MSTR 8-K
Strategy Inc (MSTR)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On March 20, 2025, MicroStrategy® Incorporated d/b/a Strategy™ (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as lead manager and representative of the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”), relating to the issuance and sale in an underwritten offering (the “Offering”) of 8,500,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “perpetual strife preferred stock”), at a public offering price of $85.00 per share. The issuance and sale of the perpetual strife preferred stock are scheduled to settle on March 25, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Certain terms of the perpetual strife preferred stock are described in more detail in the Company’s press release announcing the pricing of the Offering, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
The Company estimates that the net proceeds from the Offering will be approximately $711.2 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the Company’s estimated offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of bitcoin and for working capital.
The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and agreements by the Company, customary conditions to closing, indemnification obligations of the Company and the Underwriters, including for liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, other obligations of the parties, and termination provisions.
The Offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR (Registration No. 333-284510) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Offering will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying prospectus.
The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 1.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 8.01 | Other Events. |
On March 21, 2025, the Company issued a press release relating to the pricing of the Offering. A copy of the press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference.
Neither this Current Report on Form 8-K nor the press release attached hereto constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K and the press release attached hereto about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the size and timing of the offering, the anticipated use of any proceeds from the offering and the terms of the securities being offered. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the offering on the anticipated terms or at all, the uncertainties related to the satisfaction of closing conditions for the sale of the securities being offered, the other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2025 and the risks described in other filings that the Company may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in
this Current Report on Form 8-K and the press release attached hereto speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 1.1 | Underwriting Agreement, dated March 20, 2025, by and between MicroStrategy Incorporated and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as lead manager and representative of the several underwriters with respect to the Offering. | |
| 99.1 | Press Release of MicroStrategy Incorporated, dated March 21, 2025. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Date: March 21, 2025 | MicroStrategy Incorporated (Registrant) | |||||
| By: | /s/ W. Ming Shao | |||||
| Name: | W. Ming Shao | |||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President & General Counsel | |||||
Exhibit 1.1
STRATEGY
8,500,000 SHARES OF
10.00% SERIES A PERPETUAL STRIFE PREFERRED STOCK
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
March 20, 2025
To the Manager (as defined below)
as representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is acting as Manager (the “Manager”), an aggregate of 8,500,000 shares (the “Securities”) of the Company’s 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, with a stated amount of $100 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), in the respective amounts set forth in Schedule II hereto.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatically effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-284510), including a base prospectus, relating to securities (the “Shelf Securities”), including the Securities, to be issued from time to time by the Company. The registration statement as amended to the date of this Agreement, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”, and the related prospectus covering the Shelf Securities dated January 27, 2025 in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Prospectus.” The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” and the term “preliminary prospectus” means any preliminary form of the Prospectus. For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the documents set forth below the caption “Time of Sale Prospectus” in Schedule I hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “Basic Prospectus,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein as of the date hereof. The terms “supplement,” “amendment,” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act are pending before or threatened by the Commission. The Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) eligible to use the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement and the Company has not received notice that the Commission objects to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement.
(b) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain, and each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, 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 not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement as of the date hereof does 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 not misleading, (iv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (v) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, as of the first time when sales of the Securities are made (the “Time of Sale”), and, at the time of each sale of the Securities in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (vi) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (vii) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Manager expressly for use therein.
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(c) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the additional free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule I hereto forming part of the Time of Sale Prospectus, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to the Manager before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the Manager’s prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.
(d) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(e) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, organized or formed, as applicable, is validly existing as a corporation or other business entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, organization or formation, has the corporate or other business entity power and authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; all of the issued shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (to the extent that such status is applicable and exists under the laws of the jurisdiction in which such entity is organized) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.
(f) The authorized capital stock of the Company, the Preferred Stock and the Certificate of Designations relating to the Preferred Stock designating the “10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock” and establishing the rights, preferences and entitlements thereof (the “Certificate of Designations”), in each case conform as to legal matters to the descriptions thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
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(g) There are no persons with registration or other similar rights granted by the Company to require that any of the Company’s equity or debt securities be registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
(h) The execution and filing of the Certificate of Designations has been duly authorized by the Company and, as of the Closing Date, the Certificate of Designations will have been duly executed and filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
(i) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(j) The Securities have been duly authorized and, upon the execution and effectiveness of the Certificate of Designations, the Securities will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and will have the rights set forth in the Certificate of Designations; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to preemptive rights.
(k) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Certificate of Designations and the Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or court is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Certificate of Designations and the Securities, except (i) such as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities or (ii) for any law or regulation applicable to the filing of the Certificate of Designations with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
(l) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development that would be reasonably expected to result in a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus provided to prospective purchasers of the Securities.
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(m) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter, bylaws or other constitutive document or (ii) in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound (including, without limitation, the indentures governing the Company’s 0.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2028, 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029, 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030, 0.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030, 0.875% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 and 2.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2032), or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except, in the case of clause (ii) above, for such Defaults as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse change for the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issuance and delivery of the Securities and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) 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, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, except for such conflicts, breaches, Defaults, liens, charges, encumbrances or required consents as would not singly or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse change for the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(n) Other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Certificate of Designations and the Securities or to consummate the transactions contemplated by each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus and are not so described.
(o) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
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(p) 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 each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(q) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(r) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(s) (i) None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, or any director or officer thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government official (including any officer or employee of a government or 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) (“Government Official”) in order to influence official action, or to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws; (ii) the Company and each of its subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representations and warranties contained herein; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.
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(t) (i) The operations of the Company and each of its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and each of its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), (ii) no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened and (iii) the Company and each of its subsidiaries have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws and with the representations and warranties contained herein.
(u) (i) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any director or officer thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are:
(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government (including the United States Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the United States Department of State), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or
(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, the non-government controlled areas of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
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(ii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(iii) Since April 24, 2019, the Company and each of its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(iv) The Company and each of its subsidiaries and affiliates have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with Sanctions and with the representations and warranties contained herein.
(v) (i) To the Company’s knowledge, the Company and its subsidiaries own, have a valid license or possess sufficient rights to all patents, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names and all other intellectual property and proprietary rights (including all registrations and applications for registration of, and all goodwill associated with, any of the foregoing) (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) used in or reasonably necessary to the conduct of their respective businesses as now conducted by them; (ii) the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the Company’s knowledge, the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to the Company and its subsidiaries, are valid, subsisting and enforceable, and there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity, scope or enforceability of, or any rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in, any such Intellectual Property Rights in any material respect; (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any infringement, misappropriation or other violation of Intellectual Property Rights which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (iv) to the Company’s knowledge, no Person is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating, or has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, any Intellectual Property Rights owned or controlled by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than as would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (v) to the Company’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates, or has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, any Intellectual Property Rights of any Person, which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable
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decision, ruling or finding, would be material to the conduct of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (vi) all employees or contractors engaged in the development of Intellectual Property Rights on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries have executed an invention assignment agreement whereby such employees or contractors presently assign all of their right, title and interest in and to such Intellectual Property Rights to the Company or its applicable subsidiary, and to the Company’s knowledge no such agreement has been breached or violated; and (vii) the Company and its subsidiaries use, and have used, commercially reasonable efforts to appropriately maintain the confidentiality of all information intended to be maintained as a trade secret that is material to the conduct of their businesses as currently conducted by them.
(w) (i) The Company and its subsidiaries use and have used any and all software and other materials distributed under a “free,” “open source,” or similar licensing model (including but not limited to the MIT License, Apache License, GNU General Public License, GNU Lesser General Public License and GNU Affero General Public License) (“Open Source Software”) in material compliance with all license terms applicable to such Open Source Software; and (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries uses or distributes or has used or distributed any Open Source Software in any manner that requires or has required (A) the Company or any of its subsidiaries to permit reverse engineering of any software code or other technology owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries material to the conduct of their businesses as currently conducted by them or (B) any software code or other technology owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries material to the conduct of their businesses as currently conducted by them to be (1) disclosed or distributed in source code form, (2) licensed for the purpose of making derivative works or (3) redistributed at no charge.
(x) (i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have complied and are presently in compliance in all material respects with all internal and external privacy policies, contractual obligations, industry standards, applicable laws, statutes, judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or other governmental or regulatory authority and any other legal obligations, in each case, relating to the collection, use, transfer, import, export, storage, protection, disposal and disclosure by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of personal, personally identifiable, household, sensitive, confidential or regulated data or information (“Data Security Obligations”, and such data and information, “Personal Data”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notification of or complaint regarding and are unaware of any other facts that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably indicate non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and (iii) there is no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened alleging non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
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(y) The Company and its subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures necessary to protect the respective information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, technology, data and databases (including Personal Data and the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by or on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries) used in connection with the operation of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ respective businesses (“IT Systems and Data”), and such IT Systems and Data are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company and its subsidiaries have used commercially reasonable efforts to establish and maintain, and have established, maintained, implemented and complied, in all material respects, with reasonable information technology, information security, cyber security and data protection controls, policies and procedures, including oversight, access controls, encryption, technological and physical safeguards and business continuity/disaster recovery and security plans, consistent with industry standards and practices, that are designed to protect against and prevent breach, destruction, loss, unauthorized distribution, use, access, disablement, misappropriation or modification, or other compromise or misuse of or relating to any IT Systems and Data (“Breach”). There has been no such Breach, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any such Breach that would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(z) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which, singly or in the aggregate, has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
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(aa) The Company has made reasonable best efforts to comply and believes that it has complied with the written guidelines previously agreed to by the Company and the Underwriters with respect to “fast-pay stock” (for the avoidance of doubt, the Company may take into account written or oral representations from the financial institutions participating in this offering in determining that it has fulfilled the written guidelines) (the “Tax Guidelines”) and does not believe that the Securities being issued in this offering are structured in a manner that causes the Securities to be treated as “fast-pay stock” within the meaning of Section 1.7701(l)-3(b)(2) of the United States Treasury Regulations.
(bb) The financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes, included or incorporated by reference in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates shown and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, except for any normal year-end adjustments in the Company’s quarterly financial statements. The other financial information included or incorporated by reference in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby.
(cc) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate and such data is consistent with the sources from which they are derived, in each case in all material respects.
(dd) KPMG LLP, which expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules included in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(ee) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of 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 U.S. GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (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; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement is or when filed will be accurate. Since
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the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(ff) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents or when filed will fairly present the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(gg) The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that has been designed to comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been 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, and such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably effective to perform the functions for which they were established subject to the limitations of any such control system.
(hh) The Company (i) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication with any person and (ii) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) or Rule 163B of the Securities Act.
(ii) The Company and its subsidiaries own no real property and have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property and assets that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case, except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(jj) 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 conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and except as would not singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization.
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(kk) No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(ll) The Company and its 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 customary in the business in which they are engaged; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received written notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that material capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business in all material respects at a cost that would not singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(mm) There are no securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act.
(nn) The Company does not have any outstanding extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company except for such extensions of credit as are expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.
(oo) The Company is in compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(pp) There are (and prior to the Closing Date, will be) no debt securities or convertible securities issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act.
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(qq) No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties are payable by the Underwriters in the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company or the sale and delivery by the Company of the Securities.
(rr) The Company and its subsidiaries have been and are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a material adverse change.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective numbers of Securities set forth in Schedule II hereto opposite its name at the purchase price of $83.7615 per share of Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”).
3. Public Offering. The Company is advised by the Manager that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Securities as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in the Manager’s judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by the Manager that the Securities are to be offered to the public upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Securities shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Securities for the respective accounts of the Manager at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on March 25, 2025, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as may be designated in writing by the Manager. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”
The Preferred Stock shall be in global form and registered in such names and in such denominations as the Manager shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.
5. Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Securities on the Closing Date are subject to the following conditions:
(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; and
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(ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in the Manager’s judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Manager’s judgment, impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 5(a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.
The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter (which also contains a negative assurance statement) of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, special outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager.
(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, special outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager.
(g) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from KPMG LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.
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(h) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and prior to the Closing Date, a certificate signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated respectively as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager.
(i) The Underwriters shall have received, prior to the Closing Date, satisfactory evidence of the filing of the Certificate of Designations, as provided for in Section 6(m) of this Agreement.
6. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) To the extent not available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor system, to furnish to the Manager, without charge, a signed copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and to deliver to each of the Underwriters during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) or 6(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Manager may reasonably request.
(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Manager a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Manager reasonably object.
(c) To furnish to the Manager a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which the Manager reasonably object.
(d) Without the prior consent of the Manager, not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(e) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the
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statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(f) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the Manager will furnish to the Company) to which Securities may have been sold by the Manager on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(g) To endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Manager shall reasonably request. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation.
(h) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Securities under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, the Certificate of Designations and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including the filing fees payable to the Commission relating to the Securities (within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1), if applicable), all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters,
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including any stock transfer or other similar taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the admission of the Securities for trading on any appropriate market system, or the review and qualification of the offering of the Securities by FINRA (provided that fees and expenses of counsel payable by the Company pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) shall not, in the aggregate, exceed $35,000), (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and any other national securities exchanges and foreign stock exchanges, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Securities, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent or registrar, (viii) all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the registration statement on Form 8-A relating to the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and 50% of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show (the remaining 50% of the cost of such aircraft to be paid by the Underwriters), (x) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (xi) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer or other similar taxes payable on resale of any of the Securities by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
(i) In connection with any future offerings of Preferred Stock (for this purpose, including (i) each sale of the Preferred Stock pursuant to any at-the-market sales program and (ii) any Preferred Stock acquired and then resold by the Company or any of its subsidiaries) (each, a “Future Offering”), the Company will use its reasonable best efforts (which shall include obtaining advice from a qualified external tax advisor) to cause the Preferred Stock to be structured in a manner that is intended to cause the Preferred Stock not to be treated as “fast-pay stock” within the meaning of Section 1.7701(l)-3(b)(2) of the United States Treasury Regulations. For the avoidance of doubt, fulfilling the Tax Guidelines previously agreed to by the Company and the Underwriters with respect to such Future Offerings (as such Tax Guidelines may be updated by the Company and the Underwriters (and any other financial institutions that are parties to any Future Offering) from time to time) will be deemed sufficient to meet the Company’s obligations under this provision. The Company and the Underwriters further agree and acknowledge that the Company may take into account written or oral representations from one or more nationally recognized financial institutions participating in such offering in determining that it has fulfilled the Tax Guidelines.
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If the Company makes any filing (including a protective filing) (the “Filing”) pursuant to Section 1.6011-4 of the United States Treasury Regulations (or any successor or similar or related regulation, including similar state or local tax regulations) to the effect that it has (or may have, in the case of a protective Filing) issued “fast-pay stock” with respect to the Securities or any Preferred Stock sold by the Company in Future Offerings, the Company shall (A) announce such Filing by, at the Company’s option, (i) a press release through a major news service, (ii) publication on the Company’s investor relations website, or (iii) filing a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (or provide similar notice to holders of the Securities), in each case, within four business days of the Filing and (B) use reasonable best efforts to promptly provide written advance notice (and in any event no later than 10 business days in advance of the Filing) to any potential “material advisors” (within the meaning of Section 6111 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) in connection with the Filing. The Company further agrees and covenants that if the Company receives any notice of any governmental audit, assessment, claim, examination or other governmental inquiry relating to the tax treatment of the Securities or any Preferred Stock sold by the Company in Future Offerings being “fast-pay stock” (a “Tax Claim”) it shall use reasonable best efforts to promptly provide written notice to the Underwriters and any potential “material advisors” (within the meaning of Section 6111 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) in connection with such Tax Claim.
The foregoing obligations shall survive the sale and delivery of the Securities by the Company.
(j) If the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement occurs before all the Securities have been sold by the Underwriters, prior to the third anniversary to file a new shelf registration statement and to take any other action necessary to permit the public offering of the Securities to continue without interruption; references herein to the Registration Statement shall include the new registration statement declared effective by the Commission.
(k) If requested by the Manager, to prepare a final term sheet relating to the offering of the Securities, containing only information that describes the final terms of the offering in a form consented to by the Manager, and to file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) under the Securities Act following the date the final terms have been established for the offering of the Securities.
(l) The Company will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification.
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(m) The Company will execute and file the Certificate of Designations with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, accompanied by all fees required to be paid therewith, designating the “10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock” and establishing the rights, preferences and entitlements thereof, which shall conform in all material respects to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(n) To use its reasonable best efforts to effect the listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
(o) Not to take any action prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act in connection with the distribution of the Securities contemplated hereby.
The Company also agrees that, without the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, and will not publicly disclose an intention to, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 60 days after the date of the Prospectus, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any additional shares of the Preferred Stock, (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Preferred Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Preferred Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of the Preferred Stock.
The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the sale of the Securities under this Agreement.
7. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.
8. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred and documented in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any
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preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any “road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of, or are based upon, any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any such 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 Manager expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters through the Manager consists of the information described as such in paragraph (b) below.
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Manager expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by or on behalf of any such Underwriter consists of the following information in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the information contained under the caption “Underwriting—Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids”.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party 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 party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and
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expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Manager, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (A) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (B) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party 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 hand from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand 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 hand in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities set forth in the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether 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. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective number of Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.
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(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 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 Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public 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 remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.
9. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Manager to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to or on the Closing Date, (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the Manager’s judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the Manager’s judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
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10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II bears to the aggregate number of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as the Manager may specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Securities that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate number of Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Manager and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either the Manager or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Securities, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Underwriters with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Securities.
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(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement, any contemporaneous written agreements and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company, and (iv) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.
12. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes. (a) 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.
(b) 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.
For purposes of this Section a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “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 (A) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (B) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
13. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or other applicable law, e.g., www. Docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
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14. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
15. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
16. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to the Manager at Morgan Stanley at 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Investment Banking Division (fax: 212-507-8999); and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to MicroStrategy Incorporated, 1850 Towers Crescent Plaza, Tysons Corner, Virginia 22182 Attention: General Counsel.
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| Very truly yours,
MICROSTRATEGY INCORPORATED | ||
| By: | /s/ Andrew Kang | |
| Name: Andrew Kang | ||
| Title: Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | ||
| Accepted as of the date hereof
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto. | ||
| By: | MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC | |
| By: | /s/ Andrew Doherty | |
| Name: Andrew Doherty | ||
| Title: Authorized Signatory | ||
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SCHEDULE I
Time of Sale Prospectus
1. Prospectus dated January 27, 2025 relating to the Shelf Securities
2. Preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 18, 2025 relating to the Securities
3. Pricing Term Sheet dated March 20, 2025 relating to the Securities (attached as Exhibit A hereto)
Free Writing Prospectus
1. Social Media post, dated March 18, 2025, filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 on March 18, 2025.
I-1
SCHEDULE II
| Underwriter |
Number of Securities To Be Purchased |
|||
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
2,720,000 | |||
| Barclays Capital Inc. |
1,700,000 | |||
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
1,275,000 | |||
| Moelis & Company LLC |
1,275,000 | |||
| Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. |
297,500 | |||
| Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. |
297,500 | |||
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC |
297,500 | |||
| SG Americas Securities, LLC |
297,500 | |||
| AmeriVet Securities, Inc. |
85,000 | |||
| Bancroft Capital, LLC |
85,000 | |||
| BTIG, LLC |
85,000 | |||
| The Benchmark Company, LLC |
85,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total: |
8,500,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
II-1
Exhibit A
PRICING TERM SHEET
[Attached]
Exh A-1
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration File No. 333-284510
Relating to the
Preliminary Prospectus Supplement
Dated March 18, 2025
(To Prospectus Dated January 27, 2025)
PRICING TERM SHEET
March 20, 2025
Strategy
Offering of
8,500,000 Shares of
10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock
The information in this pricing term sheet supplements MicroStrategy Incorporated’s preliminary prospectus supplement, dated March 18, 2025 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), and supersedes the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement to the extent inconsistent with the information in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. Terms used, but not defined, in this pricing term sheet have the respective meanings set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. As used in this pricing term sheet, “we,” “our” and “us” refer to MicroStrategy Incorporated and not to its subsidiaries.
| Issuer | MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy. | |
| Securities Offered | 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Issuer (the “Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock”). | |
| Amount Offered | 8,500,000 shares of Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock. | |
| Public Offering Price | $85.00 per share of Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock. | |
| Trade Date | March 20, 2025. | |
Exh A-2
| Settlement Date | Tuesday, March 25, 2025, which will be the third business day after the Trade Date (this settlement cycle being referred to as “T+3”). Under Rule 15c6-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), trades in the secondary market generally must settle in one business day, unless the parties to the trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock before the business day before the Settlement Date must, because the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock initially will settle T+3, specify an alternate settlement cycle at the time of such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Those purchasers should consult their advisors. | |
| Stated Amount | $100 per share of Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock. | |
| Liquidation Preference | Initially, $100 per share of Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock. The Liquidation Preference will be subject to adjustment in the manner described in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. However, the Liquidation Preference will not be adjusted to an amount that is less than the Stated Amount. | |
| Regular Dividends | The Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock will accumulate cumulative dividends (“Regular Dividends”) at a rate per annum equal to 10.00% (the “Regular Dividend Rate”) on the Stated Amount thereof, regardless of whether or not declared or funds are legally available for their payment. Subject to the other provisions described in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, Regular Dividends will be payable when, as and if declared by our board of directors or any duly authorized committee thereof, out of funds legally available for their payment, quarterly in arrears on each Regular Dividend Payment Date to the preferred stockholders of record as of the close of business on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the applicable Regular Dividend Payment Date. | |
| Declared Regular Dividends on the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock will be payable solely in cash, in the manner, and subject to the provisions, described in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. | ||
Exh A-3
| If any accumulated Regular Dividend (or any portion thereof) on the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock is not paid on the applicable Regular Dividend Payment Date (or, if such Regular Dividend Payment Date is not a business day, the next business day), then additional Regular Dividends (“Compounded Dividends”) will accumulate on the amount of such unpaid Regular Dividend, compounded quarterly at the “Compounded Dividend Rate,” from, and including, such Regular Dividend Payment Date to, but excluding, the date the same, including all Compounded Dividends thereon, is paid in full. The Compounded Dividend Rate applicable to any unpaid Regular Dividend that was due on a Regular Dividend Payment Date (or, if such Regular Dividend Payment Date is not a business day, the next business day) will initially be a rate per annum equal to the Regular Dividend Rate plus 100 basis points; provided, however, that, until such Regular Dividend, together with Compounded Dividends thereon, is paid in full, such Compounded Dividend Rate will increase by 100 basis points per annum for each subsequent “regular dividend period” (as defined in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement), up to a maximum rate of 18% per annum. | ||
| Regular Dividend Payment Dates | March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year, beginning on June 30, 2025. | |
| Regular Record Dates | March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. | |
| Directed Share Program | At our request, the underwriters have reserved up to 425,000 shares of the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock, or 5% of the shares offered, for sale at the public offering price through a directed share program to certain of our employees, officers and directors based in the United States. The number of shares of the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock available for sale to the general public will be reduced to the extent that such persons purchase such reserved shares. Any reserved shares not so purchased will be offered by the underwriters to the general public on the same basis as the other shares offered in this offering. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC and Fidelity Capital Markets, a division of National Financial Services LLC, a selling group member in this offering, will administer our directed share program. See “Underwriting—Directed Share Program” in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. | |
Exh A-4
| Listing | No public market currently exists for the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock. We have applied to list the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “STRF.” If the listing is approved, we expect trading in the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock to commence within 30 days after the Settlement Date. | |
| Use of Proceeds | We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $711.2 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and our estimated offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of bitcoin and for working capital. | |
| Book-Running Managers | Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | |
| Barclays Capital Inc. | ||
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | ||
| Moelis & Company LLC | ||
| Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. | ||
| Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. | ||
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC | ||
| SG Americas Securities, LLC | ||
| Co-Managers | AmeriVet Securities, Inc. | |
| Bancroft Capital, LLC | ||
| BTIG, LLC | ||
| The Benchmark Company, LLC | ||
| CUSIP / ISIN Numbers for the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock |
594972 879 / US5949728795. | |
* * *
We have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents we have filed with the SEC for more complete information about us and this offering. You may get these documents free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, we, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement (or, when available, the final prospectus supplement) and the accompanying prospectus upon request to: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street,
Exh A-5
2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, by phone: 1-866-718-1649 or by email: [email protected], Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by email at [email protected] or telephone at (888) 603-5847, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, at 1-800-831-9146 or email: [email protected] or Moelis & Company LLC, 399 Park Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10022 or by telephone at (800) 539-9413.
The information in this pricing term sheet is not a complete description of the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock or the offering. You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as supplemented by this pricing term sheet, in making an investment decision with respect to the Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock.
ANY DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES THAT MAY APPEAR BELOW ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES WERE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT VIA BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER EMAIL SYSTEM.
Exh A-6
Exhibit 99.1
Strategy Prices Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock Offering
TYSONS CORNER, Va.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—March 21, 2025— Strategy™ (Nasdaq: MSTR/STRK) (the “Company”) today announced the pricing of its offering on March 20, 2025 of 8,500,000 shares of 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock (the “perpetual strife preferred stock”), at a public offering price of $85.00 per share. The issuance and sale of the perpetual strife preferred stock are scheduled to settle on March 25, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
The Company estimates that the net proceeds to it from the offering will be approximately $711.2 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and the Company’s estimated offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of bitcoin and for working capital.
The perpetual strife preferred stock will accumulate cumulative dividends at a fixed rate of 10.00% per annum on the stated amount of $100 per share (the “stated amount”). Regular dividends on the perpetual strife preferred stock will be payable when, as and if declared by the Company’s board of directors, out of funds legally available for their payment, quarterly in arrears on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year, beginning on June 30, 2025. Declared regular dividends on the perpetual strife preferred stock will be payable solely in cash. In the event that any accumulated regular dividend on the perpetual strife preferred stock is not paid on the applicable regular dividend payment date, then additional regular dividends (“compounded dividends”) will accumulate on the amount of such unpaid regular dividend, compounded quarterly. The compounded dividend rate applicable to any unpaid regular dividend that was due on a regular dividend payment date will initially be a rate per annum equal to 10% plus 100 basis points; provided, however, that, until such regular dividend, together with compounded dividends thereon, is paid in full, such compounded dividend rate will increase by 100 basis points per annum for each subsequent regular dividend period, up to a maximum dividend rate of 18% per annum.
The Company will have the right, at its election, to redeem all, but not less than all, of the perpetual strife preferred stock, at any time, for cash if the total number of shares of perpetual strife preferred stock then outstanding is less than 25% of the total number of shares of the perpetual strife preferred stock originally issued in the offering and any future offerings, taken together. In addition, the Company will have the right to redeem all, but not less than all, of the perpetual strife preferred stock if certain tax events occur. The redemption price for any perpetual strife preferred stock to be redeemed will be a cash amount equal to the liquidation preference of the perpetual strife preferred stock to be redeemed as of the business day before the date on which the Company sends the related redemption notice, plus accumulated and unpaid regular dividends to, but excluding, the redemption date.
If an event that constitutes a “fundamental change” under the certificate of designations governing the perpetual strife preferred stock occurs, then holders of the perpetual strife preferred stock will have the right to require the Company to repurchase some or all of their shares of perpetual strife preferred stock at a cash repurchase price equal to the stated amount of the perpetual strife preferred stock to be repurchased, plus accumulated and unpaid regular dividends, if any, to, but excluding the fundamental change repurchase date.
The liquidation preference of the perpetual strife preferred stock shall initially be $100 per share. Effective immediately after the close of business on each business day after the initial issue date (and, if applicable, during the course of a business day on which any sale transaction to be settled by the issuance of perpetual strife preferred stock is executed, from the exact time of first such sale transaction during such business day until the close of business of such business day), the liquidation preference per share will be adjusted to be the greatest of (i) the stated amount; (ii) in the case of any business day with respect to which we have, on such business day or any business day during the ten trading day period preceding such business day, executed any sale transaction to be settled by the issuance of perpetual strife preferred stock, an amount equal to the last reported sale price per share of perpetual strife preferred stock on the trading day immediately before such business day; and (iii) the arithmetic average of the last reported sale prices per share of perpetual strife preferred stock for each trading day of the ten consecutive trading days (or, if applicable, the lesser number of trading days as have elapsed during the period from, and including, the initial issue date to, but excluding, such business day) immediately preceding such business day.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Moelis & Company LLC, Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC and SG Americas Securities, LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. AmeriVet Securities, Inc., Bancroft Capital, LLC, BTIG, LLC and The Benchmark Company, LLC are acting as co-managers for the offering.
The offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying prospectus. An electronic copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement, together with the accompanying prospectus, is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement, together with the accompanying prospectus, can be obtained by contacting: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, by phone: 1-866-718-1649 or by email: [email protected], or Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by phone 1-888-603-5847, or by email: [email protected], or Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 or by telephone at 1-800-831-9146, or by email: [email protected], or Moelis & Company LLC, 399 Park Avenue 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022, by phone: 1-800-539-9413.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities referred to in this press release, nor will there be any sale of any such securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
About Strategy
MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR/STRK) is the world’s first and largest Bitcoin Treasury Company. We are a publicly traded company that has adopted Bitcoin as our primary treasury reserve asset. By using proceeds from equity and debt financings, as well as cash flows from our operations, we strategically accumulate Bitcoin and advocate for its role as digital capital. Our treasury strategy is designed to provide investors varying degrees of economic exposure to Bitcoin by offering a range of securities, including equity and fixed-income instruments. In addition, we provide industry-leading AI-powered enterprise analytics software, advancing our vision of Intelligence Everywhere. We leverage our development capabilities to explore innovation in Bitcoin applications, integrating analytics expertise with our commitment to digital asset growth. We believe our combination of operational excellence, strategic Bitcoin reserve, and focus on technological innovation positions us as a leader in both the digital asset and enterprise analytics sectors, offering a unique opportunity for long-term value creation.
Strategy, MicroStrategy, and Intelligence Everywhere are either trademarks or registered trademarks of MicroStrategy Incorporated in the United States and certain other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the size and timing of the offering, the anticipated use of any proceeds from the offering and the terms of the securities being offered. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the offering on the anticipated terms or at all, the uncertainties related to the satisfaction of closing conditions for the sale of the securities being offered, the other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of Strategy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2025 and the risks described in other filings that the Company may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.