Exhibit 4.3
Description of the Registrant’s Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
The following is brief description of the securities of Ingersoll Rand Inc. (the “Company” “we,” “us” and “our”) registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The following description of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, is subject in all respects to the General Corporate Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) and to the full text of the Company’s restated certificate of incorporation (the “charter”) and the Company’s second amended and restated bylaws (the “bylaws”).
General
Pursuant to our charter, our authorized capital stock consists of:
•1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“common stock”); and
•100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“preferred stock”).
Common Stock
Voting Rights
Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to which stockholders are entitled to vote generally, including the election or removal of directors. Directors are to be elected by a majority of votes cast, except in the case of contested elections, in which case the vote required will be a plurality of votes cast. The holders of our common stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. The holders of our common stock are not entitled to vote on any amendment to our charter that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon. The number of authorized shares of preferred stock or common stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock of the Company entitled to vote thereon.
Dividends
The DGCL permits a corporation to declare and pay dividends out of “surplus” or, if there is no “surplus,” out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year. “Surplus” is defined as the excess of the net assets of the corporation over the amount determined to be the capital of the corporation by the board of directors. The capital of the corporation is typically calculated to be (and cannot be less than) the aggregate par value of all issued shares of capital stock. Net assets equals the fair value of the total assets minus total liabilities. The DGCL also provides that dividends may not be paid out of net profits if, after the payment of the dividend, capital is less than the capital represented by the outstanding stock of all classes having a preference upon the distribution of assets.
Declaration and payment of any dividend is subject to the discretion of our board of directors. The time and amount of dividends is dependent upon our financial condition, operations, cash requirements and availability, debt repayment obligations, capital expenditure needs and restrictions in our debt instruments, industry trends, the provisions of Delaware law affecting the payment of dividends to stockholders and any other factors our board of directors may consider relevant.
Liquidation Rights
Upon the Company’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up and after payment in full of all amounts required to be paid to creditors and to the holders of preferred stock having liquidation preferences, if any, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive pro rata the Company’s remaining assets available for distribution.
Preemptive and Other Rights
Holders of our common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The common stock is not subject to further calls or assessment by the Company. There is no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.
Preferred Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to establish one or more series of preferred stock (including convertible preferred stock). Unless required by law or by the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), the authorized shares of preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by common stockholders. Our board of directors may determine, with respect to any series of preferred stock, the powers (including voting powers), preferences and relative participations, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of that series, including, without limitation:
•the designation of the series;
•the number of shares of the series, which our board of directors may, except where otherwise provided in the preferred stock designation, increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decrease (but not below the number of shares then outstanding);
•whether dividends, if any, will be cumulative or non-cumulative and the dividend rate of the series;
•the dates at which dividends, if any, will be payable;
•the redemption rights and price or prices, if any, for shares of the series;
•the terms and amounts of any sinking fund provided for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series;
•the amounts payable on shares of the series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the affairs of the Company;
•whether the shares of the series will be convertible into shares of any other class or series, or any other security, of the Company or any other corporation, and, if so, the specification of the other class or series or other security, the conversion price or prices or rate or rates, any rate adjustments, the date or dates as of which the shares will be convertible and all other terms and conditions upon which the conversion may be made;
•restrictions on the issuance of shares of the same series or of any other class or series; and
•the voting rights, if any, of the holders of the series.
We could issue a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede or discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority, of a stockholder might believe to be in its best interests or in which a stockholder might receive a premium for our common stock over the market price of the common stock. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may adversely affect the holders of our common stock by restricting dividends on the common stock, diluting the voting power of the common stock or subordinating the liquidation rights of the common stock. As a result of these or other factors, the issuance of preferred stock could have an adverse impact on the market price of our common stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Our Charter and Bylaws and Certain Provisions of Delaware Law
Our charter, bylaws and the DGCL, which are summarized in the following paragraphs, contain provisions that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors. These provisions are intended to avoid costly takeover battles, reduce our vulnerability to a hostile change of control and enhance the ability of our board of directors to maximize stockholder value in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire the Company. However, these provisions may have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, deter or prevent a merger or acquisition of the Company by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock
Delaware law does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of the NYSE, which would apply if and so long as our common stock remains listed on the NYSE, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or then outstanding number of shares of common stock. These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital or to facilitate acquisitions.
Our board of directors may generally issue preferred shares on terms calculated to discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of the Company or the removal of our management. Moreover, our authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans.
One of the effects of the existence of unissued and unreserved common stock or preferred stock may be to enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an
attempt to obtain control of the Company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, and thereby protect the continuity of our management and possibly deprive our stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares of common stock at prices higher than prevailing market prices.
Business Combinations
We have opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL; however, our charter contains similar provisions providing that the Company may not engage in certain “business combinations” with any “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
•prior to such time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
•upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or
•at or subsequent to that time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 662∕3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.
Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with that person’s affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years owned, 15% or more of our voting stock. For purposes of this section only, “voting stock” has the meaning given to it in Section 203 of the DGCL.
Under certain circumstances, this provision makes it more difficult for a person who would be an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period. This provision may encourage companies interested in acquiring the Company to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our board of directors and may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions which stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Our charter provides that KKR Renaissance Aggregator L.P. (“KKR Renaissance Aggregator”) and its affiliates and any of their respective direct or indirect transferees and any group as to which such persons are a party do not constitute “interested stockholders” for purposes of this provision.
Removal of Directors; Vacancies
Our charter provides that directors may be removed at any time either with or without cause upon the affirmative vote of a majority in voting power of all outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class; provided, however, at any time when KKR Renaissance Aggregator and its affiliates beneficially own, in the aggregate, less than 40% in voting power of the stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, directors may be removed at any time either with or without cause, and only by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% in voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of stock of the Company entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class. In addition, our charter also provides that, subject to the rights granted to one or more series of preferred stock then outstanding or the rights granted under the Stockholders Agreement, dated as of May 17, 2017, between the Company and KKR Renaissance Aggregator (the “Stockholders Agreement”), any vacancies on our board of directors are filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors, even if less than a quorum, by a sole remaining director or by the stockholders; provided, however, at any time when KKR Renaissance Aggregator and its affiliates beneficially own, in the aggregate, less than 40% in voting power of the stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, any newly created directorship on the board of directors that results from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancy occurring in the board of directors may only be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (and not by stockholders).
No Cumulative Voting
Under Delaware law, the right to vote cumulatively does not exist unless the certificate of incorporation specifically authorizes cumulative voting. Our charter does not authorize cumulative voting. Therefore, stockholders holding a majority in voting power of the shares of our stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors are able to elect all of our directors.
Special Stockholder Meetings
Our charter provides that special meetings of our stockholders may be called at any time only by or at the direction of the board of directors or the chairman of the board of directors; provided, however, so long as KKR Renaissance Aggregator and its affiliates own, in the aggregate, less than 40% in voting power of the stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, special meetings of our stockholders shall also be called by the board of directors or the chairman of the board of directors at the request of KKR Renaissance Aggregator and its affiliates. Our bylaws prohibit the conduct of any business at a special meeting other than as specified in the notice for such meeting and require that the number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at the special meeting shall not exceed the number of directors to be elected at such special meeting. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying or discouraging hostile takeovers, or changes in control or management of the Company.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Director Nominations and Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of the board of directors. In order for any matter to be “properly brought” before a meeting, a stockholder will have to comply with advance notice requirements and provide the Company with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. Our bylaws allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions do not apply to KKR Renaissance Aggregator and its affiliates so long as the Stockholders Agreement remains in effect. These provisions may also defer, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of the Company.
Stockholder Action by Written Consent
Pursuant to Section 228 of the DGCL, any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, unless our charter provides otherwise. Our charter precludes stockholder action by written consent at any time when KKR Renaissance Aggregator and its affiliates beneficially own, in the aggregate, less than 40% in voting power of the stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, that any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of preferred stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken by written consent to the extent provided by the applicable certificate of designation relating to such series.
Dissenters’ Rights of Appraisal and Payment
Under the DGCL, with certain exceptions, our stockholders have appraisal rights in connection with a merger or consolidation of the Company. Pursuant to the DGCL, stockholders who properly request and perfect appraisal rights in connection with such merger or consolidation have the right to receive payment of the fair value of their shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Stockholders’ Derivative Actions
Under the DGCL, any of our stockholders may bring an action in our name to procure a judgment in our favor, also known as a derivative action, provided that the stockholder bringing the action is a holder of our shares at the time of the transaction to which the action relates or such stockholder’s stock thereafter devolved by operation of law.
Exclusive Forum
Our charter provides that unless the Company consents to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any (i) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer of the Company to the Company or its stockholders, creditors or other constituents, (iii) action asserting a claim
against the Company or any director or officer of the Company arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our charter or bylaws or (iv) action asserting a claim against the Company or any director or officer of the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, that, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any such action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, such action may be brought in another state court sitting in the State of Delaware. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our charter. The exclusive forum provision may apply to any of the foregoing types of actions; however, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is not the sole and exclusive forum for actions brought under the federal securities laws. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Further, the enforceability of similar forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be unenforceable. The combined company’s exclusive forum provision will not relieve it of its duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and its stockholders will not be deemed to have waived its compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.
Conflicts of Interest
Delaware law permits corporations to adopt provisions renouncing any interest or expectancy in certain opportunities that are presented to the corporation or its officers, directors or stockholders. Our charter, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Delaware law, renounces any interest or expectancy that the Company has in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, specified business opportunities that are from time to time presented to our officers, directors or stockholders or their respective affiliates, other than those officers, directors, stockholders or affiliates who are the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ employees. Our charter provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, each of KKR Renaissance Aggregator or any of its affiliates or any director who is not employed by the Company (including any non-employee director who serves as one of the Company’s officers in both his director and officer capacities) or his or her affiliates has no duty to refrain from (i) engaging in a corporate opportunity in the same or similar lines of business in which the Company or its affiliates now engage or propose to engage or (ii) otherwise competing with the Company or its affiliates. In addition, to the fullest extent permitted by law, in the event that KKR Renaissance Aggregator or any of its affiliates or any non-employee director acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for itself or himself or its or his affiliates or for the Company or its affiliates, such person will have no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or business opportunity to the Company or any of its affiliates and they may take any such opportunity for themselves or offer it to another person or entity. Our charter does not renounce our interest in any business opportunity that is expressly offered to a non-employee director solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Company. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no business opportunity will be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity for the Company unless it would be permitted to undertake the opportunity under its second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, it has sufficient financial resources to undertake the opportunity and the opportunity would be in line with its business.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
The DGCL authorizes corporations to limit or eliminate the personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of directors’ fiduciary duties, subject to certain exceptions. Our charter includes a provision that eliminates the personal liability of directors for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL. The effect of these provisions is to eliminate the rights of the Company and our stockholders, through stockholders’ derivative suits on the Company’s behalf, to recover monetary damages from a director for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, including breaches resulting from grossly negligent behavior. However, exculpation does not apply to any director if the director has acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized illegal dividends, repurchases or redemptions or derived an improper benefit from his or her actions as a director.
Our bylaws provide that it must generally indemnify, and advance expenses to, its directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL. We are also expressly authorized to carry directors’ and officers’ liability insurance providing indemnification for our directors, officers and certain employees for some liabilities. The Company believes that these indemnification and advancement provisions and insurance are useful to attract and retain qualified directors and executive officers.
The limitation of liability, indemnification and advancement provisions in our Charter and bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit the Company and its stockholders.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.
