Moodys Corp 8-K, filed Feb 28, 2022
Moodys Corp (MCO)
About this 8-K
Moodys Corp filed this 8-K on February 28, 2022, reporting on events of February 22, 2022.
Items reported
- Item 8.01: Other events
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
| ITEM 8.01 |
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| ITEM 9.01 |
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| EXHIBIT 1.1 |
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| EXHIBIT 4.1 |
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| EXHIBIT 4.2 |
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| EXHIBIT 5.1 |
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| EXHIBIT 23.1 |
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| EXHIBIT 104 |
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Item 8.01, “Other Events”
On February 22, 2022, Moody’s Corporation (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement by and among the Company and BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriting Agreement”), with respect to the issuance and sale of $500 million aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 3.750% Senior Notes due 2052 (the “notes”). The offer of the notes was registered under the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-236611) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on February 25, 2020. On February 25, 2022, the Company closed its public offering of the notes.
The notes were issued under an Indenture between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), dated as of August 19, 2010 (the “Base Indenture”), as supplemented by the sixteenth supplemental indenture, dated as of February 25, 2022 (the “Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). The Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture includes the form of the notes. The net proceeds of the offering are expected to be used for general corporate purposes, which may include repurchases of common stock.
The notes bear interest at the fixed rate of 3.750% per year and mature on February 25, 2052. Interest on the notes will be due semiannually on February 25 and August 25 of each year, commencing August 25, 2022. Prior to August 25, 2051 (six months prior to their maturity date) (the “Par Call Date”), the Company may redeem the notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) the make-whole redemption price set forth in the notes less interest accrued to the date of redemption and (ii) 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date. On or after the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date.
Additionally, at the option of the holders of the notes, the Company may be required to purchase all or a portion of the notes upon the occurrence of a “Change of Control Triggering Event” (as defined in the Indenture), at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase.
The Indenture contains covenants that limit the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to, among other things, incur or create liens and enter into sale and leaseback transactions. In addition, the Indenture contains a covenant that limits the ability of the Company to consolidate or merge with another entity or to sell all or substantially all of its assets to another entity.
The Indenture contains customary default provisions. In addition, an event of default will occur if the Company or certain of its subsidiaries fail to pay the principal of any Indebtedness (as defined in the Indenture) when due at maturity in an aggregate amount of $50 million or more, or a default occurs that results in the acceleration of the maturity of the Company’s or certain of its subsidiaries’ Indebtedness in an aggregate amount of $50 million or more. Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an event of default under the Indenture, the notes may become immediately due and payable either automatically or by the vote of the holders of more than 25% of the aggregate principal amount of all of the notes of the applicable series then outstanding.
The above descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement, Base Indenture, Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture and the form of the notes are summaries only and are qualified in their entirety by their respective terms. The Base Indenture is attached as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 19, 2010, filed with the Commission, and the Underwriting Agreement and Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture (including the forms of notes) are attached hereto as Exhibits 1.1, 4.1 and 4.2, respectively.
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Item 9.01, “Financial Statements and Exhibits”
(d) Exhibits
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SIGNATURES
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.
| MOODY’S CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ Elizabeth M. McCarroll | |
| Elizabeth M. McCarroll | ||
| Corporate Secretary and Associate General Counsel | ||
Date: February 25, 2022
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Exhibit 1.1
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
$500,000,000 3.750% Senior Notes due 2052
Moody’s Corporation
February 22, 2022
BofA Securities, Inc.
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Moody’s Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), $500,000,000 principal amount of its 3.750% Senior Notes due 2052 (the “Securities”). The Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as of August 19, 2010 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture to be dated as of February 25, 2022 (the “Supplemental Indenture,” and together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee.
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Securities, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-236611), including a prospectus (the “Basic Prospectus”), relating to debt securities to be issued from time to time by the Company. The Company has also filed, or proposes to file, with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities (the “Prospectus Supplement”). Such registration statement, as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430
Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the Basic Prospectus as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Securities and the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus supplement dated February 22, 2022 specifically relating to the Securities together with the Basic Prospectus. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in this agreement (the “Agreement”) to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Basic Prospectus, Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the time when sales or contracts for sales of the Securities were first made (the “Time of Sale”), the Company had prepared certain information (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”) which information is identified in Schedules 3 and 4 hereto.
2. Purchase of the Securities by the Underwriters. (a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amount of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto at a price equal to 97.407% of the principal amount of the Securities. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any of the Securities except upon payment for all the Securities to be purchased as provided herein.
(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Securities as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Securities on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Securities to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Securities purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.
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(c) Payment for and delivery of the Securities shall be made at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on February 25, 2022, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. The time and date of such payment and delivery is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”
(d) Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Company to the Representatives against delivery of the Securities in book-entry form to the nominee of The Depository Trust Company, for the account of the Underwriters, of one or more global notes representing the Securities (collectively, the “Global Note”). The Global Note will be made available for inspection by the Representatives not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date.
(e) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters named herein are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Securities contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as financial advisors or fiduciaries to, or agents of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, no such Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction with respect to the offering of Securities contemplated hereby. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and such Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by such Underwriters named herein of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:
(a) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, the Registration Statement complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture Act”), and did not and will
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not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to (i) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act or (ii) any statements or omissions in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(b) Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any 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; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Time of Sale Information. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of material fact included in the Time of Sale Information that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act, (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus, (iii) the Prospectus, (iv) the documents listed on Schedules 3 and 4 hereto as constituting the Time of Sale Information and (v) any electronic road show or other written communications (including any investor presentations reviewed and consented to by the Representatives prior to the use of such investor presentation), in each case approved in writing in advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, or filed prior to the first use of such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus,
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did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any 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; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(d) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, when filed with the Commission, conformed or will conform, as the case may be, in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and did not and will not contain any 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(e) Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the respective related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and the supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby.
(f) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
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calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(g) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries listed in Schedule 2 to this Agreement (each, a “Significant Subsidiary”) have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified, in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Securities (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(h) Capitalization. All the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (except, in the case of any foreign subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares or as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(i) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby has been or will be duly and validly taken.
(j) The Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, upon effectiveness of the Registration Statement and on the Closing Date, was or will have been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with its terms, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”).
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(k) The Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(l) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(m) Descriptions of the Transaction Documents. Each Transaction Document conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(n) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(o) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the
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consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state or foreign securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.
(q) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, to the best knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or by others; and (i) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement and described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(r) Independent Accountants. KPMG LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(s) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(t) Status under the Securities Act. The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” and is a “well-known seasoned issuer”, in each case as defined under the Securities Act at the times specified in the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.
(u) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
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procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, and the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of infringement or conflict with any such rights of others, which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding), would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Taxes. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have paid all material federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all income and other material tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there is no material tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets.
(w) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, and except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.
(x) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
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(y) Accounting Controls. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls.
(z) Insurance. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are adequate to protect the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries 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, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect 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.
(aa) Sanctions. None of the Company, any of its Significant Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Government, (including the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) and the U.S. Department of State and including designation on the “Specially Designated Nationals” (“SDN”) List maintained by OFAC), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries located or organized within, or doing business or operating from a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions, to the extent such funding or facilitation is prohibited by Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country, to the extent such funding or facilitation is prohibited by Sanctions, or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, initial purchaser, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.
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(bb) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that any statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(cc) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(dd) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those 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 or regulatory agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental or regulatory agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(ee) Compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws. None of the Company, any of its Significant Subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government or regulatory official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), and the rules and regulations thereunder; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the UK Bribery Act 2010, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (v) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit including, without limitation, any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries have instituted, and maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with the FCPA, UK Bribery Act and any anti-corruption laws and regulations that would be applicable to it in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates.
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(ff) XBRL Data. The interactive data in the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (“XBRL”) included as an exhibit to the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(gg) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) operate and perform in all material respects in conformance with their specifications or contracted requirements as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, and to the best knowledge of the Company, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants, other than those not reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain commercially reasonable risk-based controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all mission critical IT Systems and the integrity redundancy and risk-based security of all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”) processed and stored thereon, and to the knowledge of the Company, there have been no material breaches, incidents, violations, outages, compromises or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability, nor any material incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material 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, material 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.
4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Filings with the Commission. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act and will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including the Term Sheet in the form of Schedule 4 hereto) to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the registration fee for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act and in any event on or prior to the Closing Date.
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(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, to the Representatives, during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (if applicable) as the Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Securities by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements; Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus with respect to this offering of the Securities, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.
(d) Notice to the Representatives. Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities (of which the Representatives will advise the Company in writing), the Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (ii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been filed; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (v) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification
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of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Securities and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e) Time of Sale Information. If at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Information as then amended or supplemented would 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 or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Information as may be necessary so that the statements in the Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Information will comply with law.
(f) Ongoing Compliance. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law.
(g) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
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(h) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement; provided, however, that such availability requirements shall be deemed met by the Company’s reporting requirement pursuant to the Exchange Act.
(i) Clear Market. During the period from the date hereof through and including the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company and having a tenor of more than one year.
(j) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds”.
(k) No Stabilization. The Company will not 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.
(l) Filing of Exchange Act Documents. The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the Prospectus Delivery Period.
(m) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:
(a) It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that, solely as a result of use by such underwriter, would not trigger an obligation to file such free writing prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule 3 hereto or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such Underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing the Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of Schedule 4 hereto without the consent of the Company.
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(b) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase Securities on the Closing Date as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Time of Sale and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, and prior to the purchase of Securities on the Closing Date, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Securities or any other debt securities of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined by the Commission in Rule 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act and (ii) 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 debt securities of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(f) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Time of Sale Information (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
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(e) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of an executive officer of the Company who has specific knowledge of the Company’s financial matters and is reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officer has carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and, to the best knowledge of such officer, the representations set forth in Sections 3(a) and 3(b) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.
(f) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, KPMG LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
(g) Opinions and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel for the Company. (1) Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, special counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinions and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, and (2) John J. Goggins, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, his written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(h) Opinion and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(i) 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 federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the 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 Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.
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(j) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and each of the Significant Subsidiaries that is organized in the United States in their respective jurisdictions of organization, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(k) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
7. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the terms of the offering by the Underwriters in the third paragraph under the caption
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“Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)”; the information concerning market making by the Underwriters in the sixth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” and the information concerning short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales by the Underwriters contained in the seventh and ninth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)”.
(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under this Section 7 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under this Section 7. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 7 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of counsel related to such proceeding as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary, (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person 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
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for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (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 from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, 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 shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. 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 (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in
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excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
8. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on the New York Stock Exchange or the over-the-counter market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
9. Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons reasonably satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 9, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
21
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 10 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
10. Payment of Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters and any transfer or similar taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing each of the Transaction Documents; (iv) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the fees and expenses of the Company’s independent accountants; (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Securities under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (vi) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the Securities; (vii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any paying agent (including related fees and expenses of any counsel to such parties); (viii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of any offering by, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; and (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors.
22
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
11. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 7 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
12. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Securities and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters.
13. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; and (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City.
14. Miscellaneous. (a) Authority of the Representatives. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by the Representatives shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
(b) Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
23
(c) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to BofA Securities, Inc. at One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036; Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal, facsimile number (212) 901-7881; Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013; Attention: General Counsel, facsimile number (646) 291-1469 and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at 383 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10179; Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, facsimile number (212) 834-6081 and notices to the Company shall be given to Moody’s Corporation, 7 World Trade Center at 250 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10007, (fax: 212-553-0084); Attention: General Counsel.
(d) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(e) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(f) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(h) Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
| (i) | In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity 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. |
| (ii) | In the event that any Underwriter that 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. |
24
| (iii) | For purposes of this Section 14(h): |
“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).
“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).
“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.
“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.
| (i) | Contractual Recognition of UK Bail-in Powers. |
| (i) | Notwithstanding and to the exclusion of any other term of this Agreement or any other agreements, arrangements or understanding between the UK Bail-in Party and the Company, the Company acknowledges and accepts that a UK Bail-in Liability arising under this Agreement may be subject to the exercise of UK Bail-in Powers by the relevant UK resolution authority, and acknowledges, accepts, and agrees to be bound by: |
| (1) | the effect of the exercise of UK Bail-in Powers by the relevant UK resolution authority in relation to any UK Bail-in Liability of a UK Bail-in Party to the Company under this Agreement, that (without limitation) may include and result in any of the following, or some combination thereof: |
| (A) | the reduction of all, or a portion, of the relevant UK Bail-in Liability or outstanding amounts due thereon; |
25
| (B) | the conversion of all, or a portion, of the UK Bail-in Liability into shares, other securities or other obligations of such UK Bail-in Party or another person, and the issue to or conferral on the Company of such shares, securities or obligations; |
| (C) | the cancellation of the UK Bail-in Liability; or |
| (D) | the amendment or alteration of any interest, if applicable, thereon, the maturity or the dates on which any payments are due, including by suspending payment for a temporary period; and |
| (2) | the variation of the terms of this Agreement, as deemed necessary by the relevant UK resolution authority, to give effect to the exercise of UK Bail-in Powers by the relevant UK resolution authority. |
| (ii) | The terms which follow, when used in this Section 14(i), shall have the meanings indicated: |
| (1) | “UK Bail-in Legislation” means Part I of the UK Banking Act 2009 and any other law or regulation applicable in the UK relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (otherwise than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings). |
| (2) | “UK Bail-in Liability” means a liability in respect of which the UK Bail-in Powers may be exercised. |
| (3) | “UK Bail-in Party” means Standard Chartered Bank. |
| (4) | “UK Bail-in Powers” means the powers under the UK Bail-In Legislation to cancel, transfer or dilute shares issued by a person that is a bank or investment firm or affiliate of a bank or investment firm, to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of such a person or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability. |
26
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| MOODY’S CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ John J. Goggins | |
| Name: John J. Goggins | ||
| Title: Executive Vice President and General Counsel | ||
| By: | /s/ Mark Kaye | |
| Name: Mark Kaye | ||
| Title: SVP and Chief Financial Officer | ||
[Signature page to the Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: February 22, 2022
BofA Securities, Inc.
| By: | /s/ Kevin Wehler | |
| Name: Kevin Wehler | ||
| Title: Managing Director |
[Signature page to the Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: February 22, 2022
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
| By: | /s/ Brian D. Bednarski | |
| Name: Brian D. Bednarski | ||
| Title: Managing Director |
[Signature page to the Underwriting Agreement]
Accepted: February 22, 2022
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
| By: | /s/ Robert Bottamedi | |
| Name: Robert Bottamedi | ||
| Title: Executive Director |
[Signature page to the Underwriting Agreement]
Schedule 1
| Underwriter |
Principal Amount of Securities |
|||
| BofA Securities, Inc. |
$ | 111,667,000.00 | ||
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
$ | 111,667,000.00 | ||
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
$ | 111,666,000.00 | ||
| TD Securities (USA) LLC. |
$ | 28,750,000.00 | ||
| HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. |
$ | 28,750,000.00 | ||
| MUFG Securities Americas Inc. |
$ | 28,750,000.00 | ||
| Citizens Capital Markets, Inc. |
$ | 11,250,000.00 | ||
| Fifth Third Securities, Inc. |
$ | 11,250,000.00 | ||
| Loop Capital Markets LLC |
$ | 11,250,000.00 | ||
| Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. |
$ | 11,250,000.00 | ||
| Standard Chartered Bank |
$ | 11,250,000.00 | ||
| Truist Securities, Inc. |
$ | 11,250,000.00 | ||
| U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. |
$ | 11,250,000.00 | ||
| Total |
$ | 500,000,000.00 | ||
Schedule 2
LIST OF SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
Moody’s Analytics, Inc.
Moody’s Investors Service Ltd.
Schedule 3
Time of Sale Information
a. Preliminary Prospectus dated February 22, 2022
b. Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Time of Sale Information
Final Term Sheet dated February 22, 2022, attached to this Agreement as Schedule 4.
Schedule 4
Final Pricing Term Sheet
See attached.
Moody’s Corporation
Pricing Term Sheet
February 22, 2022
| Issuer: | Moody’s Corporation | |
| Trade Date: | February 22, 2022 | |
| Settlement Date: | February 25, 2022 (T+3) | |
| Ratings:* | BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services BBB+ by Fitch Ratings | |
3.750% Senior Notes due 2052 (the “Notes”)
| Principal Amount: | $500,000,000 | |
| Maturity Date: | February 25, 2052 | |
| Coupon: | 3.750% | |
| Benchmark Treasury: | 1.875% due November 15, 2051 | |
| Benchmark Treasury Price and Yield: | 91—31 / 2.247% | |
| Spread to Benchmark Treasury: | +160 basis points | |
| Yield to Maturity: | 3.847% | |
| Public Offering Price: | 98.282% | |
| Interest Payment Dates: | February 25 and August 25, commencing August 25, 2022 | |
| Make-whole Call: | Callable at any time at the greater of par and the make whole redemption price (Treasury plus 25 basis points) | |
| Par Call: | Callable on or after August 25, 2051, the date that is six months prior to the Maturity Date, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed | |
| CUSIP/ISIN: | 615369 AY1 / US615369AY18 | |
| Joint Book-Running Managers: | BofA Securities, Inc. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC TD Securities (USA) LLC | |
| Co-Managers: | HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. MUFG Securities Americas Inc. Citizens Capital Markets, Inc. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. Loop Capital Markets LLC Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. Standard Chartered Bank Truist Securities, Inc. U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. | |
*******************************************
*Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.
It is expected that delivery of the Notes will be made to investors on or about February
25, 2022, which will be the third business day following the date of pricing of the Notes (such settlement being referred to as “T+3”). Under Rule 15c6-1 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, trades in the secondary market are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade Notes prior to the second business day before the delivery of the Notes will be required, by virtue of the fact that the Notes will initially settle in T+3, to specify an alternate settlement arrangement at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of the Notes who wish to trade the Notes prior to the second business day before their date of delivery should consult their own advisors.
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by contacting BofA Securities, Inc. (1-800-294-1322 or dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com), Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (1-800-831-9146) or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (1-212-834-4533).
Any disclaimers or other notices that may appear below are not applicable to this communication and should be disregarded. Such disclaimers were automatically generated as a result of this communication being sent via Bloomberg or another email system.
Exhibit 4.1
MOODY’S CORPORATION
as Issuer
and
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
as successor to
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
SIXTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Dated as of February 25, 2022
to
INDENTURE
Dated as of August 19, 2010
3.750% Senior Notes due 2052
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||
| ARTICLE 1. DEFINITIONS |
||||
| Section 1.1. Definition of Terms |
1 | |||
| ARTICLE 2. | ||||
| GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES | ||||
| Section 2.1. Designation and Principal Amount |
5 | |||
| Section 2.2. Maturity |
5 | |||
| Section 2.3. Further Issues |
5 | |||
| Section 2.4. Form of Payment |
5 | |||
| Section 2.5. Global Securities and Denomination of Notes |
5 | |||
| Section 2.6. Interest |
5 | |||
| Section 2.7. Redemption |
5 | |||
| Section 2.8. Limitations on Liens |
6 | |||
| Section 2.9. Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions |
7 | |||
| Section 2.10. Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets |
8 | |||
| Section 2.11. Events of Default |
8 | |||
| Section 2.12. Appointment of Agents |
8 | |||
| Section 2.13. Change of Control |
8 | |||
| Section 2.14. Defeasance Upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government Obligations |
10 | |||
| ARTICLE 3. | ||||
| FORM OF NOTES | ||||
| Section 3.1. Form of Notes |
10 | |||
| ARTICLE 4. | ||||
| ORIGINAL ISSUE OF NOTES | ||||
| Section 4.1. Original Issue of Notes |
10 | |||
| ARTICLE 5. | ||||
| MISCELLANEOUS | ||||
| Section 5.1. Ratification of Indenture |
10 | |||
| Section 5.2. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals |
10 | |||
| Section 5.3. Governing Law |
10 | |||
| Section 5.4. Separability |
10 | |||
| Section 5.5. Counterparts Originals |
11 | |||
| EXHIBIT A – Form of Notes |
A-1 | |||
ii
SIXTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of February 25, 2022 (this “Supplemental Indenture”), between Moody’s Corporation, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, having its principal office at 7 World Trade Center at 250 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10007 (the “Company”), and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association, organized and in good standing under the laws of the United States, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
WHEREAS, the Company executed and delivered the indenture, dated as of August 19, 2010, to the Trustee (the “Base Indenture,” and, as hereby supplemented, the “Indenture”), to provide for the issuance of the Company’s debt Securities to be issued in one or more series;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Base Indenture, the Company desires to provide for the establishment of a new series of its notes under the Base Indenture to be known as its “3.750% Senior Notes due 2052” (the “Notes”), the form and substance and the terms, provisions and conditions thereof to be set forth as provided in the Base Indenture and this Supplemental Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors, pursuant to resolutions duly adopted on February 7, 2022, has duly authorized the issuance of the Notes, and has authorized the proper officers of the Company to execute any and all appropriate documents necessary or appropriate to effect each such issuance;
WHEREAS, this Supplemental Indenture is being entered into pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.01 and Section 14.01 of the Base Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, and to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, the valid obligations of the Company, have been performed, and the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized in all respects;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the purchase and acceptance of the Notes by the Holders thereof, and for the purpose of setting forth, as provided in the Base Indenture, the forms and terms of the Notes, the Company covenants and agrees, with the Trustee, as follows:
1
ARTICLE 1.
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1. Definition of Terms. Unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) each term defined in the Base Indenture has the same meaning when used in this Supplemental Indenture, unless otherwise defined in this Supplemental Indenture;
(b) the singular includes the plural and vice versa;
(c) headings are for convenience of reference only and do not affect interpretation;
(d) a reference to a Section or Article is to a Section or Article of this Supplemental Indenture unless otherwise indicated; and
(e) the following terms have the meanings given to them in this Section 1.1(e):
(i) “Attributable Debt” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) the fair market value of the property (as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company) or (b) the present value of the total net amount of payments to be made under the lease during its remaining term, discounted at the interest rate set forth or implicit in the terms of the lease, compounded semi-annually.
(ii) “Base Indenture” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the recitals.
(iii) “Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is not a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to close.
(iv) “Change of Control” means the occurrence of any one of the following: (1) the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than to the Company or one of its Subsidiaries; (2) the consummation of any transaction (including without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the outstanding Voting Stock of the Company, measured by voting power rather than number of shares; (3) the Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, any Person, or any Person consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of the outstanding Voting Stock of the Company or such other Person is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the shares of the Voting Stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such transaction constitute, or are converted into or exchanged for, a majority of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person immediately after giving effect to such transaction; (4) the first day on which the majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company cease to be Continuing Directors; or (5) the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
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(v) “Change of Control Offer” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.13.
(vi) “Change of Control Payment Date” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.13.
(vii) “Change of Control Triggering Event” means the notes cease to be rated Investment Grade by S&P or Fitch or, if S&P or Fitch and another “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act) shall provide a rating of the notes, by S&P or Fitch and any such other rating organization, on any date during the period (the “Trigger Period”) commencing 60 days prior to the first public announcement by the Company of any Change of Control (or pending Change of Control) and ending 60 days following consummation of such Change of Control (which Trigger Period will be extended following consummation of a Change of Control for so long as S&P, Fitch or such other rating organization shall have publicly announced that it is considering a possible ratings change). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Change of Control Triggering Event will be deemed to have occurred in connection with any particular Change of Control unless and until such Change of Control has actually been consummated.
(viii) “Consolidated Total Assets” means the total assets of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, as set forth on the Company’s most recent consolidated balance sheet, as determined under GAAP.
(ix) “Continuing Director” means as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who: (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date of the Indenture; or (2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination or election.
(x) “DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.
(xi) “Event of Default” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.11.
(xii) “Fitch” means Fitch Ratings, a part of the Fitch Group, and its successors.
(xiii) “Indenture” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the recitals.
(xiv) “Investment Grade” means a rating of BBB- or better by S&P or Fitch (or its equivalent under any successor rating category of S&P or Fitch); and an equivalent rating of another “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” that shall provide a rating of the notes.
3
(xv) “Lien” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.8.
(xvi) “Net Revenue” means with respect to any Person for any period, the net revenue of such Person and its consolidated subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP for such period.
(xvii) “Notes” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the recitals.
(xviii) “Permitted Liens” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.8.
(xix) “Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or political subdivision thereof.
(xx) “Registrar” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the recitals.
(xxi) “Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary (a) the Total Assets of which exceed 10% of Consolidated Total Assets as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or (b) the Net Revenue of which exceeds 10% of the Net Revenue of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year.
(xxii) “Sale/Leaseback Transaction” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 2.9.
(xxiii) “Subsidiary” means with respect to any Person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of capital stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (a) such Person, (b) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person or (c) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.
(xxiv) “S&P” means S&P Global Ratings and its successors.
(xxv) “Total Assets” means at any date as to any Person, the total assets of such Person and its consolidated subsidiaries at such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
(xxvi) “Trigger Period” shall have the meaning assigned to it in Section 1.1(e)(vi).
(xxvii) “Trustee” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the recitals.
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(xxviii) “Voting Stock” of any specified Person as of any date means the capital stock of such Person that is at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such Person.
ARTICLE 2.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES
Section 2.1. Designation and Principal Amount. There is hereby authorized and established a new series of Securities under the Base Indenture designated as the “3.750% Senior Notes due 2052,” which are not limited in aggregate principal amount. The initial aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be issued under this Supplemental Indenture shall be $500,000,000. Any additional amounts of Notes to be issued shall be set forth in a Company Order.
Section 2.2. Maturity. The stated maturity of principal for the Notes shall be February 25, 2052.
Section 2.3. Further Issues. The Company may from time to time, without the consent of the Holders of Notes, issue additional Notes, provided that if the additional Notes are not fungible, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, with the Notes, the additional Notes will have a separate CUSIP. Any such additional Notes shall have the same ranking, interest rate, maturity date and other terms as the Notes. Any such additional Notes, together with the Notes herein provided for, shall constitute a single series of Securities under the Indenture.
Section 2.4. Form of Payment. Principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes shall be payable in U.S. dollars.
Section 2.5. Global Securities and Denomination of Notes. Upon the original issuance, the Notes shall be represented by one or more Global Securities. The Company shall issue the Notes in minimum denominations of $2,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof and shall deposit the Global Securities with the Trustee as custodian for DTC in New York, New York, and register the Global Securities in the name of DTC or its nominee.
Section 2.6. Interest.
(a) The Notes shall bear interest (computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) from February 25, 2022 at the rate of 3.750% per annum payable semi-annually in arrears; interest payable on each Interest Payment Date shall include interest accrued from February 25, 2022, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for; the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable are February 25 and August 25, commencing on August 25, 2022; and the record date for the interest payable on the Interest Payment Date is the date that is 15 calendar days immediately before the Interest Payment Date.
Section 2.7. Redemption. The Notes are subject to redemption at the option of the Company as set forth in the form of Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.
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Section 2.8. Limitations on Liens.
(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, assume, incur or guarantee any Indebtedness secured by a mortgage, security interest, pledge, lien, charge or other encumbrance upon any of its or its Restricted Subsidiaries’ properties or assets (a “Lien”), whether owned on the date of issuance of the Notes or thereafter acquired, unless the Notes are at least equally and ratably secured with such secured Indebtedness (together with, if the Company so determines, any other Indebtedness of or guaranty by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary then existing or thereafter created that is not subordinated to the Notes) for so long as such other Indebtedness is so secured (and any Lien created for the benefit of the holders of the Notes and any other debt securities of any series issued pursuant to the Indenture and having the benefit of this Section 2.8 shall provide by its terms that such Lien will be automatically released and discharged upon the release and discharge of the Lien securing such other Indebtedness); provided, however, that the above restrictions shall not apply to the following (the “Permitted Liens”):
(i) Liens on property or other assets of any Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary, provided that such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary;
(ii) Liens on property or other assets existing at the time of acquisition by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, provided that such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of such acquisition;
(iii) Liens on property or assets to secure any Indebtedness incurred prior to, at the time of, or within 270 days after, the acquisition of such property or in the case of real property, the completion of construction, the completion of improvements or the beginning of substantial commercial operation of such real property for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price of such real property, the construction thereof or the making of improvements thereto;
(iv) Liens in the Company’s favor or in favor of a Restricted Subsidiary;
(v) Liens existing on the date of issuance of the Notes;
(vi) Liens on property or other assets of a Person existing at the time the Person is merged into or consolidated with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or at the time of a sale, lease or other disposition of the properties of a Person as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to either the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, provided that such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of the merger or consolidation or sale, lease or other disposition;
(vii) Liens arising in connection with the financing of accounts receivable by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that the uncollected amount of account receivables subject at any time to any such financing shall not exceed $150,000,000; and
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(viii) extensions, renewals or replacements (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements) in whole or in part of any Lien referred to in this Section 2.8 without increase of the principal of the Indebtedness (plus any premium or fee payable in connection with any such extension, renewal or replacement) secured by the Lien; provided, however, that any Permitted Liens shall not extend to or cover any property of the Company or that of any Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, other than the property specified in this Section 2.8 and improvements to this property.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary may create, assume, incur or guarantee Indebtedness secured by a Lien without equally and ratably securing the Notes; provided, that at the time of such creation, assumption, incurrence or guarantee, after giving effect thereto and to the retirement of any Indebtedness that is concurrently being retired, the sum of (i) the aggregate amount of all outstanding Indebtedness secured by Liens other than Permitted Liens, and (ii) the Attributable Debt of all the Company’s Sale/Leaseback Transactions permitted by Section 2.9(c) does not at such time exceed 5% of Consolidated Total Assets.
Section 2.9. Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions.
(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any arrangement relating to property now owned or hereafter acquired whereby either the Company transfers, or any Restricted Subsidiary transfers, such property to a Person and either the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary leases it back from such Person (a “Sale/Leaseback Transaction”), unless:
(i) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary could, at the time of entering into such arrangement, incur Indebtedness secured by a Lien on the property involved in the transaction in an amount at least equal to the Attributable Debt with respect to such Sale/Leaseback Transaction, without equally and ratably securing the Notes as described in Section 2.8; or
(ii) the net proceeds of the Sale/Leaseback Transaction are at least equal to such property’s fair market value, as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, and the proceeds are applied within 180 days of the effective date of the Sale/Leaseback Transaction to the repayment of senior indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.
(b) The restrictions set forth in (a) above will not apply to a Sale/Leaseback Transaction: (i) entered into prior to the date of issuance of the Notes; (ii) that exists at the time any Person that owns property or assets becomes a Restricted Subsidiary; (iii) between the Company and a Restricted Subsidiary or between Restricted Subsidiaries; (iv) involving leases for a period of no longer than three years; or (v) in which the lease for the property or asset is entered into within 270 days after the date of acquisition, completion of construction or commencement of full operations of such property or asset, whichever is latest.
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(c) Notwithstanding the restrictions contained above, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may enter into a Sale/Leaseback Transaction; provided that at the time of such transaction, after giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of all Attributable Debt with respect to Sale/Leaseback Transactions existing at such time that could not have been entered into pursuant to the restrictions in (a) above, together with the aggregate amount of all outstanding Indebtedness secured by Liens as permitted by Section 2.8(b), does not at such time exceed 5% of Consolidated Total Assets.
Section 2.10. Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets. Section 6.04 of the Base Indenture shall be revised in its entirety to read:
(a) The Company will be permitted to consolidate or merge with another entity or to sell all or substantially all of its assets to another entity, subject to the Company’s meeting all of the following conditions: (i) any successor or purchaser is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or trust organized under the laws of the United States of America, any State or the District of Columbia; (ii) immediately following the consolidation, merger, sale or conveyance, the resulting, surviving or transferee entity (if other than the Company) would not be in default in the performance of any covenant in the Indenture; and (iii) the Company delivers a supplemental indenture by which the surviving entity (if other than the Company) expressly assumes the Company’s obligations under the Indenture.
(b) In the event that the Company consolidates or merges with another entity or sells all or substantially all of its assets to another entity, the surviving entity (if other than the Company) will be substituted for the Company under the Indenture, and the Company will be discharged from all of its obligations under the Indenture.
Section 2.11. Events of Default.
(a) The term “Event of Default” as used in this Supplemental Indenture with respect to the Notes shall include the following described event in addition to those set forth in Section 7.01 of the Base Indenture:
(i) The Company or a Restricted Subsidiary fail to pay the principal of any Indebtedness when due at maturity in an aggregate amount of $50 million or more, or a default occurs that results in the acceleration of the maturity of the Company’s or any of the Restricted Subsidiaries’ Indebtedness in an aggregate amount of $50 million or more;
Section 2.12. Appointment of Agents. The Trustee shall initially be the Registrar and Paying Agent for the Notes.
Section 2.13. Change of Control.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem the Notes as provided in Article Four of the Base Indenture, each Holder of Notes will have the right to require the Company to purchase all or a portion of such Holder’s Notes pursuant to the offer described in this Section 2.13 (the “Change of Control Offer”), at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase, subject to the rights of Holders of Notes on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date.
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(b) Within 30 days following the date upon which the Change of Control Triggering Event occurred, or at the Company’s option, prior to any Change of Control but after the public announcement of the pending Change of Control, the Company will be required to send, by first class mail, a notice to each Holder of Notes, with a copy to the trustee, which notice will govern the terms of the Change of Control Offer. Such notice will state, among other things, the purchase date, which must be no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed, other than as may be required by law (the “Change of Control Payment Date”). The notice, if mailed prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, will state that the Change of Control Offer is conditioned on the Change of Control being consummated on or prior to the Change of Control Payment Date. Holders of Notes electing to have Notes purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required to surrender their Notes, with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse of the Note completed, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice, or transfer their Notes to the Paying Agent by book-entry transfer pursuant to the applicable procedures of the Paying Agent, prior to the close of business on the third Business Day prior to the Change of Control Payment Date.
(c) The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for such an offer made by the Company and such third party purchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer.
(d) Holders will not be entitled to require the Company to purchase their Notes in the event of a takeover, recapitalization, leveraged buyout or similar transaction that is not a Change of Control. In addition, Holders may not be entitled to require the Company to purchase their Notes in certain circumstances involving a significant change in the composition of the Company’s Board of Directors, including in connection with a proxy contest where the Company’s Board of Directors does not approve a dissident slate of directors but approves them as required by clause (4) of Section 1.1(e)(iv).
(e) Notwithstanding this Section 2.13, a transaction will not be deemed to involve a Change of Control under clause (2) of Section 1.1(e)(iv) if (i) the Company becomes a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company and (ii) (A) the direct or indirect holders of the Voting Stock of such holding company immediately following that transaction are substantially the same as the holders of the Company’s Voting Stock immediately prior to that transaction or (B) immediately following that transaction no person (other than a holding company satisfying the requirements of this sentence) is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such holding company.
(f) The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Change of Control provisions of the Indenture, the Company will comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the Change of Control provisions of the Indenture by virtue of such compliance.
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Section 2.14. Defeasance Upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government Obligations. At the Company’s option, either (a) the Company shall be deemed to have been Discharged from its obligations with respect to the Notes on the first day after the applicable conditions set forth in Section 12.03 of the Base Indenture have been satisfied or (b) the Company shall cease to be under any obligation to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Section 10.02 of the Base Indenture and Sections 2.8, 2.9 and 2.10 of this Supplemental Indenture with respect to the Notes at any time after the applicable conditions set forth in Section 12.03 of the Base Indenture have been satisfied.
ARTICLE 3.
FORM OF NOTES
Section 3.1. Form of Notes. The Notes and the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication to be endorsed thereon are to be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
ARTICLE 4.
ORIGINAL ISSUE OF NOTES
Section 4.1. Original Issue of Notes. The Notes may, upon execution of this Supplemental Indenture, be executed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, authenticate and deliver such Notes as in such Company Order provided.
ARTICLE 5.
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 5.1. Ratification of Indenture. The Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and this Supplemental Indenture shall be deemed part of the Base Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided; provided that the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture apply solely with respect to the Notes.
Section 5.2. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals. The recitals herein contained are made by the Company and not by the Trustee, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.
Section 5.3. Governing Law. This Supplemental Indenture and each Note shall be deemed to be contracts made under the law of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of said State.
Section 5.4. Separability. 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.
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Section 5.5. Counterparts Originals. 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.
This Supplemental Indenture shall be valid, binding, and enforceable against a party when executed and delivered by an authorized individual on behalf of the party by means of (i) an original manual signature, (ii) a faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature, or (iii) any other electronic signature permitted by the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, state enactments of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and/or any other relevant electronic signatures law, including any relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code (collectively, “Signature Law”), in each case to the extent applicable. Each faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature, or other electronic signature, shall for all purposes have the same validity, legal effect, and admissibility in evidence as an original manual signature. Each party hereto shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon, and shall have no liability with respect to, any faxed, scanned, or photocopied manual signature, or other electronic signature, of any other party and shall have no duty to investigate, confirm or otherwise verify the validity or authenticity thereof.
This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but such counterparts shall, together, constitute one and the same instrument. For the avoidance of doubt, original manual signatures shall be used for execution or indorsement of writings when required under the Uniform Commercial Code or other Signature Law due to the character or intended character of the writings.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
| MOODY’S CORPORATION | ||||
| By: | /s/ John J. Goggins | |||
| Name: | John J. Goggins | |||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and General Counsel | |||
| COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A. | ||||
| By: | /s/ Scott Little | |||
| Name: Scott Little Title: Vice President | ||||
[Signature Page to Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture]
EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF FACE OF NOTE]
THIS NOTE IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, WHICH MAY BE TREATED BY THE COMPANY, THE TRUSTEE AND ANY AGENT THEREOF AS OWNER AND HOLDER OF THIS NOTE FOR ALL PURPOSES.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”) TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT HEREON IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.
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CUSIP No. 615369 AY1
MOODY’S CORPORATION
3.750% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2052
| No. R-1 |
$500,000,000 |
Principal and Interest. Moody’s Corporation, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the “Company,” which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co. or registered assigns, the principal sum of five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000) on February 25, 2052 and to pay interest thereon from February 25, 2022 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on February 25 and August 25 in each year, commencing August 25, 2022 at the rate of 3.750% per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment.
Method of Payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Record Date for such interest, which shall be the date that is 15 calendar days before the Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (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 Trustee, notice thereof having been given to Holders of Notes not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, all as more fully provided in said Indenture. Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and any such interest on this Note shall be made at the Corporate Trust Office in U.S. Dollars.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Authentication. Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed as of the date set forth below.
Dated: February 25, 2022
| MOODY’S CORPORATION | ||||
| By: |
| |||
| Name: | John J. Goggins | |||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and General Counsel | |||
TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
Dated: February 25, 2022
COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
as successor to Wells Fargo,
National Association,
as Trustee, certifies
that this is one of
the Securities referred
to in the Indenture.
| By: |
| |
| Authorized Signatory |
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[FORM OF REVERSE OF NOTE]
Indenture. This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company (herein called the “Note” or collectively, the “Notes”), issued and to be issued under an Indenture, dated as of August 19, 2010, as supplemented by a Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture dated February 25, 2022 (as so supplemented, herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes and of the terms upon which the Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Note is one of the series designated on the face hereof, initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $500,000,000.
Optional Redemption. The Notes are subject to redemption at the Company’s option, in whole or in part, at any time prior to August 25, 2051, at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date (assuming the Notes matured on August 25, 2051 (the “Par Call Date”)) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 25 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the date of redemption, and (ii) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed.
plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date.
On or after the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date.
For purposes of determining the optional redemption price, the following definitions are applicable:
“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date, the yield determined by us in accordance with the following two paragraphs.
The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third Business Day preceding the redemption date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily)—H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities–Treasury constant maturities–Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable: (1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the redemption date to the Par Call Date (the “Remaining
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Life”); or (2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields—one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life—and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or (3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the redemption date.
If on the third Business Day preceding the redemption date H.15 or any successor designation or publication is no longer published, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second Business Day preceding such redemption date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the Par Call Date, as applicable. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the Par Call Date, one with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date and one with a maturity date following the Par Call Date, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the Par Call Date or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.
The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the redemption price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
Notice of any redemption will be mailed or electronically delivered (or otherwise transmitted in accordance with the depositary’s procedures) at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each holder of Notes to be redeemed.
In the case of a partial redemption of Notes not represented by a global Notes, selection of the Notes for redemption will be made pro rata, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee in its sole discretion deems appropriate and fair. No Notes of a principal amount of $2,000 or less will be redeemed in part. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to the Note will state the portion of the principal amount of the Note to be redeemed. A new Note in a principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Note will be issued in the name of the holder of the Note upon surrender for cancellation of the original Note. For so long as the Notes are held in global form on the depositary (or another depositary), the redemption of the Notes shall be done in accordance with the policies and procedures of the depositary.
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Unless the Company defaults in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.
The Company may at any time, and from time to time, purchase the Notes at any price or prices in the open market or otherwise.
Defaults and Remedies. If an Event of Default with respect to Notes shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Notes may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
Amendment, Modification and Waiver. The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Notes at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes, to waive compliance by the Company 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 Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note 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 Note.
Restrictive Covenants. The Indenture does not limit the incurrence of additional debt by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; however, it does limit the creation of certain Liens and the entry into sale and leaseback transactions by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries. The limitations are subject to a number of important qualifications and exceptions. Once a year, the Company must report to the Trustee on its compliance with these limitations.
Denominations, Transfer and Exchange. The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $2,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of any different authorized denomination or denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, including Section 3.06 of the Base Indenture, the transfer of this Note is registerable in the Register, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the Registrar accompanied by a written request for transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar duly executed by the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes of any different authorized denomination or denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, shall be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
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No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Persons Deemed Owners. Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Section 3.08 of the Base Indenture) interest, if any, on such Note and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent shall of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Defined Terms. All terms used in this Note and not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
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OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to the provisions hereof, check the box: ☐
If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the Company pursuant to the provisions hereof, state the amount you elect to have
purchased: $
Date:
Your
Signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
Tax
Identification
No.:
Signature Guarantee*:
| * | Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee) |
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Exhibit 5.1
February 25, 2022
Moody’s Corporation
7 World Trade Center at 250 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10007
| Re: | Moody’s Corporation |
$500,000,000 of 3.750% Senior Notes due 2052
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-3, file no. 333-236611 (the “Registration Statement”) of Moody’s Corporation (the “Company”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended, the “Securities Act”), the prospectus included therein, the prospectus supplement, dated February 22, 2022, filed with the Commission on February 24, 2022 pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act (the “Prospectus Supplement”), in connection with the offering and sale by the Company of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 3.750% Senior Notes due 2052 (the “Notes”).
The Notes have been issued pursuant to the Indenture dated as of August 19, 2010 (as so amended prior to the date hereof, the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as successor to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated February 25, 2022 (the “Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”) between the Company and the Trustee.
In arriving at the opinions expressed below, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction as being true and complete copies of the originals, of the Base Indenture, the Supplemental Indenture and the Notes and such other documents, corporate records, certificates of officers of the Company and of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable to enable us to render these opinions. In our examination, we have assumed, without independent investigation, the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies. As to any facts material to these opinions, we have relied to the extent we deemed appropriate and without independent investigation upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others.
Moody’s Corporation
February 25, 2022
Page 2
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
The opinion expressed above is subject to the following additional exceptions, qualifications, limitations and assumptions:
A. We render no opinion herein as to matters involving the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York. This opinion is limited to the effect of the current state of the laws of the State of New York and the facts as they currently exist. We assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion in the event of future changes in such laws or the interpretations thereof or such facts.
B. The opinion above is subject to (i) the effect of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, arrangement or similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally, including the effect of statutory or other laws regarding fraudulent transfers or preferential transfers, and (ii) general principles of equity, including concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
C. We express no opinion regarding the effectiveness of (i) any waiver of stay, extension or usury laws; (ii) provisions relating to indemnification, exculpation or contribution, to the extent such provisions may be held unenforceable as contrary to public policy or federal or state securities laws or due to the negligence or willful misconduct of the indemnified party; (iii) any agreement to submit to the jurisdiction of any Federal court; (iv) any waiver of the right to jury trial; or (v) any provision to the effect that every right or remedy is cumulative and may be exercised in addition to any other right or remedy or that the election of some particular remedy does not preclude recourse to one or more others.
We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and we further consent to the use of our name under the caption “Validity of Securities” in the Registration Statement and “Validity of Notes” in the Prospectus Supplement. In giving these consents, 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 of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Moody’s Corporation
February 25, 2022
Page 3
Very truly yours,
/s/ Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP