1. Description of the Business Combination
The Company was formed in accordance with the requirements of the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of June 1, 2017, as amended, pursuant to which, among other things, Praxair, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Linde Aktiengesellschaft, a stock corporation incorporated under the laws of Germany, agreed to combine their respective businesses through anall-stock transaction, and become subsidiaries of the Company.
On October 31, 2018, Praxair and Linde AG combined under the Company, as contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement. Pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, (i) Praxair became an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company through the merger of Zamalight Subco, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned Delaware subsidiary of the Company with and into Praxair, and (ii) Linde AG became an indirect subsidiary of the Company through an exchange offer by the Company for each issued and outstanding bearer share of Linde AG.
In the Merger, each issued and outstanding share of common stock of Praxair, par value $0.01 per share (the “Praxair Shares”), was converted into the right to receive one ordinary share, nominal value €0.001 per share, of Linde plc (the “Linde plc Shares”). Each issued and outstanding ordinary bearer share, without par value, of Linde AG (the “Linde AG Shares”) that was validly tendered in the Exchange Offer was exchanged for 1.540 Linde plc Shares.
The issuance of Linde plc Shares in connection with the Business Combination, as described above, was registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to a registration statement on FormS-4 (FileNo. 333-218485), which was declared effective by the SEC on August 14, 2017.
Prior to the completion of the Business Combination, the Company was wholly owned and controlled by Enceladus Holding Limited, a private company limited by shares formed under the laws of Ireland, which held 25,000 A ordinary shares of €1.00 each in the capital of the Company. In accordance with the terms of the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, immediately following the issuance of Linde plc Shares pursuant to the Exchange Offer, the 25,000 A ordinary shares of the Company were automatically converted andre-designated into deferred shares that do not carry voting or dividend rights, and were subsequently acquired and cancelled by the Company for nil consideration prior to the effective time of the Merger.
Pursuant to Rule12g-3(a) under the Exchange Act, as of October 31, 2018, the Company is the successor issuer to Praxair, the Linde plc Shares are deemed to be registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The Linde plc Shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “LIN”.
2. Basis of Pro Forma Presentation
The Pro Forma Information was prepared in accordance with Article 11 of RegulationS-X. The Business Combination will be accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting under ASC 805, with Praxair representing the accounting acquirer under this guidance. The Pro Forma Information is based on Praxair’s and Linde AG’s historical consolidated financial statements which are adjusted to give pro forma effect to the Business Combination of Linde AG and Praxair with Praxair representing the accounting acquirer, and other transactions presented herein, such as the Divestitures. The pro forma effects relate to events that are (i) directly attributable to the Business Combination and Divestitures, (ii) factually supportable, and (iii) with respect to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of income, expected to have a continuing impact on the combined group’s results. The pro forma adjustments are preliminary and based on estimates of the fair value and useful lives of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed and have been prepared by the Company’s management to illustrate the estimated effect of the Business Combination, the Divestitures and certain other adjustments. The final determination of the purchase consideration and purchase accounting will be based on the fair values of the Linde AG assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of the completion of the Business Combination. The unaudited pro forma combined financial statements of income for the nine
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