UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Emerging
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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 8.01 | Other Events |
5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036
On May 5, 2026, Fulton Financial Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation (“we”, “us” or the “Company”), completed its previously announced underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036 (the “Notes”). The Notes were sold pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-289488) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on August 11, 2025, and were offered to the public pursuant to the prospectus supplement, dated May 1, 2026, supplementing the prospectus, dated August 11, 2025, which is contained in and forms a part of the Registration Statement.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to repay $195,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 3.250% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030 and for general corporate purposes.
In connection with the Offering, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement, dated May 1, 2026 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Piper Sandler & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, and customary conditions to closing, obligations of the parties and termination provisions. A copy of the Underwriting Agreement is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Indenture
The Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of November 17, 2014 (the “Base Indenture”), by and between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”), as supplemented by a Fourth Supplemental Indenture thereto, dated as of May 5, 2026 (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee. The Notes are subordinated, unsecured obligations of the Company and: (i) rank junior to all of the Company’s existing and future senior indebtedness; (ii) rank equal in right of payment with any of the Company’s existing and future subordinated indebtedness; (iii) are effectively subordinate to the Company’s secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness; and (iv) are structurally subordinated to any existing and future obligations of the Company’s subsidiaries, including deposit liabilities and claims of other creditors of our bank subsidiaries.
The Notes will bear interest from and including May 5, 2026 to, but excluding, May 15, 2031 at a fixed rate of 5.950% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on November 15, 2026. From and including May 15, 2031 to, but excluding, May 15, 2036 (unless redeemed prior to such date), the Notes will bear interest at a floating rate per annum equal to a benchmark rate (reset quarterly) (which is expected to be Three-Month Term SOFR) plus 217 basis points, payable quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on August 15, 2031. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the benchmark is less than zero, the benchmark will be deemed to be zero. The Notes will mature on May 15, 2036, unless earlier redeemed.
The Notes may be redeemed at our option, beginning on May 15, 2031, and on any day thereafter, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of redemption. Any partial redemption will be made in accordance with the applicable procedures of The Depository Trust Company.
The foregoing summaries of the Underwriting Agreement, the Base Indenture, the Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the Notes, respectively, are not complete and are each qualified in their entirety by reference to the complete text of the respective documents (or, in the case of the Notes, the form thereof), each of which is attached hereto as Exhibits 1.1, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Other Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Number | Description |
| 1.1 | Underwriting Agreement, dated May 1, 2026, by and among Fulton Financial Corporation, Piper Sandler & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
| 4.1 | Indenture, dated November 17, 2014, between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Fulton Financial Corporation Current Report on Form 8-K, filed November 17, 2014) |
| 4.2 | Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated May 5, 2026, between Fulton Financial Corporation and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee |
| 4.3 | Form of 5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Note due 2036 (included in Exhibit 4.2) |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Holland & Knight LLP |
| 5.2 | Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP |
| 23.1 | Consent of Holland & Knight LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) |
| 23.2 | Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2) |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Fulton Financial Corporation | ||
| Date: May 5, 2026 | ||
| By: | /s/ Richard S. Kraemer | |
| Richard S. Kraemer | ||
| Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
Exhibit 1.1
$300,000,000
5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036
FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
May 1, 2026
Piper Sandler & Co.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
c/o Piper Sandler & Co.
1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10020
c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
270 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Fulton Financial Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (the “Agreement”) with Piper Sandler & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (each, an “Underwriter” and, collectively, the “Underwriters”), acting severally and not jointly, with respect to the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters of $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036 (the “Securities”). The Securities will be issued in book-entry only form to Cede & Co. as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”).
The Securities will be issued pursuant to the Indenture between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”), dated as of November 17, 2014, as supplemented by a supplemental indenture thereto relating to the Securities, to be dated as of the Closing Time (as defined in Section 2 hereof), between the Company and the Trustee (collectively, the “Indenture”). The Indenture and this Agreement are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Operative Documents.”
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The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405 of the rules and regulations (the “1933 Act Regulations”) of the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”)) on Form S-3ASR (No. 333-289488) covering the registration of certain securities, including the Securities, under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, which registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, at any given time, including any amendments thereto existing at such time, the exhibits and any schedules thereto on file with the Commission at such time, the information incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at such time and the information otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein at such time by the 1933 Act Regulations, is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement with respect to the Securities with the Commission in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”) and Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). Any information included in each such prospectus supplement that was omitted from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto that is deemed to be part thereof and included therein pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to herein as the “Rule 430B Information.” The final prospectus and each prospectus supplement relating to the Securities, including the documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” Each prospectus and related prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted the Rule 430B Information is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (“EDGAR”).
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules, interactive data and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package (as defined below) or any preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules, interactive data and other information which are incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus the Disclosure Package or any preliminary prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the execution of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or any preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as the case may be, after the execution of this Agreement.
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SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
The Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(b) hereof) and as of the Closing Time, and agrees with each of the Underwriters, as follows:
| (a) | Status as Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (1) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (2) at the time of each subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (3) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this subsection only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act Regulations) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 163”) and (4) at the date hereof, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405), including not having been and not being an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405). The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405), and the Securities, as of the date of their registration on the Registration Statement, were, and, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Time, remain, eligible for registration by the Company on an “automatic shelf registration statement” under Rule 405. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. |
At the earliest time that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities, the Company was not nor is an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405).
| (b) | Registration Statement, Prospectus and Disclosure Package at Time of Sale. The Registration Statement became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) on August 11, 2025 and any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement also will become effective upon filing under Rule 462(e). No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are pending or are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. |
Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Securities made by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this subsection only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act Regulations) prior to the filing of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including, without limitation, the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.
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At the time the Registration Statement became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Securities pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations and at the Closing Time, the Registration Statement complied, complies and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “1939 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1939 Act (the “1939 Act Regulations”), and did not, does not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, when read together with the Prospectus, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was filed or at the Closing Time, included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus complied, when filed with the Commission, in all material respects with the 1933 Act, 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act, and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
As of the Applicable Time, any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together (collectively, as of the Applicable Time, the “Disclosure Package”), did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means 3:38 p.m. (New York City time) on May 1, 2026, or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Underwriters.
“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the applicable prospectus relating to the Securities that is, immediately prior to that time, either included in the Registration Statement or deemed to be a part thereof, including any document incorporated therein by reference immediately prior to that time and any preliminary prospectus deemed to be a part thereof.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in clause (h)(1) of Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”)) relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the records of the Company pursuant to Rule 433(g).
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“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule II hereto.
Any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Underwriters in writing, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated therein by reference and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.
The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the written information furnished to the Company through the Underwriters specifically for inclusion therein, which information is limited to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 6(a) below).
| (c) | Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, when read together with the other information in the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or such documents were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, did not, and at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was first used and the first “time of sale,” within the meaning of Rule 159 under the 1933 Act Regulations, of Securities in this offering and at the Closing Time will not, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when filed with the Commission, conformed or will conform, as the case may be, in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations. |
| (d) | Independent Accountants. KPMG LLP, the accounting firm who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. |
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| (e) | Financial Statements. The consolidated historical financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes, included in the preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Registration Statement present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated, and the statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, provided that certain consolidated historical financial information is supplemented with non-GAAP measures as indicated in such disclosures. The supporting schedules, if any, included therein present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The summary financial data included therein present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Registration Statement. All disclosures included in the most recent preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Registration Statement regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable. |
| (f) | Interactive Data. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. |
| (g) | No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Registration Statement, except as otherwise stated therein, (1) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any losses or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree that are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the Company and the subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (2) there has been no material adverse change, or any development which could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse change, (i) in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, properties, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business or (ii) in the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under, and to consummate the transactions contemplated by, this Agreement (each of (i) and (ii), a “Material Adverse Effect”), (3) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered any transaction, other than in the ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, (4) there has not been any material change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (as defined below) (other than issuances or other transfers of capital stock in the ordinary course of business pursuant to the Company’s employee benefit plans, the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan and any employee stock purchase plan or repurchases of common stock by the Company pursuant to a share repurchase program disclosed in the Prospectus) or any material increase in the long term indebtedness of the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries, and (5) except for the dividend declared April 1, 2026 and paid April 15, 2026, the Company has not declared, paid or made any dividend or distribution of any kind on any class of its capital stock (each of clauses (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5), a “Material Adverse Change”). |
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| (h) | Regulatory Enforcement Matters. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is subject or is party to, or has received any written notice that any of them may or will become subject or party to any investigation with respect to, any cease-and-desist order, written agreement, consent agreement, memorandum of understanding or other regulatory enforcement action, proceeding or order with or by, or is a party to any commitment letter or similar undertaking to, or is subject to any directive by, or has been a recipient of any supervisory letter from, or has adopted any board resolutions at the request of, any Regulatory Agency (as defined below) that in any material respect (considered on a consolidated basis) currently relates to or restricts the conduct of their business or that in any manner relates to their capital adequacy, their credit policies, or their management (each, a “Regulatory Agreement”), nor has the Company or any of its subsidiaries been advised in writing by any Regulatory Agency that it is considering issuing or requesting any such Regulatory Agreement, where any such Regulatory Agreement could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there is no unresolved violation, criticism or exception by any Regulatory Agency with respect to any report or statement relating to any examination of the Company or any of its subsidiaries which, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, is expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or is expected to prevent or materially delay the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. As used herein, the term “Regulatory Agency” means any federal or state agency charged with the supervision or regulation of depository institutions, or holding companies of depository institutions, or engaged in the insurance of depository institution deposits, or engaged in the regulation and enforcement of consumer financial services, or any court, administrative agency or commission or other federal or state governmental agency, authority or instrumentality having supervisory or regulatory authority with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries. |
| (i) | Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, to enter into and perform its obligations under each of the Operative Documents to which it is a party, and to issue the Securities, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification or license is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (j) | Financial Holding Company. The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHC Act”), does not (directly or indirectly) own or control the stock or voting securities of any depository institution other than the Bank (as defined below) and BFB (as defined below), and its direct and indirect activities and investments are authorized for a bank holding company and its subsidiaries pursuant to the BHC Act. The Company is “well capitalized” as that term is defined at 12 CFR part 225. The Company is a “financial holding company” as such term is defined in 12 C.F.R. § 225.81. |
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| (k) | Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each, a “Significant Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and is duly qualified and licensed to transact business and is in good standing in each foreign jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Fulton Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”) is a national banking association formed under the laws of the United States and authorized thereunder to transact in the business of banking. The Bank is a member in good standing of its applicable Federal Home Loan Bank. The deposit accounts of the Bank are insured up to the applicable limit by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), all premiums and assessments required to be paid in connection therewith have been paid when due, and no proceedings for the revocation or termination of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. The Bank is “well capitalized” as that term is defined at 12 CFR part 6. Blue Foundry Bank (“BFB”) is a New Jersey-chartered stock savings bank. The deposit accounts of BFB are insured up to the applicable limit by the FDIC, all premiums and assessments required to be paid in connection therewith have been paid when due, and no proceedings for the revocation or termination of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. BFB is “well capitalized” as that term is defined at 12 CFR part 324. The only Significant Subsidiary of the Company is Fulton Bank, N.A. |
| (l) | Capital Stock Duly Authorized and Validly Issued. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Bank have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and all issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Bank and BFB are owned by the Company, directly or through one or more other subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equitable right. |
| (m) | Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock and consolidated long term debt (i.e., a maturity greater than one year) of the Company as of December 31, 2025 is as set forth in the Prospectus under “Capitalization.” There have not been any subsequent issuances of capital stock of the Company since such date, except (i) issuances of common stock pursuant to exercises of employee stock options or (ii) issuances of common stock pursuant to the closing of the Company’s acquisition of Blue Foundry Bancorp, a Delaware corporation. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there have not been any additional long-term borrowings by the Company or its consolidated subsidiaries since such date, except, with respect to the Bank, pursuant to Federal Home Loan Bank advances or securities sold under agreements to repurchase by the Bank in its ordinary course of business. |
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| (n) | Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. |
| (o) | Authorization of Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, when executed and delivered by the Company, the Indenture will constitute a valid, legal and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally and (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”). |
| (p) | Authorization of Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, at the Closing Time, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered by the Company against payment therefor as described in the Prospectus or as contemplated in the Indenture, will constitute valid, legal and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions; the Securities will be in the form contemplated by, and will be entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture. |
| (q) | Qualification under 1939 Act. The Indenture has been duly qualified with respect to the Securities under the 1939 Act. |
| (r) | Not an Investment Company. The Company is not, and immediately following consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and the application of the net proceeds as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, the Company will not be, an “investment company” or an entity controlled by an “investment company,” in each case within the meaning of Section 3(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), without regard to Section 3(c) of the 1940 Act. |
| (s) | Descriptions of Securities. The Securities will conform, in all material respects, to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package. |
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| (t) | Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (1) in violation of its charter, bylaws or other organizational document, (2) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of its assets is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (3) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, in violation of any U.S. or non-U.S. federal, state or local statute, law (including, without limitation, common law) or ordinance, or any judgment, decree, rule, regulation, order or injunction of any U.S. or non-U.S. federal, state, local or other governmental or regulatory authority, governmental or regulatory agency or body, court, arbitrator or self-regulatory organization applicable to the Company, the Bank or BFB, or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of the Operative Documents and the Securities by the Company, the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Operative Documents and the Securities (including the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities), and compliance by the Company with the terms of the Operative Documents and the Securities have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, (1) violate, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any, security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, encumbrance, claim or equitable right upon any assets of the Company or the Bank pursuant to, any of the Agreements and Instruments, (2) result in any violation of any provision of the charter, bylaws or other organizational document of the Company, the Bank or BFB or (3) result in any violation by the Company, the Bank or BFB of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity, except in the case of clause (1) and (3), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties. |
| (u) | Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or the Bank exists or, to the knowledge of the senior management of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
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| (v) | Compliance with ERISA. Each of the Company, its subsidiaries and each ERISA Affiliate (as hereinafter defined) has fulfilled its obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) with respect to each “pension plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), subject to Section 302 of ERISA, which the Company, its subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate sponsors or maintains, or with respect to which it has (or within the last three years had) any obligation to make contributions, and each such plan is in compliance in all respects with the presently applicable provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), except where such failure to fulfil its obligations or such non-compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company, its subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate has incurred any unpaid liability to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (other than for the payment of premiums in the ordinary course) or to any such plan under Title IV of ERISA, except where such unpaid liability would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. No prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any such plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption, that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole. “ERISA Affiliate” means a corporation, trade or business that is, along with the Company or any subsidiary, a member of a controlled group of corporations or a controlled group of trades or businesses, as described in Section 414 of the Code or Section 4001 of ERISA. |
| (w) | Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which (1) is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (2) would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (3) would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the other Operative Documents or the Securities or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder or thereunder. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there are no legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective assets is the subject, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, which would, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (x) | Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity, other than those that have been made or obtained, is necessary or required for the authority, execution, delivery or performance by the Company of its obligations under the Operative Documents or the Securities, or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated thereunder, except as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market, securities laws of any state or non-U.S. jurisdiction, or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). |
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| (y) | Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities that are necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, and have made all declarations and filings with the appropriate Governmental Entities that are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, except where the failure to possess such Governmental Licenses or make such declarations or filings would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, individually or in the aggregate, is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (z) | Conduct of Business. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, each of the Company and the Bank is conducting its business in compliance with all laws, rules, regulations, decisions, directives and orders, and all regulations and orders of, or agreements with, Governmental Entities applicable to it, except where failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (aa) | Environmental Matters. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, including, without limitation, those applicable to emissions to the environment, waste management and waste disposal (collectively, the “Environmental Laws”), except where such noncompliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and, to the knowledge of the Company, there are no circumstances that would prevent, interfere with or materially increase the cost of such compliance in the future. There is no claim under any Environmental Law, including common law, pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries (an “Environmental Claim”), which would have a Material Adverse Effect, and, to the knowledge of the Company, under applicable law, there are no past or present actions, activities, circumstances, events or incidents, including without limitation, releases of any material into the environment, that are reasonably likely to form the basis of any Environmental Claim against the Company or the Bank which would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. |
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| (bb) | Title to Property. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has good and marketable title in fee simple to all of its real and personal properties, reflected as owned in the consolidated financial statements or as described in the Prospectus, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects, except as do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or such subsidiary or which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the leases and subleases under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties used in its business are in full force and effect, except where the failure of such leases and subleases to be in full force and effect and would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has any notice of any claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of such entity to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease, except any claim that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (cc) | Intellectual Property. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries owns or possesses all necessary and adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) presently employed by it in connection with the business now operated by it or reasonably necessary in order to conduct such business, and none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, except where the failure to possess such Intellectual Property or where such infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (dd) | Taxes. The Company and each Significant Subsidiary has, through the date hereof: (i) timely filed all tax returns required to be filed and such returns are true correct and complete, and (ii) timely paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes required to be paid by it, except to the extent any such taxes are being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been made under GAAP, except where the failure to timely file such tax returns or to timely pay such taxes would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Giving effect to any applicable extensions and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there is no material tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or the Bank or any of their respective assets. |
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| (ee) | Insurance. The Company and the Bank have insurance covering their respective assets, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in such amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are adequate to protect the Company and the Bank and their respective assets, operations, personnel and businesses; and neither the Company nor the Bank has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business. |
| (ff) | Payment of Dividends. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from transferring any of its property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, or from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package. |
| (gg) | Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company and its directors and officers, in their capacities as such, are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof with which the Company or any of its directors or officers is required to comply. |
| (hh) | Accounting and Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (1) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (3) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (4) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (5) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the Commission’s rules and guidance applicable thereto. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective in all material respects, and since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, (x) the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal controls, and (y) there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the 1934 Act Regulations); and such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective. The Company has not become aware of any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
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| (ii) | Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company or its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee or any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (1) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity in violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”) or any applicable non-U.S. anti-bribery statute or regulation; (2) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any domestic government official, “foreign official” (as defined in the FCPA) or employee from corporate funds; (3) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA or any applicable non-U.S. anti-bribery statute or regulation; or (4) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any domestic government official, such foreign official or employee. The Company has instituted and maintains procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance with the FCPA and other applicable non-U.S. anti-bribery rules and regulations based on the business of the Company as conducted on the date hereof. |
| (jj) | Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and, to the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, have been at all times in the past five years, conducted in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or its subsidiaries, threatened. |
| (kk) | Compliance with OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or other person acting on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (an “OFAC Person”), or is owned or controlled by an OFAC Person, that is currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”), the United States Department of Commerce and the United Department of State), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, the Crimea Region, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other OFAC Person, (i) for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any OFAC Person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions, (ii) for the purpose of financing any activities or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any OFAC Person (including any OFAC Person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. |
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| (ll) | IT Systems. The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, and free and clear of all bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants, except where failure in the adequacy, operation or performance of such IT Systems would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards designed to maintain and protect their confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, and, to the knowledge of the Company, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same, except where failure to implement or maintain such controls, policies, procedures and safeguards or the occurrence of breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses or access would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all applicable judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except where failure in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. |
| (mm) | No Brokers. Other than the Underwriters, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or any subsidiary any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission or other like payment as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement. |
| (nn) | Stabilization. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or that might be reasonably expected to, cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities. |
| (oo) | Pending Proceedings and Examinations. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. |
| (pp) | Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable or is not accurate in all material respects. |
| (qq) | Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith. |
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| (rr) | Derivative Securities. Any and all material swaps, caps, floors, futures, forward contracts, option agreements (other than employee stock options) and other derivative financial instruments, contracts or arrangements, whether entered into for the account of the Company or one of its subsidiaries or for the account of a customer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, were entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have duly performed in all material respects all of their obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued. |
| (ss) | Off-Balance Sheet Transactions. There is no transaction, arrangement or other relationship between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and an unconsolidated or other off-balance sheet entity which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein). |
| (tt) | Margin Rules. The application of the proceeds received by the Company from the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not violate Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve or any other regulation of the Federal Reserve. |
Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, or applicable subsidiary, as the case may be, to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriter; Closing.
On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, the aggregate principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto, at a purchase price equal to 99.00% of the aggregate principal amount thereof.
Delivery of the Securities shall be made at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, 1 Manhattan West, New York, New York 10001, or such other place as may be agreed to by the Underwriters and the Company, and payment of the purchase price for the Securities shall be made by the Underwriters to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds contemporaneous with closing at such place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters and the Company at 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on May 5, 2026, or such other time not later than ten (10) business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the “Closing Time”).
Payment for the Securities purchased by the Underwriters shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank designated by the Company, against delivery to the Underwriters for the account of each Underwriter of one or more global notes representing the Securities (collectively, the “Global Note”) to be purchased by the Underwriters. The Securities represented by the Global Note shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriters may request in writing at least one full business day prior to the Closing Time.
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In performing its duties under this Agreement, the Underwriters shall be entitled to rely upon any notice, signature or writing that the Underwriters shall in good faith believe to be genuine and to be signed or presented by a proper party or parties. The Underwriters may rely upon any opinions or certificates or other documents delivered by the Company or its counsel or designees to them.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with the Underwriters as follows:
| (a) | Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. Prior to the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement (which the Underwriters will promptly confirm orally to the Company), the Company will notify the Underwriters promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement relating to the Securities shall become effective, or any amendment or supplement to the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been used or filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments with respect to the Registration Statement from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any document incorporated therein by reference or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes aware that it is the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act. With respect to the Securities, subject to Section 3(e), the Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, will prepare the Prospectus in the form approved by the Underwriters, will effect the filings required under Rule 424(b) in the manner and within the time period specified therein (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the Prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such Prospectus. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or other order and, if any stop order or other order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof as soon as possible. The Company shall pay the required filing fees of the Commission relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act Regulations. |
| (b) | Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriters, on request without charge, signed or conformed copies of the Registration Statement and of each amendment thereto (but not including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof) and signed or conformed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. |
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| (c) | Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request, unless, with the prior consent of the Underwriters, such delivery requirement can be satisfied by the provisions of Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T. |
| (d) | Notice and Effect of Material Events. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations, the 1939 Act and the 1939 Act Regulations, as applicable, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Prior to the completion of the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters, and confirm such notice in writing, of (x) any filing made by the Company of information relating to the offering of the Securities with any securities exchange or any other regulatory body in the United States, and (y) any event or condition that results or is reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Change, which (i) makes any statement in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus false or misleading or (ii) which is not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. If, at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the reasonable opinion of the Company, its counsel, the Underwriters or counsel to the Underwriters, to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to purchasers, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of the Company, its counsel, the Underwriters or counsel to the Underwriters, during such period to amend the Registration Statement or to file a new registration statement or to amend or supplement any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters of such event or condition and forthwith amend the Registration Statement, file such registration statement and/or amend or supplement such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, subject to Section 3(e), so as to correct such untrue statement or omission or effect such compliance, and the Company will furnish to each Underwriter such number of written and electronic copies of such amendment or supplement as such Underwriter may reasonably request. If at any time following the Applicable Time or at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Disclosure Package or such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, individually or together with other information that is part of the Disclosure Package, as the case may be, conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters of such event or condition and will promptly amend or supplement, at the Company’s own expense, the Disclosure Package or such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as the case may be, to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. |
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| (e) | Amendment to Prospectus or Registration Statement. The Company will advise the Underwriters promptly of any notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement relating to the Securities or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or supplement to the Disclosure Package, and will furnish the Underwriters with copies thereof a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document with respect to the Securities without the consent of the Underwriters, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Neither the consent of the Underwriters, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of any such amendment or supplement, shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 5 hereof. For purposes of clarity, this Section 3(e) shall not apply to any filings required in order for the Company to comply with its reporting obligations under the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations. |
| (f) | No Stabilization. The Company will not, and will cause its subsidiaries not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or that could reasonably be expected to, cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities. |
| (g) | DTC. The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its commercially reasonable efforts to permit the Securities to be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC. |
| (h) | Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the state securities, or blue sky, laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the offering and resale of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where they would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject themselves to taxation in any such jurisdiction if they are not otherwise so subject. |
| (i) | Earnings Statement. The Company shall timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act, as applicable, as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act. |
| (j) | Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied, with the prior consent of the Underwriters, by Rule 172 under the 1933 Act Regulations), will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission by the Company pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations. |
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| (k) | Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package. |
| (l) | Stand Off Agreement. Between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Time, the Company and its subsidiaries will not, without the prior consent of the Underwriters, directly or indirectly, issue, offer or sell, or enter into any agreement to sell, any debt securities (excluding deposit obligations and other wholesale borrowings entered into in the normal course of business) of the Company or its subsidiaries, other than the Securities. |
| (m) | Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Underwriters, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and the Underwriters, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Underwriters is referred to herein as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated, and agrees that it will treat, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(i)) and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. |
Subject to the consent of the Underwriters required in the immediately preceding paragraph, the Company will prepare a final term sheet relating solely to the final pricing terms of the Securities and will file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) following the date such final terms have been established for such Securities. Any such final term sheet is an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus and a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company consents to the use by the Underwriters of a free writing prospectus that contains only (a) (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Securities generally or the Securities specifically or their offering or (ii) information that describes the final terms of the Securities or their offering and that is or is to be included in the final term sheet of the Company contemplated in the first sentence of this paragraph or (b) other customary information that is not “issuer information,” as defined in Rule 433.
| (n) | NRSRO Rating. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain a rating by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act (“NRSRO”) while any Securities remain outstanding. |
| (o) | 1940 Act. The Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Securities in such a manner as would require the Company to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act. |
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SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
| (a) | Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) and of each amendment thereto and the cost of obtaining all securities and bank regulatory approvals; (ii) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any reasonable and documented costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors; (iii) the costs of blue sky qualification (including fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters, relating thereto, up to a maximum of $5,000) of the Securities in the various jurisdictions; (iv) the costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with determining their compliance with the rules and regulations of FINRA related to the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Securities, including any related filing fees and reasonable legal fees of, and disbursements by, counsel to the Underwriters; (v) all fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants, agents and other advisors; (vi) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities, including filing fees and the fees and expenses of making the Securities eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC; (vii) the fees and disbursements of the Trustee and its counsel; (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with any electronic road show, travel and lodging expense of the representatives and officers of the Company; (ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Securities; (x) all fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with its services to be rendered hereunder including, without limitation, road show or investor presentation expenses, word processing charges, the costs of printing or producing any investor presentation materials, messenger and duplicating service expenses, facsimile expenses and other customary expenditures (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters); and (xi) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. In the event the Underwriters incur any such fees and expenses on behalf of the Company, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for such reasonable and documented fees and expenses whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, Sections 6 and 9 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of its own costs and expenses, including transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them and the cost of preparing and distributing any term sheet prepared by the Underwriters. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company’s obligation to reimburse the Underwriters’ fees and expenses pursuant to (iv) and (viii) through (xi) of this paragraph shall be limited to an aggregate amount of $150,000. |
| (b) | Termination. If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters in accordance with the provisions of Section 5(q) or Sections 9(a)(i), (ii), (iii) or (v) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of its out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, which total reimbursement shall not exceed $150,000. |
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SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriter’s Obligations. The respective obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder required to be performed prior to Closing Time, and to the following further conditions:
| (a) | Filing of Prospectus. The Prospectus containing the Rule 430B Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B); all materials required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433 under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement is effective and no stop order or other order referred to in Section 3(a)(iv) hereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or are pending or threatened; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Underwriters’ satisfaction. |
| (b) | Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received (i) the opinions and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Time, of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Company, and (ii) the opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Holland & Knight LLP, Pennsylvania counsel for the Company, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters. Each such counsel may state that, insofar as its opinion involves factual matters, it has relied, to the extent it deems proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and public officials. |
| (c) | Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Time, of Troutman Pepper Locke LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and public officials. |
| (d) | Certificates. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, any Material Adverse Effect, and the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer and of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1 hereof were true and correct when made and are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, and (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time. |
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| (e) | KPMG Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof, (i) confirming that they are independent registered public accountants within the meaning of the 1933 Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, and (ii) containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and financial information of the Company contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package. |
| (f) | KPMG Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time. |
| (g) | Certificate of Chief Financial Officer. At the time of execution of this Agreement and at the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received a certificate, dated, respectively, the date hereof and such Closing Time, executed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters. |
| (h) | Ratings. At the Closing Time, the Securities will be rated at least Baa2 by Moody’s. Subsequent to the execution of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred a downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to the Securities or any other securities of the Company by any NRSRO, and no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Securities or any other securities of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading). |
| (i) | DTC. At the Closing Time, the Securities shall be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC. |
| (j) | No Objection. FINRA shall have raised no objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements, which objection has not been withdrawn or otherwise satisfied. |
| (k) | Delivery of Prospectus. The Company shall have complied with the provisions hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses, in electronic or printed format, on the New York business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement. |
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| (l) | No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any Governmental Entity that would, as of the Closing Time, prevent the offer, issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Time, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities. |
| (m) | Termination Event. On or after the date hereof, there shall not have occurred any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a). |
| (n) | Additional Documents. At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties of the Company, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters. |
| (o) | Good Standing. The Underwriters shall have received on and as of the Closing Time satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and the Bank in their respective jurisdictions of organization, in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions. |
| (p) | Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriters by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 14 hereof shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect. |
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SECTION 6. Indemnification.
| (a) | Indemnification of the Underwriter. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, their respective affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act Regulations), directors, officers, employees, partners and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act (a “controlling person”) against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which any Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, partner, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, or any federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Securities have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Disclosure Package, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the 1933 Act, any materials provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including any roadshow or written investor presentations provided to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) (“marketing material”), or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing), or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse any Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent, partner and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by an Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent, partner or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of, or based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Company by the Underwriters in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement (“Underwriters’ Information”), any preliminary prospectus, the Disclosure Package, any such free writing prospectus, any marketing material or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that Underwriters’ Information only consists of the information described in Section 6(b) below. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have. |
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| (b) | Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each controlling person of the Company, if any, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected in accordance with Section 6(d) below), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Disclosure Package, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the 1933 Act, or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus, the Disclosure Package, such free writing prospectus or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement), in reliance upon and in conformity with Underwriters’ Information; and to reimburse the Company and each such director, officer and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the Company or such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters has furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Disclosure Package, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the 1933 Act, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) are the statements set forth in first sentence in the fifth paragraph, the eleventh paragraph and the twelfth paragraph in the section titled “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” in the Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Underwriters may otherwise have. |
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| (c) | Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 6, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party to the extent the indemnifying party is not materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure and shall not in any event relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, that if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 6 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Underwriters (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 6(a) above) or by the Company (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 6(b) above) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party and shall be paid as they are reasonably incurred. |
| (d) | Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 6 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 6(c) hereof, the indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party. |
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SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand (it being understood and agreed that such information supplied by the Underwriters only consists of the information described in Section 6(b) above), and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 6(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 7; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 6(c) for purposes of indemnification.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 7.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each affiliate, director, officer, employee, partner and agent of an Underwriter and each controlling person, if any, who controls an Underwriter, shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each controlling person, if any, of the Company, shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
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SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or any controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall survive delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters.
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
| (a) | Termination; General. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time if, in the judgement of the Underwriters, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (i) there has occurred any Material Adverse Effect, (ii) there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or any other calamity or crisis, including a widespread outbreak of epidemic illnesses or any change or development involving a prospective change in national political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriters, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) trading or quotation in any securities of the Company has been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Nasdaq Global Select Market, (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Select Market has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, (v) there has occurred a downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to the Securities or any other securities of the Company by any NRSRO, or such organization has publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Securities or any other securities of the Company, or (vi) a banking moratorium has been declared by the United States, New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania authorities or a material restriction on banking activities or operations by such regulatory authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement and clearances services in the United States. |
| (b) | Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8 and 14 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect. |
SECTION 10. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Underwriters care of Piper Sandler & Co., 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10020, Attention: Legal Department and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 270 Park Ave., New York, New York 10017, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, with a copy to Troutman Pepper Locke LLP, 401 9th Street, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004, Attention: Gregory Parisi; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at One Penn Square, P.O. Box 4887, Lancaster Pennsylvania 17604, Attention: Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, 1 Manhattan West, New York, New York 10001, Attention: Michael Reed.
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SECTION 11. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and other persons referred to in Sections 1, 6 and 7 hereof and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and other persons and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 12. Entire Agreement; Counterparts; Facsimile. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, and signature pages may be delivered by facsimile or other electronic means, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
SECTION 13. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
| (a) | In the event that any Underwriter is a Covered Entity and becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. |
| (b) | In the event that any Underwriter is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. |
For purposes of this Agreement, (A) “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
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SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW; JURISDICTION. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES OF SAID STATE OTHER THAN SECTION 5-1401 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW.
THE COMPANY ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL AND NEW YORK STATE COURTS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE MATTERS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY DEFENSE OF LACK OF PERSONAL JURISDICTION AND IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN ANY SUCH COURT. THE COMPANY ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT IT MAY EFFECTIVELY DO SO UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN ANY SUCH COURT AND ANY CLAIM THAT ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN ANY SUCH COURT HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM.
SECTION 15. Amendment; Waiver; Effect of Headings. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
SECTION 16. Trial by Jury. Each of the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and the Underwriters 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 Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
SECTION 17. Nature of Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the offering or purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the terms of the Securities and the offering price thereof and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering pursuant to this Agreement and the process leading to such offering each Underwriters is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed nor will it assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering pursuant to this Agreement or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and such Underwriter has no obligation to the Company with respect to the offering pursuant to this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and (e) the Underwriters has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, financial, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space below.
[Signature pages follow]
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Very truly yours,
FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
| By: | /s/ Richard S. Kraemer | |
| Name: | Richard S. Kraemer | |
| Title: | Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
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CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, as of the date first above written:
Piper Sandler & Co.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
PIPER SANDLER & CO.
| By: | /s/ James Furey | |
| Name: | James Furey | |
| Title: | Managing Director | |
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
| By: | /s/ Stephen L. Sheiner | |
| Name: | Stephen L. Sheiner | |
| Title: | Executive Director | |
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Schedule I
| Name of Underwriter | Aggregate Principal Amount of Securities to be Purchased | |||
| Piper Sandler & Co. | $ | 195,000,000 | ||
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | 105,000,000 | |||
| Total | $ | 300,000,000 | ||
Schedule I
Schedule II
1. Pricing Term Sheet for Securities, dated May 1, 2026
2. Investor Presentation, filed with the Commission on May 1, 2026
Schedule II
Exhibit 4.2
Fourth SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
between
Fulton FInancial CORPORATION
AND
Wilmington TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
DATED AS OF May 5, 2026
Fourth Supplement to Indenture dated as of November 17, 2014
(Subordinated Debt Securities)
FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of May 5, 2026 (this “Supplemental Indenture”), between FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Corporation”), and WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Corporation and the Trustee have entered into an Indenture dated as of November 17, 2014 (the “Base Indenture” and, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance by the Corporation from time to time of its subordinated debt securities;
WHEREAS, Section 901(7) of the Base Indenture provides that the Corporation and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holder, enter into a supplemental indenture to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 201 and 301 thereof;
WHEREAS, the Corporation desires to provide for the establishment of a new series of Securities pursuant to Sections 201 and 301 of the Base Indenture, the form and substance of such Securities and terms, provisions and conditions thereof to be set forth as provided in the Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Corporation deems it advisable to enter into this Supplemental Indenture for the purposes of establishing the terms of such Securities and providing for the rights, obligations and duties of the Trustee with respect to such Securities;
WHEREAS, the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture has been authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation;
WHEREAS, the Corporation has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture and satisfy all requirements necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture a valid, legal and binding instrument in accordance with its terms, and to make the Notes (as defined herein), when executed by the Corporation and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, the valid, legal and binding obligations of the Corporation; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary have been done and performed to make this Supplemental Indenture enforceable in accordance with its terms, and the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized in all respects.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITNESSETH: For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the Corporation and the Trustee covenant and agree, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Notes, as follows:
ARTICLE
One
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1. Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application. For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture unless otherwise specified herein:
(a) all terms used in this Supplemental Indenture which are not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings they are given in the Base Indenture and include the plural as well as the singular;
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(b) the provisions of general application stated in Sections 102 through 117 of the Base Indenture shall apply to this Supplemental Indenture, except that the words “herein,” “hereof,” “hereto” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to the Base Indenture or any particular Article, Section or other subdivision of the Base Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture; and
(c) Section 101 of the Base Indenture is amended and supplemented, solely with respect to the Notes, by inserting the following additional defined terms in their appropriate alphabetical positions:
“Administrative or Judicial Action” has the meaning provided in the definition of “Tax Event.”
“Benchmark” means, initially, Three-Month Term SOFR; provided that if the Calculation Agent determines on or prior to the Reference Time that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR or the then-current Benchmark, then “Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement.
“Benchmark Replacement” means the Interpolated Benchmark with respect to the then-current Benchmark, plus the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment for such Benchmark; provided that if (a) the Calculation Agent cannot determine the Interpolated Benchmark as of the Benchmark Replacement Date or (b) the then-current Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR and a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR (in which event no Interpolated Benchmark with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR shall be determined), then “Benchmark Replacement” means the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the Benchmark Replacement Date:
(1) Compounded SOFR;
(2) the sum of: (a) the alternate rate that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor and (b) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;
(3) the sum of: (a) the ISDA Fallback Rate, and (b) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;
(4) the sum of: (a) the alternate rate that has been selected by the Calculation Agent as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor, giving due consideration to any industry-accepted rate as a replacement for the then-current Benchmark for U.S. dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time, and (b) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
“Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the Benchmark Replacement Date:
(1) the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero), that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement;
(2) if the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement is equivalent to the ISDA Fallback Rate, then the ISDA Fallback Adjustment; and
(3) the spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by the Calculation Agent giving due consideration to any industry-accepted spread adjustment or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of the then-current Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for U.S. dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time.
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“Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any Benchmark Replacement, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including changes to the definition of “interest period,” timing and frequency of determining rates with respect to each interest period and making payments of interest, rounding of amounts or tenors, and other administrative matters) that the Calculation Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption of such Benchmark Replacement in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Calculation Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Calculation Agent determines that no market practice for use of the Benchmark Replacement exists, in such other manner as the Calculation Agent determines is reasonably necessary).
“Benchmark Replacement Date” means the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:
(1) in the case of clause (1) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the relevant Reference Time in respect of any determination;
(2) in the case of clause (2) or (3) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of (a) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on which the administrator of the Benchmark permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide the Benchmark; or
(3) in the case of clause (4) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein.
For the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of the definitions of Benchmark Replacement Date and Benchmark Transition Event, references to the Benchmark also include any reference rate underlying the Benchmark (for example, if the Benchmark becomes Compounded SOFR, references to the Benchmark would include SOFR).
For the avoidance of doubt, if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination.
“Benchmark Transition Event” means the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:
(1) if the Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, (a) the Relevant Governmental Body has not selected or recommended a forward-looking term rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR, (b) the development of a forward-looking term rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR that has been recommended or selected by the Relevant Governmental Body is not complete or (c) the Corporation determines that the use of a forward-looking rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR is not administratively feasible;
(2) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of the Benchmark announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide the Benchmark, permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide the Benchmark;
(3) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark, the central bank for the currency of the Benchmark, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for the Benchmark, a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for the Benchmark or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for the Benchmark, which states that the administrator of the Benchmark has ceased or will cease to provide the Benchmark permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide the Benchmark; or
(4) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark announcing that the Benchmark is no longer representative.
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“Calculation Agent” means the agent appointed by the Corporation prior to the commencement of the Floating Rate Period (which may include the Corporation or any of its Affiliates) to act in accordance with Section 2.4 of this Supplemental Indenture. The Corporation shall initially act as Calculation Agent.
“Compounded SOFR” means the compounded average of SOFRs for the applicable Corresponding Tenor, with the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate being established by the Calculation Agent in accordance with:
(1) the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for determining Compounded SOFR; provided that:
(2) if, and to the extent that, the Calculation Agent determines that Compounded SOFR cannot be determined in accordance with clause (1) above, then the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate that have been selected by the Calculation Agent giving due consideration to any industry-accepted market practice for U.S. dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time.
For the avoidance of doubt, the calculation of Compounded SOFR shall exclude the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment (if applicable) and the spread of 217 basis points per annum.
“Corresponding Tenor” with respect to a Benchmark Replacement means a tenor (including overnight) having approximately the same length (disregarding business day adjustment) as the applicable tenor for the then-current Benchmark.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.
“Federal Reserve” has the meaning provided in the definition of “Tier 2 Capital Event.”
“Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Website” means the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source.
“Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.4(a).
“Fixed Rate Period” has the meaning provided in Section 2.4(a).
“Fixed Rate Regular Record Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.4(a).
“Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.4(b).
“Floating Rate Period” has the meaning provided in Section 2.4(b).
“Floating Rate Regular Record Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.4(b).
“Interest Payment Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.4(b).
“Interest period” means the period from and including the immediately preceding Interest Payment Date in respect of which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid or duly provided for, from and including the Issue Date to, but excluding, the applicable Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date or date of earlier redemption, if applicable.
“Interpolated Benchmark” with respect to the Benchmark means the rate determined for the Corresponding Tenor by interpolating on a linear basis between: (1) the Benchmark for the longest period (for which the Benchmark is available) that is shorter than the Corresponding Tenor, and (2) the Benchmark for the shortest period (for which the Benchmark is available) that is longer than the Corresponding Tenor.
“ISDA” means the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. or any successor.
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“ISDA Definitions” means the 2006 ISDA Definitions published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. or any successor thereto, as amended or supplemented from time to time, or any successor definitional booklet for interest rate derivatives published from time to time.
“ISDA Fallback Adjustment” means the spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that would apply for derivatives transactions referencing the ISDA Definitions to be determined upon the occurrence of an index cessation event with respect to the Benchmark for the applicable tenor.
“ISDA Fallback Rate” means the rate that would apply for derivatives transactions referencing the ISDA Definitions to be effective upon the occurrence of an index cessation date with respect to the Benchmark for the applicable tenor excluding the applicable ISDA Fallback Adjustment.
“Issue Date” means May 5, 2026.
“Maturity Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.2.
“Reference Time” with respect to any determination of the Benchmark means (a) if the Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, the date that is two (2) U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to the start of the relevant floating rate interest period, or such other time determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, and (b) if the Benchmark is not Three-Month Term SOFR, the time determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes.
“Relevant Governmental Body” means the Federal Reserve and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or any successor thereto.
“SOFR” means the secured overnight financing rate published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as the administrator of the Benchmark (or a successor administrator), on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s website.
“Tax Event” means the receipt by the Corporation of an opinion of independent tax counsel to the effect that as a result of (a) an amendment to or change (including any announced prospective amendment or change) in any law or treaty, or any regulation thereunder, of the United States or any of its political subdivisions or taxing authorities; (b) a judicial decision, administrative action, official administrative pronouncement, ruling, regulatory procedure, regulation, notice or announcement, including any notice or announcement of intent to adopt or promulgate any ruling, regulatory procedure or regulation (any of the foregoing, an “Administrative or Judicial Action”); or (c) an amendment to or change in any official position with respect to, or any interpretation of, an Administrative or Judicial Action or a law or regulation of the United States that differs from the previously generally accepted position or interpretation, in each case, which change or amendment or challenge becomes effective or which pronouncement, decision or challenge is announced on or after the original issue date of the Notes, there is more than an insubstantial risk that interest payable by the Corporation on the Notes is not, or, within 90 days of the date of such opinion, will not be, deductible by the Corporation, in whole or in part, for United States federal income tax purposes.
“Term SOFR” means the forward-looking term rate based on SOFR that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body.
“Term SOFR Administrator” means CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited (CBA) (or a successor administrator of Three-Month Term SOFR selected by the Calculation Agent in its reasonable discretion).
“Three-Month Term SOFR” means the rate for Term SOFR for a tenor of three months that is published by the Term SOFR Administrator at the Reference Time for any interest period, as determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions. All percentages used in or resulting from any calculation of Three-Month Term SOFR shall be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one-hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005% rounded up to 0.00001%.
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“Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions” means any determination, decision or election with respect to any technical, administrative or operational matter (including with respect to the manner and timing of the publication of Three-Month Term SOFR, or changes to the definition of “interest period,” timing and frequency of determining Three-Month Term SOFR with respect to each interest period and making payments of interest, rounding of amounts or tenors, and other administrative matters) that the Calculation Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the use of Three-Month Term SOFR as the Benchmark in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Calculation Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Calculation Agent determines that no market practice for the use of Three-Month Term SOFR exists, in such other manner as the Calculation Agent determines is reasonably necessary).
“Tier 2 Capital Event” means the Corporation’s good faith determination that, as a result of (a) any amendment to, or change in, the laws, rules or regulations of the United States (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any agency or instrumentality of the United States, including the Federal Reserve and other federal bank regulatory agencies) or any political subdivision of or in the United States that is enacted or becomes effective after the original issue date of the Notes; (b) any proposed change in those laws, rules or regulations that is announced or becomes effective after the original issue date of the Notes; or (c) any official administrative decision or judicial decision or administrative action or other official pronouncement interpreting or applying those laws, rules, regulations, policies or guidelines with respect thereto that is announced after the original issue date of the Notes, there is more than an insubstantial risk that the Corporation will not be entitled to treat the Notes then outstanding as “Tier 2 Capital” (or its equivalent) for purposes of the capital adequacy rules or regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) (or, as and if applicable, the capital adequacy rules or regulations of any successor appropriate federal banking agency) as then in effect and applicable to the Corporation, for so long as any Notes are outstanding.
“Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the Benchmark Replacement excluding the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
“U.S. Government Securities Business Day” means any day except for a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in U.S. government securities.
(d) Section 1.01 of the Base Indenture is amended and supplemented, solely with respect to the Notes, by replacing the corresponding defined term in the Base Indenture with the following defined terms:
“Business Day” means (a) each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which it is a U.S. federal holiday or any day on which banking institutions in New York are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close, or (b) a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is not closed for business; provided, that, when used in connection with an amount that bears interest at a rate based on SOFR or Term SOFR or any direct or indirect calculation or determination of SOFR or Term SOFR, the term “business day” means any such day that is also a U.S. Government Securities Business Day.
“Corporation Request” or “Corporation Order” mean, respectively, the written request or order signed in the name of the Corporation by its Chairman of the Board, its President, Chief Financial Officer or a Vice President and delivered to the Trustee.
“Indenture” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Redemption Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.5(a) of this Supplemental Indenture.
ARTICLE
Two
CREATION OF THE NOTES
Section 2.1. Designation of Series. Pursuant to the terms hereof and Sections 201 and 301 of the Base Indenture, the Corporation hereby creates a series of its subordinated debt securities designated as the “5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036” (the “Notes”), which Notes shall be deemed “Securities” for all purposes under the Indenture.
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Section 2.2. Form and Minimum Denomination of Notes. The definitive form of the Notes shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto, which is incorporated herein and made part hereof. The Notes shall bear interest and have such other terms as are stated in the form of definitive Notes or in the Indenture. The Stated Maturity of the Notes shall be May 15, 2036 (the “Maturity Date”). The Notes shall be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.
Section 2.3. Initial Limit on Amount of Series. The Notes shall initially be limited to U.S. $300,000,000 in aggregate principal amount, and may, upon the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture or from time to time thereafter, be executed by the Corporation and delivered to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver said Notes to or upon the delivery of a Company Order. Following the initial issuance of the Notes, the aggregate principal amount of Notes may be increased as provided in Section 2.9 of this Supplemental Indenture.
Section 2.4. Interest.
(a) The Notes will bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.950% per annum from and including May 5, 2026 to, but excluding, May 15, 2031 or earlier Redemption Date (the “Fixed Rate Period”). Interest accrued on the Notes during the Fixed Rate Period will be payable semi-annually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on November 15, 2026 (each such date, a “Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date”). The last Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date shall be May 15, 2031, unless the Notes are earlier redeemed. The interest payable during the Fixed Rate Period will be paid to each Holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date (each such date, a “Fixed Rate Regular Record Date”).
(b) The Notes will bear a floating interest rate from, and including May 15, 2031, to, but excluding, the Maturity Date or earlier Redemption Date (the “Floating Rate Period”). The floating interest rate will be reset quarterly, and the interest rate for any Floating Rate Period shall be equal to the then-current Three-Month Term SOFR plus 217 basis points for each quarterly interest period during the Floating Rate Period. During the Floating Rate Period, interest on the Notes will be payable quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on August 15, 2031 (each such date, a “Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” and, together with a Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date, an “Interest Payment Date”). The interest payable during the Floating Rate Period will be paid to each Holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable Floating Rate Interest Payment Date (each such date, a “Floating Rate Regular Record Date”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Three-Month Term SOFR (or other applicable Benchmark) is less than zero, then Three-Month Term SOFR (or other such Benchmark) shall be deemed to be zero. The Calculation Agent will provide the Corporation and the Trustee with the interest rate in effect on the Notes promptly after the Reference Time (or such other date of determination for the applicable Benchmark).
(c) The amount of interest payable on any Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months to, but excluding, May 15, 2031, and, the amount of interest payable on any Floating Rate Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed.
(d) The Corporation or the Calculation Agent, as applicable, shall calculate the amount of interest payable on any Interest Payment Date and the Trustee shall have no duty to confirm or verify any such calculation. In the event that any scheduled Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date for the Notes falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date or of principal and interest payable on the Maturity Date will be paid on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (any payment made on such date will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and no interest on such payment will accrue for the period from and after such scheduled Interest Payment Date); provided, that in the event that any scheduled Floating Rate Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day and the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Floating Rate Interest Payment Date will be accelerated to the immediately preceding Business Day, and, in each such case, the amounts payable on such Business Day will include interest accrued to, but excluding, such Business Day. U.S. dollar amounts resulting from interest calculations will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward.
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(e) The Corporation shall take such actions as are necessary to ensure that from the commencement of the Floating Rate Period for so long as any of the Notes remain outstanding there will at all times be a Calculation Agent appointed to calculate Three-Month Term SOFR in respect of each Floating Rate Period. The calculation of Three-Month Term SOFR for each applicable Floating Rate Period by the Calculation Agent will (in the absence of manifest error) be final and binding. The Calculation Agent’s determination of any interest rate and its calculation of interest payments for any period will be maintained on file at the Calculation Agent’s principal offices, will be made available to any Holder of the Notes upon request and will be provided to the Trustee. The Calculation Agent shall have all the rights, protections and indemnities afforded to the Trustee under the Base Indenture and hereunder. The Calculation Agent may be removed by the Corporation at any time. If the Calculation Agent is unable or unwilling to act as Calculation Agent or is removed by the Corporation, the Corporation will promptly appoint a replacement Calculation Agent. The Calculation Agent may not resign its duties without a successor having been duly appointed; provided, that if a successor Calculation Agent has not been appointed by the Corporation and such successor accepted such position within 30 days after the giving of notice of resignation by the Calculation Agent, then the resigning Calculation Agent may petition, at the expense of the Corporation, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Calculation Agent with respect to such series. The Trustee shall not be under any duty to succeed to, assume or otherwise perform, any duties of the Calculation Agent, or to appoint a successor or replacement in the event of the Calculation Agent’s resignation or removal or to replace the Calculation Agent in the event of a default, breach or failure of performance on the part of the Calculation Agent with respect to the Calculation Agent’s duties and obligations hereunder. For the avoidance of doubt, if at any time there is no Calculation Agent appointed by the Corporation, then the Corporation shall be the Calculation Agent. The Corporation may appoint itself or any of its Affiliates to be the Calculation Agent.
(f) Effect of Benchmark Transition Event.
(1) If the Calculation Agent determines that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred on or prior to the Reference Time in respect of any determination of the Benchmark on any date, then the Benchmark Replacement will replace the then-current Benchmark for all purposes relating to the Notes during the Floating Rate Period in respect of such determination on such date and all determinations on all subsequent dates. In connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement, the Calculation Agent will have the right to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time.
(2) Notwithstanding anything set forth in Section 2.4(b) above, if the Calculation Agent determines on or prior to the relevant Reference Time that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR, then the provisions set forth in this Section 2.4(f) will thereafter apply to all determinations of the interest rate on the Notes during the Floating Rate Period. After a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred, the interest rate on the Notes for each interest period during the Floating Rate Period will be an annual rate equal to the Benchmark Replacement plus 217 basis points.
(3) The Calculation Agent is expressly authorized to make certain determinations, decisions and elections under the terms of the Notes, including with respect to the use of Three-Month Term SOFR as the Benchmark and under this Section 2.4(f). Any determination, decision or election that may be made by the Calculation Agent under the terms of the Notes, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or selection (A) will be conclusive and binding on the Holders of the Notes and the Trustee absent manifest error, (B) if made by the Corporation as Calculation Agent, will be made in the Corporation’s sole discretion, (C) if made by a Calculation Agent other than the Corporation, will be made after consultation with the Corporation, and the Calculation Agent will not make any such determination, decision or election to which the Corporation reasonably objects and (D) notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in the Base Indenture, shall become effective without consent from the Holders of the Notes, the Trustee or any other party. If the Calculation Agent fails to make any determination, decision or election that it is required to make under the terms of the Notes, then the Corporation will make such determination, decision or election on the same basis as described above.
(4) The Corporation (or its Calculation Agent) shall notify the Trustee in writing (i) upon the occurrence of the Benchmark Transition Event or the Benchmark Replacement Date, and (ii) of any Benchmark Replacements, Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes and other items affecting the interest rate on the Notes after a Benchmark Transition Event.
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(5) The Trustee (including in its capacity as Paying Agent) shall have no (i) responsibility or liability for the (A) Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, (B) selection of an alternative reference rate to Three-Month Term SOFR (including, without limitation, whether the conditions for the designation of such rate have been satisfied or whether such rate is a Benchmark Replacement or an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement), (C) determination or calculation of a Benchmark Replacement, or (D) determination of whether a Benchmark Transition Event or Benchmark Replacement Date has occurred, and in each such case under clauses (A) through (D) above shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon the selection, determination, and/or calculation thereof as provided by the Corporation or its Calculation Agent, as applicable, and (ii) liability for any failure or delay in performing its duties hereunder as a result of the unavailability of a Benchmark rate as described in the definition thereof, including, without limitation, as a result of the Corporation’s or Calculation Agent’s failure to select a Benchmark Replacement or the Calculation Agent’s failure to calculate a Benchmark. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely conclusively on all notices from the Corporation or its Calculation Agent regarding any Benchmark or Benchmark Replacement, including, without limitation, in regards to Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, a Benchmark Transition Event, Benchmark Replacement Date, and Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes. The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for the actions or omissions of the Calculation Agent, or any failure or delay in the performance of the Calculation Agent’s duties or obligations, nor shall it be under any obligation to monitor or oversee the performance of the Calculation Agent. The Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely on any determination made, and any instruction, notice, Officer’s Certificate or other instruction or information provided by the Calculation Agent without independent verification, investigation or inquiry of any kind. The Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any amendment or supplement hereto that adversely impacts its rights, duties, obligations, immunities or liabilities (including, without limitation, in connection with the adoption of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes).
(6) If the then-current Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, the Calculation Agent will have the right to establish the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, and if any of the foregoing provisions concerning the calculation of the interest rate and the payment of interest during the Floating Rate Period are inconsistent with any of the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions determined by the Calculation Agent, then the relevant Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions will apply.
Section 2.5. Redemption.
(a) The Notes shall be redeemable, in each case, in whole or in part from time to time, at the option of the Corporation beginning with the Interest Payment Date on May 15, 2031, but not prior thereto (except upon the occurrence of certain events specified below), and on any date thereafter (each, a “Redemption Date”), subject to obtaining the prior approval of the Federal Reserve to the extent such approval is then required under the rules of the Federal Reserve (or, as and if applicable, the rules of any successor appropriate bank regulatory agency). The Notes may not otherwise be redeemed prior to the Maturity Date, except that the Corporation may, at its option, redeem the Notes before the Maturity Date, in whole, but not in part, subject to obtaining the prior approval of the Federal Reserve to the extent such approval is then required under the rules of the Federal Reserve (or, as and if applicable, the rules of any successor appropriate bank regulatory agency), upon the occurrence of a Tier 2 Capital Event or a Tax Event, or if the Corporation is required to register as an investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.). Any such redemption will be at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date fixed by the Corporation. The provisions of Article Eleven of the Base Indenture shall apply to any redemption of the Notes pursuant to this Section 2.5; provided that a notice of redemption shall be delivered not less than 10 nor more than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed in whole or in part. Any partial redemption will be made in accordance with DTC’s applicable procedures among all of the Holders of the Notes. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption relating to such Note shall state that it is a partial redemption and the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed, and a replacement Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Note. The Notes are not subject to redemption or prepayment at the option of the Holders.
Any notice of redemption may be conditional in the Corporation’s discretion on one or more conditions precedent, and the Redemption Date may be delayed until such time as any or all of such conditions have been satisfied or revoked by the Corporation if it determines that such conditions will not be satisfied.
Section 2.6. No Repayment or Sinking Fund. The Notes will not be subject to redemption or repayment at the option of any Holder at any time prior to the Stated Maturity. No sinking fund will be provided with respect to the Notes.
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Section 2.7. Notes Not Convertible or Exchangeable. The Notes will not be convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities, other securities, or assets or property of the Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Section 2.8. Issuance of Notes; Selection of Depository. The Notes shall be issued as global Securities in permanent global form, without coupons. The initial depositary for the Notes shall be DTC.
Section 2.9. Further Issuances. The Corporation may, without consent of the Holders of the Notes but in compliance with the terms of the Indenture, increase the principal amount of the Notes by issuing additional Notes on the same terms and conditions as the Notes, except for any differences in the issue price and interest accrued prior to the date of issuance of the additional Notes, and with the same CUSIP number as the Notes; provided that such additional Notes are fungible with the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Notes and any additional Notes issued by the Corporation will rank equally and ratably and shall be treated as a single series of Securities for all purposes under the Indenture.
Section 2.10. No Additional Amounts. In the event that any payment on the Notes is subject to withholding of any U.S. federal income tax or other tax or assessment (as a result of a change in law or otherwise), the Corporation will not pay additional amounts with respect to such tax or assessment.
Section 2.11. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
Notwithstanding anything in the Base Indenture to the contrary, for purposes of the Securities and this Indenture, the first and second paragraphs of Section 303 of the Indenture shall be replaced with the following:
“(a) The Securities shall be executed in the name and on behalf of the Corporation by the manual, electronic signature (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) or facsimile signature of its Chairman of the Board, the President, Chief Financial Officer or a Vice President. Unless otherwise provided herein or in any other Securities, the words “execute”, “execution”, “signed”, and “signature” and words of similar import used in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Indenture, any other Securities or any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including amendments, waivers, consents and other modifications) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures and the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature in ink or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as applicable, to the fullest extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, and any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee is not under any obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by such Trustee pursuant to procedures approved by such Trustee. If the Person whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated and delivered, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.”
ARTICLE
Three
APPOINTMENT OF THE TRUSTEE FOR THE NOTES
Section 3.1. Security Registrar; Paying Agent. The Corporation appoints Wilmington Trust, National Association as Security Registrar and Paying Agent with respect to the Notes, and the Trustee hereby accepts such appointment.
ARTICLE
Four
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 4.1. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders. Solely with respect to the Notes, the text of Section 901 of the Base Indenture shall be amended by replacing the period at the end of clause (9) with “; or” and inserting a new clause (10) immediately after clause (9), which shall read as follows:
“(10) to add a guarantor with respect to the Notes.”
11
ARTICLE
Five
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER or LEASE
Section 5.1. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms. Solely with respect to the Notes, the text of clause (1) of Section 801 of the Base Indenture shall be replaced with the following:
(1) “the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Corporation is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Corporation shall be a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or trust, shall be organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and, if such surviving Person is not the Corporation, shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on all the Notes and the performance or observance of every covenant of the Indenture on the part of the Corporation to be performed or observed;”
ARTICLE
Six
DEFEASANCE
Section 6.1. Defeasance Applicable to the Notes. Pursuant to Section 301(14) and Section 1301 of the Base Indenture, provision is hereby made for both (i) defeasance of the Notes under Section 1302 of the Base Indenture and (ii) covenant defeasance of the Notes under Section 1303, in each case, upon the terms and conditions contained in Article Thirteen of the Base Indenture.
ARTICLE
Seven
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 7.1. Application of Supplemental Indenture. Each and every term and condition contained in this Supplemental Indenture that modifies, amends or supplements the terms and conditions of the Base Indenture shall apply only to the Notes created hereby and not to any future series of Securities established under the Base Indenture.
Section 7.2. Benefits of this Supplemental Indenture. Nothing contained in this Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties to the Indenture, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent, any Authenticating Agent and their successors under the Indenture, and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under the Base Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture.
Section 7.3. Modification of the Base Indenture. Except as expressly provided by this Supplemental Indenture, the provisions of the Base Indenture shall govern the terms and conditions of the Notes.
Section 7.4. Effective Date. This Supplemental Indenture shall be effective as of the date first above written and upon the execution and delivery hereof by each of the parties hereto.
Section 7.5. Counterparts. This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages transmitted by electronic signature (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) or facsimile signature shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted electronic signature (i.e., “.pdf” or “.tif”) or facsimile signature shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee is not under any obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by such Trustee pursuant to procedures approved by such Trustee.
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Section 7.6. Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements in the Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this Supplemental Indenture, by the Corporation will bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 7.7. Effect of Headings. The Article and Section headings in this Supplemental Indenture are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 7.8. Separability Clause. In case any provision in this Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 7.9. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. The Corporation shall be deemed to have satisfied all of its obligations under this Supplemental Indenture upon compliance with the provisions of Section 1302 of the Indenture relating to defeasance of the Notes, to the extent set forth in Section 1301.
Section 7.10. Ratification of the Base Indenture. The Base Indenture as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and this Supplemental Indenture will be deemed part of the Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided. The Base Indenture and this Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument. All provisions included in this Supplemental Indenture supersede any conflicting provisions included in the Base Indenture unless not permitted by law. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions of the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture.
Section 7.11. Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction. This Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York BUT WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY (OTHER THAN SECTIONS 5-1401 AND 5-1402 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW).
The parties hereby (i) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any federal or state court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, the city of New York, (ii) waive any objection to laying of venue in any such action or proceeding in such courts, and (iii) waive any objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum or do not have jurisdiction over any party.
Section 7.12. Trustee Disclaimer. The Trustee accepts the amendments of the Base Indenture effected by this Supplemental Indenture, but on the terms and conditions set forth in the Base Indenture, including the terms and provisions defining and limiting the liabilities and responsibilities of the Trustee. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or with respect to (i) any of the recitals contained herein, all of which recitals are made solely by the Corporation, (ii) the proper authorization hereof by the Corporation by action or otherwise, (iii) the due execution hereof by the Corporation or (iv) the consequences of any amendment herein provided for.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first above written.
| FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ Richard S. Kraemer | |
| Name: | Richard S. Kraemer | |
| Title: | Senior Executive Vice President and | |
| Chief Financial Officer | ||
| WILMINGTON
TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
| By: | /s/ Michael H. Wass | |
| Name: | Michael H. Wass | |
| Title: | Vice President | |
14
EXHIBIT A
FORM
OF FACE OF 5.950% FIXED-TO-FLOATING
RATE SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2036
THE FOLLOWING LEGEND SHALL APPEAR ON THE FACE OF EACH GLOBAL SECURITY:
THIS SECURITY IS AN UNSECURED SUBORDINATED DEBT OBLIGATION OF FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION. THIS SECURITY IS NOT A DEPOSIT OR SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND IS NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY OR INSTRUMENTALITY.
THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR A SECURITY REGISTERED, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN WHOLE OR IN PART MAY BE REGISTERED, IN THE NAME OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN SUCH DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE THEREOF, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.
15
FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION
5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036
| No. [ ] | U.S.$[ ] |
CUSIP NO. 360271AN0
ISIN NO. US360271AN03
FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (herein called the “Corporation,” which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to , or registered assigns, the principal sum of $ U.S. Dollars on May 15, 2036 (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “Stated Maturity Date”), unless redeemed prior to such date, and to pay interest thereon (i) from, and including, May 5, 2026, to, but excluding, May 15, 2031, unless redeemed prior to such date, at a rate of 5.950% per annum, semi-annually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing November 15, 2026 (each such date, a “Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date,” with the period from, and including, May 5, 2026 to, but excluding, the first Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date and each successive period from, and including, a Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date being a “Fixed Rate Period”) and (ii) from, and including, May 15, 2031 to, but excluding, the Stated Maturity Date, unless redeemed subsequent to May 15, 2031 but prior to the Stated Maturity Date, at a rate equal to Three-Month Term SOFR, reset quarterly, plus 217 basis points, or such other rate as determined pursuant to the Supplemental Indenture, payable quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year through the Stated Maturity Date or earlier Redemption Date (each, a “Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” and, together with the Fixed Rate Interest Payment Dates, the “Interest Payment Dates,” with the period from, and including, May 15, 2031 to, but excluding, the first Floating Rate Interest Payment Date and each successive period from, and including a Floating Rate Interest Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Floating Rate Interest Payment Date being a “Floating Rate Period”). The amount of interest payable on any Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months up to, but excluding May 15, 2031, and, the amount of interest payable on any Floating Rate Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year and the number of days actually elapsed. In the event that any scheduled Interest Payment Date for this Security falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date will be paid on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (any payment made on such date will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and no interest on such payment will accrue for the period from and after such scheduled Interest Payment Date); provided, that in the event that any scheduled Floating Rate Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day and the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Floating Rate Interest Payment Date will be accelerated to the immediately preceding Business Day, and, in each such case, the amounts payable on such Business Day will include interest accrued to, but excluding, such Business Day. All percentages used in or resulting from any calculation of Three-Month Term SOFR shall be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005% rounded up to 0.00001%.
16
The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Corporation, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture.
Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security will be made at the corporate trust office of the Trustee or at the office of any paying agent that the Corporation may designate, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
[Signature Page Follows]
17
| FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION | ||
| Dated: ________________ | By: | |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
(Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication)
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| WILMINGTON
TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
| Dated: ________________ | By: | |
| Authorized Officer | ||
18
[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF THE NOTE]
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Corporation (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of November 17, 2014, as supplemented by a Supplemental Indenture dated as of May 5, 2026 (herein collectively called the “Indenture,” which term shall have the meaning assigned to it in such instrument), between the Corporation and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), and reference is hereby made to the Indenture (as amended from time to time) for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Corporation, the Trustee, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof.
The indebtedness evidenced by this Security is, to the extent provided in the Indenture, subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, and this Security is issued subject to the provisions of the Indenture with respect thereto. Each Holder of this Security, by accepting the same, (a) agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions, (b) authorizes and directs the Trustee on his or her behalf to take such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination so provided and (c) appoints the Trustee his or her attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes. Each Holder hereof, by his or her acceptance hereof, waives all notice of the acceptance of the subordination provisions contained herein and in the Indenture by each holder of Senior Indebtedness, whether now outstanding or hereafter created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed, and waives reliance by each such holder upon said provisions.
The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of certain restrictive covenants and Events of Default with respect to this Security, in each case upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
The Corporation may, at its option, redeem the Securities, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest (the “Redemption Price”) to, but excluding, the date of redemption (the “Redemption Date”), on any date on or after May 15, 2031. The Corporation may also, at its option, redeem the Securities before the Stated Maturity Date, in whole, but not in part, at any time, upon the occurrence of a Tier 2 Capital Event, a Tax Event or if the Corporation is required to register as an investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Any such redemption will be at a redemption price equal to the Redemption Price to, but excluding, the Redemption Date fixed by the Corporation.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, to the extent then required under or pursuant to applicable regulations of the Federal Reserve (or, as and if applicable, the rules of any appropriate successor bank regulatory agency), this Security may not be repaid prior to the Stated Maturity Date without the prior written consent of the Federal Reserve (or, as and if applicable, the rules of any appropriate successor bank regulatory agency). In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof. The provisions of Article Eleven of the Base Indenture and Section 2.5 of this Supplemental Indenture shall apply to the redemption of any Securities by the Corporation.
In the event that any payment on the Securities is subject to withholding of any U.S. federal income tax or other tax or assessment (as a result of a change in law or otherwise), the Corporation will not pay additional amounts with respect to such tax or assessment.
19
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Corporation and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Corporation and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of 66 2/3% in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Corporation with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Security shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Securities of this series at the time Outstanding shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default and offered the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of Securities of this series at the time Outstanding a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding, for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Security for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Corporation maintained under Section 1002 of the Indenture for such purpose, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Corporation and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Corporation, the Trustee and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Corporation, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
This Security shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
20
ASSIGNMENT FORM
If you want to assign this Note, fill in the form below and have your signature guaranteed. I or we assign and transfer this Note to:
(Print or type name, address and zip code and social security or tax ID number of assignee)
and irrevocably appoint _____________________________________ agent to transfer this Note on the books of the Corporation. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
| Date: ________________ | Signed: ____________________________________ |
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Note)
Signature Guarantee:
Note: Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Security Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Security Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Exchange Act, as amended.
21
SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN GLOBAL SECURITY
The following increases or decreases in this Global Security have been made:
| Date | Amount
of decrease in principal amount of this Global Security |
Amount
of increase in principal amount of this Global Security |
Principal
amount of this Global Security following such decrease or increase |
Signature
of authorized signatory of Trustee or Custodian |
22
Exhibit 5.1
May 5, 2026
Board of Directors
Fulton Financial Corporation
One Penn Square
P.O. Box 4887
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604
| Re: | Fulton Financial Corporation—Prospectus Supplement to Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-289488) |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Fulton Financial Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”). At the Company’s request, we have examined a prospectus supplement, dated May 1, 2026 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Securities Act”), on May 4, 2026 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to the prospectus, dated August 11, 2025 (together with the Prospectus Supplement, the “Prospectus”), related to the above-referenced Registration Statement (the “Registration Statement”), relating to the issuance and sale by the Company of up to $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036 (the “Notes”). The Notes will be issued under a fourth supplemental indenture, dated May 5, 2026 (the “Supplemental Indenture”) to that certain Indenture, dated as of November 17, 2014 (together with the Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), by and between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association as trustee (the “Trustee”). The Notes are to be sold by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated May 1, 2026 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company, Piper Sandler & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as the underwriters.
This opinion letter is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
In so acting, we have examined original counterparts or copies of original counterparts of the following documents:
(i) the Underwriting Agreement;
(ii) the Registration Statement and all exhibits thereto;
(iii) the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated May 1, 2026, in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act relating to the offering of the Notes;
(iv) the Prospectus;
(v) the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as currently in effect;
(vi) the Bylaws of the Company, as currently in effect;
(vii) the Indenture;
(viii) the Notes;
(ix) the Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee filed with the Commission on August 11, 2025; and
(xi) Resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company and committees thereof with respect to the Registration Statement and the offering of the Notes.
We have also examined originals or copies or such records of the Company, certificates and websites of public officials and of officers or other representatives of the Company and agreements and other documents, and made such other investigations, as we have deemed necessary, subject to assumptions set forth below, as a basis for the opinion expressed below.
In rendering this opinion, we have assumed:
(i) The genuineness of all signatures (whether manual, electronic or otherwise) and, to the extent that a signature on a document is manifested by electronic or similar means, such signature has been executed or adopted by a signatory with an intent to authenticate and sign the document.
(ii) The authenticity of the originals of the documents submitted to us.
(iii) The conformity to authentic originals of any documents submitted to us as copies.
(iv) As to matters of fact, the truthfulness of the representations made or otherwise incorporated in the Prospectus and representations and statements made in certificates or web sites of public officials and officers or other representatives of the Company.
(v) That the offer and sale of the Notes complies in all respects with the terms, conditions and restrictions set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
We have not independently established the validity of the foregoing assumptions.
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that when the Notes have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture against payment of consideration therefor in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement, the Notes will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
Atlanta | Austin | Birmingham | Boston | Century City | Charlotte | Chattanooga | Chicago | Dallas | Denver | Fort Lauderdale Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | Nashville | Newport Beach | New York | Orlando | Philadelphia | Portland Richmond | San Francisco | Seattle | Stamford | Tallahassee | Tampa | Tysons | Washington, D.C. | West Palm Beach
Our opinion is limited to the Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as amended. We express no opinion as to federal law, including the federal securities laws, state securities (or “blue sky”) laws or the laws of any other jurisdiction, and the opinions set forth herein are qualified in that respect. We express no opinion as to whether, or the extent to which, the laws of any particular jurisdiction apply to the subject matter hereof.
This opinion letter has been prepared, and is to be understood, in accordance with customary practice of lawyers who regularly give and lawyers who regularly advise recipients regarding opinions of this kind, is limited to the matters expressly stated herein and is provided solely in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement and no opinions may be inferred or implied beyond the matters expressly stated herein. The opinions expressed herein are rendered and speak only as of the date hereof and we specifically disclaim any responsibility to update such opinions subsequent to the date hereof or to advise you of subsequent developments affecting such opinions.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K for incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement and to the references to us under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus constituting a part thereof. Our consent, however, shall not constitute an admission to our being experts as provided for in Sections 7 and 11 of the Securities Act.
| Respectfully submitted, | |
| /s/ Holland & Knight LLP | |
| HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP |
Atlanta | Austin | Birmingham | Boston | Century City | Charlotte | Chattanooga | Chicago | Dallas | Denver | Fort Lauderdale Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | Nashville | Newport Beach | New York | Orlando | Philadelphia | Portland Richmond | San Francisco | Seattle | Stamford | Tallahassee | Tampa | Tysons | Washington, D.C. | West Palm Beach
Exhibit 5.2
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom llp ONE MANHATTAN WEST NEW YORK, NY 10001 ___
TEL: (212) 735-3000 FAX: (212) 735-2000 www.skadden.com |
||
FIRM/AFFILIATE OFFICES ----------- BOSTON CHICAGO HOUSTON LOS ANGELES PALO ALTO WASHINGTON, D.C. WILMINGTON ----------- ABU DHABI BEIJING BRUSSELS FRANKFURT HONG KONG LONDON MUNICH PARIS SÃO PAULO SEOUL SINGAPORE TOKYO TORONTO |
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May 5, 2026
Fulton Financial Corporation
One Penn Square
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604
| RE: | Fulton
Financial Corporation Registration Statement on Form S-3 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special United States counsel to Fulton Financial Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the public offering of $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.950% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2036 (the “Notes”) to be issued under the Indenture, dated as of November 17, 2014 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), dated as of the date hereof between the Company and the Trustee.
This opinion letter is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”).
Fulton Financial Corporation
May 5, 2026
Page 2
In rendering the opinion stated herein, we have examined and relied upon the following:
(a) the registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-289499) of the Company relating to debt securities and other securities of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on August 11, 2025, under the Securities Act, allowing for delayed offerings pursuant to Rule 415 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act (the “Rules and Regulations”), including the information deemed to be a part of the registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B of the Rules and Regulations (such registration statement being hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”);
(b) the prospectus, dated August 11, 2025 (the “Base Prospectus”), relating to debt securities and other securities of the Company, which forms a part of and is included in the Registration Statement;
(c) the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated May 1, 2026 (together with the Base Prospectus, the “Preliminary Prospectus”), relating to the offering of the Notes, in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;
(d) the prospectus supplement, dated May 1, 2026 (the “Prospectus Supplement” and, together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”), relating to the offering of the Notes, in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;
(e) an executed copy of the Underwriting Agreement, dated May 1, 2026 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among Piper Sandler & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as underwriters (the “Underwriters”), and the Company, relating to the issuance and sale by the Company to the Underwriters of the Notes;
(f) an executed copy of the Base Indenture;
(g) an executed copy of the Supplemental Indenture; and
(h) the global certificate evidencing the Notes, executed by the Company and registered in the name of Cede & Co. (the “Note Certificate”), delivered by the Company to the Trustee for authentication and delivery.
We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates and receipts of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion stated below.
In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, including electronic signatures, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified or photocopied copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies. As to any facts relevant to the opinion stated herein that we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others and of public officials, including the factual representations and warranties contained in the Underwriting Agreement.
Fulton Financial Corporation
May 5, 2026
Page 3
We do not express any opinion with respect to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws, of the State of New York (the “Opined-on Law”).
As used herein, “Transaction Documents” means the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Note Certificate.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and assumptions stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Note Certificate, when duly authenticated by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, the Note Certificate will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms under the laws of the State of New York.
The opinion stated herein is subject to the following assumptions and qualifications:
(a) we do not express any opinion with respect to the effect on the opinion stated herein of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, preference and other similar laws or governmental orders affecting creditors’ rights generally, and the opinion stated herein is limited by such laws and governmental orders and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in equity or at law);
(b) we do not express any opinion with respect to any law, rule, regulation or order that is applicable to any party to any of the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated thereby solely because such law, rule, regulation or order is part of a regulatory regime applicable to any such party or any of its affiliates as a result of the specific assets or business operations of such party or such affiliates;
(c) except to the extent expressly stated in the opinion contained herein, we have assumed that each of the Transaction Documents constitutes the valid and binding obligation of each party to such Transaction Document, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms;
(d) we do not express any opinion with respect to the enforceability of any provision contained in any Transaction Document relating to any indemnification, contribution, non-reliance, exculpation, release, limitation or exclusion of remedies, waiver or other provisions having similar effect that may be contrary to public policy or violative of federal or state securities laws, rules, regulations or orders, or to the extent any such provision purports to waive or alter, or has the effect of waiving or altering, any statute of limitations;
(e) we do not express any opinion whether the execution or delivery of any Transaction Document by the Company, or the performance by the Company of its obligations under any Transaction Document will constitute a violation of, or a default under, any covenant, restriction or provision with respect to financial ratios or tests or any aspect of the financial condition or results of operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries;
Fulton Financial Corporation
May 5, 2026
Page 4
(f) the opinion stated herein is limited to the agreements and documents specifically identified in the opinion contained herein (the “Specified Documents”) without regard to any agreement or other document referenced in any Specified Document (including agreements or other documents incorporated by reference or attached or annexed thereto) and without regard to any other agreement or document relating to any Specified Document that is not a Transaction Document;
(g) subsequent to the effectiveness of the Indenture and immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture has not been amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified in any way that affects or relates to the Note Certificate other than by the applicable Transaction Documents relating to such Notes;
(h) to the extent that any opinion relates to the enforceability of the choice of New York law and choice of New York forum provisions contained in any Transaction Document, the opinion stated herein is subject to the qualification that such enforceability may be subject to, in each case, (i) the exceptions and limitations in New York General Obligations Law Sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 and (ii) principles of comity and constitutionality; and
(i) we call to your attention that irrespective of the agreement of the parties to any Transaction Document, a court may decline to hear a case on grounds of forum non conveniens or other doctrine limiting the availability of such court as a forum for resolution of disputes; in addition, we call to your attention that we do not express any opinion with respect to the subject matter jurisdiction of the federal courts of the United States of America in any action arising out of or relating to any Transaction Document.
In addition, in rendering the foregoing opinion we have also assumed that, at all applicable times:
(a) the Company (i) was duly incorporated and was validly existing and in good standing, (ii) had requisite legal status and legal capacity under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization and (iii) has complied and will comply with all aspects of the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization in connection with the transactions contemplated by, and the performance of its obligations under, the Transaction Documents;
(b) the Company had the corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform all of its obligations under each of the Transaction Documents;
(c) each of the Transaction Documents had been duly authorized, executed and delivered by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Company;
Fulton Financial Corporation
May 5, 2026
Page 5
(d) neither the execution and delivery by the Company of the Transaction Documents nor the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder, including the issuance and sale of the Notes: (i) conflicted or will conflict with the certificate of incorporation, by-laws or any other comparable organizational document of the Company, (ii) constituted or will constitute a violation of, or a default under, any lease, indenture, agreement or other instrument to which the Company or its property is subject (except that we do not make the assumption set forth in this clause (iii) with respect to those agreements or instruments expressed to be governed by the laws of the State of New York which are listed in Part II of the Registration Statement or the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025), (iv) contravened or will contravene any order or decree of any governmental authority to which the Company or its property is subject, or (v) violated or will violate any law, rule or regulation to which the Company or its property is subject (except that we do not make the assumption set forth in this clause (v) with respect to the Opined-on Law); and
(e) neither the execution and delivery by the Company of the Transaction Documents nor the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder, including the issuance and sale of the Notes, required or will require the consent, approval, licensing or authorization of, or any filing, recording or registration with, any governmental authority under any law, rule or regulation of any jurisdiction.
We hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations. We also hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter with the Commission as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K being filed on the date hereof and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. This opinion letter is expressed as of the date hereof unless otherwise expressly stated, and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes in the facts stated or assumed herein or of any subsequent changes in applicable laws.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | |
MPR