sent a Notice of Election to Pay Deferred Additional Interest in the manner described above before such Regular Record Date, then Deferred Additional Interest on each Note then outstanding will cease to accrue, and all Deferred Additional Interest, together with interest thereon, on such Note will be deemed to be extinguished on the following date: (a) if such Note is to be converted, the Conversion Date for such conversion (it being understood, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Conversion Consideration therefor need not include, and the amount referred to in the fifth sentence of Section 14.02(h) need not include, the payment of any such Deferred Additional Interest or any interest thereon); and (b) in all other cases, the later of (x) the Maturity Date and (y) the first date on which the Company has repaid the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest (other than such Deferred Additional Interest and any interest thereon) on, such Note in full.

 

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(g) Additional Interest will be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date following accrual in the same manner as regular interest on the Notes.

(h) The Additional Interest that is payable in accordance with Section 4.06(d) or Section 4.06(e) shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any Additional Interest that may be payable as a result of the Company’s election pursuant to Section 6.03; provided, however, that in no event shall any Additional Interest (excluding any interest that accrues on any Deferred Additional Interest) that may accrue in accordance with Section 4.06(d) as a result of the Company’s failure to timely file any document or report as set forth therein, together with any Additional Interest that may accrue at the Company’s election pursuant to Section 6.03, accrue at a rate in excess of 0.50% per annum on any Notes, regardless of the number of events or circumstances giving rise to the requirement to pay such Additional Interest.

(i) If Additional Interest is payable by the Company pursuant to Section 4.06(d) or Section 4.06(e), the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to that effect stating (i) the amount of such Additional Interest that is payable and (ii) the date on which such Additional Interest is payable. Unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee receives at the Corporate Trust Office such a certificate, the Trustee may assume without inquiry that no such Additional Interest is payable. If the Company has paid Additional Interest directly to the Persons entitled to it, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the particulars of such payment. The Trustee shall have no duty to verify the Company’s determination as to whether Additional Interest is due or the Company’s calculations as to the amount of Additional Interest, and may assume without inquiry that no Additional Interest is payable or has been deferred until written notice of such Additional Interest being payable has been provided to the Trustee by the Company.

Section 4.07. Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law that would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of or any interest on the Notes as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

Section 4.08. Compliance Certificate; Statements as to Defaults. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company (beginning with the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2024) an Officers’ Certificate, signed by the principal executive officer of the Company, the principal financial officer of the Company or the principal accounting officer of the Company, stating whether the signers thereof have knowledge of any Default that occurred during the previous year.

 

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In addition, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 30 days after the occurrence of any Event of Default or Default, an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the details of such Event of Default or Default, its status and the action that the Company is taking or proposing to take in respect thereof; provided that no such Officers’ Certificate is required if the event that would constitute a Default has been cured or waived before the date the Company is required to deliver such Officers’ Certificate.

Section 4.09. Further Instruments and Acts. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company will execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purposes of this Indenture.

ARTICLE 5

LISTS OF HOLDERS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE

Section 5.01. Lists of Holders. The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee and any Paying Agent (if other than the Trustee), semi-annually, not more than 15 days after each March 15 and September 15 in each year beginning with March 15, 2025, and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after receipt by the Company of any such request (or such lesser time as the Trustee may reasonably request in order to enable it to timely provide any notice to be provided by it hereunder), a list in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders as of a date not more than 15 days (or such other date as the Trustee may reasonably request in order to so provide any such notices) prior to the time such information is furnished, except that no such list need be furnished so long as the Trustee is acting as Note Registrar.

Section 5.02. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists. The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 or maintained by the Trustee in its capacity as Note Registrar, if so acting. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 5.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

 

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ARTICLE 6

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01. Events of Default. Each of the following events shall be an “Event of Default” with respect to the Notes:

(a) default in any payment of interest on any Note when due and payable, and the default continues for a period of 30 days;

(b) default in the payment of principal of any Note when due and payable on the Maturity Date, upon Optional Redemption, upon any required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise;

(c) failure by the Company to comply with its obligation to convert the Notes in accordance with this Indenture upon exercise of a Holder’s conversion right and such failure continues for five Business Days;

(d) failure by the Company to issue a Fundamental Change Company Notice in accordance with Section 15.02(c) when due, and such failure continues for five Business Days, or notice of a specified corporate event in accordance with Section 14.01(b)(ii) or Section 14.01(b)(iii), when due, and such failure continues for two Business Days;

(e) failure by the Company to comply with its obligations under Article 11;

(f) failure by the Company for 60 days after written notice from the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding has been received by the Company to comply with any of its other agreements contained in the Notes or this Indenture;

(g) default by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of the Company with respect to any mortgage, agreement or other instrument under which there may be outstanding, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any indebtedness for money borrowed in excess of $50,000,000 (or its foreign currency equivalent) in the aggregate of the Company and/or any such Significant Subsidiary, whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created (i) resulting in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to its stated maturity or (ii) constituting a failure to pay the principal or interest of any such indebtedness when due and payable at its stated maturity, upon required repurchase, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise and in the cases of clauses (i) and (ii), such acceleration shall not, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, have been rescinded or annulled or such failure to pay or default shall not have been cured or waived, or such indebtedness shall not have been paid or discharged, as the case may be, within 30 days after written notice to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding;

(h) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to the Company or any such Significant Subsidiary or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of the Company or any such Significant Subsidiary or any substantial part of its property, or shall consent to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against it, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due; or

 

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(i) an involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to the Company or such Significant Subsidiary or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of the Company or such Significant Subsidiary or any substantial part of its property, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of 30 consecutive days.

Section 6.02. Acceleration; Rescission and Annulment. If one or more Events of Default shall have occurred and be continuing (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body), then, and in each and every such case (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(h) or Section 6.01(i) with respect to the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries), unless the principal of all of the Notes shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), may declare 100% of the principal of, and any accrued and unpaid interest on, all the Notes to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and shall automatically be immediately due and payable, anything contained in this Indenture or in the Notes to the contrary notwithstanding. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(h) or Section 6.01(i) with respect to the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries occurs and is continuing, 100% of the principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, all Notes shall become and shall automatically be immediately due and payable without any further act or declaration on the part of the Holders or the Trustee.

The immediately preceding paragraph, however, is subject to the conditions that if, at any time after the principal of the Notes shall have been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the monies due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the Company shall pay or shall deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay installments of any accrued and unpaid interest upon all Notes and the principal of any and all Notes that shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest on overdue installments of accrued and unpaid interest to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law, and on such principal at the rate borne by the Notes at such time) and amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.06, and if (1) rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction and (2) any and all existing Events of Default under this Indenture, other than the nonpayment of the principal of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on Notes that shall have become due solely by such acceleration, shall have been cured or waived pursuant to Section 6.09, then and in every such case (except as provided in the immediately succeeding sentence) the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, by written notice to the Company and

 

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to the Trustee, may waive all Defaults or Events of Default with respect to the Notes and rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences and such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent Default or Event of Default, or shall impair any right consequent thereon. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any continuing Default or Event of Default resulting from (i) the nonpayment of the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, or any accrued and unpaid interest on, any Notes, (ii) a failure to repurchase any Notes when required or (iii) a failure to pay or deliver, as the case may be, the consideration due upon conversion of the Notes.

Section 6.03. Additional Interest. Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture or in the Notes to the contrary, to the extent the Company elects, the sole remedy for an Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b) shall, for the first 360 days after the occurrence of such an Event of Default, consist exclusively of the right to receive Additional Interest on the Notes at a rate equal to (i) 0.25% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day during the first 180-day period beginning on, and including, the date on which such an Event of Default first occurs and (ii) 0.50% per annum of the principal amount of the Notes outstanding for each day during the period from, and including, the 181st day after the occurrence of such Event of Default to, and including, the 360th day after the occurrence of such Event of Default, in each case, during which such Event of Default is continuing. Subject to the second immediately succeeding paragraph, Additional Interest that may accrue pursuant to this Section 6.03 shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, any Additional Interest that may accrue pursuant to Section 4.06(d) or Section 4.06(e). If the Company so elects, such Additional Interest shall be payable in the same manner and on the same dates as the stated interest payable on the Notes. On the 361st day after such Event of Default (if the Event of Default relating to the Company’s failure to file is not cured or waived prior to such 361st day), the Notes shall be immediately subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02. The provisions of this paragraph will not affect the rights of Holders of Notes in the event of the occurrence of any Event of Default other than the Company’s failure to comply with its obligations as set forth in Section 4.06(b). In the event the Company does not elect to pay Additional Interest following an Event of Default in accordance with this Section 6.03 or the Company elected to make such payment but does not pay the Additional Interest when due, the Notes shall be immediately subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02.

In order to elect to pay Additional Interest as the sole remedy during the first 360 days after the occurrence of any Event of Default described in the immediately preceding paragraph, the Company must notify all Holders of the Notes in writing and notify the Trustee and the Paying Agent in an Officers’ Certificate (consistent with Section 4.06(i)) of such election prior to the beginning of such 360-day period. Upon the failure to timely give such notice, the Notes shall be immediately subject to acceleration as provided in Section 6.02.

 

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In no event shall any Additional Interest that may accrue at the Company’s election pursuant to this Section 6.03, together with any Additional Interest (excluding any interest that accrues on any Deferred Additional Interest) that may accrue in accordance with Section 4.06(d) as a result of the Company’s failure to timely file any document or report as set forth therein, accrue at a rate in excess of 0.50% per annum on any Notes, regardless of the number of events or circumstances giving rise to the requirement to pay such Additional Interest.

Section 6.04. Payments of Notes on Default; Suit Therefor. If an Event of Default described in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.01 shall have occurred, the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, the whole amount then due and payable on the Notes for principal and interest, if any, with interest on any overdue principal and interest, if any, at the rate borne by the Notes at such time and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.06. If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon the Notes and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Notes, wherever situated.

In the event there shall be pending proceedings for the bankruptcy or for the reorganization of the Company or any other obligor on the Notes under Title 11 of the United States Code, or any other applicable law, or in case a receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official shall have been appointed for or taken possession of the Company or such other obligor, the property of the Company or such other obligor, or in the event of any other judicial proceedings relative to the Company or such other obligor upon the Notes, or to the creditors or property of the Company or such other obligor, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the principal of the Notes shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6.04, shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceedings or otherwise, to file and prove a claim or claims for the whole amount of principal and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, in respect of the Notes, and, in case of any judicial proceedings, to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents and to take such other actions as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceedings relative to the Company or any other obligor on the Notes, its or their creditors, or its or their property, and to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after the deduction of any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.06; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, custodian or similar official is hereby authorized by each of the Holders to make such payments to the Trustee, as administrative expenses, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for reasonable compensation, expenses, advances and disbursements, including agents and counsel fees, and including any other amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.06, incurred by it up to the date of such distribution. To the extent that such payment of compensation, reasonable expenses, advances and disbursements out of the estate in any such proceedings shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, monies, securities and other property that the Holders of the Notes may be entitled to receive in such proceedings, whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise.

 

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Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting such Holder or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the Notes, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Notes, or the production thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes.

In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and in any proceedings involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the Trustee shall be a party) the Trustee shall be held to represent all the Holders of the Notes, and it shall not be necessary to make any Holders of the Notes parties to any such proceedings.

In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of any waiver pursuant to Section 6.09 or any rescission and annulment pursuant to Section 6.02 or for any other reason or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the Company, the Holders and the Trustee shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored respectively to their several positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company, the Holders and the Trustee shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

Section 6.05. Application of Monies Collected by Trustee. Any monies or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article 6 with respect to the Notes shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution of such monies or property, upon presentation of the several Notes, and stamping thereon the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof, if fully paid:

First, to the payment of all amounts due the Trustee (acting in any capacity hereunder) hereunder, including its agents and counsel;

Second, in case the principal of the outstanding Notes shall not have become due and be unpaid, to the payment of interest on, and any cash due upon conversion of, the Notes in default in the order of the date due of the payments of such interest and cash due upon conversion, as the case may be, with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee) upon such overdue payments at the rate borne by the Notes at such time, such payments to be made ratably to the Persons entitled thereto;

 

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Third, in case the principal of the outstanding Notes shall have become due, by declaration or otherwise, and be unpaid to the payment of the whole amount (including, if applicable, the payment of the Redemption Price, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and any cash due upon conversion) then owing and unpaid upon the Notes for principal and interest, if any, with interest on the overdue principal and, to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee, upon overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Notes at such time, and in case such monies shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amounts so due and unpaid upon the Notes, then to the payment of such principal (including, if applicable, the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and any cash due upon conversion) and any interest without preference or priority of principal over interest, or of any interest over principal or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, or of any Note over any other Note, ratably to the aggregate of such principal (including, if applicable, the Redemption Price, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and any cash due upon conversion) and any accrued and unpaid interest; and

Fourth, to the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company.

Section 6.06. Proceedings by Holders. Except to enforce the right to receive payment of principal (including, if applicable, the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price) or any interest when due, or the right to receive payment or delivery of the consideration due upon conversion, no Holder of any Note shall have any right by virtue of or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver, trustee, liquidator, custodian or other similar official, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(a) such Holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof, as herein provided;

(b) Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(c) such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee such security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability, cost or expense to be incurred therein or thereby;

(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of such security or indemnity, shall have neglected or refused to institute any such action, suit or proceeding; and

(e) no direction that, in the opinion of the Trustee, is inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee by the Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding within such 60-day period pursuant to Section 6.09,

 

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it being understood and intended, and being expressly covenanted by the taker and Holder of every Note with every other taker and Holder and the Trustee that no one or more Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holder (it being understood that the Trustee shall not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any such direction is unduly prejudicial to any other Holder), or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such Holder, or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all Holders (except as otherwise provided herein). For the protection and enforcement of this Section 6.06, each and every Holder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture and any provision of any Note, each Holder shall have the right to receive payment or delivery, as the case may be, of (x) the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, (y) accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, and (z) the consideration due upon conversion of, such Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed or provided for in such Note or in this Indenture, or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment or delivery, as the case may be.

Section 6.07. Proceedings by Trustee. In case of an Event of Default, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as are necessary to protect and enforce any of such rights, either by suit in equity or by action at law or by proceeding in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.

Section 6.08. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing. Except as provided in the last paragraph of Section 2.06, all powers and remedies given by this Article 6 to the Trustee or to the Holders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any thereof or of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the Holders of the Notes, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture, and no delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any of the Notes to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Default or Event of Default shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such Default or Event of Default or any acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.06, every power and remedy given by this Article 6 or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders.

 

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Section 6.09. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority of Holders. Subject to the Trustee’s right to receive security or indemnity from the relevant Holders as described herein, the Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04 shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to the Notes; provided, however, that (a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, and (b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction. The Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that it determines is in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture or is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder or that would involve the Trustee in personal liability (it being understood that the Trustee shall not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any such direction is unduly prejudicial to any other Holder) or for which it has not received indemnity or security satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04 may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any past Default or Event of Default hereunder and its consequences except (i) a continuing default in the payment of accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, or the principal (including any Redemption Price and any Fundamental Change Repurchase Price) of, the Notes when due that has not been cured pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.01, (ii) a continuing failure by the Company to pay or deliver, as the case may be, the consideration due upon conversion of the Notes or (iii) a continuing default in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article 10 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each Holder of an outstanding Note affected. Upon any such waiver the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon. Whenever any Default or Event of Default hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 6.09, said Default or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Notes and this Indenture be deemed to have been cured and to be not continuing; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

Section 6.10. Notice of Defaults. The Trustee shall, within 90 days after a Responsible Officer obtains actual knowledge of the occurrence and continuance of a Default, deliver to all Holders notice of all Defaults actually known to a Responsible Officer, unless such Defaults shall have been cured or waived before the giving of such notice; provided that, except in the case of a Default in the payment of the principal of (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable), or any accrued and unpaid interest on, any of the Notes or a Default in the payment or delivery of the consideration due upon conversion, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders.

 

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Section 6.11. Undertaking to Pay Costs. All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Note by its acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may, in its discretion, require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; provided that the provisions of this Section 6.11 (to the extent permitted by law) shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding determined in accordance with Section 8.04, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or any accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on any Note (including, but not limited to, the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) on or after the due date expressed or provided for in such Note or to any suit for the enforcement of the right to convert any Note, or receive the consideration due upon conversion, in accordance with the provisions of Article 14.

ARTICLE 7

CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE

Section 7.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee. The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiver of all Events of Default that may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. In the event an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs; provided that if an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers under this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to, and, if requested, provided to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability, cost or expense that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own grossly negligent action, its own grossly negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:

(a) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default that may have occurred:

(i) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

 

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(ii) the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of any mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein);

(b) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

(c) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding determined as provided in Section 8.04 relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture;

(d) whether or not therein provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of, or affording protection to, the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section and Section 7.02;

(e) the Trustee shall not be liable in respect of any payment (as to the correctness of amount, entitlement to receive or any other matters relating to payment) or notice effected by the Company or any Paying Agent or any records maintained by any co-Note Registrar with respect to the Notes;

(f) if any party fails to deliver a notice relating to an event the fact of which, pursuant to this Indenture, requires notice to be sent to the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely on its failure to receive such notice as reason to act as if no such event occurred, unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee had actual knowledge of such event;

(g) in the absence of written investment direction from the Company, all cash received by the Trustee shall be placed in a non-interest bearing trust account, and in no event shall the Trustee be liable for the selection of investments or for investment losses incurred thereon or for losses incurred as a result of the liquidation of any such investment prior to its maturity date or the failure of the party directing such investments prior to its maturity date or the failure of the party directing such investment to provide timely written investment direction, and the Trustee shall have no obligation to invest or reinvest any amounts held hereunder in the absence of such written investment direction from the Company; and

(h) in the event that the Trustee is also acting as Custodian, Note Registrar, Paying Agent, Conversion Agent, Bid Solicitation Agent or transfer agent hereunder, the rights and protections afforded to the Trustee pursuant to this Article 7 shall also be afforded to such Custodian, Note Registrar, Paying Agent, Conversion Agent, Bid Solicitation Agent or transfer agent.

 

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None of the provisions contained in this Indenture or the Notes shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers.

Section 7.02. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, Etc. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01:

(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, note, coupon or other paper or document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

(b) any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any Board Resolution may be evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company;

(c) before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both, and any such certificate or opinion shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or omitted by it hereunder in accordance with such advice;

(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and require an Opinion of Counsel and any written or verbal advice of such counsel or Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or omitted by it hereunder in accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel;

(e) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the expense of the Company and shall incur no liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;

(f) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents, custodians, nominees or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any action, inaction, misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent, custodian, nominee or attorney appointed by it with due care hereunder;

 

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(g) the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties;

(h) the Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the execution of the trusts and powers under this Indenture; under no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable in its individual capacity for the obligations evidenced by the Notes; the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and the titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any Person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any Person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded;

(i) the Trustee shall have no obligation to pursue any action that is not in accordance with applicable law;

(j) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered (and if requested, provided) to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

(k) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture; and

(l) the Trustee shall not be obligated to take possession of any Common Stock, whether upon conversion or in connection with any discharge of this Indenture pursuant to Article 3 hereof, but shall satisfy its obligation as Conversion Agent by working through the stock transfer agent of the Company from time to time as directed by the Company.

In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any punitive, special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action. The Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of (or be required to act including the sending of any notices with respect to) any Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes, unless either (1) a Responsible Officer shall have actual knowledge of such Default or Event of Default or (2) written notice of such Default or Event of Default shall have been actually received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, subject to the terms hereof.

Section 7.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, Etc. The recitals contained herein and in the Notes (except in the Trustee’s certificate of authentication) shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Notes or the Common Stock (or other Reference Property) underlying the Notes. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any Notes or the proceeds of any Notes authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture or any money paid to the Company or upon the Company’s direction under any provision of the Indenture. The Trustee shall have no responsibility or liability with respect to any information, statement or recital in the Offering Memorandum or other disclosure material prepared or distributed with respect to the issuance of the Notes.

 

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Section 7.04. Trustee, Paying Agents, Conversion Agents, Bid Solicitation Agent or Note Registrar May Own Notes. The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent, Bid Solicitation Agent (if other than the Company or any Affiliate thereof) or Note Registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee, Paying Agent, Conversion Agent, Bid Solicitation Agent or Note Registrar.

Section 7.05. Monies to Be Held in Trust. All monies received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received. Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as may be agreed to in writing from time to time by the Company and the Trustee.

Section 7.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee. The Company covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee, in each capacity under this Indenture, from time to time, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder in any capacity (which shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust) as mutually agreed to in writing between the Trustee and the Company, and the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable fees, costs, expenses, disbursements and advances reasonably incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture in any capacity thereunder (including the compensation and the reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel and of all Persons not regularly in its employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as shall have been caused by its gross negligence or willful misconduct as adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction. The Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee in any capacity under this Indenture and any other document or transaction entered into in connection herewith and its agents and any authenticating agent for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, claim, damage, liability, cost, fees or expense (including attorneys’ fees and expenses and court costs) incurred without gross negligence or willful misconduct, as adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, on the part of the Trustee, its officers, directors, agents or employees, or such agent or authenticating agent, as the case may be, and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this Indenture or in any other capacity hereunder (whether the claims arise by or against the Company or a third person), including the costs and expenses of defending themselves against any claim of liability (including attorneys’ fees and expenses and court costs) in the premises or enforcing the Company’s obligations, including the Trustee’s right to indemnity, hereunder. The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.06 to compensate or indemnify the Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall be secured by a senior lien to which the Notes are hereby made subordinate on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except, subject to the

 

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effect of Section 6.05, funds held in trust herewith for the benefit of the Holders of particular Notes. The Trustee’s right to receive payment of any amounts due hereunder shall not be subordinate to any other liability or indebtedness of the Company. The obligations of the Company under Article 7 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The indemnification provided in this Section 7.06 shall extend to the officers, directors, agents and employees of the Trustee.

Without prejudice to any other rights available to the Trustee under applicable law, when the Trustee and its agents and any authenticating agent incur expenses or render services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(h) or Section 6.01(i) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws.

Section 7.07. Officers’ Certificate as Evidence. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01, whenever in the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such Officers’ Certificate, in the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.

Section 7.08. Eligibility of Trustee. There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act (as if the Trust Indenture Act were applicable hereto) to act as such and has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of any supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

Section 7.09. Resignation or Removal of Trustee. (a) The Trustee may at any time resign by giving written notice of such resignation to the Company and by delivering notice thereof to the Holders. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 60 days after the giving of such notice of resignation to the Holders, the resigning Trustee may, at the expense of the Company, upon ten Business Days’ notice to the Company and the Holders, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee, or any Holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Note or Notes for at least

 

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six months (or since the date of this Indenture) may, subject to the provisions of Section 6.11, on behalf of himself or herself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.

(b) In case at any time any of the following shall occur:

(i) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.08 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or

(ii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

then, in either case, the Company may by a Board Resolution remove the Trustee, upon 30 days’ advance written notice, and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or, subject to the provisions of Section 6.11, any Holder who has been a bona fide holder of a Note or Notes for at least six months (or since the date of this Indenture) may, on behalf of himself or herself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.

(c) The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, as determined in accordance with Section 8.04, may at any time remove the Trustee upon 30 days’ advance written notice and nominate a successor trustee that shall be deemed appointed as successor trustee unless within ten days after notice to the Company of such nomination the Company objects thereto, in which case the Trustee so removed or any Holder, upon the terms and conditions and otherwise as in Section 7.09(a) provided, may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for an appointment of a successor trustee.

(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section 7.09 shall become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.10.

Section 7.10. Acceptance by Successor Trustee. Any successor trustee appointed as provided in Section 7.09 shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to its predecessor trustee an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the predecessor trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee herein; but, nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor trustee, the trustee ceasing to act shall, upon payment of any amounts then due it

 

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pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.06, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights and powers of the trustee so ceasing to act. Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments in writing for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights and powers. Any trustee ceasing to act shall, nevertheless, retain a senior lien to which the Notes are hereby made subordinate on all money or property held or collected by such trustee as such, except for funds held in trust for the benefit of Holders of particular Notes, to secure any amounts then due it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.06.

No successor trustee shall accept appointment as provided in this Section 7.10 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 7.08.

Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section 7.10, each of the Company and the successor trustee, at the written direction and at the expense of the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder to the Holders. If the Company fails to deliver such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be delivered at the expense of the Company.

Section 7.11. Succession by Merger, Etc. Any corporation or other entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee (including the administration of this Indenture), shall be the successor to the Trustee hereunder without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that in the case of any corporation or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee such corporation or other entity shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 7.08.

In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture, any of the Notes shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee or authenticating agent appointed by such predecessor trustee, and deliver such Notes so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Notes shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee or an authenticating agent appointed by such successor trustee may authenticate such Notes either in the name of any predecessor trustee hereunder or in the name of the successor trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Notes or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee or to authenticate Notes in the name of any predecessor trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or consolidation.

 

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Section 7.12. Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company. Any application by the Trustee for written instructions from the Company (other than with regard to any action proposed to be taken or omitted to be taken by the Trustee that affects the rights of the Holders of the Notes under this Indenture) may, at the option of the Trustee, set forth in writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Trustee under this Indenture and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Trustee shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken by, or omission of, the Trustee in accordance with a proposal included in such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than three Business Days after the date notice to the Company is deemed to be received pursuant to Section 17.03, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to any earlier date), unless, prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of any omission), the Trustee shall have received written instructions in accordance with this Indenture in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.

ARTICLE 8

CONCERNING THE HOLDERS

Section 8.01. Action by Holders. Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the Holders of a specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such action, the Holders of such specified percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (a) by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by Holders in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (b) by the record of the Holders voting in favor thereof at any meeting of Holders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article 9, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of Holders. Whenever the Company or the Trustee solicits the taking of any action by the Holders of the Notes, the Company or the Trustee may, but shall not be required to, fix in advance of such solicitation, a date as the record date for determining Holders entitled to take such action. The record date if one is selected shall be not more than fifteen days prior to the date of commencement of solicitation of such action.

Section 8.02. Proof of Execution by Holders. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, Section 7.02 and Section 9.05, proof of the execution of any instrument by a Holder or its agent or proxy shall be sufficient if made in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Trustee or in such manner as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee. The holding of Notes shall be proved by the Note Register or by a certificate of the Note Registrar. The record of any Holders’ meeting shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 9.06.

Section 8.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners. The Company, the Trustee, any authenticating agent, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent and any Note Registrar may deem the Person in whose name a Note shall be registered upon the Note Register to be, and may treat it as, the absolute owner of such Note (whether or not such Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon made by any Person other than the Company or any Note Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal (including any Redemption Price and any Fundamental Change Repurchase

 

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Price) of and (subject to Section 2.03) any accrued and unpaid interest on such Note, for conversion of such Note and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any Paying Agent nor any Conversion Agent nor any Note Registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. The sole registered Holder of a Global Note shall be the Depositary or its nominee. All such payments or deliveries so made to any Holder for the time being, or upon its order, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sums or shares of Common Stock so paid or delivered, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for monies payable or shares deliverable upon any such Note. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture or the Notes following an Event of Default, any holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note may directly enforce against the Company, without the consent, solicitation, proxy, authorization or any other action of the Depositary or any other Person, such holder’s right to exchange such beneficial interest for a Note in certificated form in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.

Section 8.04. Company-Owned Notes Disregarded. In determining whether the Holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, consent, waiver or other action under this Indenture, Notes that are owned by the Company, by any Subsidiary thereof or by any Affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary thereof shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding for the purpose of any such determination; provided that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent, waiver or other action, only Notes that a Responsible Officer actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section 8.04 if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to so act with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company, a Subsidiary thereof or an Affiliate of the Company or a Subsidiary thereof. In the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision or indecision by the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officers’ Certificate listing and identifying all Notes, if any, known by the Company to be owned or held by or for the account of any of the above described Persons; and, subject to Section 7.01, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such Officers’ Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Notes not listed therein are outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.

Section 8.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound. At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any action by the Holders of the percentage of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any Holder of a Note that is shown by the evidence to be included in the Notes the Holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office and upon proof of holding as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Note. Except as aforesaid, any such action taken by the Holder of any Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders and owners of such Note and of any Notes issued in exchange or substitution therefor or upon registration of transfer thereof, irrespective of whether any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Note or any Note issued in exchange or substitution therefor or upon registration of transfer thereof.

 

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ARTICLE 9

HOLDERS’ MEETINGS

Section 9.01. Purpose of Meetings. A meeting of Holders may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article 9 for any of the following purposes:

(a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee or to give any directions to the Trustee permitted under this Indenture, or to consent to the waiving of any Default or Event of Default hereunder (in each case, as permitted under this Indenture) and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be taken by Holders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article 6;

(b) to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee pursuant to the provisions of Article 7;

(c) to consent to the execution of an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.02; or

(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the Holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of the Notes under any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.

Section 9.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee. The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders to take any action specified in Section 9.01, to be held at such time and at such place as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of the Holders, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting and the establishment of any record date pursuant to Section 8.01, shall be delivered to Holders of such Notes. Such notice shall also be delivered to the Company. Such notices shall be delivered not less than 20 nor more than 90 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

Any meeting of Holders shall be valid without notice if the Holders of all Notes then outstanding are present in person or by proxy or if notice is waived before or after the meeting by the Holders of all Notes then outstanding, and if the Company and the Trustee are either present by duly authorized representatives or have, before or after the meeting, waived notice.

Section 9.03. Call of Meetings by Company or Holders. In case at any time the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, or the Holders of at least 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of Holders, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have delivered the notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such request, then the Company or such Holders may determine the time and the place for such meeting and may call such meeting to take any action authorized in Section 9.01, by delivering notice thereof as provided in Section 9.02.

 

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Section 9.04. Qualifications for Voting. To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders a Person shall (a) be a Holder of one or more Notes on the record date pertaining to such meeting or (b) be a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy by a Holder of one or more Notes on the record date pertaining to such meeting. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.

Section 9.05. Regulations. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders, in regard to proof of the holding of Notes and of the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall think fit.

The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders as provided in Section 9.03, in which case the Company or the Holders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by vote of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes represented at the meeting and entitled to vote at the meeting.

Subject to the provisions of Section 8.04, at any meeting of Holders each Holder or proxyholder shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes held or represented by him or her; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Note challenged as not outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Notes held by it or instruments in writing as aforesaid duly designating it as the proxy to vote on behalf of other Holders. Any meeting of Holders duly called pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02 or Section 9.03 may be adjourned from time to time by the Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of Notes represented at the meeting, whether or not constituting a quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.

Section 9.06. Voting. The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders shall be by written ballot on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders or of their representatives by proxy and the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in duplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was delivered as provided in Section 9.02. The record shall show the aggregate principal amount of the Notes voting in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting.

 

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Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.

Section 9.07. No Delay of Rights by Meeting. Nothing contained in this Article 9 shall be deemed or construed to authorize or permit, by reason of any call of a meeting of Holders or any rights expressly or impliedly conferred hereunder to make such call, any hindrance or delay in the exercise of any right or rights conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders under any of the provisions of this Indenture or of the Notes.

ARTICLE 10

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

Section 10.01. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders. The Company, when authorized by the resolutions of the Board of Directors and the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for one or more of the following purposes:

(a) to cure any ambiguity, omission, defect or inconsistency, as evidenced to the Trustee in an Officers’ Certificate;

(b) to provide for the assumption by a Successor Company of the obligations of the Company under this Indenture pursuant to Article 11;

(c) to add guarantees with respect to the Notes;

(d) to secure the Notes;

(e) to add to the covenants or Events of Default of the Company for the benefit of the Holders or surrender any right or power conferred upon the Company;

(f) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder;

(g) to increase the Conversion Rate as provided in this Indenture;

(h) to irrevocably elect a Settlement Method and/or Specified Dollar Amount (or a minimum Specified Dollar Amount) or eliminate the Company’s right to elect a Settlement Method;

(i) in connection with any Share Exchange Event, to provide that the Notes are convertible into Reference Property, subject to the provisions of Section 14.02, and make such related changes to the terms of the Notes to the extent expressly required by Section 14.07;

 

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(j) to appoint a successor trustee or facilitate the administration of the trusts under this Indenture by more than one trustee, in each case, with respect to the Notes;

(k) to comply with the rules of any applicable securities depositary in a manner that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder; or

(l) to conform the provisions of this Indenture or the Notes to any provision of the “Description of Notes” section of the Offering Memorandum.

Upon the written request of the Company, the Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to, but may in its discretion, enter into any supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section 10.01 may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent of the Holders of any of the Notes at the time outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 10.02.

Section 10.02. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders. With the consent (evidenced as provided in Article 8) of the Holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (determined in accordance with Article 8 and including, without limitation, consents obtained in connection with a repurchase of, or tender or exchange offer for, Notes), the Company, when authorized by the resolutions of the Board of Directors and the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders; provided, however, that, without the consent of each Holder of an outstanding Note affected, no such supplemental indenture shall:

(a) reduce the amount of Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment;

(b) reduce the rate of or extend the stated time for payment of any interest on any Note;

(c) reduce the principal of or extend the Maturity Date of any Note;

(d) except as required pursuant to this Indenture, make any change that adversely affects the conversion rights of any Notes;

(e) reduce the Redemption Price or the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price of any Note or amend or modify in any manner adverse to the Holders the Company’s obligation to make such payments, whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise;

 

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(f) make any Note payable in a currency, or at a place of payment, other than that stated in the Note;

(g) change the ranking of the Notes; or

(h) make any change in this Article 10 that requires each Holder’s consent or in the waiver provisions in Section 6.02 or Section 6.09.

Upon the written request of the Company, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of the requisite Holders as aforesaid and subject to Section 10.05, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such supplemental indenture.

Holders do not need under this Section 10.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture. It shall be sufficient if such Holders approve the substance thereof. After any such supplemental indenture becomes effective, the Company shall deliver to the Holders (with a copy to the Trustee) a notice briefly describing such supplemental indenture. However, the failure to give such notice to all the Holders (with a copy to the Trustee), or any defect in the notice, will not impair or affect the validity of the supplemental indenture.

Section 10.03. Effect of Supplemental Indentures. Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article 10, this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitation of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the Holders shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.

Section 10.04. Notation on Notes. Notes authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article 10 may, at the Company’s expense, bear a notation as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the Trustee shall so determine, new Notes so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may, at the Company’s expense, be prepared and executed by the Company, authenticated, upon receipt of a Company Order, by the Trustee (or an authenticating agent duly appointed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 17.10) and delivered in exchange for the Notes then outstanding, upon surrender of such Notes then outstanding.

Section 10.05. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to Be Furnished Trustee. In addition to the documents required by Section 17.05, the Trustee shall receive an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant hereto complies with the requirements of this Article 10 and is permitted or authorized by this Indenture, that all conditions precedent to such supplemental indenture have been satisfied and, with respect to such Opinion of Counsel, that such supplemental indenture constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

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ARTICLE 11

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE

Section 11.01. Company May Consolidate, Etc. on Certain Terms. Subject to the provisions of Section 11.02, the Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into another Person or sell, convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the consolidated properties and assets of the Company and the Company’s Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to another Person, unless, in either case:

(a) the resulting, surviving or transferee Person (the “Successor Company”), if not the Company, shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, and the Successor Company (if not the Company) shall expressly assume, by supplemental indenture all of the obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Indenture;

(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing under this Indenture; and

(c) if the Company is not the resulting, surviving or transferee Person, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel stating that such transaction complies with this Indenture.

Section 11.02. Successor Corporation to Be Substituted. In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease and upon the assumption by the Successor Company, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee, of the due and punctual payment of the principal of and any accrued and unpaid interest on all of the Notes, the due and punctual delivery or payment, as the case may be, of any consideration due upon conversion of the Notes and the due and punctual performance of all of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed by the Company, such Successor Company (if not the Company) shall succeed to and, except in the case of a lease of all or substantially all of the consolidated properties and assets of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries, taken as a whole, shall be substituted for the Company, with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the party of the first part. Such Successor Company thereupon may cause to be signed, and may issue either in its own name or in the name of the Company any or all of the Notes issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee; and, upon the order of such Successor Company instead of the Company and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations in this Indenture prescribed, the Trustee shall authenticate and shall deliver, or cause to be authenticated and delivered, any Notes that previously shall have been signed and delivered by the Officers of the Company to the Trustee for authentication, and any Notes that such Successor Company thereafter shall cause to be

 

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signed and delivered to the Trustee for that purpose. All the Notes so issued shall in all respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Notes theretofore or thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all of such Notes had been issued at the date of the execution hereof. In the event of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance or transfer (but not in the case of a lease), upon compliance with this Article 11 the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture (or any successor that shall thereafter have become such in the manner prescribed in this Article 11) may be dissolved, wound up and liquidated at any time thereafter and, except in the case of a lease, such Person shall be released from its liabilities as obligor and maker of the Notes and from its obligations under this Indenture and the Notes.

In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease, such changes in phraseology and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Notes thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.

Section 11.03. Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel to Be Given to Trustee. No such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease (other than any consolidation or merger where the Company is the surviving entity) shall be effective unless the Trustee shall receive an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease and any such assumption and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture, complies with the provisions of this Article 11 and that such supplemental indenture constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company (or surviving entity if not the Company), enforceable against the Company (or surviving entity if not the Company) in accordance with its terms.

ARTICLE 12

IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Section 12.01. Indenture and Notes Solely Corporate Obligations. No recourse for the payment of the principal of or any accrued and unpaid interest on any Note, nor for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture or in any Note, nor because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, employee, agent, Officer or director or Subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the Notes.

 

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ARTICLE 13

[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]

ARTICLE 14

CONVERSION OF NOTES

Section 14.01. Conversion Privilege. (a) Subject to and upon compliance with the provisions of this Article 14, each Holder of a Note shall have the right, at such Holder’s option, to convert all or any portion (if the portion to be converted is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof) of such Note (i) subject to satisfaction of the conditions described in Section 14.01(b), at any time prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, under the circumstances and during the periods set forth in Section 14.01(b), and (ii) regardless of the conditions described in Section 14.01(b), on or after July 1, 2029 and prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date, in each case, at an initial conversion rate of 21.9029 shares of Common Stock (subject to adjustment as provided in this Article 14, the “Conversion Rate”) per $1,000 principal amount of Notes (subject to, and in accordance with, the settlement provisions of Section 14.02, the “Conversion Obligation”).

(b) (i) Prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, a Holder may surrender all or any portion of its Notes for conversion at any time during the five Business Day period immediately after any five consecutive Trading Day period (the “Measurement Period”) in which the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes, as determined by the Company following a request by a Holder of Notes in accordance with this subsection (b)(i), for each Trading Day of the Measurement Period was less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock on each such Trading Day and the Conversion Rate on each such Trading Day. The Trading Prices shall be determined by the Company in accordance with the bids solicited by the Bid Solicitation Agent pursuant to this subsection (b)(i) and the definition of Trading Price set forth in this Indenture. The Company shall provide written notice to the Bid Solicitation Agent (if other than the Company) of the three independent nationally recognized securities dealers selected by the Company pursuant to the definition of Trading Price, along with appropriate contact information for each. The Bid Solicitation Agent (if other than the Company) shall have no obligation to determine the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes unless the Company has requested in writing such determination and provided in writing the names and contact information of the three securities dealers selected by the Company to provide bids to determine the Trading Price, and the Company shall have no obligation to make such request (or, if the Company is acting as Bid Solicitation Agent, the Company shall have no obligation to determine the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes) unless a Holder or Holders of at least $5,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes provide the Company with reasonable evidence that the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes on any Trading Day would be less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock on such Trading Day and the Conversion Rate on such Trading Day, at which time the Company shall (x) instruct the three independent nationally recognized securities dealers to deliver bids to the Bid Solicitation Agent and (y)

 

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irrevocably instruct the Bid Solicitation Agent in writing (if other than the Company) to determine, or if the Company is acting as Bid Solicitation Agent, the Company shall determine, the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes based on the bids solicited by the Bid Solicitation Agent beginning on the next Trading Day and on each successive Trading Day until the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes is greater than or equal to 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate. If the Company is not acting as Bid Solicitation Agent, the Company shall identify in writing to the Bid Solicitation Agent the three securities dealers selected by the Company to provide bids to determine the Trading Price and the contact information for each. If (x) the Company is not acting as Bid Solicitation Agent, and the Company does not instruct the Bid Solicitation Agent in writing to determine the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes or identify in writing to the Bid Solicitation Agent the three securities dealers selected by the Company to provide bids to determine the Trading Price and the contact information for each when obligated as provided in the two immediately preceding sentences, or if the Company gives such written instruction and information to the Bid Solicitation Agent and the Bid Solicitation Agent fails to make such determination, (y) the Company is acting as Bid Solicitation Agent and the Company fails to obtain such bids or (z) the Company fails to determine the Trading Price when obligated as provided in the second immediately preceding sentence, then, in each case, the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be deemed to be less than 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate on each Trading Day of such failure. If the Trading Price condition set forth above has been met, the Company shall so notify in writing the Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee). Any such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error. If, at any time after the Trading Price condition set forth above has been met, the Trading Price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes is greater than or equal to 98% of the product of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock and the Conversion Rate for such date, the Company shall so notify in writing the Holders of the Notes, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) and thereafter neither the Company nor the Bid Solicitation Agent (if other than the Company) shall be required to solicit bids again until another request is made as provided in this Section 14.01(b)(i).

(ii) If, prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, the Company elects to:

(A) issue to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock any rights, options or warrants (other than in connection with a stockholder rights plan, so long as such rights have not separated from the Common Stock) entitling them, for a period of not more than 45 calendar days after the announcement date of such issuance, to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Common Stock at a price per share that is less than the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock for the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance; or

 

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(B) distribute to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock the Company’s assets, securities (other than solely the Common Stock) or rights to purchase securities, which distribution has a per share value, as reasonably determined by the Company, exceeding 10% of the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock on the Trading Day preceding the date of announcement for such distribution,

then, in either case, the Company shall notify in writing all Holders of the Notes, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) at least 27 Scheduled Trading Days prior to the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance or distribution (or, if later, in the case of any such separation of rights issued pursuant to a stockholder rights plan, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company becomes aware that such separation or Trigger Event has occurred or will occur). Once the Company has given such notice, a Holder may surrender all or any portion of its Notes for conversion at any time until the earlier of (1) the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance or distribution and (2) the Company’s announcement that such issuance or distribution will not take place (or, if later, in the case of a separation or Trigger Event pursuant to a stockholder rights plan, until the 20th Trading Day following the date on which the Company so notifies all Holders of the Notes), in each case, even if the Notes are not otherwise convertible at such time; provided that a Holder may not convert its Notes pursuant to this Section 14.01(b)(ii) if it participates, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Stock and solely as a result of holding the Notes, in any of the transactions described in clause (A) or (B) of this Section 14.01(b)(ii) without having to convert its Notes as if it held a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate multiplied by the principal amount (expressed in thousands) of Notes held by such Holder.

(iii) If a transaction or event that constitutes a Fundamental Change or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, regardless of whether a Holder has the right to require the Company to repurchase the Notes pursuant to Section 15.02, or if the Company is a party to a Share Exchange Event (other than a Share Exchange Event that is solely for the purpose of changing the Company’s jurisdiction of organization that (x) does not constitute a Fundamental Change or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change and (y) results in a classification, conversion or exchange of outstanding shares of Common Stock solely into shares of common stock of the surviving entity that are listed or quoted on any of The New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Global Select Market or The Nasdaq Global Market (or any of their respective successors) and such common stock becomes Reference Property for the Notes) that occurs prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029 (each such Fundamental Change, Make-Whole Fundamental Change or Share Exchange Event, a “Corporate Event”), all or any portion of a Holder’s Notes may be surrendered for conversion at any time after the effective date of such Corporate Event until the earlier of (x) the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029 and (y) the earlier of (I) 35 Trading Days after the actual effective date of such Corporate Event or, if such Corporate Event also constitutes a Fundamental Change, the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding

 

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the related Fundamental Change Repurchase Date and (II) the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date. The Company shall notify Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing no later than the actual effective date of any such Corporate Event.

(iv) Prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, a Holder may surrender all or any portion of its Notes for conversion at any time during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on December 31, 2024 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock for at least 20 Trading Days (whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive Trading Days ending on, and including, the last Trading Day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the Conversion Price on each applicable Trading Day.

(v) If the Company calls any or all of the Notes for redemption pursuant to Article 16 prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, then a Holder may surrender all or any portion of its Notes for conversion at any time prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day prior to the Redemption Date, even if the Notes are not otherwise convertible at such time. After that time, the right to convert pursuant to this Section 14.01(b)(v) shall expire, unless the Company defaults in the payment of the Redemption Price, in which case a Holder of Notes may convert its Notes until the Redemption Price has been paid or duly provided for.

Section 14.02. Conversion Procedure; Settlement Upon Conversion.

(a) Subject to this Section 14.02, Section 14.03(b) and Section 14.07(a), upon conversion of any Note, the Company shall pay or deliver, as the case may be, to the converting Holder, in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted, cash (“Cash Settlement”), shares of Common Stock, together with cash, if applicable, in lieu of delivering any fractional share of Common Stock in accordance with subsection (j) of this Section 14.02 (“Physical Settlement”) or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, together with cash, if applicable, in lieu of delivering any fractional share of Common Stock in accordance with subsection (j) of this Section 14.02 (“Combination Settlement”), at its election, as set forth in this Section 14.02.

(i) All conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs after the Company’s issuance of a Redemption Notice with respect to the Notes and prior to the related Redemption Date, and all conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after July 1, 2029 shall be settled using the same Settlement Method.

(ii) Except for any conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs after the Company’s issuance of a Redemption Notice with respect to the Notes but prior to the related Redemption Date, and any conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs on or after July 1, 2029, the Company shall use the same Settlement Method for all conversions occurring on the same Conversion Date, but the Company shall not have any obligation to use the same Settlement Method with respect to conversions occurring on different Conversion Dates.

 

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(iii) If, in respect of any Conversion Date (or one of the periods described in the fourth immediately succeeding set of parentheses, as the case may be), the Company elects a Settlement Method, the Company shall deliver a notice (the “Settlement Notice”) of the relevant Settlement Method in respect of such Conversion Date (or such period, as the case may be) in writing to converting Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) no later than the close of business on the Trading Day immediately following the relevant Conversion Date (or, in the case of any conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs (x) after the date of issuance of a Redemption Notice with respect to the Notes and prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the related Redemption Date, in such Redemption Notice, or (y) on or after July 1, 2029, no later than July 1, 2029). Delivery of such Settlement Notice is irrevocable. If the Company does not elect a Settlement Method prior to the deadline set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, the Company shall no longer have the right to elect Cash Settlement or Physical Settlement for such conversion and the Company shall be deemed to have elected Combination Settlement in respect of its Conversion Obligation, and the Specified Dollar Amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be equal to $1,000. Such Settlement Notice shall specify the relevant Settlement Method and in the case of an election of Combination Settlement, the relevant Settlement Notice shall indicate the Specified Dollar Amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes. If the Company delivers a Settlement Notice electing Combination Settlement in respect of its Conversion Obligation but does not indicate a Specified Dollar Amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes in such Settlement Notice, the Specified Dollar Amount per $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be deemed to be $1,000. If the Company calls any Notes for redemption pursuant to Article 16, and the related Redemption Date is on or after July 1, 2029 (x) if the date of the relevant Redemption Notice occurs prior to the date the Company elects (or is deemed to have elected) a Settlement Method in respect of all conversions with a Conversion Date occurring on or after July 1, 2029, then, in respect of all conversions with a Conversion Date occurring on or after July 1, 2029, the Company must elect the Settlement Method that the Company elected (or was deemed to have elected) in such Redemption Notice and (y) if the date of such Redemption Notice occurs on or after the date the Company elects (or is deemed to have elected) a Settlement Method in respect of all conversions with a Conversion Date occurring on or after July 1, 2029, then, the Company must elect in such Redemption Notice the Settlement Method that the Company elected (or was deemed to have elected) in respect of all conversions with a Conversion Date occurring on or after July 1, 2029.

 

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(iv) The cash, shares of Common Stock or combination of cash and shares of Common Stock in respect of any conversion of Notes (the “Settlement Amount”) shall be computed as follows:

(A) if the Company elects to satisfy its Conversion Obligation in respect of such conversion by Physical Settlement, the Company shall deliver to the converting Holder in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate in effect on the Conversion Date (plus cash in lieu of any fractional share);

(B) if the Company elects to satisfy its Conversion Obligation in respect of such conversion by Cash Settlement, the Company shall pay to the converting Holder in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted cash in an amount equal to the sum of the Daily Conversion Values for each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days during the related Observation Period; and

(C) if the Company elects (or is deemed to have elected) to satisfy its Conversion Obligation in respect of such conversion by Combination Settlement, the Company shall pay or deliver, as the case may be, in respect of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes being converted, a Settlement Amount equal to the sum of the Daily Settlement Amounts for each of the 20 consecutive Trading Days during the related Observation Period (plus cash in lieu of any fractional share).

(v) The Daily Settlement Amounts (if applicable) and the Daily Conversion Values (if applicable) shall be determined by the Company promptly following the last day of the Observation Period. Promptly after such determination of the Daily Settlement Amounts or the Daily Conversion Values, as the case may be, and the amount of cash payable in lieu of delivering any fractional share of Common Stock, and in any event within one (1) Business Day following the last day of the Observation Period, the Company shall notify the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing of its determination of the Daily Settlement Amounts or the Daily Conversion Values, as the case may be, and the amount of cash payable in lieu of delivering fractional shares of Common Stock and the calculation thereof in reasonable detail or in such detail as requested by the Depositary. The Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) shall have no responsibility for any such determination.

(vi) At any time prior to July 1, 2029, the Company may irrevocably elect to satisfy its Conversion Obligation with respect to the Notes to be converted after the date of such election by delivering cash up to the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be converted, and shares of the Common Stock, cash or a combination thereof in respect of the remainder, if any, of its Conversion Obligation. Upon making such election, the Company shall promptly (x) provide written notice to the Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) and (y) issue a report on Form 8-K or press release or publish on its website to announce that the Company has made such an election.

 

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(b) Subject to Section 14.02(e), before any Holder of a Note shall be entitled to convert a Note as set forth above, such Holder shall (i) in the case of a Global Note, comply with the procedures of the Depositary in effect at that time (any instruction to convert transmitted to the Depositary shall be irrevocable) and, if required, pay funds equal to any interest payable on the next Interest Payment Date to which such Holder is not entitled as set forth in Section 14.02(h) and/or all transfer or similar taxes as set forth in Section 14.02(e) and (ii) in the case of a Physical Note or Global Notes not approved for processing through the Depositary: (1) complete, manually sign and deliver an irrevocable notice to the Conversion Agent as set forth in the Form of Notice of Conversion (or a facsimile, PDF or other electronic transmission thereof) (a “Notice of Conversion”) at the office of the Conversion Agent and state in writing therein the principal amount of Notes to be converted and the name or names (with addresses) in which such Holder wishes the certificate or certificates for any shares of Common Stock to be delivered upon settlement of the Conversion Obligation to be registered, (2) surrender such Notes, duly endorsed to the Company or in blank (and accompanied by appropriate endorsement and transfer documents), at the office of the Conversion Agent, (3) if required, furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents, (4) if required, pay funds equal to any interest payable on the next Interest Payment Date to which such Holder is not entitled as set forth in Section 14.02(h) and (5) if required by Section 14.02(e), pay any transfer or similar taxes. The Trustee (and if different, the Conversion Agent) shall notify the Company of any conversion pursuant to this Article 14 no more than one (1) Business Day after the Conversion Date for such conversion. No Notice of Conversion with respect to any Notes may be surrendered by a Holder thereof if such Holder has also delivered a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice to the Company in respect of such Notes and has not validly withdrawn such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in accordance with Section 15.03.

If more than one Note shall be surrendered for conversion at one time by the same Holder, the Conversion Obligation with respect to such Notes shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes (or specified portions thereof to the extent permitted thereby) so surrendered.

(c) A Note shall be deemed to have been converted immediately prior to the close of business on the date (the “Conversion Date”) that the Holder has complied with the requirements set forth in subsection (b) above. Except as set forth in Section 14.03(b) and Section 14.07(a), the Company shall pay or deliver, as the case may be, the consideration due in respect of the Conversion Obligation on the second Business Day immediately following the relevant Conversion Date, if the Company elects Physical Settlement (provided that, with respect to any Conversion Date occurring on or after September 15, 2029, the Company shall pay or deliver, as the case may be, such consideration due upon Physical Settlement in respect of the Conversion Obligation on the Maturity Date), or on the second Business Day immediately following the last Trading Day of the Observation Period, in the case of any other Settlement Method. If any shares of Common Stock are due to a converting Holder, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued, and deliver (if applicable) to the converting Holder, or such Holder’s nominee or nominees, the full number of shares of Common Stock to which such Holder shall be entitled, in book-entry format through the Depositary, in satisfaction of the Company’s Conversion Obligation.

 

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(d) In case any Physical Note shall be surrendered for partial conversion, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to or upon the written order of the Holder of the Physical Note so surrendered a new Physical Note or Physical Notes in authorized denominations in an aggregate principal amount equal to the unconverted portion of the surrendered Physical Note, without payment of any service charge by the converting Physical Holder but, if required by the Company or Trustee, with payment of a sum sufficient to cover any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax or similar governmental charge required by law or that may be imposed in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new Physical Notes issued upon such conversion being different from the name of the Holder of the old Physical Notes surrendered for such conversion.

(e) If a Holder submits a Note for conversion, the Company shall pay any documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer tax due on the issue of any shares of Common Stock upon conversion, unless the tax is due because the Holder requests such shares to be issued in a name other than the Holder’s name, in which case the Holder shall pay that tax. The Conversion Agent may refuse to deliver the certificates representing the shares of Common Stock being issued in a name other than the Holder’s name until the Trustee receives a sum sufficient to pay any tax that is due by such Holder in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence.

(f) Except as provided in Section 14.04, no adjustment shall be made for dividends on any shares of Common Stock issued upon the conversion of any Note as provided in this Article 14.

(g) Upon the conversion of an interest in a Global Note, the Trustee, or the Custodian at the direction of the Trustee, shall make a notation on such Global Note as to the reduction in the principal amount represented thereby. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of any conversion of Notes effected through any Conversion Agent other than the Trustee.

(h) Upon conversion, a Holder shall not receive any separate cash payment for accrued and unpaid interest, if any, except as set forth below and the Company shall not be required to adjust the Conversion Rate for any accrued and unpaid interest. The Company’s settlement of the full Conversion Obligation shall be deemed to satisfy in full its obligation to pay the principal amount of the Note and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the relevant Conversion Date. As a result, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the relevant Conversion Date shall be deemed to be paid in full rather than cancelled, extinguished or forfeited. Upon a conversion of Notes into a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, accrued and unpaid interest will be deemed to be paid first out of the cash paid upon such conversion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Notes are converted after the close of business on a Regular Record Date and prior to the open of business on the corresponding Interest Payment Date, Holders of such Notes as of the close of business on such Regular Record Date will receive the full amount of interest payable on such Notes on the corresponding Interest Payment Date notwithstanding the conversion. However, Notes surrendered for conversion during the period from the close of business on any Regular Record Date to the open of business on the immediately following Interest Payment Date must be accompanied by funds equal to the

 

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amount of interest payable on the Notes so converted on the corresponding Interest Payment Date; provided that no such payment shall be required (1) for conversions of Notes following the close of business on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date; (2) if the Company has specified a Redemption Date that is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately following the corresponding Interest Payment Date; (3) if the Company has specified a Fundamental Change Repurchase Date that is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the Business Day immediately following the corresponding Interest Payment Date; or (4) to the extent of any Defaulted Amounts or Additional Interest, if any Defaulted Amounts or Additional Interest exists at the time of conversion with respect to such Note. Therefore, for the avoidance of doubt, all Holders of record on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Maturity Date shall receive the full interest payment due on the Maturity Date in cash regardless of whether their Notes have been converted following such Regular Record Date.

(i) The Person in whose name the shares of Common Stock shall be issuable upon conversion shall be treated as a stockholder of record as of the close of business on the relevant Conversion Date (if the Company elects to satisfy the related Conversion Obligation by Physical Settlement) or the last Trading Day of the relevant Observation Period (if the Company elects to satisfy the related Conversion Obligation by Combination Settlement), as the case may be. Upon a conversion of Notes, such Person shall no longer be a Holder of such Notes surrendered for conversion.

(j) The Company shall not issue any fractional share of Common Stock upon conversion of the Notes and shall instead pay cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share of Common Stock issuable upon conversion based on the Daily VWAP for the relevant Conversion Date or, if such Conversion Date is not a Trading Day, the immediately preceding Trading Day (in the case of Physical Settlement) or based on the Daily VWAP for the last Trading Day of the relevant Observation Period (in the case of Combination Settlement). For each Note surrendered for conversion, if the Company has elected (or is deemed to have elected) Combination Settlement, the full number of shares that shall be issued upon conversion thereof shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate Daily Settlement Amounts for the relevant Observation Period and any fractional shares of Common Stock remaining after such computation shall be paid in cash.

Section 14.03. Increased Conversion Rate Applicable to Certain Notes Surrendered in Connection with Make-Whole Fundamental Changes or Redemption Notice. (a) If (x) the Effective Date of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs prior to the Maturity Date or (y) the Company gives a Redemption Notice with respect to any or all of the Notes in accordance with Section 16.02 and, in each case, a Holder elects to convert its Notes in connection with such Make-Whole Fundamental Change or such Redemption Notice, as applicable, the Company shall, under the circumstances described below, increase the Conversion Rate for the Notes so surrendered for conversion by a number of additional shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”), as described below. A conversion of Notes shall be deemed for these purposes to be “in connection with” such Make-Whole Fundamental Change if the relevant Notice of Conversion is received by the Conversion Agent from, and including, the Effective Date of the

 

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Make-Whole Fundamental Change up to, and including, the Business Day immediately prior to the related Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (or, in the case of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change that would have been a Fundamental Change but for the proviso in clause (b) of the definition thereof, the 35th Trading Day immediately following the Effective Date of such Make-Whole Fundamental Change) (such period, the “Make-Whole Fundamental Change Period”). A conversion of Notes shall be deemed for these purposes to be “in connection with” a Redemption Notice if the relevant Notice of Conversion is received by the Conversion Agent from, and including, the date of the Redemption Notice until the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Redemption Date.

(b) Upon surrender of Notes for conversion in connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change pursuant to Section 14.01(b)(iii) or Redemption Notice pursuant to Section 14.01(b)(v), the Company shall, at its option, satisfy the related Conversion Obligation by Physical Settlement, Cash Settlement or Combination Settlement in accordance with Section 14.02; provided, however, that if, at the effective time of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change described in clause (b) of the definition of Fundamental Change, the Reference Property following such Make-Whole Fundamental Change is composed entirely of cash, for any conversion of Notes following the Effective Date of such Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Conversion Obligation shall be calculated based solely on the Stock Price for the transaction and shall be deemed to be an amount of cash per $1,000 principal amount of converted Notes equal to the Conversion Rate (including any adjustment for Additional Shares), multiplied by such Stock Price. In such event, the Conversion Obligation shall be paid to Holders in cash on the second Business Day following the Conversion Date. The Company shall notify the Holders of Notes, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing of the Effective Date of any Make-Whole Fundamental Change no later than five Business Days after such Effective Date.

(c) The number of Additional Shares, if any, by which the Conversion Rate shall be increased shall be determined by reference to the table below, based on the date on which the Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurs or becomes effective or the date of the Redemption Notice, as the case may be, (in each case, the “Effective Date”) and the price (the “Stock Price”) paid (or deemed to be paid) per share of the Common Stock in the Make-Whole Fundamental Change or with respect to the Optional Redemption, as the case may be. If the holders of the Common Stock receive in exchange for their Common Stock only cash in a Make-Whole Fundamental Change described in clause (b) of the definition of Fundamental Change, the Stock Price shall be the cash amount paid per share. Otherwise, the Stock Price shall be the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the five Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Effective Date of the Make-Whole Fundamental Change or the date of the Redemption Notice, as the case may be. The Company shall make appropriate adjustments to the Stock Price, in its good faith determination, to account for any adjustment to the Conversion Rate that becomes effective, or any event requiring an adjustment to the Conversion Rate where the Ex-Dividend Date, Effective Date (as such term is used in Section 14.04) or expiration date of the event occurs during such five consecutive Trading Day period.

 

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(d) The Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table below shall be adjusted as of any date on which the Conversion Rate of the Notes is otherwise adjusted. The adjusted Stock Prices shall equal the Stock Prices applicable immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Conversion Rate immediately prior to such adjustment giving rise to the Stock Price adjustment and the denominator of which is the Conversion Rate as so adjusted. The number of Additional Shares set forth in the table below shall be adjusted in the same manner and at the same time as the Conversion Rate as set forth in Section 14.04.

(e) The following table sets forth the number of Additional Shares of Common Stock by which the Conversion Rate shall be increased per $1,000 principal amount of Notes pursuant to this Section 14.03 for each Stock Price and Effective Date set forth below:

 

Stock Price

 

Effective Date

   $35.12      $40.00      $45.66      $50.00      $59.35      $70.00      $90.00      $130.00      $200.00  

September 19, 2024

     6.5709        4.9880        3.7061        2.9896        1.9360        1.2181        0.5291        0.0777        0.0000  

October 1, 2025

     6.5709        4.9880        3.7057        2.9494        1.8570        1.1329        0.4644        0.0562        0.0000  

October 1, 2026

     6.5709        4.9773        3.5302        2.7478        1.6489        0.9531        0.3516        0.0262        0.0000  

October 1, 2027

     6.5709        4.7330        3.1916        2.3862        1.3122        0.6879        0.2094        0.0029        0.0000  

October 1, 2028

     6.5709        4.2133        2.5261        1.7130        0.7623        0.3193        0.0633        0.0000        0.0000  

October 1, 2029

     6.5709        3.0970        0.0000        0.0000        0.0000        0.0000        0.0000        0.0000        0.0000  

The exact Stock Price and Effective Date may not be set forth in the table above, in which case:

(i) if the Stock Price is between two Stock Prices in the table above or the Effective Date is between two Effective Dates in the table, the number of Additional Shares shall be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of Additional Shares set forth for the higher and lower Stock Prices and the earlier and later Effective Dates, as applicable, based on a 365-day year;

(ii) if the Stock Price is greater than $200.00 per share (subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table above pursuant to subsection (d) above), no Additional Shares shall be added to the Conversion Rate for the Notes; and

(iii) if the Stock Price is less than $35.12 per share (subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Stock Prices set forth in the column headings of the table above pursuant to subsection (d) above), no Additional Shares shall be added to the Conversion Rate for the Notes.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Conversion Rate per $1,000 principal amount of Notes exceed 28.4738 shares of Common Stock, subject to adjustment in the same manner as the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04.

 

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(f) Nothing in this Section 14.03 shall prevent an adjustment to the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04 in respect of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change.

Section 14.04. Adjustment of Conversion Rate. The Conversion Rate shall be adjusted from time to time by the Company if any of the following events occurs, except that the Company shall not make any adjustments to the Conversion Rate if each Holder of the Notes participates (other than in the case of (x) a share split or share combination or (y) a tender or exchange offer), at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Stock and solely as a result of holding the Notes, in any of the transactions described in this Section 14.04, without having to convert its Notes, as if it held a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate, multiplied by the principal amount (expressed in thousands) of Notes held by such Holder.

(a) If the Company exclusively issues shares of Common Stock as a dividend or distribution on shares of the Common Stock, or if the Company effects a share split or share combination, the Conversion Rate shall be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

LOGO

 

where,      
CR0    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date of such dividend or distribution, or immediately prior to the open of business on the Effective Date of such share split or share combination, as applicable;
CR’    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date or Effective Date, as applicable;
OS0    =    the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date or Effective Date (before giving effect to any such dividend, distribution, split or combination), as applicable; and
OS’    =    the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such dividend, distribution, share split or share combination, as applicable.

Any adjustment made under this Section 14.04(a) shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution, or immediately after the open of business on the Effective Date for such share split or share combination, as applicable. If any dividend or distribution of the type described in this Section 14.04(a) is declared but not so paid or made, the Conversion Rate shall be immediately readjusted, effective as of the date the Company determines not to pay such dividend or distribution, to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not been declared.

 

71


(b) If the Company issues to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock any rights, options or warrants (other than in connection with a stockholder rights plan) entitling them, for a period of not more than 45 calendar days after the announcement date of such issuance, to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Common Stock at a price per share that is less than the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock for the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance, the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

LOGO

 

where,      
CR0    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance;
CR’    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date;
OS0    =    the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date;
X    =    the total number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to such rights, options or warrants; and
Y    =    the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the aggregate price payable to exercise such rights, options or warrants, divided by the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement of the issuance of such rights, options or warrants.

Any increase made under this Section 14.04(b) shall be made successively whenever any such rights, options or warrants are issued and shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance. To the extent that shares of the Common Stock are not delivered after the expiration of such rights, options or warrants, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect had the increase with respect to the issuance of such rights, options or warrants been made on the basis of delivery of only the number of shares of Common Stock actually delivered. If such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such Ex-Dividend Date for such issuance had not occurred.

 

72


For purposes of this Section 14.04(b) and for the purpose of Section 14.01(b)(ii)(A), in determining whether any rights, options or warrants entitle the holders of the Common Stock to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Common Stock at less than such average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock for the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of announcement for such issuance, and in determining the aggregate offering price of such shares of Common Stock, there shall be taken into account any consideration received by the Company for such rights, options or warrants and any amount payable on exercise or conversion thereof, the value of such consideration, if other than cash, to be determined by the Company in good faith.

(c) If the Company distributes shares of its Capital Stock, evidences of its indebtedness, other assets or property of the Company or rights, options or warrants to acquire its Capital Stock or other securities, to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock, excluding (i) dividends, distributions or issuances (including share splits) as to which an adjustment was effected (or would have been effected but for Section 14.04(j)) pursuant to Section 14.04(a) or Section 14.04(b), (ii) dividends or distributions paid exclusively in cash as to which the provisions set forth in Section 14.04(d) shall apply, (iii) distributions of Reference Property upon conversion of, or exchange for, the Common Stock in a Share Exchange Event, (iv) except as otherwise provided in this Section 14.04(c) and Section 14.11, rights issued pursuant to a stockholder rights plan of the Company, and (v) Spin-Offs as to which the provisions set forth below in this Section 14.04(c) shall apply (any of such shares of Capital Stock, evidences of indebtedness, other assets or property or rights, options or warrants to acquire Capital Stock or other securities, the “Distributed Property”), then the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

LOGO

 

where,      
CR0    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution;
CR’    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date;
SP0    =    the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution; and
FMV    =    the fair market value (as determined by the Company in good faith) of the Distributed Property with respect to each outstanding share of the Common Stock on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution.

Any increase made under the portion of this Section 14.04(c) above shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution. If such distribution is not so paid or made, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such distribution had not been declared. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if “FMV” (as defined above) is equal to or greater than “SP0” (as defined above), in

 

73


lieu of the foregoing increase, each Holder of a Note shall receive, in respect of each $1,000 principal amount thereof, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of the Common Stock receive the Distributed Property and without having to convert its Notes, the amount and kind of Distributed Property such Holder would have received if such Holder owned a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate in effect on the Ex-Dividend Date for the distribution. If the Company determines the “FMV” (as defined above) of any distribution for purposes of this Section 14.04(c) by reference to the actual or when-issued trading market for any securities, it shall in doing so consider the prices in such market over the same period used in computing the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such distribution.

With respect to an adjustment pursuant to this Section 14.04(c) where there has been a payment of a dividend or other distribution on the Common Stock of shares of Capital Stock of any class or series, or similar equity interest, of or relating to a Subsidiary or other business unit of the Company, that are, or, when issued, will be, listed or admitted for trading on a U.S. national securities exchange (a “Spin-Off”), the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

LOGO

 

where,      
CR0    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the end of the Valuation Period;
CR’    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the end of the Valuation Period;
FMV0    =    the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Capital Stock or similar equity interest distributed to holders of the Common Stock applicable to one share of the Common Stock (determined by reference to the definition of Last Reported Sale Price as set forth in Section 1.01 as if references therein to Common Stock were to such Capital Stock or similar equity interest) over the first 10 consecutive Trading Day period after, and including, the Ex-Dividend Date of the Spin-Off (the “Valuation Period”); and
MP0    =    the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the Valuation Period.

The increase to the Conversion Rate under the preceding paragraph shall occur at the close of business on the last Trading Day of the Valuation Period; provided that (x) in respect of any conversion of Notes for which Physical Settlement is applicable, if the relevant Conversion Date occurs during the Valuation Period, references to “10” in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed to be replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Ex-Dividend Date of such Spin-Off to, and including, the Conversion Date in

 

74


determining the Conversion Rate and (y) in respect of any conversion of Notes for which Cash Settlement or Combination Settlement is applicable, for any Trading Day that falls within the relevant Observation Period for such conversion and within the Valuation Period, references to “10” in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed to be replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Ex-Dividend Date of such Spin-Off to, and including, such Trading Day in determining the Conversion Rate as of such Trading Day. If any dividend or distribution constituting a Spin-Off is declared but not so paid or made, the Conversion Rate shall be immediately decreased, effective as of the date the Company determines not to pay or make such dividend or distribution, to the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not been declared or announced.

For purposes of this Section 14.04(c) (and subject in all respect to Section 14.11), rights, options or warrants distributed by the Company to all holders of the Common Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of the Company’s Capital Stock, including Common Stock (either initially or under certain circumstances), which rights, options or warrants, until the occurrence of a specified event or events (“Trigger Event”): (i) are deemed to be transferred with such shares of the Common Stock; (ii) are not exercisable; and (iii) are also issued in respect of future issuances of the Common Stock, shall be deemed not to have been distributed for purposes of this Section 14.04(c) (and no adjustment to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(c) will be required) until the occurrence of the earliest Trigger Event, whereupon such rights, options or warrants shall be deemed to have been distributed and an appropriate adjustment (if any is required) to the Conversion Rate shall be made under this Section 14.04(c). If any such right, option or warrant, including any such existing rights, options or warrants distributed prior to the date of this Indenture, are subject to events, upon the occurrence of which such rights, options or warrants become exercisable to purchase different securities, evidences of indebtedness or other assets, then the date of the occurrence of any and each such event shall be deemed to be the date of distribution and Ex-Dividend Date with respect to new rights, options or warrants with such rights (in which case the existing rights, options or warrants shall be deemed to terminate and expire on such date without exercise by any of the holders thereof). In addition, in the event of any distribution (or deemed distribution) of rights, options or warrants, or any Trigger Event or other event (of the type described in the immediately preceding sentence) with respect thereto that was counted for purposes of calculating a distribution amount for which an adjustment to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(c) was made, (1) in the case of any such rights, options or warrants that shall all have been redeemed or purchased without exercise by any holders thereof, upon such final redemption or purchase (x) the Conversion Rate shall be readjusted as if such rights, options or warrants had not been issued and (y) the Conversion Rate shall then again be readjusted to give effect to such distribution, deemed distribution or Trigger Event, as the case may be, as though it were a cash distribution, equal to the per share redemption or purchase price received by a holder or holders of Common Stock with respect to such rights, options or warrants (assuming such holder had retained such rights, options or warrants), made to all holders of Common Stock as of the date of such redemption or purchase, and (2) in the case of such rights, options or warrants that shall have expired or been terminated without exercise by any holders thereof, the Conversion Rate shall be readjusted as if such rights, options and warrants had not been issued.

 

75


For purposes of Section 14.04(a), Section 14.04(b) and this Section 14.04(c), if any dividend or distribution to which this Section 14.04(c) is applicable also includes one or both of:

(A) a dividend or distribution of shares of Common Stock to which Section 14.04(a) is applicable (the “Clause A Distribution”); or

(B) a dividend or distribution of rights, options or warrants to which Section 14.04(b) is applicable (the “Clause B Distribution”),

then, in either case, (1) such dividend or distribution, other than the Clause A Distribution and the Clause B Distribution, shall be deemed to be a dividend or distribution to which this Section 14.04(c) is applicable (the “Clause C Distribution”) and any Conversion Rate adjustment required by this Section 14.04(c) with respect to such Clause C Distribution shall then be made, and (2) the Clause A Distribution and Clause B Distribution shall be deemed to immediately follow the Clause C Distribution and any Conversion Rate adjustment required by Section 14.04(a) and Section 14.04(b) with respect thereto shall then be made, except that, if determined by the Company (I) the “Ex-Dividend Date” of the Clause A Distribution and the Clause B Distribution shall be deemed to be the Ex-Dividend Date of the Clause C Distribution and (II) any shares of Common Stock included in the Clause A Distribution or Clause B Distribution shall be deemed not to be “outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date or Effective Date” within the meaning of Section 14.04(a) or “outstanding immediately prior to the open of business on such Ex-Dividend Date” within the meaning of Section 14.04(b).

(d) If any dividend or distribution paid exclusively in cash is made to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock, (other than any dividends or distributions of any Reference Property consisting of cash upon conversion of, or in exchange for, the Common Stock in a Share Exchange Event), the Conversion Rate shall be adjusted based on the following formula:

 

LOGO

 

where,      
CR0    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution;
CR’    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution;
SP0    =    the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock on the Trading Day immediately preceding the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution; and
C    =    the amount in cash per share the Company distributes to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock.

 

76


Any increase pursuant to this Section 14.04(d) shall become effective immediately after the open of business on the Ex-Dividend Date for such dividend or distribution. If such dividend or distribution is not so paid, the Conversion Rate shall be decreased, effective as of the date the Board of Directors determines not to make or pay such dividend or distribution, to be the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not been declared. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if “C” (as defined above) is equal to or greater than “SP0” (as defined above), in lieu of the foregoing increase, each Holder of a Note shall receive, for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes, at the same time and upon the same terms as holders of shares of the Common Stock and without having to convert its Notes, the amount of cash that such Holder would have received if such Holder owned a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate on the Ex-Dividend Date for such cash dividend or distribution.

(e) If the Company or any of its Subsidiaries make a payment in respect of a tender or exchange offer for the Common Stock that is subject to the then-applicable tender offer rules under the Exchange Act, other than an odd-lot tender offer, to the extent that the cash and value of any other consideration included in the payment per share of the Common Stock exceeds the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period commencing on, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the last date on which tenders or exchanges may be made pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, the Conversion Rate shall be increased based on the following formula:

 

LOGO

 

where,      
CR0    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires;
CR’    =    the Conversion Rate in effect immediately after the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires;
AC    =    the aggregate value of all cash and any other consideration (as determined by the Company in good faith) paid or payable for shares of Common Stock purchased in such tender or exchange offer;
OS0    =    the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the date such tender or exchange offer expires (prior to giving effect to the purchase of all shares of Common Stock accepted for purchase or exchange in such tender or exchange offer);
OS’    =    the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after the date such tender or exchange offer expires (after giving effect to the purchase of all shares of Common Stock accepted for purchase or exchange in such tender or exchange offer); and
SP’    =    the average of the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock over the 10 consecutive Trading Day period commencing on, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires.

 

77


The increase to the Conversion Rate under this Section 14.04(e) shall occur at the close of business on the 10th Trading Day immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date such tender or exchange offer expires; provided that (x) in respect of any conversion of Notes for which Physical Settlement is applicable, if the relevant Conversion Date occurs during the 10 Trading Days immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the expiration date of any tender or exchange offer, references to “10” or “10th” in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the date that such tender or exchange offer expires to, and including, the Conversion Date in determining the Conversion Rate and (y) in respect of any conversion of Notes for which Cash Settlement or Combination Settlement is applicable, for any Trading Day that falls within the relevant Observation Period for such conversion and within the 10 Trading Days immediately following, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the expiration date of any tender or exchange offer, references to “10” or “10th” in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed replaced with such lesser number of Trading Days as have elapsed from, and including, the Trading Day next succeeding the expiration date of such tender or exchange offer to, and including, such Trading Day in determining the Conversion Rate as of such Trading Day.

If the Company is, or one of the Company’s Subsidiaries is, obligated to purchase the Common Stock pursuant to any such tender or exchange offer described in this Section 14.04(e) but the Company is, or such Subsidiary is, permanently prevented by applicable law from effecting any such purchase or all such purchases are rescinded, the applicable Conversion Rate shall be decreased to be the Conversion Rate that would then be in effect if such tender or exchange offer had not been made or had been made only in respect of the purchases that have been effected.

(f) Notwithstanding this Section 14.04 or any other provision of this Indenture or the Notes, if (i) a Conversion Rate adjustment becomes effective on any Ex-Dividend Date, (ii) a Note is to be converted for which Physical Settlement or Combination Settlement applies, (iii) the Conversion Date for such conversion (in the case of Physical Settlement) or any Trading Day in the Observation Period for such conversion (in the case of Combination Settlement) occurs on or after such Ex-Dividend Date and on or prior to the related Record Date, (iv) the consideration due upon such conversion (in the case of Physical Settlement) or due with respect to such Trading Day in the Observation Period (in the case of Combination Settlement) includes any whole shares of Common Stock based on a Conversion Rate that is adjusted for such Ex-Dividend Date, and (v) such shares of Common Stock would be entitled to participate in such dividend, distribution or other event giving rise to such adjustment, then, notwithstanding the Conversion Rate adjustment provisions in this Section 14.04, (x) in the case of Physical

 

78


Settlement, the Conversion Rate adjustment relating to such Ex-Dividend Date shall not be made for such conversion, and, instead, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion on an unadjusted basis shall be entitled to participate in the related dividend, distribution or other event giving rise to such adjustment, and (y) in the case of Combination Settlement, the Conversion Rate adjustment relating to such Ex-Dividend Date shall be made for such conversion in respect of such Trading Day in the Observation Period, but the shares of Common Stock issuable with respect to such Trading Day based on such adjusted Conversion Rate shall not be entitled to participate in such dividend, distribution or other event giving rise to such adjustment.

(g) Except as stated herein, the Company shall not adjust the Conversion Rate for the issuance of shares of the Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of the Common Stock or the right to purchase shares of the Common Stock or such convertible or exchangeable securities.

(h) In addition to those adjustments required by clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this Section 14.04, and to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to the applicable rules of The Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Company from time to time may increase the Conversion Rate by any amount for a period of at least 20 Business Days if the Board of Directors determines that such increase would be in the Company’s best interest. In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to the applicable rules of The Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Company may (but is not required to) increase the Conversion Rate to avoid or diminish any income tax to holders of Common Stock or rights to purchase Common Stock in connection with a dividend or distribution of shares of Common Stock (or rights to acquire shares of Common Stock) or similar event. Whenever the Conversion Rate is increased pursuant to either of the preceding two sentences, the Company shall give written notice to the Trustee and Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) and deliver to the Holder of each Note a notice of the increase at least 15 days prior to the date the increased Conversion Rate takes effect, and such notice shall state the increased Conversion Rate and the period during which it will be in effect.

(i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article 14, the Conversion Rate shall not be adjusted:

(i) upon the repurchase of shares of Common Stock pursuant to an open market share repurchase program or other buy-back transactions, including structured or derivative transactions, such as accelerated share repurchase transactions or similar forward derivative, that is not a tender or exchange offer described in Section 14.04(e);

(ii) upon the issuance of shares of Common Stock at a price below the Conversion Price or otherwise, other than any such issuance described in clause (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 14.04;

(iii) upon the issuance of any shares of Common Stock pursuant to any present or future plan providing for the reinvestment of dividends or interest payable on the Company’s securities and the investment of additional optional amounts in shares of Common Stock under any plan;

 

79


(iv) upon the issuance of any shares of Common Stock or options or rights to purchase those shares pursuant to any present or future employee, director or consultant benefit or incentive plan (including pursuant to an evergreen plan) or program of or assumed by the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries or in connection with any such shares withheld by the Company for tax withholding purposes;

(v) upon the issuance of any shares of the Common Stock pursuant to any option, warrant, right or exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security not described in clause (iv) of this subsection and outstanding as of the date the Notes were first issued;

(vi) for a tender or exchange offer by any party other than a tender or exchange offer by the Company or one or more of the Company’s Subsidiaries described in Section 14.04(e);

(vii) solely for a change in the par value (or lack of par value) of the Common Stock; or

(viii) for accrued and unpaid interest, if any.

(j) Notwithstanding this Section 14.04 or any other provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall not adjust the Conversion Rate pursuant to any section in this Section 14.04 unless the adjustment would result in a change of at least 1% in the then-effective Conversion Rate; provided that the Company shall carry forward any adjustment to the Conversion Rate that the Company would otherwise have to make and take that adjustment into account in any subsequent adjustment; provided further that all such carried-forward adjustments shall be made with respect to Notes (i) in connection with any subsequent adjustment to the Conversion Rate of at least 1% of the Conversion Rate, (ii) regardless of whether the aggregate adjustment is less than 1% of the Conversion Rate (x) on the Conversion Date for any Notes (in the case of Physical Settlement or any conversion following a replacement of the Common Stock by Reference Property consisting solely of cash) or (y) on each Trading Day of any Observation Period (in the case of Cash Settlement or Combination Settlement), (iii) on any Effective Date for any Fundamental Change and/or Make-Whole Fundamental Change and (iv) on October 1 of each calendar year on or prior to the Maturity Date, in each case, unless the adjustment has already been made.

(k) All calculations and other determinations under this Article 14 shall be made by the Company and shall be made to the nearest one-ten thousandth (1/10,000th) of a share.

(l) Whenever the Conversion Rate is adjusted as herein provided, the Company shall promptly file with the Trustee (and the Conversion Agent if not the Trustee) an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the Conversion Rate after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment. Unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee and Conversion Agent (if not the Trustee) shall have received such Officers’ Certificate,

 

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the Trustee and Conversion Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any adjustment of the Conversion Rate and may assume without inquiry that the last Conversion Rate of which it has knowledge is still in effect. Promptly after delivery of such certificate, the Company shall prepare a notice of such adjustment of the Conversion Rate setting forth the adjusted Conversion Rate and the date on which each adjustment becomes effective and shall deliver such notice of such adjustment of the Conversion Rate to each Holder. Failure to deliver such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of any such adjustment.

(m) For purposes of this Section 14.04, the number of shares of Common Stock at any time outstanding shall not include shares of Common Stock held in the treasury of the Company so long as the Company does not pay any dividend or make any distribution on shares of Common Stock held in the treasury of the Company, but shall include shares of Common Stock issuable in respect of scrip certificates issued in lieu of fractions of shares of Common Stock.

Section 14.05. Adjustments of Prices. Whenever any provision of this Indenture requires the Company to calculate the Last Reported Sale Prices, the Daily VWAPs, the Daily Conversion Values or the Daily Settlement Amounts over a span of multiple days (including, without limitation, an Observation Period and the period for determining the Stock Price for purposes of a Make-Whole Fundamental Change or Optional Redemption), the Company, in good faith, shall make appropriate adjustments without duplication in respect of any adjustment made pursuant to Section 14.04 to each to account for any adjustment to the Conversion Rate that becomes effective, or any event requiring an adjustment to the Conversion Rate where the Ex-Dividend Date, Effective Date or expiration date, as the case may be, of the event occurs, at any time during the period when the Last Reported Sale Prices, the Daily VWAPs, the Daily Conversion Values or the Daily Settlement Amounts are to be calculated.

Section 14.06. Shares to Be Fully Paid. The Company shall provide, free from preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued shares or shares held in treasury, sufficient shares of Common Stock to provide for conversion of the Notes from time to time as such Notes are presented for conversion (assuming delivery of the maximum number of Additional Shares pursuant to Section 14.03 and that at the time of computation of such number of shares, all such Notes would be converted by a single Holder and that Physical Settlement were applicable).

Section 14.07. Effect of Recapitalizations, Reclassifications and Changes of the Common Stock.

(a) In the case of:

(i) any recapitalization, reclassification or change of the Common Stock (other than a change to par value, or from par value to no par value, or changes resulting from a subdivision or combination),

(ii) any consolidation, merger, combination or similar transaction involving the Company,

 

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(iii) any sale, lease or other transfer to a third party of the consolidated assets of the Company and the Company’s Subsidiaries substantially as an entirety or

(iv) any statutory share exchange,

in each case, as a result of which the Common Stock would be converted into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities, other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) (any such event, a “Share Exchange Event”), then, at and after the effective time of such Share Exchange Event, the right to convert each $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be changed into a right to convert such principal amount of Notes into the kind and amount of shares of stock, other securities or other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) that a holder of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Rate immediately prior to such Share Exchange Event would have owned or been entitled to receive (the “Reference Property,” with each “unit of Reference Property” meaning the kind and amount of Reference Property that a holder of one share of Common Stock is entitled to receive) upon such Share Exchange Event and, prior to or at the effective time of such Share Exchange Event, the Company or the successor or purchasing Person, as the case may be, shall execute with the Trustee, and without the consent of the Holders, a supplemental indenture permitted under Section 10.01(g) providing for such change in the right to convert each $1,000 principal amount of Notes; provided, however, that at and after the effective time of the Share Exchange Event (A) the Company shall continue to have the right to determine the form of consideration to be paid or delivered, as the case may be, upon conversion of Notes in accordance with Section 14.02 and (B) (I) any amount payable in cash upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with Section 14.02 shall continue to be payable in cash, (II) any shares of Common Stock that the Company would have been required to deliver upon conversion of the Notes in accordance with Section 14.02 shall instead be deliverable in the amount and type of Reference Property that a holder of that number of shares of Common Stock would have been entitled to receive in such Share Exchange Event and (III) the Daily VWAP or the Last Reported Sale Price of any unit of Reference Property or portion thereof that does not consist of a class of securities shall be the fair value of such unit of Reference Property or portion thereof, as applicable, as determined in good faith by the Company (or in the case of cash denominated in U.S. dollars, the face amount thereof).

If the Share Exchange Event causes the Common Stock to be converted into, or exchanged for, the right to receive more than a single type of consideration (determined based in part upon any form of stockholder election), then (i) the Reference Property into which the Notes will be convertible shall be deemed to be the weighted average of the types and amounts of consideration actually received by the holders of Common Stock, and (ii) the unit of Reference Property for purposes of the immediately preceding paragraph shall refer to the consideration referred to in clause (i) attributable to one share of Common Stock. If the holders of the Common Stock receive only cash in such Share Exchange Event, then for all conversions for which the relevant Conversion Date occurs after the effective date of such Share Exchange Event (A) the consideration due upon conversion of each $1,000 principal amount of Notes shall be solely cash in an amount equal to the Conversion Rate in effect on the Conversion Date (as may be increased by any Additional Shares pursuant to Section 14.03), multiplied by the price paid

 

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per share of Common Stock in such Share Exchange Event and (B) the Company shall satisfy the Conversion Obligation by paying cash to converting Holders on the second Business Day immediately following the relevant Conversion Date. The Company shall notify Holders, the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) in writing of such weighted average as soon as practicable after such determination is made.

Such supplemental indenture described in the second immediately preceding paragraph shall provide for anti-dilution and other adjustments that shall be as nearly equivalent as is possible to the adjustments provided for in this Article 14. If, in the case of any Share Exchange Event, the Reference Property includes shares of stock, securities or other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) of a Person other than the successor or purchasing corporation, as the case may be, in such Share Exchange Event, then such supplemental indenture shall also be executed by such other Person and shall contain such additional provisions to protect the interests of the Holders of the Notes as the Board of Directors shall reasonably consider necessary by reason of the foregoing, including the provisions providing for the purchase rights set forth in Article 15.

(b) When the Company executes a supplemental indenture pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 14.07, the Company shall promptly file with the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate briefly stating the reasons therefor, the kind or amount of cash, securities or property or asset that will comprise a unit of Reference Property after any such Share Exchange Event, any adjustment to be made with respect thereto and that all conditions precedent have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that all conditions precedent have been complied with, and shall promptly deliver notice thereof to all Holders. The Company shall cause notice of the execution of such supplemental indenture to be delivered to each Holder within 20 days after execution thereof. Failure to deliver such notice shall not affect the legality or validity of such supplemental indenture.

(c) None of the foregoing provisions shall affect the right of a holder of Notes to convert its Notes into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, as applicable, as set forth in Section 14.01 and Section 14.02 prior to the effective date of such Share Exchange Event.

(d) The above provisions of this Section shall similarly apply to successive Share Exchange Events.

Section 14.08. Certain Covenants. (a) The Company covenants that all shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of Notes will be fully paid and non-assessable by the Company and free from all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issue thereof.

(b) The Company covenants that, if any shares of Common Stock to be provided for the purpose of conversion of Notes hereunder require registration with or approval of any governmental authority under any federal or state law before such shares of Common Stock may be validly issued upon conversion, the Company will, to the extent then permitted by the rules and interpretations of the Commission, secure such registration or approval, as the case may be.

 

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(c) The Company further covenants that if at any time the Common Stock shall be listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system the Company will list and use commercially reasonably efforts to keep listed, so long as the Common Stock shall be so listed on such exchange or automated quotation system, any Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes.

Section 14.09. Responsibility of Trustee. The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine the Conversion Rate (or any adjustment thereto) or whether any facts exist that may require any adjustment (including any increase) of the Conversion Rate, or with respect to the nature or extent or calculation of any such adjustment when made, or with respect to the method employed, or herein or in any supplemental indenture provided to be employed, in making the same. The Trustee and any other Conversion Agent shall not be accountable with respect to the validity or value (or the kind or amount) of any shares of Common Stock, or of any securities, property or cash that may at any time be issued or delivered upon the conversion of any Note; and the Trustee and any other Conversion Agent make no representations with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be responsible for any failure of the Company to issue, transfer or deliver any shares of Common Stock or stock certificates or other securities or property or cash upon the surrender of any Note for the purpose of conversion or to comply with any of the duties, responsibilities or covenants of the Company contained in this Article. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, neither the Trustee nor any Conversion Agent shall be under any responsibility to determine the correctness of any provisions contained in any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 14.07 relating either to the kind or amount of shares of stock or securities or property (including cash) receivable by Holders upon the conversion of their Notes after any event referred to in such Section 14.07 or to any adjustment to be made with respect thereto, but, subject to the provisions of Section 7.01, may accept (without any independent investigation) as conclusive evidence of the correctness of any such provisions, and shall be protected in relying upon, the Officers’ Certificate (which the Company shall be obligated to file with the Trustee prior to the execution of any such supplemental indenture) with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor the Conversion Agent shall be responsible for determining whether any event contemplated by Section 14.01(b) has occurred that makes the Notes eligible for conversion or no longer eligible therefor until the Company has delivered to the Trustee and the Conversion Agent the notices referred to in Section 14.01(b) with respect to the commencement or termination of such conversion rights, on which notices the Trustee and the Conversion Agent may conclusively rely, and the Company agrees to deliver such notices to the Trustee and the Conversion Agent immediately after the occurrence of any such event or at such other times as shall be provided for in Section 14.01(b). Neither the Trustee nor the Conversion Agent shall have any obligation to make any calculation or to determine whether the Notes may be surrendered for conversion pursuant to this Indenture, or to notify the Company or the Depositary or any of the Holders if the Notes have become convertible pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, or to otherwise independently determine or verify if any Fundamental Change, Make-Whole Fundamental Change, Share Exchange Event, Trigger Event, or any other event has occurred or notify the Holders of any such event. Neither the Trustee nor Conversion Agent shall have the responsibility for any act or omission of any Designated Financial Institution.

 

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Section 14.10. Notice to Holders Prior to Certain Actions. In case of any:

(a) action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries that would require an adjustment in the Conversion Rate pursuant to Section 14.04 or Section 14.11;

(b) Share Exchange Event (other than with respect to any Share Exchange Event for which notice is provided for by Section 14.01(b)(iii)); or

(c) voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

then, in each case (unless notice of such event is otherwise required pursuant to another provision of this Indenture), the Company shall cause to be filed with the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) and to be delivered to each Holder, as promptly as possible but in any event at least 20 days prior to the applicable date hereinafter specified, a written notice stating (i) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or, if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of Common Stock of record are to be determined for the purposes of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) the date on which such Share Exchange Event, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is expected to become effective or occur, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their Common Stock for securities or other property deliverable upon such Share Exchange Event, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up. Failure to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of such action by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries, Share Exchange Event, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up.

Section 14.11. Stockholder Rights Plans. If the Company has a stockholder rights plan in effect upon conversion of the Notes, each share of Common Stock, if any, issued upon such conversion shall be entitled to receive the appropriate number of rights, if any, and the certificates representing the Common Stock issued upon such conversion shall bear such legends, if any, in each case as may be provided by the terms of any such stockholder rights plan, as the same may be amended from time to time. However, if, prior to any conversion of Notes, the rights have separated from the shares of Common Stock in accordance with the provisions of the applicable stockholder rights plan, the Conversion Rate shall be adjusted at the time of separation as if the Company distributed to all or substantially all holders of the Common Stock Distributed Property as provided in Section 14.04(c), subject to readjustment in the event of the expiration, termination or redemption of such rights

Section 14.12. Exchange In Lieu Of Conversion. (a) When a Holder surrenders its Notes for conversion, the Company may, at its election (an “Exchange Election”), cause such Notes to be delivered to one or more financial institutions designated by the Company (each, a “Designated Financial Institution”) for exchange in lieu of conversion. In order to accept any Notes surrendered for conversion, the Designated Financial Institution(s) must agree in writing to timely pay and/or deliver, as the case may be, in exchange for such Notes, the amount of cash, number of shares of Common Stock or any combination thereof, at the Company’s election, that

 

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would otherwise be due upon conversion pursuant to Section 14.02 (the “Conversion Consideration”). If the Company makes an Exchange Election, the Company shall, before the close of business on the Business Day immediately following the relevant Conversion Date, notify in writing the Trustee, the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) and the Holder surrendering its Notes for conversion that the Company has made the Exchange Election and the Company shall notify the Designated Financial Institution(s), the Trustee and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee) of the relevant deadline for payment and/or delivery of the Conversion Consideration. If the Company makes an Exchange Election, no later than the second Business Day immediately following the relevant Conversion Date, the Company shall deliver (or cause the Conversion Agent to deliver) the Notes surrendered for exchange to the Designated Financial Institution(s) in lieu of conversion. The Company, the Holder surrendering the Notes for conversion, the Designated Financial Institution(s) and the Conversion Agent shall cooperate to cause such Notes to be delivered to the Designated Financial Institution(s) and the Conversion Agent shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon the Company’s instruction in connection with effecting any Exchange Election and shall have no liability for such Exchange Election outside its control.

(b) Any Notes exchanged by the Designated Financial Institution(s) shall remain outstanding notwithstanding the surrender of such Notes, subject to applicable procedures of the Depositary. If the Designated Financial Institution(s) agree(s) to accept any Notes for exchange but does not timely pay and/or deliver, as the case may be, the related Conversion Consideration, or if such Designated Financial Institution does not accept the Notes for exchange, the Company shall notify the Conversion Agent and the Holders surrendering the Notes for conversion in writing and shall pay and/or deliver, as the case may be, the relevant Conversion Consideration as if the Company had not made the Exchange Election.

(c) The Company’s designation of any Designated Financial Institution(s) to which the Notes may be submitted for exchange does not require such Designated Financial Institution(s) to accept any Notes and in such case, the Company shall notify the Conversion Agent of such refusal by the Designated Financial Institution(s).

ARTICLE 15

REPURCHASE OF NOTES AT OPTION OF HOLDERS

Section 15.01. [Intentionally Omitted]

Section 15.02. Repurchase at Option of Holders Upon a Fundamental Change. (a) If a Fundamental Change occurs at any time prior to the Maturity Date, each Holder shall have the right, at such Holder’s option, to require the Company to repurchase for cash all of such Holder’s Notes, or any portion thereof that is equal to minimum denominations of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, on the date (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Date”) specified by the Company that is not less than 20 calendar days or more than 35 calendar days following the date of the Fundamental Change Company Notice at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but

 

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excluding, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Price”), unless the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date falls after a Regular Record Date but on or prior to the Interest Payment Date to which such Regular Record Date relates, in which case the Company shall instead pay the full amount of accrued and unpaid interest (to, but excluding, such Interest Payment Date) to Holders of record as of such Regular Record Date, and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of Notes to be repurchased pursuant to this Article 15; provided that the Company shall not be required to repurchase, or to make an offer to repurchase, the Notes upon a Fundamental Change if a third party makes such an offer in the same manner, at the same time and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company as set forth in this Section 15.02 and such third party purchases all Notes properly surrendered and not validly withdrawn under its offer in the same manner, at the same time and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company as set forth in this Section 15.02.

(b) Repurchases of Notes under this Section 15.02 shall be made, at the option of the Holder thereof, upon:

(i) delivery to the Paying Agent or tender agent appointed to facilitate the repurchase (the “Tender Agent”) by a Holder of a duly completed notice (the “Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice”) in the form set forth in Attachment 2 to the Form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A, if the Notes are Physical Notes, or in compliance with the Depositary’s procedures for surrendering interests in Global Notes, if the Notes are Global Notes, in each case on or before the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date; and

(ii) delivery of the Notes, if the Notes are Physical Notes, to the Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, at any time after delivery of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice (together with all necessary endorsements for transfer) at the Corporate Trust Office of the Paying Agent or the principal office of the Tender Agent located in the United States of America as notified by the Tender Agent to Holders and the Trustee, as applicable, or book-entry transfer of the Notes, if the Notes are Global Notes, in compliance with the procedures of the Depositary, in each case such delivery being a condition to receipt by the Holder of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price therefor.

The Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in respect of any Notes to be repurchased shall state:

(i) in the case of Physical Notes, the certificate numbers of the Notes to be delivered for repurchase;

(ii) the portion of the principal amount of Notes to be repurchased, which must be $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof; and

(iii) that the Notes are to be repurchased by the Company pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Notes and this Indenture;

 

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provided, however, that if the Notes are Global Notes, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice must comply with appropriate Depositary procedures.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Holder delivering to the Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice contemplated by this Section 15.02 shall have the right to withdraw, in whole or in part, such Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice at any time prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date by delivery of a written notice of withdrawal to the Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, in accordance with Section 15.03, or in accordance with the customary procedures of the Depository with respect to Global Notes.

The Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Company of the receipt by it of any Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice or written notice of withdrawal thereof.

(c) On or before the 20th Business Day after the occurrence of the effective date of a Fundamental Change, the Company shall provide to all Holders of Notes and the Trustee, the Conversion Agent (in the case of a Conversion Agent other than the Trustee) and the Paying Agent (in the case of a Paying Agent other than the Trustee) a notice (the “Fundamental Change Company Notice”) of the occurrence of the effective date of the Fundamental Change and of the repurchase right at the option of the Holders arising as a result thereof. In the case of Physical Notes, such notice shall be by first class mail or, in the case of Global Notes, such notice shall be delivered in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary. Simultaneously with providing such notice, the Company shall publish a notice containing the information set forth in the Fundamental Change Company Notice on the Company’s website or through such other public medium as the Company may use at that time. Each Fundamental Change Company Notice shall specify:

(i) the events causing the Fundamental Change;

(ii) the effective date of the Fundamental Change;

(iii) the last date on which a Holder may exercise the repurchase right pursuant to this Article 15;

(iv) the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price;

(v) the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date;

(vi) the name and address of the Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, and the Conversion Agent, if applicable;

(vii) if applicable, the Conversion Rate and any adjustments to the Conversion Rate as a result of the Fundamental Change;

 

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(viii) that the Notes with respect to which a Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice has been delivered by a Holder may be converted only if the Holder validly withdraws the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; and

(ix) the procedures that Holders must follow to require the Company to repurchase their Notes.

No failure of the Company to give the foregoing notices and no defect therein shall limit the Holders’ repurchase rights or affect the validity of the proceedings for the repurchase of the Notes pursuant to this Section 15.02.

At the Company’s request, given at least five days prior to the date the Fundamental Change Company Notice is to be sent (or such shorter period as may be agreed to by the Trustee), the Trustee shall give such notice in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense; provided, however, that, in all cases, the text of such Fundamental Change Company Notice shall be prepared by the Company.

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Notes may be repurchased by the Company on any date at the option of the Holders upon a Fundamental Change if the principal amount of the Notes has been accelerated, and such acceleration has not been rescinded, on or prior to such date (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price with respect to such Notes). The Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, will promptly return to the respective Holders thereof any Physical Notes held by it during the acceleration of the Notes (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price with respect to such Notes), or any instructions for book-entry transfer of the Notes in compliance with the procedures of the Depositary shall be deemed to have been cancelled, and, upon such return or cancellation, as the case may be, the Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice with respect thereto shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

Section 15.03. Withdrawal of Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice. A Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice may be withdrawn (in whole or in part) by means of a written notice of withdrawal received by the Corporate Trust Office of the Paying Agent or the principal office of the Tender Agent located in the United States of America as notified by the Tender Agent to Holders and the Trustee, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 15.03 at any time prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, specifying:

(i) the principal amount of the Notes with respect to which such notice of withdrawal is being submitted,

(ii) if Physical Notes have been issued, the certificate number of the Note in respect of which such notice of withdrawal is being submitted, and

 

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(iii) the principal amount, if any, of such Note that remains subject to the original Fundamental Change Repurchase Notice, which portion must be in principal amounts of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000;

provided, however, that if the Notes are Global Notes, the notice must comply with appropriate procedures of the Depositary.

Section 15.04. Deposit of Fundamental Change Repurchase Price. (a) The Company will deposit with the Trustee (or other Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, appointed by the Company, or if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, set aside, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 4.04) on or prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date an amount of money sufficient to repurchase all of the Notes to be repurchased at the appropriate Fundamental Change Repurchase Price. Subject to receipt of funds and/or Notes by the Trustee (or other Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, appointed by the Company), payment for Notes surrendered for repurchase (and not withdrawn prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date) will be made on the later of (i) the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date (provided the Holder has satisfied the conditions in Section 15.02 and (ii) the time of book-entry transfer or the delivery of such Note to the Trustee (or other Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, appointed by the Company) by the Holder thereof in the manner required by Section 15.02 by mailing checks for the amount payable to the Holders of such Notes entitled thereto as they shall appear in the Note Register; provided, however, that payments to the Depositary shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee. The Paying Agent or Tender Agent shall, promptly after such payment and upon written demand by the Company, return to the Company any funds in excess of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price.

(b) If by 11:00 a.m. New York City time, on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, the Trustee (or other Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be, appointed by the Company) holds money sufficient to make payment on all the Notes or portions thereof that are to be repurchased on such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, then, with respect to the Notes that have been properly surrendered for repurchase and have not been validly withdrawn, (i) such Notes will cease to be outstanding, (ii) interest will cease to accrue on such Notes (whether or not book-entry transfer of the Notes has been made or the Notes have been delivered to the Trustee, Paying Agent or Tender Agent, as the case may be) and (iii) all other rights of the Holders of such Notes will terminate (other than the right to receive the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price and, if applicable, accrued and unpaid interest).

(c) Upon surrender of a Note that is to be repurchased in part pursuant to Section 15.02, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder a new Note in an authorized denomination equal in principal amount to the unrepurchased portion of the Note surrendered.

Section 15.05. Covenant to Comply with Applicable Laws Upon Repurchase of Notes. In connection with any repurchase offer, the Company will, if required:

 

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(a) comply with the provisions of Rule 13e-4, Rule 14e-1 and any other tender offer rules under the Exchange Act;

(b) file a Schedule TO or any other required schedule under the Exchange Act; and

(c) otherwise comply with all federal and state securities laws in connection with any offer by the Company to repurchase the Notes;

in each case, so as to permit the rights and obligations under this Article 15 to be exercised in the time and in the manner specified in this Article 15. To the extent that the provisions of any applicable securities laws or regulations enacted after the date of this Indenture conflict with the provisions of this Indenture relating to the Company’s obligations to repurchase the Notes upon a Fundamental Change, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under such provisions of this Indenture by virtue of such conflict.

ARTICLE 16

OPTIONAL REDEMPTION

Section 16.01. Optional Redemption. No sinking fund is provided for the Notes. The Notes shall not be redeemable by the Company prior to October 6, 2027. On or after October 6, 2027, the Company may redeem (an “Optional Redemption”) for cash all or any portion of the Notes, at the Redemption Price, if the Last Reported Sale Price of the Common Stock has been at least 130% of the Conversion Price then in effect for at least 20 Trading Days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive Trading Day period (including the last Trading Day of such period) ending on, and including, the Trading Day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides the Redemption Notice in accordance with Section 16.02. The Trustee shall have no liability or responsibility for determining whether the conditions to redemption have been met.

Section 16.02. Notice of Optional Redemption; Selection of Notes. (a) In case the Company exercises its Optional Redemption right to redeem all or, as the case may be, any part of the Notes pursuant to Section 16.01, it shall fix a date for redemption (each, a “Redemption Date”) and it or, at its written request set forth in an Officers’ Certificate received by the Trustee not less than 5 days prior to the date the Redemption Notice is to be sent to Holders (or such shorter period of time as may be acceptable to the Trustee), the Trustee, in the name of and at the expense of the Company, shall deliver or cause to be delivered a written notice of such Optional Redemption (a “Redemption Notice”) not less than 25 nor more than 45 Scheduled Trading Days prior to the Redemption Date to each Holder of Notes so to be redeemed as a whole or in part; provided, however, that, if the Company shall give such notice, it shall also give written notice of the Redemption Date to the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Conversion Agent (if other than the Trustee). The Redemption Date must be a Business Day, and the Company shall not specify a Redemption Date that falls on or after the 21st Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date. The Trustee is permitted to accept the Company’s direction regarding redemptions, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Indenture, and the Trustee shall have no liability for any action taken at the Company’s direction.

 

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(b) The Redemption Notice, if delivered in the manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such Redemption Notice or any defect in the Redemption Notice to the Holder of any Note designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Note.

(c) Each Redemption Notice shall specify:

(i) the Redemption Date;

(ii) the Redemption Price;

(iii) that on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each Note to be redeemed, and that interest thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after the Redemption Date;

(iv) the place or places where such Notes are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price;

(v) that Holders may surrender their Notes for conversion at any time prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Redemption Date;

(vi) the procedures a converting Holder must follow to convert its Notes and the Settlement Method and Specified Dollar Amount, if applicable;

(vii) the Conversion Rate and, if applicable, the number of Additional Shares added to the Conversion Rate in accordance with Section 14.03;

(viii) the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if any, assigned to such Notes; and

(ix) in case any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed and on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Note, a new Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof shall be issued.

A Redemption Notice shall be irrevocable.

(d) If fewer than all of the outstanding Notes are to be redeemed and the Notes to be redeemed are Global Notes then held by the Depositary, the Notes to be redeemed shall be selected by the Depositary in accordance with applicable procedures of the Depositary. If fewer than all of the outstanding Notes are to be redeemed and the Notes to be redeemed are not Global

 

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Notes then held by the Depositary, the Trustee shall select the Notes or portions thereof to be redeemed (in minimum principal amounts of $1,000 or multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof) by lot, on a pro rata basis or by another method the Trustee considers to be fair and appropriate, subject to the Depositary’s procedures. If any Note selected for partial redemption is submitted for conversion in part after such selection, the portion of the Note submitted for conversion shall be deemed (so far as may be possible) to be the portion selected for redemption.

Section 16.03. Payment of Notes Called for Redemption. (a) If any Redemption Notice has been given in respect of the Notes in accordance with Section 16.02, the Notes shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date at the place or places stated in the Redemption Notice and at the applicable Redemption Price. On presentation and surrender of the Notes at the place or places stated in the Redemption Notice, the Notes shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the applicable Redemption Price.

(b) Prior to the open of business on the Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent or, if the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company is acting as the Paying Agent, shall segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 7.05 an amount of cash (in immediately available funds if deposited on the Redemption Date), sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of all of the Notes to be redeemed on such Redemption Date. Subject to receipt of funds by the Paying Agent, payment for the Notes to be redeemed shall be made on the Redemption Date for such Notes. The Paying Agent shall, promptly after such payment and upon written demand by the Company, return to the Company any funds in excess of the Redemption Price.

Section 16.04. Restrictions on Redemption. The Company may not redeem any Notes on any date if the principal amount of the Notes has been accelerated in accordance with the terms of this Indenture, and such acceleration has not been rescinded, on or prior to the Redemption Date (except in the case of an acceleration resulting from a Default by the Company in the payment of the Redemption Price with respect to such Notes).

ARTICLE 17

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 17.01. Provisions Binding on Company’s Successors. All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements of the Company contained in this Indenture shall bind its successors and assigns whether so expressed or not.

Section 17.02. Official Acts by Successor Corporation. Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or Officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the like board, committee or officer of any corporation or other entity that shall at the time be the lawful sole successor of the Company.

 

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Section 17.03. Addresses for Notices, Etc. Any notice or demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the Holders on the Company shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes if given or served by being deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office letter box or overnight courier service addressed (until another address is filed by the Company with the Trustee) to Upstart Holdings, Inc., 2950 S. Delaware Street, Suite 410, San Mateo, California 94403, Attention: Legal Department. Any notice, direction, request or demand hereunder to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if given or served by being deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office letter box, electronic transmission or overnight delivery addressed to the Corporate Trust Office, whether sent by mail or electronically, upon actual receipt by the Trustee.

The Trustee, by notice to the Company, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication delivered or to be delivered to a Holder of Physical Notes shall be mailed to it by first class mail, postage prepaid, at its address as it appears on the Note Register and shall be sufficiently given to it if so mailed within the time prescribed. Any notice or communication delivered or to be delivered to a Holder of Global Notes shall be delivered in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary and shall be sufficiently given to it if so delivered within the time prescribed.

Failure to mail or deliver a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders. If a notice or communication is mailed or delivered, as the case may be, in the manner provided above, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice to Holders by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

Section 17.04. Governing Law; Jurisdiction. THIS INDENTURE AND EACH NOTE, AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS INDENTURE AND EACH NOTE, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

The Company irrevocably consents and agrees, to the extent permitted by applicable law, for the benefit of the Holders from time to time of the Notes and the Trustee, that any legal action, suit or proceeding against it with respect to obligations, liabilities or any other matter arising out of or in connection with this Indenture or the Notes may be brought in the courts of the State of New York or the courts of the United States located in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City, New York and, until amounts due and to become due in respect of the Notes have been paid, hereby irrevocably consents and submits, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to the jurisdiction of each such court in personam, generally and unconditionally, to the extent permitted by applicable law, with respect to any action, suit or proceeding for itself in respect of its properties, assets and revenues.

 

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The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any of the aforesaid actions, suits or proceedings arising out of or in connection with this Indenture brought in the courts of the State of New York or the courts of the United States located in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City, New York and hereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees, to the extent permitted by applicable law, not to plead or claim in any such court that any such action, suit or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

Section 17.05. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent; Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to Trustee. Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, stating that such action is permitted by the terms of this Indenture and that all conditions precedent to such action have been complied with; provided that such Opinion of Counsel shall not be required in connection with the issuance of the Notes on the original issue date of the Notes.

Each Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel provided for, by or on behalf of the Company in this Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with this Indenture (other than the Officers’ Certificates provided for in Section 4.08) shall include (a) a statement that the person signing such certificate is familiar with the requested action and this Indenture; (b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statement contained in such certificate is based; (c) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such action is permitted by this Indenture; and (d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such action is permitted by this Indenture and all conditions precedent to such action have been complied with.

Section 17.06. Legal Holidays. In any case where any Interest Payment Date, any Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, Redemption Date or the Maturity Date is not a Business Day or is a day on which banks located in the location of the Corporate Trust Office are authorized or required by law or executive order to close or be closed, then any action to be taken on such date need not be taken on such date, but may be taken on the next succeeding Business Day that is not a day on which banks located in the location of the Corporate Trust Office are authorized or required by law or executive order to close or be closed with the same force and effect as if taken on such date, and no interest shall accrue in respect of the delay.

Section 17.07. No Security Interest Created. Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, expressed or implied, shall be construed to constitute a security interest under the Uniform Commercial Code or similar legislation, as now or hereafter enacted and in effect, in any jurisdiction.

 

95


Section 17.08. Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture or in the Notes, expressed or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the Holders, the parties hereto, any Paying Agent, any Conversion Agent, any authenticating agent, any Note Registrar and their successors hereunder, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

Section 17.09. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. The table of contents and the titles and headings of the articles and sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section 17.10. Authenticating Agent. The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent that shall be authorized to act on its behalf and subject to its direction in the authentication and delivery of Notes in connection with the original issuance thereof and transfers and exchanges of Notes hereunder, including under Section 2.04, Section 2.05, Section 2.06, Section 2.07, Section 10.04 and Section 15.04 as fully to all intents and purposes as though the authenticating agent had been expressly authorized by this Indenture and those Sections to authenticate and deliver Notes. For all purposes of this Indenture, the authentication and delivery of Notes by the authenticating agent shall be deemed to be authentication and delivery of such Notes “by the Trustee” and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an authenticating agent shall be deemed to satisfy any requirement hereunder or in the Notes for the Trustee’s certificate of authentication. Such authenticating agent shall at all times be a Person eligible to serve as trustee hereunder pursuant to Section 7.08.

Any corporation or other entity into which any authenticating agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or other entity resulting from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any authenticating agent shall be a party, or any corporation or other entity succeeding to the corporate trust business of any authenticating agent, shall be the successor of the authenticating agent hereunder, if such successor corporation or other entity is otherwise eligible under this Section 17.10, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the parties hereto or the authenticating agent or such successor corporation or other entity.

Any authenticating agent may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of any authenticating agent by giving written notice of termination to such authenticating agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time any authenticating agent shall cease to be eligible under this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor authenticating agent (which may be the Trustee), shall give written notice of such appointment to the Company and shall deliver notice of such appointment to all Holders.

The Company agrees to pay to the authenticating agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services although the Company may terminate the authenticating agent, if it determines such agent’s fees to be unreasonable.

 

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The provisions of Section 7.02, Section 7.03, Section 7.04, Section 8.03 and this Section 17.10 shall be applicable to any authenticating agent.

If an authenticating agent is appointed pursuant to this Section 17.10, the Notes may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:

Date:

 

 

  ,
as Authenticating Agent, certifies that this is one of the Notes described in the within-named Indenture.

 

By:  

 

Authorized Signatory

Section 17.11. Execution in Counterparts. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes. This Indenture shall be valid, binding, and enforceable against a party only when executed and delivered by an authorized individual on behalf of the party by means of (i) any electronic signature permitted by the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, state enactments of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and/or any other relevant electronic signatures law, including relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code (collectively, “Signature Law”); (ii) an original manual signature; or (iii) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature. Each electronic signature or faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in evidence as an original manual signature. Each party hereto shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon, and shall have no liability with respect to, any faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature, or other electronic signature, of any party and shall have no duty to investigate, confirm or otherwise verify the validity or authenticity thereof. For avoidance of doubt, original manual signatures shall be used for execution or indorsement of writings when required under the Uniform Commercial Code or other Signature Law due to the character or intended character of the writings. All notices, approvals, consents, requests and any communications hereunder must be in writing; provided that any such communication sent to Trustee hereunder must be in the form of a document that is signed manually or by way of a digital signature provided by DocuSign or other electronic signature provider that the Company plans to use (or such other digital signature provider as specified in writing to Trustee by the authorized representative), in English. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of digital signatures and electronic methods to submit communications to Trustee, including without limitation the risk of Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.

 

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Section 17.12. Severability. In the event any provision of this Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, then (to the extent permitted by law) the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired.

Section 17.13. Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

Section 17.14. Force Majeure. In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, labor dispute, disease, epidemic or pandemic, quarantine, national emergency and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services, communications system failure, malware or ransomware or unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or telex system or other wire or other funds transfer systems, or unavailability of any securities clearing system; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts that are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

Section 17.15. Calculations. The Company shall be responsible for making all calculations called for under this Indenture and the Notes and the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Conversion Agent, Bid Solicitation Agent (if the Trustee) and the Note Registrar shall have no liability or responsibility for any calculations or any information in connection with such calculations. These calculations include, but are not limited to, determinations of the Redemption Price, Stock Price, the Trading Price of the Notes (for purposes of determining whether the Notes are convertible as described herein), the Last Reported Sale Prices of the Common Stock, the Daily VWAPs, the Daily Conversion Values, the Daily Settlement Amounts, the amount of conversion consideration deliverable in respect of any conversions, accrued interest payable on the Notes, any Additional Interest that may accrue on the Notes and the Conversion Rate and Conversion Price of the Notes (or any adjustments to such Conversion Rate or Conversion Price). The Company shall make all these calculations in good faith and, absent manifest error, the Company’s calculations shall be final and binding on Holders of Notes. The Company shall provide a schedule of its calculations to each of the Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Conversion Agent, and each of the Trustee, the Paying Agent and Conversion Agent is entitled to rely conclusively upon the accuracy of the Company’s calculations without independent verification. The Company will forward or cause the Trustee to forward its calculations to any Holder of Notes upon the written request of that Holder at the sole cost and expense of the Company.

 

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Section 17.16. USA PATRIOT Act. The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Sanjay Datta

  Name: Sanjay Datta
  Title:  Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page to Indenture]


U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
By:  

/s/ David A. Jason

  Name: David A. Jason
  Title:  Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Indenture]


EXHIBIT A

[FORM OF FACE OF NOTE]

[INCLUDE FOLLOWING LEGEND IF A GLOBAL NOTE]

[UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT HEREUNDER IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.]

[INCLUDE FOLLOWING LEGEND IF A RESTRICTED SECURITY]

[THIS SECURITY AND THE COMMON STOCK, IF ANY, ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS SECURITY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”) AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF OR OF A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN, THE ACQUIRER:

(1) REPRESENTS THAT IT AND ANY ACCOUNT FOR WHICH IT IS ACTING IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (WITHIN THE MEANING OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AND THAT IT EXERCISES SOLE INVESTMENT DISCRETION WITH RESPECT TO EACH SUCH ACCOUNT, AND

(2) AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC. (THE “COMPANY”) THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL, PLEDGE OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS SECURITY OR ANY BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE THAT IS THE LATER OF (X) ONE YEAR AFTER THE LAST ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION THERETO AND (Y) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EXCEPT:

(A) TO THE COMPANY OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, OR

(B) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT THAT HAS BECOME EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR

 

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(C) TO A PERSON REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR

(D) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.

PRIOR TO THE REGISTRATION OF ANY TRANSFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH CLAUSE (2)(D) ABOVE, THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF SUCH LEGAL OPINIONS, CERTIFICATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE AS MAY REASONABLY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE AS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT.]1

NO AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC. OR PERSON THAT HAS BEEN AN AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC. DURING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THREE MONTHS MAY PURCHASE, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR HOLD THIS SECURITY OR A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN.

 

1 

This Restricted Security legend shall be deemed removed from the face of this Security without further action of the Company, the Trustee, or the holders of this Security at such time as the Company notifies the Trustee that such legend is removed pursuant to and subject to Section 2.05(c) of the Indenture.

 

A-2


UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.

2.00% Convertible Senior Note due 2029

 

No. [_____]    [Initially]2 $[_________]    
CUSIP No. [   ]3   

Upstart Holdings, Inc., a corporation duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company,” which term includes any successor corporation or other entity under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received hereby promises to pay to [CEDE & CO.]4 [   ]5, or registered assigns, the principal sum [as set forth in the “Schedule of Exchanges of Notes” attached hereto]6 [of $[   ]]7, which amount, taken together with the principal amounts of all other outstanding Notes, shall not, unless permitted by the Indenture, exceed $431,250,000 in aggregate at any time, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary, on October 1, 2029, and interest thereon as set forth below.

This Note shall bear interest at the rate of 2.00% per year from September 19, 2024, or from the most recent date to which interest had been paid or provided for to, but excluding, the next scheduled Interest Payment Date until October 1, 2029. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on each April 1 and October 1, commencing on April 1, 2025, to Holders of record at the close of business on the preceding March 15 and September 15 (whether or not such day is a Business Day), respectively. Accrued interest on the Notes, if any, shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day month and, for partial months, on the basis of the number of days actually elapsed in a 30-day month. Additional Interest will be payable as set forth in Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) and Section 6.03 of the within-mentioned Indenture, and any reference to interest on, or in respect of, any Note therein shall be deemed to include Additional Interest (including any Deferred Additional Interest and, if applicable, interest thereon) if, in such context, Additional Interest (including any Deferred Additional Interest and, if applicable, interest thereon) is, was or would be payable pursuant to any of such Section 4.06(d), Section 4.06(e) or Section 6.03, and any express mention of the payment of Additional Interest, Deferred Additional Interest and/or interest thereon in any provision therein shall not be construed as excluding Additional Interest, Deferred Additional Interest and/or interest thereon in those provisions thereof where such express mention is not made.

 

2 

Include if a global note.

3 

At such time as the Company notifies the Trustee that the Restricted Security legend is removed pursuant to Section 2.05(c) of the Indenture, the CUSIP number for this Security shall be deemed to be CUSIP No. [   ].

4 

Include if a global note.

5 

Include if a physical note.

6 

Include if a global note.

7 

Include if a physical note.

 

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Any Defaulted Amounts shall accrue interest per annum at the rate borne by the Notes, subject to the enforceability thereof under applicable law, from, and including, the relevant

payment date to, but excluding, the date on which such Defaulted Amounts shall have been paid by the Company, at its election, in accordance with Section 2.03(c) of the Indenture.

The Company shall pay the principal of and interest on this Note, if and so long as such Note is a Global Note, in immediately available funds to the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered Holder of such Note. As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Company shall pay the principal of any Notes (other than Notes that are Global Notes) at the office or agency designated by the Company for that purpose. The Company has initially designated the Trustee as its Paying Agent and Note Registrar in respect of the Notes and its Corporate Trust Office located in the United States of America, as a place where Notes may be presented for payment or for registration of transfer and exchange.

Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, including, without limitation, provisions giving the Holder of this Note the right to convert this Note into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, as applicable, on the terms and subject to the limitations set forth in the Indenture. Such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.

This Note, and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Note, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York.

In the case of any conflict between this Note and the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall control and govern.

This Note shall not be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed manually by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent under the Indenture.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed.

 

UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

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Dated:

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee, certifies that this is one of the Notes described in the within-named Indenture.

 

By: _______________________________

Authorized Signatory

 

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[FORM OF REVERSE OF NOTE]

UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.

2.00% Convertible Senior Note due 2029

This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Notes of the Company, designated as its 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”), limited to the aggregate principal amount of $431,250,000 all issued or to be issued under and pursuant to an Indenture dated as of September 19, 2024 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (the “Trustee”), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee, the Company and the Holders of the Notes. Additional Notes may be issued in an unlimited aggregate principal amount, subject to certain conditions specified in the Indenture. Capitalized terms used in this Note and not defined in this Note shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Indenture.

In case certain Events of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the principal of, and interest on, all Notes may be declared, by either the Trustee or Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, and upon said declaration shall become, due and payable, in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions and certain exceptions set forth in the Indenture.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, the Company will make all payments and deliveries in respect of the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date, the Redemption Price on any Redemption Date and the principal amount on the Maturity Date, as the case may be, to the Holder who surrenders a Note to a Paying Agent to collect such payments in respect of the Note. The Company will pay cash amounts in money of the United States that at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.

The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Company and the Trustee in certain circumstances, without the consent of the Holders of the Notes, and in certain other circumstances, with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, evidenced as in the Indenture provided, to execute supplemental indentures modifying the terms of the Indenture and the Notes as described therein. It is also provided in the Indenture that, subject to certain exceptions, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes waive any past Default or Event of Default under the Indenture and its consequences.

Each Holder shall have the right to receive payment or delivery, as the case may be, of (x) the principal (including the Redemption Price and the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price, if applicable) of, (y) accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on, and (z) the consideration due upon conversion of, this Note at the place, at the respective times, at the rate and in the lawful money or shares of Common Stock, as the case may be, herein prescribed.

 

A-7


The Notes are issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples thereof. At the office or agency of the Company referred to on the face hereof, and in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, Notes may be exchanged for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of other authorized denominations, without payment of any service charge but, if required by the Company or Trustee, with payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer or similar tax that may be imposed in connection therewith as a result of the name of the Holder of the new Notes issued upon such exchange of Notes being different from the name of the Holder of the old Notes surrendered for such exchange.

The Notes shall be redeemable at the Company’s option on or after October 6, 2027 in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions specified in the Indenture. No sinking fund is provided for the Notes.

Upon the occurrence of a Fundamental Change, the Holder has the right, at such Holder’s option, to require the Company to repurchase for cash all of such Holder’s Notes or any portion thereof (in principal amounts of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof) on the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date at a price equal to the Fundamental Change Repurchase Price.

Subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder hereof has the right, at its option, during certain periods and upon the occurrence of certain conditions specified in the Indenture, prior to the close of business on the second Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the Maturity Date, to convert any Notes or portion thereof that is $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof, into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, as applicable, at the Conversion Rate specified in the Indenture, as adjusted from time to time as provided in the Indenture.

 

A-8


ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription of the face of this Note, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM = as tenants in common

UNIF GIFT MIN ACT = Uniform Gifts to Minors Act

CUST = Custodian

TEN ENT = as tenants by the entireties

JT TEN = joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

 

A-9


SCHEDULE A8

SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF NOTES

UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.

2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029

The initial principal amount of this Global Note is [   ] DOLLARS ($[   ]). The following increases or decreases in this Global Note have been made:

 

Date of exchange

  

Amount of

decrease in

principal amount

of this Global Note

  

Amount of

increase in

principal amount

of this Global Note

  

Principal amount

of this Global Note

following such

decrease or

increase

  

Signature of

authorized

signatory of

Trustee or

Custodian

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

8 

Include if a global note.

 

A-10


ATTACHMENT 1

[FORM OF NOTICE OF CONVERSION]

 

To:

U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association

RE: Upstart Holdings, Inc. Convertible Senior Notes due 2029

1 California Street, Suite 1000

San Francisco, CA 94111

Attention: D. Jason

The undersigned registered owner of this Note hereby exercises the option to convert this Note, or the portion hereof (that is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) below designated, into cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, as applicable, in accordance with the terms of the Indenture referred to in this Note, and directs that any cash payable and any shares of Common Stock issuable and deliverable upon such conversion, together with any cash for any fractional share, and any Notes representing any unconverted principal amount hereof, be issued and delivered to the registered Holder hereof unless a different name has been indicated below. If any shares of Common Stock or any portion of this Note not converted are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all documentary, stamp or similar issue or transfer taxes, if any in accordance with Section 14.02(d) and Section 14.02(e) of the Indenture. Any amount required to be paid to the undersigned on account of interest accompanies this Note. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Indenture.

 

Dated:  

 

       

 

      

 

Signature(s)

 

Signature Guarantee

    
Signature(s) must be guaranteedby an eligible Guarantor Institution (banks, stock brokers, savings andloan associations and credit unions)with membership in an approvedsignature guarantee medallion programpursuant to Securities and Exchange     

 

1


Commission Rule 17Ad-15 if shares of Common Stock are to be issued, or Notes are to be delivered, other thanto and in the name of the registered holder.
Fill in for registration of shares ifto be issued, and Notes if tobe delivered, other than to and in thename of the registered holder:

 

(Name)

 

(Street Address)

 

(City, State and Zip Code)

Please print name and address

 

Principal amount to be converted (if less than all): $______,000
NOTICE: The above signature(s) of the Holder(s) hereof must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Note in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.

 

Social Security or Other Taxpayer

Identification Number

 

2


ATTACHMENT 2

[FORM OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE REPURCHASE NOTICE]

 

To:

U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association

RE: Upstart Holdings, Inc. Convertible Senior Notes due 2029

1 California Street, Suite 1000

San Francisco, CA 94111

Attention: D. Jason

The undersigned registered owner of this Note hereby acknowledges receipt of a notice from Upstart Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) as to the occurrence of a Fundamental Change with respect to the Company and specifying the Fundamental Change Repurchase Date and requests and instructs the Company to pay to the registered holder hereof in accordance with Section 15.02 of the Indenture referred to in this Note (1) the entire principal amount of this Note, or the portion thereof (that is $1,000 principal amount or an integral multiple thereof) below designated, and (2) if such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date does not fall during the period after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the corresponding Interest Payment Date, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to, but excluding, such Fundamental Change Repurchase Date. Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Indenture.

In the case of Physical Notes, the certificate numbers of the Notes to be repurchased are as set forth below:

 

Dated:  

 

 

 

Signature(s)

 

Social Security or Other Taxpayer

Identification Number
Principal amount to be repaid (if less than all): $   ,000
NOTICE: The above signature(s) of the Holder(s) hereof must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Note in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.

 

1


ATTACHMENT 3

[FORM OF ASSIGNMENT AND TRANSFER]

 

To:

U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association

RE: Upstart Holdings, Inc. Convertible Senior Notes due 2029

1 California Street, Suite 1000

San Francisco, CA 94111

Attention: D. Jason

For value received             hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto          (Please insert social security or Taxpayer Identification Number of assignee) the within Note, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints             attorney to transfer the said Note on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.

In connection with any transfer of the within Note occurring prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date, as defined in the Indenture governing such Note, the undersigned confirms that such Note is being transferred:

☐ To Upstart Holdings, Inc. or a subsidiary thereof; or

☐ Pursuant to a registration statement that has become effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; or

☐ Pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; or

☐ Pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any other available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

1


Dated: ________________________

 

 

Signature(s)

 

Signature Guarantee

Signature(s) must be guaranteed by aneligible Guarantor Institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations andcredit unions) with membership in an approvedsignature guarantee medallion program pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 17Ad-15 if Notes are to be delivered, other than to and in the name of the registered holder.

NOTICE: The signature on the assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Note in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.

 

2

Exhibit 10.1

Bid Form

 

To:    Upstart Holdings, Inc.
   2950 S. Delaware Street, Suite 410
   San Mateo, California 94403
   Attention: Legal Department
   Telephone No.: [_______]
From:    [Dealer]
Re:    [Base][Additional] Capped Call Transaction
Date:    September [___], 2024

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

The purpose of this communication (this “Confirmation”) is to set forth the terms and conditions of the above-referenced transaction entered into on the Trade Date specified below (the “Transaction”) between [_______] (“Dealer”)[, represented by [_______] (“Agent”) as its agent,] and Upstart Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Counterparty”). This communication constitutes a “Confirmation” as referred to in the ISDA Master Agreement specified below.

1. This Confirmation is subject to, and incorporates, the definitions and provisions of the 2006 ISDA Definitions (the “2006 Definitions”) and the definitions and provisions of the 2002 ISDA Equity Derivatives Definitions (the “Equity Definitions”, and together with the 2006 Definitions, the “Definitions”), in each case as published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”). In the event of any inconsistency between the 2006 Definitions and the Equity Definitions, the Equity Definitions will govern and in the event of any inconsistency between terms defined in the Equity Definitions and this Confirmation, this Confirmation shall govern.

This Confirmation evidences a complete and binding agreement between Dealer and Counterparty as to the terms of the Transaction to which this Confirmation relates. This Confirmation shall be subject to an agreement (the “Agreement”) in the form of the 2002 ISDA Master Agreement as if Dealer and Counterparty had executed an agreement in such form on the Trade Date (but without any Schedule except for (i) the election of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law (without reference to choice of law doctrine); [and] (ii) the election that the “Cross Default” provisions of Section 5(a)(vi) of the Agreement shall apply to Dealer, (a) with a “Threshold Amount” of 3% of the shareholders’ equity of [Dealer][Dealer Parent (“Dealer Parent”)] on the Trade Date, (b) “Specified Indebtedness” having the meaning set forth in Section 14 of the Agreement, except that it shall not include any obligation in respect of deposits received in the ordinary course of Dealer’s banking business, (c) the phrase “, or becoming capable at such time of being declared,” shall be deleted from clause (1) of such Section 5(a)(vi) of the Agreement, and (d) the following sentence shall be added to the end of Section 5(a)(vi) of the Agreement: “Notwithstanding the foregoing, a default under subsection (2) hereof shall not constitute an Event of Default if (i) the default was caused solely by error or omission of an administrative or operational nature; (ii) funds were available to enable the relevant party to make payment when due; and (iii) the payment is made within two Local Business Days of such party’s receipt of written notice of its failure to pay.”[; (iii) the election of an executed guarantee of [_______] (the “Guarantor”) dated as of the Trade Date in substantially the form attached hereto as Schedule 1 as a Credit Support Document; and (iv) the election of Guarantor as a Credit Support Provider in relation to Dealer.”]).

All provisions contained in, or incorporated by reference to, the Agreement will govern this Confirmation except as expressly modified herein. In the event of any inconsistency between this Confirmation and either the Definitions or the Agreement, this Confirmation shall govern.

The Transaction hereunder shall be the sole Transaction under the Agreement. If there exists any ISDA Master Agreement between Dealer and Counterparty or any confirmation or other agreement between Dealer and Counterparty pursuant to which an ISDA Master Agreement is deemed to exist between Dealer and Counterparty, then notwithstanding anything to the contrary in such ISDA Master Agreement, such confirmation or agreement or any other agreement to which Dealer and Counterparty are parties, the Transaction shall not be considered a Transaction under, or otherwise governed by, such existing or deemed ISDA Master Agreement.


2. The Transaction constitutes a Share Option Transaction for purposes of the Equity Definitions. The terms of the particular Transaction to which this Confirmation relates are as follows:

 

General Terms:   

Trade Date:

   September [___], 2024

Effective Date:

   September [___], 2024, or such other date as agreed by the parties in writing.

Components:

   The Transaction will be divided into individual Components, each with the terms set forth in this Confirmation, and, in particular, with the Number of Options and Expiration Date set forth in Annex A to this Confirmation. The exercise, valuation and settlement of the Transaction will be effected separately for each Component as if each Component were a separate Transaction under the Agreement.

Option Style:

   “European”, as described under “Procedures for Exercise” below.

Option Type:

   Call

Seller:

   Dealer

Buyer:

   Counterparty

Shares:

   The common stock of Counterparty, par value USD 0.0001 per share (Exchange symbol “UPST”).

Number of Options:

   For each Component, as provided in Annex A to this Confirmation.1

Option Entitlement:

   One Share Per Option

Strike Price:

   USD [_______]

Cap Price:

   USD [_______]; provided that in no event shall the Cap Price be reduced to an amount less than the Strike Price in connection with any adjustment by the Calculation Agent under this Confirmation.

 

1 

For the base capped call, the total should be equal to (i) the number of Convertible Notes in principal amount of $1,000 initially issued on the closing date for the Convertible Notes (excluding any Convertible Notes sold pursuant to the option to purchase additional notes) multiplied by (ii) the initial conversion rate. For the additional capped call, the total should be equal to (i) the number of additional Convertible Notes in principal amount of $1,000 multiplied by (ii) the initial conversion rate.

 

2


Number of Shares:

   As of any date, a number of Shares equal to the product of (i) the Number of Options and (ii) the Option Entitlement.

Premium:

   USD [________] (Premium per Option approximately USD [_______]). Dealer and Counterparty hereby agree that notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in the Agreement, following the payment of the Premium, in the event that (a) an Early Termination Date (whether as a result of an Event of Default or a Termination Event) occurs or is designated with respect to any Transaction and, as a result, Counterparty owes to Dealer the amount calculated under Section 6(d) and Section 6(e) or otherwise under the Agreement (calculated as if the Transactions terminated on such Early Termination Date were the sole Transactions under the Agreement) or (b) Counterparty owes to Dealer, pursuant to Sections 12.2, 12.3, 12.6, 12.7, 12.8 or 12.9 of the Equity Definitions or otherwise under the Equity Definitions, an amount calculated under Section 12.8 of the Equity Definitions, such amount shall be deemed to be zero.

Premium Payment Date:

   September [______], 20242

Exchange:

   The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Related Exchange:

   All Exchanges; provided that Section 1.26 of the Equity Definitions shall be amended to add the words “United States” before the word “exchange” in the tenth line of such Section.
Procedures for Exercise:   

Expiration Time:

   The Valuation Time

Expiration Date:

   For any Component, as provided in Annex A to this Confirmation (or, if such date is not a Scheduled Valid Day, the next following Scheduled Valid Day that is not already an Expiration Date for another Component); provided that if that date is a Disrupted Day, the Expiration Date for such Component shall be the first succeeding Scheduled Valid Day that is not a Disrupted Day and is not or is not deemed to be an Expiration Date in respect of any other Component of the Transaction hereunder; and provided further that in no event shall the Expiration Date be postponed to a date later than the Final Termination Date and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Confirmation or the Equity Definitions, the Relevant Price for such Expiration Date that occurs on the Final Termination Date shall be the prevailing market value per Share determined by the Calculation Agent in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner. Notwithstanding the foregoing and anything to the contrary in the Equity Definitions, if a Market Disruption

 

2 

Insert the closing date for the Convertible Notes.

 

3


   Event occurs on any Expiration Date, the Calculation Agent may determine in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner that such Expiration Date is a Disrupted Day only in part, in which case the Calculation Agent shall make commercially reasonable adjustments to the Number of Options for the relevant Component for which such day shall be the Expiration Date, shall designate the Scheduled Valid Day determined in the manner described in the immediately preceding sentence as the Expiration Date for the remaining Options for such Component and shall determine the Relevant Price in a commercially reasonable manner based on transactions in the Shares on such Disrupted Day taking into account the nature and duration of such Market Disruption Event on such day. Section 6.6 of the Equity Definitions shall not apply to any Valuation Date occurring on an Expiration Date.

Final Termination Date:

   November 23, 2029

Automatic Exercise:

   Applicable, which means that the Number of Options for the relevant Component will be deemed to be automatically exercised at the Expiration Time on the Expiration Date for such Component if at such time such Component is In-the-Money, as determined in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner by the Calculation Agent, unless Buyer notifies Seller (in writing) prior to the Expiration Time on such Expiration Date that it does not wish Automatic Exercise to occur with respect to such Component, in which case Automatic Exercise will not apply with respect to such Component. “In-the-Money” means, in respect of any Component, that the Relevant Price on the Expiration Date for such Component is greater than the Strike Price for such Component.

Valuation Time:

   At the close of trading of the regular trading session on the Exchange; provided that if the principal trading session is extended, the Calculation Agent shall determine the Valuation Time in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner.

Valuation Date:

   For any Component, the Expiration Date therefor.

Market Disruption Event:

  

Section 6.3(a) of the Equity Definitions is hereby replaced in its entirety by the following:

 

“‘Market Disruption Event’ means, in respect of a Share, (i) a failure by the primary United States national or regional securities exchange or market on which the Shares are listed or admitted for trading to open for trading during its regular trading session or (ii) the occurrence or existence prior to 1:00 p.m. (New York City time) on any Exchange Business Day for more than one half-hour period in the aggregate during regular trading hours of any suspension or limitation imposed on trading (by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the relevant stock exchange or otherwise) in the Shares or in any options contracts or futures contracts relating to the Shares.”

 

4


Settlement Terms:   

Settlement Method Election:

  

Applicable; provided that (a) Section 7.1 of the Equity Definitions is hereby amended by replacing the term “Physical Settlement” with the term “Net Share Settlement”, (b) Counterparty must make a single irrevocable election for all Components and (c) if Counterparty makes a Cash Settlement election, such Settlement Method Election would be effective only if Counterparty represents and warrants to Dealer in writing on the date of such Settlement Method Election that (i) Counterparty is not in possession of any material non-public information regarding Counterparty or the Shares, and (ii) such election is being made in good faith and not as part of a plan or scheme to evade compliance with the federal securities laws.

 

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Counterparty acknowledges its responsibilities under applicable securities laws, and in particular Sections 9 and 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder in respect of such election.

Electing Party:

   Counterparty

Settlement Method Election Date:

   The second Scheduled Valid Day prior to the scheduled Expiration Date for the Component with the earliest scheduled Expiration Date.

Default Settlement Method:

   Net Share Settlement

Net Share Settlement:

  

With respect to any Component, if Net Share Settlement is applicable to the Options exercised or deemed exercised hereunder, Dealer will deliver to Counterparty, on the Settlement Date, a number of Shares (the “Net Share Settlement Amount”) equal to (i) the Daily Option Value on the Expiration Date of such Component divided by (ii) the Relevant Price on such Expiration Date.

 

Dealer will deliver cash in lieu of any fractional Shares to be delivered with respect to any Net Share Settlement Amount valued at the Relevant Price for the Expiration Date of such Component.

Cash Settlement:

   With respect to any Component, if Cash Settlement is applicable to the Options exercised or deemed exercised hereunder, in lieu of Section 8.1 of the Equity Definitions, Dealer will pay to Counterparty, on the Settlement Date, an amount of cash (the “Cash Settlement Amount”) equal to the Daily Option Value on the Expiration Date of such Component.

 

5


Daily Option Value:

   For any Component, an amount equal to (i) the Number of Options in such Component, multiplied by (ii) the Option Entitlement, multiplied by (iii) (A) the lesser of the Relevant Price on the Expiration Date of such Component and the Cap Price, minus (B) the Strike Price on such Expiration Date; provided that if the calculation contained in clause (iii) above results in a negative number, the Daily Option Value for such Component shall be deemed to be zero. In no event will the Daily Option Value be less than zero.

Valid Day:

   A day on which (i) there is no Market Disruption Event and (ii) trading in the Shares generally occurs on the Exchange. If the Shares are not listed, quoted or traded on any U.S. securities exchange or any other market, “Valid Day” means a Business Day.

Scheduled Valid Day:

   A day that is scheduled to be a Valid Day on the Exchange. If the Shares are not listed, quoted or traded on any U.S. securities exchange or any other market, “Scheduled Valid Day” means a Business Day.

Business Day:

   Any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close or be closed in the State of New York.

Relevant Price:

   On any Valid Day, the per Share volume-weighted average price as displayed under the heading “Bloomberg VWAP” on Bloomberg page “UPST <equity> AQR” (or its equivalent successor if such page is not available) (the “VWAP”) in respect of the period from the scheduled open of trading until the scheduled close of trading of the primary trading session on such Valid Day (or if such volume-weighted average price is unavailable at such time, the market value of one Share on such Valid Day, as determined by the Calculation Agent in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner using, if practicable, a volume-weighted average method substantially similar to the method for determining the VWAP). The Relevant Price will be determined without regard to after-hours trading or any other trading outside of the regular trading session trading hours.

Settlement Date:

   For all Components of the Transaction, the date one Settlement Cycle immediately following the Expiration Date for the Component with the latest scheduled Expiration Date.

Settlement Currency:

   USD

 

6


Other Applicable Provisions:

   The provisions of Sections 9.1(c), 9.8, 9.9, 9.11 and 9.12 of the Equity Definitions will be applicable, except that all references in such provisions to “Physically-settled” shall be read as references to “Net Share Settlement.”

Representation and Agreement:

   Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Equity Definitions (including, but not limited to, Section 9.11 thereof), the parties acknowledge that (i) any Shares delivered to Counterparty shall be, upon delivery, subject to restrictions and limitations arising from Counterparty’s status as issuer of the Shares under applicable securities laws, (ii) Dealer may deliver any Shares required to be delivered hereunder in certificated form in lieu of delivery through the Clearance System and (iii) any Shares delivered to Counterparty may be “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)).
Adjustments:   

Method of Adjustment:

   Calculation Agent Adjustment; provided that the parties agree that open market Share repurchases at prevailing market price or accelerated share repurchases, forward contracts or similar transactions (including without limitation any discount to average VWAP prices) that are entered into at prevailing market prices and in accordance with customary market terms for transactions of such type to repurchase Shares shall not be considered Potential Adjustment Events; provided, further, that, any such open market Share repurchases or the entry into any such accelerated share repurchase transaction, forward contract or similar transaction described in the immediately preceding proviso shall constitute a Potential Adjustment Event to the extent that, after giving effect to such repurchase or transaction, the aggregate number of Shares repurchased during the term of the Transaction pursuant to any such open market Share repurchases or accelerated share repurchases, forward contracts or similar transactions described in the immediately preceding proviso would exceed 25% of the greater of (x) the number of Shares outstanding as of the Trade Date and (y) the number of Shares outstanding as of the end of the Issuer’s most recently completed fiscal year, as determined by Calculation Agent in a commercially reasonable manner.
Extraordinary Events:   

New Shares:

   In the definition of New Shares in Section 12.1(i) of the Equity Definitions, (a) the text in clause (i) thereof shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with “publicly quoted, traded or listed on any of the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Market or the Nasdaq Global Select Market (or their respective successors),” and (b) the

 

7


   following phrase shall be inserted immediately prior to the period: “and (iii) of a corporation organized under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia that (x) also becomes the Counterparty under the Transaction or (y) agrees to be subject to Sections 8(d) and 8(e) of the Confirmation governing the Transaction, in either case, following such Merger Event or Tender Offer”.

Merger Events:

   Applicable

Consequences of Merger Events:

  

(a) Share-for-Share:

   Modified Calculation Agent Adjustment

(b) Share-for-Other:

   Cancellation and Payment (Calculation Agent Determination)

(c) Share-for-Combined:

   Cancellation and Payment (Calculation Agent Determination); provided that the Calculation Agent may elect Component Adjustment for all or part of the Transaction

Tender Offer:

   Applicable; provided that the definition of “Tender Offer” in Section 12.1(d) of the Equity Definitions will be amended by replacing the phrase “greater than 10% and less than 100% of the outstanding voting shares of the Issuer” in the third and fourth line thereof with “greater than 20% and less than 100% of the outstanding Shares of the Issuer”. In addition, Section 12.1(e) of the Equity Definitions shall be amended by replacing “voting shares” in the first line thereof with “Shares” and Section 12.1(l) of the Equity Definitions shall be amended by replacing “voting shares” in the fifth line thereof with “Shares”.

Consequences of Tender Offers:

  

(a) Share-for-Share:

   Modified Calculation Agent Adjustment

(b) Share-for-Other:

   Modified Calculation Agent Adjustment

(c) Share-for-Combined:

   Modified Calculation Agent Adjustment

Consequences of Announcement Events:

   Upon an Announcement Event (as defined below), the Calculation Agent, in a commercially reasonable manner, shall make a Modified Calculation Agent Adjustment as set forth in Section 12.3(d) of the Equity Definitions; provided that, in respect of an Announcement Event, references to “Tender Offer” shall be replaced by references to “Announcement Event”, references to “Tender Offer Date” shall be replaced by references to “date of such Announcement Event”, the phrase “exercise, settlement, payment or any other terms of the Transaction (including, without limitation, the spread)” shall be replaced with the phrase “Cap Price (provided that in no event shall the Cap

 

8


   Price be less than the Strike Price)” and the words “whether within a commercially reasonable (as determined by the Calculation Agent) period of time prior to or after the Announcement Event,” shall be inserted prior to the word “which” in the seventh line. An Announcement Event shall be an “Extraordinary Event” for purposes of the Equity Definitions, to which Article 12 of the Equity Definitions is applicable (it being understood and agreed that the Calculation Agent shall provide to Counterparty commercially reasonable documentary evidence of the inputs used to make such adjustments to the terms of the Transaction, subject to, and in accordance with, Section 3 hereof); provided further that (a) for the avoidance of doubt, Calculation Agent, in good faith and in its commercially reasonable discretion, determine whether the relevant Announcement Event has had a material economic effect on the Transaction and, if so, shall adjust the Cap Price accordingly to take into account the economic effect of the relevant Announcement Event on the Transaction, without duplication with respect to any other adjustment, to preserve the fair value of the Transaction to the parties on one or more occasions on or after the date of the Announcement Event up to, and including, the final Expiration Date, any Early Termination Date and/or any other date of cancellation and (b) upon the Calculation Agent making any such adjustment(s), determined in a commercially reasonable manner, to the Cap Price with respect to any Announcement Event, then the Calculation Agent shall make an adjustment to the Cap Price upon any announcement regarding the same event that gave rise to the original Announcement Event regarding the abandonment of any such event to the extent necessary to reflect the economic effect of such subsequent announcement on the Transaction. Dealer acknowledges that an adjustment required to be made by the Calculation Agent in respect of an Announcement Event may result in an increase to the Cap Price.

Announcement Event:

   (i) The public announcement (whether by Counterparty or a Valid Third Party Entity) of any Merger Event or Tender Offer, or the announcement by Counterparty of any intention to enter into a Merger Event or Tender Offer, (ii) the public announcement by Counterparty of an intention by Counterparty to solicit or enter into, or to explore strategic alternatives or other similar undertaking that is reasonably likely to include, a Merger Event or Tender Offer, as determined by the Calculation Agent in good faith and a commercially reasonably manner (it being understood and agreed that in making such determination, the Calculation Agent may take into consideration the effect of the relevant announcement by Counterparty on the Shares and/or options on the Shares), (iii) the public announcement (whether by Counterparty or a Valid Third

 

9


   Party Entity) of any potential acquisition by Counterparty and/or its subsidiaries where the consideration exceeds 33% of the market capitalization of the Counterparty as of the date of such announcement, or (iv) any subsequent public announcement (whether by Counterparty or a Valid Third Party Entity) of a change to a transaction or intention that is the subject of an announcement of the type described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of this sentence (including, without limitation, a new announcement relating to such a transaction or intention or the announcement of a withdrawal from, or the abandonment or discontinuation of, such a transaction or intention); provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, the occurrence of an Announcement Event with respect to any transaction or intention shall not preclude the occurrence of a later Announcement Event with respect to such transaction or intention. For purposes of this definition of “Announcement Event,” “Merger Event” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.1(b) of the Equity Definitions; provided that the portion of such definition following the definition of “Reverse Merger” shall be disregarded.

Valid Third Party Entity:

   In respect of any transaction, any third party that the Calculation Agent determines has a bona fide intent to enter into or consummate such transaction (it being understood and agreed that in determining whether such third party has such a bona fide intent, the Calculation Agent shall take into consideration the effect of the relevant announcement by such third party on the Shares and/or options on the Shares).

Notice of Merger Consideration and Consequences:

   Upon the occurrence of a Merger Event that causes the Shares to be converted into the right to receive more than a single type of consideration (determined based in part upon any form of stockholder election), Counterparty shall reasonably promptly (but in any event prior to the relevant Merger Date) notify the Calculation Agent of the weighted average of the types and amounts of consideration actually received by holders of Shares upon consummation of such Merger Event.

Nationalization, Insolvency or Delisting:

   Cancellation and Payment (Calculation Agent Determination); provided that in addition to the provisions of Section 12.6(a)(iii) of the Equity Definitions, it will also constitute a Delisting if the Shares are not immediately re-listed, re-traded or re-quoted on any of the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market (or their respective successors); if the Shares are immediately re-listed, re-traded or re-quoted on any such exchange or quotation system, such exchange or quotation system shall thereafter be deemed to be the Exchange.

 

10


Additional Disruption Events:   

(a) Change in Law:

   Applicable; provided that Section 12.9(a)(ii) of the Equity Definitions is hereby amended by (i) replacing the phrase “the interpretation” in the third line thereof with the phrase “, or public announcement of, the formal or informal interpretation”, (ii) by adding the phrase “and/or any commercially reasonable Hedge Position” after the word “Shares” in clause (X) thereof, (iii) by immediately following the word “Transaction” in clause (X) thereof, adding the phrase “in the manner contemplated by the Hedging Party on the Trade Date assuming such Dealer maintains a commercially reasonable hedge position”, and (iv) adding the words “provided that in the case of clause (Y) hereof and any law, regulation or interpretation, the consequence of such law, regulation or interpretation is applied consistently by Dealer to all of its similarly situated counterparties and/or similar transactions; and provided further that it shall not constitute a “Change in Law” unless such party has used good faith efforts to avoid such illegality or increased cost, it being understood and agreed that (x) such party shall not be required to violate any applicable law, rule, regulation or reasonably related and consistently applied policy of such party, in each case as reasonably determined by such party, in connection with avoiding such illegality or increased cost and (y) notwithstanding the foregoing, any materially increased cost incurred in connection with such efforts to avoid such illegality shall constitute a “Change in Law” pursuant to clause (Y);” after the semi-colon in the last line thereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in the Equity Definitions, upon the occurrence of the “Change in Law” as set forth in clause (Y) of Section 12.9(a)(ii) of the Equity Definitions, the provisions applicable to an “Increased Cost of Hedging” as set forth in Section 12.9(b)(vi) of the Equity Definitions shall apply to such “Change in Law” (in lieu of the provisions set forth in Section 12.9(b)(i)).

(b) Failure to Deliver:

   Applicable

(c) Insolvency Filing:

   Applicable

(d) Hedging Disruption:

   Applicable; provided that Section 12.9(b)(iii) of the Equity Definitions is hereby amended by inserting the third line thereof, after the words, “to terminate the Transaction”, the words “or a portion of the Transaction affected by such Hedging Disruption”.

(e) Increased Cost of Hedging:

   Applicable solely with respect to any “Change in Law” described in clause (Y) of Section 12.9(a)(ii) of the Equity Definitions as set forth in the final proviso to the text opposite the caption “Change in Law” above.

 

11


Hedging Party:

   Dealer. Following any determination by the Hedging Party hereunder (not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any election by the Hedging Party that it is permitted to make), promptly following a written request of Counterparty therefor, the Hedging Party shall provide to Counterparty by email to the email address provided by Counterparty a written explanation and report (in a commonly used file format for the storage and manipulation of financial data) describing in reasonable detail any determination made by it (including, as applicable, any quotations, market data, information from internal sources used in making such determinations, descriptions of methodology and any assumptions and basis used in making such determination), it being understood that the Hedging Party shall not be obligated to disclose any proprietary or confidential models or proprietary or confidential information used by it for such determination. The Hedging Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such written explanation and report within five (5) Exchange Business Days from the receipt of such request. All calculations, adjustments and determinations by Dealer acting in its capacity as the Hedging Party shall be made in a good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner and assuming that Dealer maintains a commercially reasonable hedge position.

Determining Party:

   For all applicable Extraordinary Events, Dealer; all calculations and determinations made by the Determining Party shall be made in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner taking into account Dealer’s commercially reasonable hedge position; provided that, upon receipt of written request from Counterparty, the Determining Party shall promptly provide Counterparty with a written explanation describing in reasonable detail any calculation, adjustment or determination made by it (including any quotations, market data or information from internal or external sources used in making such calculation, adjustment or determination, as the case may be, but without disclosing Determining Party’s proprietary models or other information that may be proprietary or subject to contractual, legal or regulatory obligations to not disclose such information), and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such written explanation within five (5) Exchange Business Days from the receipt of such request.

Non-Reliance:

   Applicable

Agreements and Acknowledgments Regarding Hedging Activities:

   Applicable

 

12


Hedging Adjustment:

   For the avoidance of doubt, whenever the Dealer, Determining Party or Calculation Agent is permitted to make an adjustment pursuant to the terms of this Confirmation or the Equity Definitions to take into account the effect of an event, the Calculation Agent or Determining Party or Dealer, as the case may be, shall make such adjustment by reference to the effect of such event on Dealer assuming that Dealer maintains a commercially reasonable hedge position.

Additional Acknowledgments:

   Applicable

3. Calculation Agent: Dealer; provided that following the occurrence of an Event of Default of the type described in Section 5(a)(vii) of the Agreement with respect to which Dealer is the sole Defaulting Party, if the Calculation Agent fails to timely make any calculation, adjustment or determination required to be made by the Calculation Agent hereunder or to perform any obligation of the Calculation Agent hereunder and such failure continues for five (5) Exchange Business Days following notice to the Calculation Agent by Counterparty of such failure, Counterparty shall have the right to designate a nationally recognized third-party dealer in over-the-counter corporate equity derivatives to act, during the period commencing on the date such Event of Default occurred and ending on the Early Termination Date with respect to such Event of Default, as the Calculation Agent.

All calculations, adjustments and determinations made by the Calculation Agent shall be made in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner, and by reference to the effect on Dealer assuming the Dealer maintains a commercially reasonable hedge position with respect to the Transaction; provided that, upon receipt of written request from Counterparty, the Calculation Agent shall promptly provide Counterparty with a written explanation describing in reasonable detail any calculation, adjustment or determination made by it (including a description of such hedge position, if relevant, and any assumptions, quotations, market data or information from internal or external sources used in making such calculation, adjustment or determination, as the case may be, but without disclosing Dealer’s proprietary models or other information that may be proprietary or subject to contractual, legal or regulatory obligations to not disclose such information), and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such written explanation within five (5) Exchange Business Days from the receipt of such request.

 

  4.

Account Details:

Dealer Payment Instructions:

[__________]

Counterparty Payment Instructions: To be provided by Counterparty.

 

  5.

Offices:

The Office of Dealer for the Transaction is: [__________]

The Office of Counterparty for the Transaction is: Inapplicable, Counterparty is not a Multibranch Party.

 

  6.

Notices: For purposes of this Confirmation:

 

  (a)

Address for notices or communications to Counterparty:

Upstart Holdings, Inc.

2950 S. Delaware Street, Suite 410

San Mateo, California 94403

Attention:   Legal Department

      Treasury Department

Telephone No.: [__________]

Email: [__________]

 

13


  (b)

Address for notices or communications to Dealer:

[__________]

[__________]

[__________]

Attention:   [__________]

Telephone:   [__________]

Facsimile:    [__________]

Email:     [__________]

 

With a copy to:

 

[__________]

[__________]

[__________]

Attention:   [__________]

Telephone:     [__________]

Facsimile:      [__________]

Email:          [__________]

 

  7.

Representations, Warranties and Agreements:

(a) In addition to the representations and warranties in the Agreement and those contained elsewhere herein, Counterparty represents and warrants to and for the benefit of, and agrees with, Dealer as follows:

(i) On the Trade Date (A) none of Counterparty and its officers and directors is aware of any material non-public information regarding Counterparty or the Shares, and (B) all reports and other documents filed by Counterparty with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act when considered as a whole (with the more recent such reports and documents deemed to amend inconsistent statements contained in any earlier such reports and documents), do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.

(ii) On the Trade Date, (A) the Shares or securities that are convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares, are not, and shall not be, subject to a “restricted period,” as such term is defined in Regulation M under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”), and (B) Counterparty is not engaged in any “distribution,” as such term is defined in Regulation M, other than a distribution meeting the requirements of the exceptions set forth in Rules 101(b)(10) and 102(b)(7) of Regulation M or Rule 102(c)(1)(i) of Regulation M.

(iii) On the Trade Date, neither Counterparty nor any “affiliate” or “affiliated purchaser” (each as defined in Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act (“Rule 10b-18”)) shall directly or indirectly (including, without limitation, by means of any cash-settled or other derivative instrument) purchase, offer to purchase, place any bid or limit order that would effect a purchase of, or commence any tender offer relating to, any Shares (or an equivalent interest, including a unit of beneficial interest in a trust or limited partnership or a depository share) or any security convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares, except through Dealer.

 

14


(iv) Without limiting the generality of Section 13.1 of the Equity Definitions, Counterparty acknowledges that neither Dealer nor any of its affiliates is making any representations or warranties or taking any position or expressing any view with respect to the treatment of the Transaction under any accounting standards including ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share, ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity and ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (or any successor issue statements).

(v) Without limiting the generality of Section 3(a)(iii) of the Agreement, the Transaction will not violate Rule 13e-1 or Rule 13e-4 under the Exchange Act.

(vi) Prior to the Trade Date, Counterparty shall deliver to Dealer a resolution of Counterparty’s board of directors authorizing the Transaction.

(vii) Counterparty is not entering into this Confirmation to create actual or apparent trading activity in the Shares (or any security convertible into or exchangeable for Shares) or to manipulate the price of the Shares (or any security convertible into or exchangeable for Shares) or otherwise in violation of the Exchange Act.

(viii) Counterparty is not, and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby will not be, required to register as, an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(ix) On each of the Trade Date and the Premium Payment Date, Counterparty is not “insolvent” (as such term is defined under Section 101(32) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) (the “Bankruptcy Code”)) and Counterparty would be able to purchase the aggregate Number of Shares in compliance with the laws of the jurisdiction of Counterparty’s incorporation.

(x) To Counterparty’s knowledge, no U.S. state or local law, rule, regulation or regulatory order applicable to the Shares would give rise to any reporting, consent, registration or other requirement (including without limitation a requirement to obtain prior approval from any person or entity) as a result of Dealer or its affiliates owning or holding (however defined) Shares; provided that no such representation shall be made by Counterparty with respect to any rules and regulations applicable to Dealer (including any rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) arising from Dealer’s status as a regulated entity under applicable law.

(xi) Counterparty (A) is capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to all transactions and investment strategies involving a security or securities; (B) will exercise independent judgment in evaluating the recommendations of any broker-dealer or its associated persons, unless it has otherwise notified the broker-dealer in writing, (C) has total assets of at least USD 50 million.

(b) Each of Dealer and Counterparty agrees and represents that it is an “eligible contract participant” as defined in Section 1a(18) of the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and is entering into the Transaction as principal (and not as agent or in any other capacity, fiduciary or otherwise) and not for the benefit of any third party.

(c) Each of Dealer and Counterparty acknowledges that the offer and sale of the Transaction to it is intended to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act, by virtue of Section 4(a)(2) thereof. Accordingly, Counterparty represents and warrants to Dealer that (i) it has the financial ability to bear the economic risk of its investment in the Transaction and is able to bear a total loss of its investment and its investments in and liabilities in respect of the Transaction, which it understands are not readily marketable, are not disproportionate to its net worth, and it is able to bear any loss in connection with the Transaction, including the loss of its entire investment in the Transaction, (ii) it is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Regulation D as promulgated under the Securities Act, (iii) it is entering into the Transaction for its own account and without a view to the distribution or resale thereof, (iv) the assignment, transfer or other disposition of the Transaction has not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act and is restricted under this Confirmation, the Securities Act and state securities laws, and (v) its financial condition is such that it has no need for liquidity with respect to its investment in the

 

15


Transaction and no need to dispose of any portion thereof to satisfy any existing or contemplated undertaking or indebtedness and is capable of assessing the merits of and understanding (on its own behalf or through independent professional advice), and understands and accepts, the terms, conditions and risks of the Transaction.

(d) Each of Dealer and Counterparty agrees and acknowledges that Dealer is a “financial institution,” “swap participant” and “financial participant” within the meaning of Sections 101(22), 101(53C) and 101(22A) of the Bankruptcy Code. The parties hereto further agree and acknowledge (A) that this Confirmation is (i) a “securities contract,” as such term is defined in Section 741(7) of the Bankruptcy Code, with respect to which each payment and delivery hereunder or in connection herewith is a “termination value,” “payment amount” or “other transfer obligation” within the meaning of Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code and a “settlement payment” within the meaning of Section 546 of the Bankruptcy Code, and (ii) a “swap agreement,” as such term is defined in Section 101(53B) of the Bankruptcy Code, with respect to which each payment and delivery hereunder or in connection herewith is a “termination value,” “payment amount” or “other transfer obligation” within the meaning of Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code and a “transfer” within the meaning of Section 546 of the Bankruptcy Code, and (B) that Dealer is entitled to the protections afforded by, among other sections, Sections 362(b)(6), 362(b)(17), 362(b)(27), 362(o), 546(e), 546(g), 546(j), 548(d)(2), 555, 560 and 561 of the Bankruptcy Code.

(e) As a condition to the effectiveness of the Transaction, Counterparty shall deliver to an opinion of counsel, dated as of the Premium Payment Date, in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex B.

(f) Counterparty understands that notwithstanding any other relationship between Counterparty and Dealer and its affiliates, in connection with the Transaction and any other over-the-counter derivative transactions between Counterparty and Dealer or its affiliates, Dealer or its affiliates is acting as principal and is not a fiduciary or advisor in respect of any such transaction, including any entry, exercise, amendment, unwind or termination thereof.

(g) [Each party acknowledges and agrees to be bound by the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. applicable to transactions in options, and further agrees not to violate the position and exercise limits set forth therein.

(h) Counterparty represents and warrants that it has received, read and understands the OTC Options Risk Disclosure Statement and a copy of the most recent disclosure pamphlet prepared by The Options Clearing Corporation entitled “Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options”.]3

8. Other Provisions:

(a) Right to Extend. Dealer may divide any Component into additional Components and designate the Expiration Date and the Number of Options for each such Component if Dealer determines, in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner, that such further division is necessary or advisable to preserve Dealer’s commercially reasonable hedging or hedge unwind activity hereunder in light of existing liquidity conditions or to enable Dealer to effect transactions with respect to Shares in connection with its commercially reasonable hedging, hedge unwind or settlement activity hereunder in a manner that would, if Dealer were Counterparty or an affiliated purchaser of Counterparty, be compliant and consistent with applicable legal, regulatory or self-regulatory requirements, or with related policies and procedures (provided that such requirements, policies and procedures relate to legal or regulatory issues and are generally applicable in similar situations and are applied in a consistent manner to similar transactions); provided that in no event shall any Expiration Date for any Component be postponed to a date later than the Final Termination Date.

 

3 

Include only for FINRA regulated dealers.

 

16


(b) Additional Termination Events. Promptly (but in any event within ten Scheduled Trading Days) following any repurchase and cancellation or conversion (a “Repurchase Event”) of the Counterparty’s [•]% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Convertible Notes”) issued pursuant to the Counterparty’s indenture (the “Indenture”) [to be]4 dated September [_____], 2024 between the Counterparty and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee, including without limitation pursuant to [Article 16] of the Indenture in connection with a redemption of the Convertible Notes or pursuant to Section [15.02] of the Indenture in connection with a “Fundamental Change” (as defined in the Indenture), Counterparty may notify Dealer in writing of (i) such repurchase and cancellation or conversion, (ii) the number of Convertible Notes so repurchased and cancelled or converted and (iii) the number of Shares underlying each USD 1,000 principal amount of Convertible Notes (any such notice, a “Repurchase Notification”)[; provided that any “Repurchase Notification” delivered to Dealer pursuant to the Base Capped Call Transaction Confirmation letter agreement dated September [____], 2024 between Dealer and Counterparty (the “Base Call Option Confirmation”) shall be deemed to be a Repurchase Notification pursuant to this Confirmation and the terms of such Repurchase Notification shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to this Confirmation]5. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Confirmation, the receipt by Dealer from Counterparty of (x) any Repurchase Notification, within the applicable time period set forth in the preceding sentence, and (y) a written representation and warranty by Counterparty that, as of the date of such Repurchase Notification, Counterparty is not in possession of any material non-public information regarding Counterparty or the Shares, shall constitute an Additional Termination Event as provided in this paragraph. Upon receipt of any such Repurchase Notification and the related written representation and warranty, Dealer shall promptly designate an Exchange Business Day following receipt of such Repurchase Notification as an Early Termination Date with respect to the portion of this Transaction corresponding to a number of Options (the “Repurchase Options”) equal to the lesser of (A) [(x)] the number of Options specified in the Repurchase Notification[, minus (y) the number of “Repurchase Options” (as defined in the Base Call Option Confirmation), if any, that relate to such Convertible Notes (and for the purposes of determining whether any Options under this Confirmation or under, and as defined in, the Base Call Option Confirmation will be among the Repurchase Options hereunder or under, and as defined in, the Base Call Option Confirmation, the number of Convertible Notes specified in such Repurchase Notification shall be allocated first to the Base Call Option Confirmation until all Options thereunder are exercised or terminated)]6 and (B) the Number of Options as of the date Dealer designates such Early Termination Date and, as of such date, the Number of Options shall be reduced by the number of Repurchase Options. Any payment hereunder with respect to such termination shall be calculated pursuant to Section 6 of the Agreement as if (1) an Early Termination Date had been designated in respect of a transaction having terms identical to the Transaction and a Number of Options equal to the number of Repurchase Options, (2) Counterparty were the sole Affected Party with respect to such Additional Termination Event and (3) the terminated portion of the Transaction were the sole Affected Transaction.

(c) Alternative Calculations and Payment on Early Termination and on Certain Extraordinary Events. If (a) an Early Termination Date (whether as a result of an Event of Default or a Termination Event) occurs or is designated with respect to the Transaction or (b) the Transaction is cancelled or terminated upon the occurrence of an Extraordinary Event (except as a result of (i) a Nationalization, Insolvency or Merger Event in which the consideration to be paid to holders of Shares consists solely of cash, (ii) a Merger Event or Tender Offer that is within Counterparty’s control, or (iii) an Event of Default in which Counterparty is the Defaulting Party or a Termination Event in which Counterparty is the Affected Party, which Event of Default or Termination Event is within the Counterparty’s control), and if Dealer would owe any amount to Counterparty pursuant to Section 6(d)(ii) and 6(e) of the Agreement or any Cancellation Amount pursuant to Article 12 of the Equity Definitions (any such amount, a “Payment Obligation”), then Dealer shall satisfy the Payment Obligation by the Share Termination Alternative (as defined below) unless (a) Counterparty gives irrevocable telephonic notice to Dealer, confirmed in writing within one Scheduled Trading Day, no later than 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Merger Date, Tender Offer Date, Announcement Date (in the case of a Nationalization, Insolvency or Delisting), Early Termination Date or date of cancellation, as applicable, of its election that the Share Termination Alternative shall not apply, (b) as of the date of such election, Counterparty represents that it is not in possession of any material non-public information regarding Counterparty or the Shares, and that such election is being made in good faith and not as part of a plan or scheme to evade compliance with the federal securities laws, and (c) Dealer agrees, in its sole discretion, to such election, in which case the provisions of Section 12.7 or Section 12.9 of the Equity Definitions, or the provisions of Section 6(d)(ii) and 6(e) of the Agreement, as the case may be, shall apply.

 

4 

Delete if additional capped call is executed after the Indenture is executed.

5 

Include in additional capped call confirmation only.

6 

Include in additional capped call confirmation only.

 

17


Share Termination Alternative:    If applicable, Dealer shall deliver to Counterparty the Share Termination Delivery Property on, or within a commercially reasonable period of time after, the date when the relevant Payment Obligation would otherwise be due pursuant to Section 12.7 or 12.9 of the Equity Definitions or Section 6(d)(ii) and 6(e) of the Agreement, as applicable, in satisfaction of such Payment Obligation in the manner reasonably requested by Counterparty free of payment.
Share Termination Delivery Property:    A number of Share Termination Delivery Units, as calculated by the Calculation Agent, equal to the Payment Obligation divided by the Share Termination Unit Price. The Calculation Agent shall adjust the Share Termination Delivery Property by replacing any fractional portion of a security therein with an amount of cash equal to the value of such fractional security based on the values used to calculate the Share Termination Unit Price.
Share Termination Unit Price:    The value of property contained in one Share Termination Delivery Unit, as determined by the Calculation Agent in its discretion by commercially reasonable means and notified by the Calculation Agent to Dealer at the time of notification of the Payment Obligation. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree that in determining the Share Termination Delivery Unit Price the Calculation Agent may consider the market price of the Share Termination Delivery Units and/or the purchase price paid in connection with the commercially reasonable purchase of Share Termination Delivery Property.
Share Termination Delivery Unit:    One Share or, if the Shares have changed into cash or any other property or the right to receive cash or any other property as the result of a Nationalization, Insolvency or Merger Event (any such cash or other property, the “Exchange Property”), a unit consisting of the type and amount of such Exchange Property received by a holder of one Share (without consideration of any requirement to pay cash or other consideration in lieu of fractional amounts of any securities) in such Nationalization, Insolvency or Merger Event, as determined by the Calculation Agent.
Failure to Deliver:    Applicable

 

18


Other Applicable Provisions:    If Share Termination Alternative is applicable, the provisions of Sections 9.8, 9.9 and 9.11 (as modified above) of the Equity Definitions and the provisions set forth opposite the caption “Representation and Agreement” in Section 2 will be applicable, except that all references in such provisions to “Physically-settled” shall be read as references to “Share Termination Settled” and all references to “Shares” shall be read as references to “Share Termination Delivery Units”. “Share Termination Settled” in relation to the Transaction means that the Share Termination Alternative is applicable to the Transaction.

(d) Disposition of Hedge Shares. Counterparty hereby agrees that if, in the good faith reasonable judgment of Dealer, based on the advice of legal counsel, the Shares acquired by Dealer for the purpose of hedging its obligations pursuant to the Transaction (the “Hedge Shares”) cannot be sold in the U.S. public market by Dealer without registration under the Securities Act, Counterparty shall, at its election: (i) in order to allow Dealer to sell the Hedge Shares in a registered offering, make available to Dealer an effective registration statement under the Securities Act to cover the resale of such Hedge Shares and (A) enter into an agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Dealer, substantially in the form of an underwriting agreement for a registered offering for companies of a similar size in a similar industry, (B) provide accountant’s “comfort” letters in customary form for registered offerings of equity securities for companies of a similar size in a similar industry, (C) provide disclosure opinions of nationally recognized outside counsel to Counterparty in customary form for registered offerings of equity securities for companies of a similar size in a similar industry, (D) provide other customary opinions, certificates and closing documents customary in form for registered offerings of equity securities for companies of a similar size in a similar industry and (E) afford Dealer a reasonable opportunity to conduct a “due diligence” investigation with respect to Counterparty customary in scope for underwritten offerings of equity securities for companies of a similar size in a similar industry (provided, however, that if Counterparty elects clause (i) above but Dealer, in its commercially reasonable discretion, is not satisfied with access to due diligence materials, the results of its due diligence investigation, or the procedures and documentation for the registered offering referred to above, then clause (ii) or clause (iii) of this Section 8(d) shall apply at the election of Counterparty); (ii) in order to allow Dealer to sell the Hedge Shares in a private placement, enter into a private placement agreement substantially similar to private placement purchase agreements customary for private placements of equity securities of companies of a similar size in a similar industry, in form and substance commercially reasonably satisfactory to Dealer using best efforts to include customary representations, covenants, blue sky and other governmental filings and/or registrations, indemnities to Dealer, due diligence rights (for Dealer or any designated buyer of the Hedge Shares from Dealer), opinions and certificates and such other documentation as is customary for private placements agreements of equity securities of companies of a similar size in a similar industry, as is reasonably acceptable to Dealer (in which case, the Calculation Agent shall make any adjustments to the terms of the Transaction that are necessary, in its good faith and commercially reasonable judgment, to compensate Dealer for any customary liquidity discount from the public market price of the Shares incurred on the sale of Hedge Shares in a private placement); or (iii) purchase the Hedge Shares from Dealer at the then-prevailing market price, as determined by Dealer in a commercially reasonable manner, at one or more times on such Exchange Business Days, and in the amounts, requested by Dealer.

 

19


(e) Repurchase Notices. Counterparty shall, on any day on which Counterparty intends to effect any repurchase of Shares, give Dealer written notice of such repurchase (a “Repurchase Notice”) on such day if, following such repurchase, the number of outstanding Shares as determined on such day is (i) less than [__]7 million (in the case of the first such notice) or (ii) thereafter more than [__]8 million less than the number of Shares included in the immediately preceding Repurchase Notice. In the event that Counterparty fails to provide Dealer with a Repurchase Notice on the day and in the manner specified in this Section 8(e) then Counterparty agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Dealer, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons (Dealer and each such person being an “Indemnified Party”) from and against any and all commercially reasonable losses (including losses relating to the Dealer’s commercially reasonable hedging activities as a consequence of becoming, or of the risk of becoming, a Section 16 “insider”, including without limitation, any forbearance from hedging activities or cessation of hedging activities in a commercially reasonable manner and any losses in connection therewith with respect to the Transaction), claims, damages and liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject under applicable securities laws, including without limitation, Section 16 of the Exchange Act or under any U.S. state or federal law, regulation or regulatory order, relating to or arising out of such failure. If for any reason the foregoing indemnification is unavailable to any Indemnified Party or insufficient to hold harmless any Indemnified Party, then Counterparty shall contribute, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to the amount paid or payable by the Indemnified Party as a result of such reasonable and documented loss, claim, damage or liability. In addition, Counterparty will reimburse any Indemnified Party for all reasonable and documented expenses (including reasonable and documented counsel fees and expenses) as they are incurred (after notice to Counterparty) in connection with the investigation of, preparation for or defense or settlement of any pending or threatened claim or any action, suit or proceeding arising therefrom, whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto and whether or not such claim, action, suit or proceeding is initiated or brought by or on behalf of Counterparty. This indemnity shall survive the completion of the Transaction contemplated by this Confirmation and any assignment and delegation of the Transaction made pursuant to this Confirmation or the Agreement shall inure to the benefit of any permitted assignee of Dealer. Counterparty will not be liable under this indemnity provision to the extent any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense is found in a final judgment by a court to have resulted from Dealer’s (or any Affiliate of Dealer’s) gross negligence or willful misconduct.

(f) Transfer and Assignment. (i) Either party may transfer or assign any of its rights or obligations under the Transaction with the prior written consent of the non-transferring party, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed; provided that Dealer may transfer or assign without any consent of Counterparty its rights and obligations hereunder, in whole or in part, to (A) any affiliate of Dealer whose obligations would be guaranteed by Dealer [or Dealer Parent] or (B) any person (including any affiliate of Dealer whose obligations are not guaranteed in the manner described in clause (A)) or any person whose obligations would be guaranteed by a person (a “Designated Transferee”), in either case under this clause (B), with a rating for its or its guarantor’s (whichever is higher) long-term, unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness at least equivalent to either (x) Dealer’s (or its guarantor’s) as of the Trade Date or (y) A3 from Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. or its successor or A- from S&P Global Ratings’ Financial Services LLC or its successor; provided further that (i) Dealer will promptly notify Counterparty in writing following any transfer or assignment to a Designated Transferee, (ii) as a result of any such transfer or assignment, Counterparty will not be required to pay the transferee or assignee of such rights or obligations on any payment date an amount under Section 2(d)(i)(4) of the Agreement greater than the amount, if any, that Counterparty would have been required to pay Dealer in the absence of such transfer or assignment except to the extent any amounts are attributable to a Change in Tax Law (as defined in the Agreement) occurring after the transfer or assignment and (iii) the transferee or assignee shall provide Counterparty with a complete and accurate U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or W-8 (as applicable) prior to becoming a party to the Transaction. If at any time at which (1) the Equity Percentage exceeds 8.0% or (2) Dealer, Dealer Group (as defined below) or any person whose ownership position would be aggregated with that of Dealer or Dealer Group (Dealer, Dealer Group or any such person, a “Dealer Person”) under the Business Combinations Statute or other federal, state or local law, rule, regulation or regulatory order or organizational documents or contracts of Counterparty applicable to ownership of Shares (“Applicable

 

7 

Insert the number of Shares outstanding that would cause Dealer’s current position in the Shares underlying the Transaction (including the number of Shares underlying any additional transaction if the greenshoe is exercised in full, and any Shares underlying pre-existing call option transactions with Counterparty) to increase by 0.5%. To be based on Dealer with greatest number of underlying Shares (including the number of Shares underlying any additional transaction if the greenshoe is exercised in full, and any Shares underlying pre-existing call option transactions with Counterparty).

8 

Insert the number of Shares that, if repurchased, would cause Dealer’s current position in the Shares underlying the Transaction (including the number of Shares underlying any additional transaction if the greenshoe is exercised in full, and any Shares underlying pre-existing call option transactions with Counterparty) to increase by a further 0.5% from the threshold for the first Repurchase Notice. To be based on Dealer with greatest number of underlying Shares (including the number of Shares underlying any additional transaction if the greenshoe is exercised in full, and any Shares underlying pre-existing call option transactions with Counterparty).

 

20


Restrictions”), owns, beneficially owns, constructively owns, controls, holds the power to vote or otherwise meets a relevant definition of ownership in excess of a number of Shares equal to (x) the number of Shares that would give rise to reporting, registration, filing or notification obligations or other requirements (including obtaining prior approval by a state or federal regulator) of a Dealer Person under Applicable Restrictions and with respect to which such requirements have not been met or the relevant approval has not been received minus (y) 1% of the number of Shares outstanding on the date of determination (either such condition described in clause (1) or (2), an “Excess Ownership Position”), Dealer, in its commercially reasonable discretion, is unable to effect a transfer or assignment to a third party in accordance with the requirements set forth above after its commercially reasonable efforts on pricing and terms and within a time period reasonably acceptable to Dealer such that an Excess Ownership Position no longer exists, Dealer may designate any Scheduled Valid Day as an Early Termination Date with respect to a portion (the “Terminated Portion”) of the Transaction, such that an Excess Ownership Position no longer exists following such partial termination. In the event that Dealer so designates an Early Termination Date with respect to a portion of the Transaction, a payment or delivery shall be made pursuant to Section 6 of the Agreement and Section 8(c) of this Confirmation as if (i) an Early Termination Date had been designated in respect of a Transaction having terms identical to the Terminated Portion of the Transaction, (ii) Counterparty were the sole Affected Party with respect to such partial termination, (iii) such portion of the Transaction were the only Terminated Transaction and (iv) Dealer were the party entitled to designate an Early Termination Date pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Agreement and to determine the amount payable pursuant to Section 6(e) of the Agreement. The “Equity Percentage” as of any day is the fraction, expressed as a percentage, (A) the numerator of which is the number of Shares that Dealer and any of its affiliates or any other person subject to aggregation with Dealer for purposes of the “beneficial ownership” test under Section 13 of the Exchange Act and all persons who may form, or be deemed part of, a “group” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) with Dealer (collectively, “Dealer Group”) “beneficially own” (within the meaning of Section 13 of the Exchange Act) without duplication on such day and (B) the denominator of which is the number of Shares outstanding on such day.

(ii) In the case of a transfer or assignment by Counterparty of its rights and obligations hereunder and under the Agreement, in whole or in part (any such Options so transferred or assigned, the “Transfer Options”), to any party, withholding of such consent by Dealer shall not be considered unreasonable if such transfer or assignment does not meet the reasonable conditions that Dealer may impose including, but not limited, to the following conditions:

(A) With respect to any Transfer Options, Counterparty shall not be released from its notice and indemnification obligations pursuant to Section 8(e) or any obligations under Section 2 (regarding Extraordinary Events) or 8(d) of this Confirmation;

(B) Any Transfer Options shall only be transferred or assigned to a third party that is a U.S. person (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended);

(C) Such transfer or assignment shall be effected on terms, including any reasonable undertakings by such third party (including, but not limited to, undertakings with respect to compliance with applicable securities laws in a manner that, in the reasonable judgment of Dealer, will not expose Dealer to material risks under applicable securities laws) and execution of any documentation and delivery of customary legal opinions with respect to securities laws and other matters by such third party and Counterparty as are reasonably requested and reasonably satisfactory to Dealer;

(D) Dealer will not, as a result of such transfer and assignment, be required to pay the transferee or assignee on any payment date an amount under Section 2(d)(i)(4) of the Agreement greater than an amount that Dealer would have been required to pay to Counterparty in the absence of such transfer or assignment;

(E) An Event of Default, Potential Event of Default or Termination Event will not occur as a result of such transfer or assignment;

(F) Without limiting the generality of clause (B), Counterparty shall have caused the transferee or assignee to make such Payee Tax Representations and to provide such tax documentation as may be reasonably requested by Dealer to permit Dealer to determine that results described in clauses (D) and (E) will not occur upon or after such transfer or assignment; and

 

21


(G) Counterparty shall be responsible for all reasonable and documented costs and expenses, including reasonable and documented counsel fees, incurred by Dealer in connection with such transfer or assignment.

(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Confirmation to the contrary requiring or allowing Dealer to purchase, sell, receive or deliver any Shares or other securities, or make or receive any payment in cash, to or from Counterparty, Dealer may designate any of its affiliates to purchase, sell, receive or deliver such Shares or other securities, or to make or receive such payment in cash, and otherwise to perform Dealer’s obligations in respect of the Transaction and any such designee may assume such obligations. Dealer shall be discharged of its obligations to Counterparty to the extent of any such performance.

(g) Staggered Settlement. If Dealer determines reasonably and in good faith based on the reasonable advice of counsel (a) with respect to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including any requirements relating to Dealer’s commercially reasonable hedging activities hereunder, that it would not be practicable or advisable to deliver, or to acquire Shares to deliver, any or all of the Shares to be delivered by Dealer on the Settlement Date or (b) that the number of Shares required to be delivered to Counterparty hereunder on the Settlement Date would have resulted in the Equity Percentage on such date to exceed an Excess Ownership Position, then Dealer may, by notice to Counterparty prior to the Settlement Date (a “Nominal Settlement Date”), elect to deliver any Shares due to be delivered on one or more dates (each, a “Staggered Settlement Date”) or at two or more times on the Nominal Settlement Date as follows:

(i) in such notice, Dealer will specify to Counterparty the related Staggered Settlement Dates (each of which will be on or prior to the 20th Exchange Business Day after such Nominal Settlement Date) or delivery times and how it will allocate the Shares it is required to deliver hereunder on the Settlement Date among the Staggered Settlement Dates or delivery times; and

(ii) the aggregate number of Shares that Dealer will deliver to Counterparty hereunder on all such Staggered Settlement Dates and delivery times will equal the number of Shares that Dealer would otherwise be required to deliver on such Nominal Settlement Date; provided that in no event shall any Staggered Settlement Date be a date later than the Final Termination Date.

(h) Disclosure. Effective from the date of commencement of discussions concerning the Transaction, Counterparty and each of its employees, representatives, or other agents may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure of the Transaction and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to Counterparty relating to such tax treatment and tax structure.

(i) No Netting and Set-off. The provisions of Sections 2(c) and 6(f) of the Agreement shall not apply to the Transaction. Each party waives any and all rights it may have to set-off delivery or payment obligations it owes to the other party under the Transaction against any delivery or payment obligations owed to it by the other party, whether arising under the Agreement, under any other agreement between parties hereto, by operation of law or otherwise.

(j) Equity Rights. Dealer acknowledges and agrees that this Confirmation is not intended to convey to it rights with respect to the Transaction that are senior to the claims of common stockholders in the event of Counterparty’s bankruptcy. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree that the preceding sentence shall not apply at any time other than during Counterparty’s bankruptcy to any claim arising as a result of a breach by Counterparty of any of its obligations under this Confirmation or the Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties acknowledge that the obligations of Counterparty under this Confirmation are not secured by any collateral that would otherwise secure the obligations of Counterparty herein under or pursuant to any other agreement.

 

22


(k) Early Unwind. In the event the sale of the [Firm Securities]9 [Optional Securities]10 (as defined in the Purchase Agreement, dated as of September [___], 2024, between Barclays Capital Inc. and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several purchasers thereto, and Counterparty (the “Purchase Agreement”)) is not consummated pursuant to the Purchase Agreement for any reason by the close of business in New York on September [___], 2024 (or such later date as agreed upon by the parties which in no event shall be later than the second Scheduled Valid Day following September [___], 2024) (such date or such later date as agreed upon being the “Accelerated Unwind Date”), the Transaction shall automatically terminate on the Accelerated Unwind Date and (i) the Transaction and all of the respective rights and obligations of Dealer and Counterparty under the Transaction shall be cancelled and terminated and (ii) each party shall be released and discharged by the other party from and agrees not to make any claim against the other party with respect to any obligations or liabilities of the other party arising out of and to be performed in connection with the Transaction either prior to or after the Accelerated Unwind Date.

(l) Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act. In connection with Section 739 of the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act of 2010 (“WSTAA”), the parties hereby agree that neither the enactment of WSTAA or any regulation under the WSTAA, nor any requirement under WSTAA or an amendment made by WSTAA, shall limit or otherwise impair either party’s otherwise applicable rights to terminate, renegotiate, modify, amend or supplement this Confirmation or the Agreement, as applicable, arising from a termination event, force majeure, illegality, increased costs, regulatory change or similar event under this Confirmation, the Equity Definitions incorporated herein, or the Agreement (including, but not limited to, rights arising from Change in Law, Hedging Disruption, an Excess Ownership Position, or Illegality (as defined in the Agreement)).

(m) Amendments to Equity Definitions and the Agreement. The following amendments shall be made to the Equity Definitions:

(i) solely for purposes of applying the Equity Definitions and for purposes of this Confirmation, any reference in the Equity Definitions to a Strike Price shall be deemed to be a reference to either of the Strike Price or the Cap Price, or both, as appropriate;

(ii) for the purpose of any adjustment under Section 11.2(c) of the Equity Definitions, the first sentence of Section 11.2(c) of the Equity Definitions, prior to clause (A) thereof, is hereby amended to read as follows: “If “Calculation Agent Adjustment” is specified as the Method of Adjustment in the related Confirmation of a Share Option Transaction, then following the announcement or occurrence of any Potential Adjustment Event, the Calculation Agent will determine whether such Potential Adjustment Event has, in the commercially reasonable judgment of the Calculation Agent, a material economic effect on the theoretical value of the relevant Shares or options on the Shares (provided that such event is not based on (x) an observable market, other than the market for Counterparty’s own stock or (y) an observable index, other than an index calculated and measured solely by reference to Counterparty’s own operations) and, if so, will (i) make appropriate adjustment(s), if any, determined in a commercially reasonable manner, to any one or more of:”, and the portion of such sentence immediately preceding clause (ii) thereof is hereby amended by deleting the words “diluting or concentrative” and the words “(provided that no adjustments will be made to account solely for changes in volatility, expected dividends, stock loan rate or liquidity relative to the relevant Shares)” and replacing such latter phrase with the words “(provided that, solely in the case of Sections 11.2(e)(i), (ii)(A), (iv) and (v), no adjustments will be made to account solely for changes in volatility, expected dividends, stock loan rate or liquidity relative to the relevant Shares but, for the avoidance of doubt, solely in the case of Sections 11.2(e)(ii)(B) through (D), (iii), (vi) and (vii) adjustments may be made to account solely for changes in volatility, expected dividends, stock loan rate or liquidity relative to the relevant Shares)”;

 

9 

Include for base capped call transaction.

10 

Include for additional capped call transaction.

 

23


(iii) Section 11.2(a) of the Equity Definitions is hereby amended by (1) deleting the words “in the determination of the Calculation Agent, a diluting or concentrative effect on the theoretical value of the relevant Shares” and replacing these words with “in the commercially reasonable judgment of the Calculation Agent, a material economic effect on the theoretical value of the Shares or options on such Shares”; and (2) adding at the end thereof “; provided that such event is not based on (i) an observable market, other than the market for Counterparty’s own stock or (ii) an observable index, other than an index calculated and measured solely by reference to Counterparty’s own operations”;

(iv) Section 11.2(e)(vii) of the Equity Definitions is hereby amended and restated as follows: “any corporate event involving the Issuer or its securities that in the commercially reasonable judgment of the Calculation Agent has a material economic effect on the theoretical value of the Shares or options on the Shares; provided that such event is not based on (a) an observable market, other than the market for Counterparty’s own stock or (b) an observable index, other than an index calculated and measured solely by reference to Counterparty’s own operations.”;

(v) Section 12.7(b) of the Equity Definitions is hereby amended by deleting the words “(and in any event within five Exchange Business Days) by the parties after” appearing after the words “agreed promptly” and replacing with the words “by the parties on or prior to”; and

(vi) “Extraordinary Dividend” (as such term is used in the Equity Definitions) means any cash dividend on the Shares.

(n) [Insert Agency Boilerplate, if any.][Reserved.]

(o) Governing Law. THE AGREEMENT, THIS CONFIRMATION AND ALL MATTERS ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE AGREEMENT AND THIS CONFIRMATION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (WITHOUT REFERENCE TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW DOCTRINE, OTHER THAN TITLE 14 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW). THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS LOCATED IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN ANY SUIT OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE AGREEMENT, THIS CONFIRMATION OR ANY TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

(p) Adjustments. For the avoidance of doubt, whenever the Calculation Agent or Determining Party is called upon to make an adjustment pursuant to the terms of this Confirmation or the Equity Definitions to take into account the effect of an event, the Calculation Agent or Determining Party shall make such adjustment by reference to the effect of such event on the Hedging Party, assuming that the Hedging Party maintains a commercially reasonable hedge position.

(q) Delivery or Receipt of Cash. For the avoidance of doubt, other than payment of the Premium by Counterparty, nothing in this Confirmation shall be interpreted as requiring Counterparty to cash settle the Transaction, except in circumstances where cash settlement is within Counterparty’s control (including, without limitation, where Counterparty elects to deliver or receive cash) or in those circumstances in which holders of Shares would also receive cash.

(r) Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE AGREEMENT, THIS CONFIRMATION OR ANY TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

(s) Amendment. This Confirmation and the Agreement may not be modified, amended or supplemented, except in a written instrument signed by Counterparty and Dealer.

 

24


(t) Counterparts. This Confirmation may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

(u) Tax Matters. For purposes of Section 4(a)(i) of the Agreement, on or prior to the Trade Date and at any other time reasonably requested by Dealer, Counterparty shall have delivered to Dealer a properly completed and duly executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9. On or prior to the Trade Date and at any other time reasonably requested by Counterparty, Dealer shall have delivered to Counterparty a properly completed and duly executed Internal Revenue Service Form [ ]11.

(v) Withholding Tax Imposed on Payments to Non-U.S. Counterparties under the United States Foreign Account Tax Compliance Provisions of the HIRE Act. “Tax” and “Indemnifiable Tax”, each as defined in Section 14 of the Agreement, shall not include any U.S. federal withholding tax imposed or collected pursuant to FATCA (a “FATCA Withholding Tax”). “FATCA” is defined as Sections 1471 through 1474 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b) of the Code, or any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement entered into in connection with the implementation of such Sections of the Code. For the avoidance of doubt, a FATCA Withholding Tax is a Tax the deduction or withholding of which is required by applicable law for the purposes of Section 2(d) of the Agreement.

(w) 2015 Section 871(m) Protocol. The parties agree that the definitions and provisions contained in the 2015 Section 871(m) Protocol, as published by ISDA, are incorporated into and shall apply to this Confirmation and the Agreement as if set forth in full herein.

(x) Payee Tax Representations.

(i) For purposes of Section 3(f) of the Agreement, Counterparty represents that it is a “U.S. person” (as that term is defined in Section 7701(a)(30) and used in section 1.1441-4(a)(3)(ii) of the U.S. Treasury Regulations) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and “exempt” within the meaning of sections 1.6041-3(p) and 1.6049-4(c) of the U.S. Treasury Regulations from information reporting on U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 and backup withholding.

(ii) For the purposes of Section 3(f) of the Agreement, Dealer makes the following representations to Counterparty: Dealer is a [ ]12.

(y) [U.S. Resolution Stay Protocol. To the extent that the QFC Stay Rules are applicable hereto, then the parties agree that (i) to the extent that prior to the date hereof both parties have adhered to the 2018 ISDA U.S. Resolution Stay Protocol (the “Protocol”), the terms of the Protocol are incorporated into and form a part of this Confirmation, and for such purposes this Confirmation shall be deemed a Protocol Covered Agreement and each party shall be deemed to have the same status as “Regulated Entity” and/or “Adhering Party” as applicable to it under the Protocol; (ii) to the extent that prior to the date hereof the parties have executed a separate agreement the effect of which is to amend the qualified financial contracts between them to conform with the requirements of the QFC Stay Rules (the “Bilateral Agreement”), the terms of the Bilateral Agreement are incorporated into and form a part of this Confirmation and each party shall be deemed to have the status of “Covered Entity” or “Counterparty Entity” (or other similar term) as applicable to it under the Bilateral Agreement; or (iii) if clause (i) and clause (ii) do not apply, the terms of Section 1 and Section 2 and the related defined terms (together, the “Bilateral Terms”) of the form of bilateral template entitled “Full-Length Omnibus (for use between U.S. G-SIBs and Corporate Groups)” published by ISDA on November 2, 2018 (currently available on the 2018 ISDA U.S. Resolution Stay Protocol page at www.isda.org and, a copy of which is available upon request), the effect of which is to amend the qualified financial contracts between the parties thereto to conform with the requirements of the QFC Stay Rules, are hereby incorporated into and form a

 

11 

To be updated for applicable Dealer.

12 

To be updated for applicable Dealer.

 

25


part of this Confirmation, and for such purposes this Confirmation shall be deemed a “Covered Agreement,” Dealer shall be deemed a “Covered Entity” and Counterparty shall be deemed a “Counterparty Entity.” In the event that, after the date of this Confirmation, both parties hereto become adhering parties to the Protocol, the terms of the Protocol will replace the terms of this paragraph. In the event of any inconsistencies between this Confirmation and the terms of the Protocol, the Bilateral Agreement or the Bilateral Terms (each, the “QFC Stay Terms”), as applicable, the QFC Stay Terms will govern. Terms used in this paragraph without definition shall have the meanings assigned to them under the QFC Stay Rules. For purposes of this paragraph, references to “this Confirmation” include any related credit enhancements entered into between the parties or provided by one to the other. In addition, the parties agree that the terms of this paragraph shall be incorporated into any related covered affiliate credit enhancements, with all references to Dealer replaced by references to the covered affiliate support provider.

QFC Stay Rules” means the regulations codified at 12 C.F.R. 252.2, 252.81–8, 12 C.F.R. 382.1-7 and 12 C.F.R. 47.1-8, which, subject to limited exceptions, require an express recognition of the stay-and-transfer powers of the FDIC under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Orderly Liquidation Authority under Title II of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the override of default rights related directly or indirectly to the entry of an affiliate into certain insolvency proceedings and any restrictions on the transfer of any covered affiliate credit enhancements.]13

(z) Agreements and Acknowledgements Regarding Hedging. Counterparty understands, acknowledges and agrees that: (A) at any time on and prior to the Expiration Date, Dealer and its affiliates may buy or sell Shares or other securities or buy or sell options or futures contracts or enter into swaps or other derivative securities in order to adjust its hedge position with respect to the Transaction; (B) Dealer and its affiliates also may be active in the market for Shares other than in connection with hedging activities in relation to the Transaction; (C) Dealer shall make its own determination as to whether, when or in what manner any hedging or market activities in securities of Issuer shall be conducted and shall do so in a manner that it deems appropriate to hedge its price and market risk with respect to the Relevant Prices; and (D) any market activities of Dealer and its affiliates with respect to Shares may affect the market price and volatility of Shares, as well as the Relevant Prices, each in a manner that may be adverse to Counterparty.

(aa) [Insert Additional Dealer Boilerplate, If Any.]

 

13 

Include if QFC provisions are applicable to Dealer; otherwise, delete and include “[Reserved.]” for this section.

 

26


Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the terms of our agreement by executing this Confirmation and returning it to Dealer.

 

Yours faithfully,
     [DEALER]
  By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  
  By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

[Signature Page to [Base] [Additional] Capped Call Confirmation]


Agreed and Accepted By:
UPSTART HOLDINGS, INC.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to [Base] [Additional] Capped Call Confirmation]


Annex A

For each Component of the Transaction, the Number of Options and Expiration Date is set forth below.

 

Component Number

  

Number of Options

  

Expiration Date

1       August 30, 2029
2       August 31, 2029
3       September 4, 2029
4       September 5, 2029
5       September 6, 2029
6       September 7, 2029
7       September 10, 2029
8       September 11, 2029
9       September 12, 2029
10       September 13, 2029
11       September 14, 2029
12       September 17, 2029
13       September 18, 2029
14       September 19, 2029
15       September 20, 2029
16       September 21, 2029
17       September 24, 2029
18       September 25, 2029
19       September 26, 2029
20       September 27, 2029

 

29


Annex B

Form of Opinion

 

1.

The Counterparty has been duly incorporated and is an existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

2.

The Confirmation has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Counterparty.

 

3.

The execution and delivery by the Counterparty of the Confirmation, and the undertaking by the Counterparty of its obligations under the Confirmation and the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated do not violate, will not result in any violation by the Counterparty of its Certificate of Incorporation or its Bylaws.

 

4.

The execution and delivery by the Counterparty of the Confirmation, and the undertaking by the Counterparty of its obligations under the Confirmation and the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated, will not constitutes a violation of, or a default under, any material agreement of the Counterparty.

 

5.

Investment Company Act opinion to be included.

 

30

Exhibit 99.1

Upstart Announces Proposed Private Offering of $300,000,000 of Convertible Senior Notes Due 2029

September 16, 2024

SAN MATEO, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—September 16, 2024— Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPST) today announced its intention to offer, subject to market conditions and other factors, $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 (the “notes”) in a private offering (the “offering”) to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Upstart also expects to grant the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the date the notes are first issued, up to an additional $45,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the notes.

The notes will be senior, unsecured obligations of Upstart, and will bear interest payable semi-annually in arrears. The notes will mature on October 1, 2029, unless earlier converted, repurchased or redeemed. The notes will be convertible into cash, shares of Upstart’s common stock, or a combination thereof, at Upstart’s election. The interest rate, initial conversion rate, and other terms of the notes will be determined at the time of pricing of the offering.

Upstart intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cost of the capped call transactions described below. Upstart also intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the offering for the repurchase of a portion of its outstanding 0.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Notes”). Upstart intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes.

In connection with the pricing of the notes, Upstart expects to enter into privately negotiated capped call transactions with one or more of the initial purchasers or their respective affiliates and/or other financial institutions (the “option counterparties”). The capped call transactions will cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, the number of shares of common stock underlying the notes sold in the offering. The capped call transactions are expected generally to offset the potential dilution to Upstart’s common stock upon any conversion of notes and/or reduce any cash payments Upstart is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted notes, as the case may be, with such offset and/or reduction subject to a cap. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, Upstart expects to use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of such additional notes to enter into additional capped call transactions with the option counterparties.

Upstart has been advised that, in connection with establishing their initial hedges of the capped call transactions, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates expect to purchase shares of Upstart’s common stock and/or enter into various derivative transactions with respect to Upstart’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Upstart’s common stock or the notes at that time. In addition, Upstart expects that the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock and/or purchasing or selling shares of Upstart’s common stock or other securities of Upstart in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the notes and prior to the maturity of the notes (and are likely to do so (x) during the observation period for conversions of notes on or following July 1, 2029, (y) following any conversion of notes prior to July 1, 2029, or in connection with any repurchase or redemption of the notes, to the extent Upstart unwinds a corresponding portion of the capped call transactions, and (z) if Upstart otherwise unwinds all or a portion of the capped call transactions). This activity could also cause or prevent an increase or decrease in the market price of Upstart’s common stock or the notes, which could affect the ability of noteholders to convert the notes and, to the extent the activity occurs following a conversion or during any observation period related to a conversion of the notes, it could affect the number of shares and value of the consideration that noteholders will receive upon conversion of the notes.

Upstart also expects in connection with the repurchase of a portion of its 2026 Notes, those holders of the 2026 Notes that sell their 2026 Notes to Upstart may enter into or unwind various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock (including entering into or unwinding derivatives with one or more of the initial purchasers in this offering or their respective affiliates) and/or purchase shares of Upstart’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. In particular, Upstart expects that many holders of the 2026 Notes employ a convertible arbitrage strategy with respect to the 2026 Notes and have a short position with respect to Upstart’s common stock that they would close out through purchases of Upstart’s common stock and/or the unwinding of various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock, as the case may be, in connection with Upstart’s repurchase of the 2026 Notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Upstart’s common stock, which may also affect the trading price of the notes at that time, and could result in a higher effective conversion price for the notes. The initial conversion price for the notes will be determined based on the last reported sale price of Upstart’s common stock per share on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on the day of pricing of the offering.

In connection with the issuance of its 2026 Notes, Upstart entered into capped call transactions (the “existing capped call transactions”) with certain financial institutions including certain of the initial purchasers or their affiliates (the “existing capped call counterparties”). If Upstart repurchases any of the 2026 Notes, Upstart expects to enter into privately negotiated agreements with the existing capped call counterparties concurrently with the pricing of the notes to terminate a portion of the existing capped call transactions corresponding to any principal amount of the 2026 Notes repurchased. In connection with the termination of the existing capped call transactions, Upstart expects the existing capped call counterparties or their respective affiliates to sell shares of Upstart’s common stock and/or unwind various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock to unwind their hedge in connection with those transactions. Such activity could decrease, or reduce the size of any increase in, the market price of Upstart’s common stock at that time and could decrease, or reduce the size of any increase in, the market value of the notes at that time.

The notes will only be offered to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act by means of a private offering memorandum. Neither the notes nor the shares of Upstart’s common stock potentially issuable upon conversion of the notes, if any, have been, or will be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale is unlawful.

Investors

ir@upstart.com

Press

press@upstart.com

Exhibit 99.2

Upstart Announces Upsize and Pricing of Offering of $375,000,000 of 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2029

September 16, 2024

SAN MATEO, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—September 16, 2024— Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPST) today announced the pricing of $375,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 (the “notes”) in a private offering (the “offering”) to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The aggregate principal amount of the offering was increased from the previously announced offering size of $300.0 million. Upstart also granted the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the date the notes are first issued, up to an additional $56,250,000 aggregate principal amount of the notes. The sale of the notes to the initial purchasers is expected to settle on September 19, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.

The notes will be senior, unsecured obligations of Upstart. The notes will bear interest at a rate of 2.00% per year. Interest will be payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on April 1, 2025. The notes will mature on October 1, 2029, unless earlier redeemed, repurchased, or converted. Upstart may not redeem the notes prior to October 6, 2027. Upstart may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes, at its option, on or after October 6, 2027, if the last reported sale price of Upstart’s common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which Upstart provides notice of redemption at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. No sinking fund is provided for the notes, which means that Upstart is not required to redeem or retire the notes periodically. Holders of the notes will have the right to require Upstart to repurchase for cash all or a portion of their notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the notes) at a purchase price of 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date.

The notes will be convertible at an initial conversion rate of 21.9029 shares of Upstart’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $45.66 per share, which represents a conversion premium of approximately 30.0% to the last reported sale price of $35.12 per share of Upstart’s common stock on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on September 16, 2024).

Prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, the notes will be convertible at the option of the noteholders only upon the satisfaction of specified conditions and during certain periods. On or after July 1, 2029 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day preceding the maturity date, the notes will be convertible at the option of the noteholders at any time regardless of these conditions. Conversions of the notes will be settled in cash, shares of Upstart’s common stock, or a combination thereof, at Upstart’s election.

Upstart estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately $365.9 million (or approximately $420.9 million if the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes in full), after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by Upstart. Upstart intends to use approximately $35.6 million of the net proceeds to pay the cost of the capped call transactions described below. Upstart also intends to use approximately $302.5 million of the net proceeds from the offering for the repurchase of approximately $334.2 million principal amount of its outstanding 0.25% Convertibles Senior Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Notes”). Upstart intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes.

In connection with the pricing of the notes, Upstart entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with certain of the initial purchasers or their respective affiliates and other financial institutions (the “option counterparties”). The capped call transactions cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, the number of shares of common stock underlying the notes sold in the offering. The capped call transactions are expected generally to offset the potential dilution to Upstart’s common stock upon any conversion of notes and/or reduce any cash payments Upstart is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted notes, as the case may be, with such offset and/or reduction subject to a cap. The cap price of the capped call transactions is initially $70.24 per share, which represents a premium of 100% over the last reported sale price of Upstart’s common stock of $35.12 per share on September 16, 2024 and is subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, Upstart expects to use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of such additional notes to enter into additional capped call transactions with the option counterparties.

Upstart has been advised that, in connection with establishing their initial hedges of the capped call transactions, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates expect to purchase shares of Upstart’s common stock and/or enter into various derivative transactions with respect to Upstart’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Upstart’s common stock or the notes at that time. In addition, Upstart expects that the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock and/or purchasing or selling shares of Upstart’s common stock or other securities of Upstart in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the notes and prior to the maturity of the notes (and are likely to do so (x) during the observation period for conversions of notes on or following July 1, 2029, (y) following any conversion of notes prior to July 1, 2029 or in connection with any repurchase or redemption of the notes, to the extent Upstart unwinds a corresponding portion of the capped call transactions, and (z) if Upstart otherwise unwinds all or a portion of the capped call transactions). This activity could also cause or prevent an increase or a decrease in the market price of Upstart’s common stock or the notes, which could affect the ability of noteholders to convert the notes and, to the extent the activity occurs following a conversion or during any observation period related to a conversion of the notes, it could affect the number of shares and value of the consideration that noteholders will receive upon conversion of the notes.


Upstart also expects in connection with the repurchase of a portion of its 2026 Notes, those holders of the 2026 Notes that have agreed to sell their 2026 Notes to Upstart may enter into or unwind various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock (including entering into or unwinding derivatives with one or more of the initial purchasers in this offering or their respective affiliates) and/or purchase shares of Upstart’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. In particular, Upstart expects that many holders of the 2026 Notes employ a convertible arbitrage strategy with respect to the 2026 Notes and have a short position with respect to Upstart’s common stock that they would close out through purchases of Upstart’s common stock and/or the unwinding of various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock, as the case may be, in connection with Upstart’s repurchase of the 2026 Notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Upstart’s common stock, which may also affect the trading price of the notes at that time, and could result in a higher effective conversion price for the notes.

In connection with the issuance of its 2026 Notes, Upstart entered into capped call transactions (the “existing capped call transactions”) with certain financial institutions including certain of the initial purchasers or their affiliates (the “existing capped call counterparties”). In connection with Upstart’s repurchase of a portion of the 2026 Notes as described above, Upstart entered into privately negotiated agreements with the existing capped call counterparties concurrently with the pricing of the notes to terminate a portion of the existing capped call transactions corresponding to the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes repurchased. In connection with the termination of the existing capped call transactions, Upstart expects the existing capped call counterparties or their respective affiliates to sell shares of Upstart’s common stock and/or unwind various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock to unwind their hedge in connection with those transactions. Such activity could decrease, or reduce the size of any increase in, the market price of Upstart’s common stock at that time and could decrease, or reduce the size of any increase in, the market value of the notes at that time.

The notes were only offered to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act by means of a private offering memorandum. Neither the notes nor the shares of Upstart’s common stock potentially issuable upon conversion of the notes, if any, have been, or will be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale is unlawful.

Investors

ir@upstart.com

Press

press@upstart.com

v3.24.3
Document and Entity Information
Sep. 16, 2024
Cover [Abstract]  
Amendment Flag false
Entity Central Index Key 0001647639
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Sep. 16, 2024
Entity Registrant Name Upstart Holdings, Inc.
Entity Incorporation State Country Code DE
Entity File Number 001-39797
Entity Tax Identification Number 46-4332431
Entity Address, Address Line One 2950 S. Delaware Street
Entity Address, Address Line Two Suite 410
Entity Address, City or Town San Mateo
Entity Address, State or Province CA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 94403
City Area Code (833)
Local Phone Number 212-2461
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre Commencement Tender Offer false
Pre Commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Security 12b Title Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
Trading Symbol UPST
Security Exchange Name NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company false

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