We will agree with the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions, not to, except with the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, BofA Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities issued or guaranteed by us during the period from the date of this prospectus supplement continuing through the day following the settlement date of the notes.
In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell the notes in the open market. Purchases and sales in the open market may include short sales, purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases.
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Short sales involve secondary market sales by the underwriters of a greater number of the notes than they are required to purchase in this offering.
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Covering transactions involve purchases of the notes in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover short positions.
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Stabilizing transactions involve bids to purchase the notes so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the notes.
Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the notes. They may also cause the price of the notes to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. If the underwriters commence any of these transactions, they may discontinue them at any time.
Conflicts of Interest
We plan to use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to repay outstanding borrowings under our Term Loan. Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A., Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Truist Bank, U.S. Bank National Association and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. are each lenders under our Term Loan and are each affiliates of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Truist Securities Inc., U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and MUFG Securities America Inc., respectively. In addition, certain of the underwriters or their affiliates may own our 0.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2022 that we may purchase, redeem or repay with a portion of the net proceeds of this offering. In the event that any of these underwriters, together with their respective affiliates, receives at least 5% of the net proceeds of this offering, such underwriters will be deemed to have a “conflict of interest” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. However, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5121, no “qualified independent underwriter” is required because the notes are investment grade-rated by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating agencies.
Other Relationships
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and their respective affiliates have in the past performed commercial banking, investment banking and advisory services for us from time to time for which they have received customary fees and reimbursement of expenses and may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they may receive customary fees and reimbursement of expenses. For example, Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., an affiliate of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Bank of America, N.A., an affiliate of BofA Securities, Inc., Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, an affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Truist Bank, an affiliate of Truist Securities, Inc., U.S. Bank National Association, an affiliate of U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., an affiliate of MUFG Securities America Inc. are lenders under our credit facility. Additionally, we have executed a commitment letter with Bank of America, National Association, an affiliate of BofA Securities, Inc., one of the underwriters of this offering, to replace our existing revolving credit facility with a new $1.0 billion revolving credit facility