transactions may include making short sales of common stock, which involves the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares of common stock than they are required to purchase in this offering, and purchasing shares of common stock on the open market to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales may be “covered” shorts, which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares referred to above, or may be “naked” shorts, which are short positions in excess of that amount. The underwriters may close out any covered short position either by exercising their option to purchase additional shares, in whole or in part, or by purchasing shares in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market compared to the price at which the underwriters may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. To the extent that the underwriters create a naked short position, they will purchase shares in the open market to cover the position.
The underwriters have advised us that, pursuant to Regulation M of the Securities Act of 1933, they may also engage in other activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the common stock, including the imposition of penalty bids. This means that if the representatives of the underwriters purchase common stock in the open market in stabilizing transactions or to cover short sales, the representatives can require the underwriters that sold those shares as part of this offering to repay the underwriting discount received by them.
These activities may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of the common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock, and, as a result, the price of the common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If the underwriters commence these activities, they may discontinue them at any time. The underwriters may carry out these transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
The underwriters have in the past engaged, and the underwriters and their respective affiliates expect in the future to engage, in transactions with, and have provided, and may in the future provide, various financial advisory, commercial banking, corporate trust and investment banking services for, the Company and the Company’s affiliates, for which they have in the past received, and will in the future receive, customary fees.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and instruments of the Company or the Company’s affiliates. Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates that have a lending relationship with the Company routinely hedge, and certain other of those underwriters may hedge, their credit exposure to the Company consistent with their customary risk management policies. Typically, such underwriters and their affiliates would hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in the Company’s securities, including potentially our common stock offered hereby. Any such credit default swaps or short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of our common stock offered hereby. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long or short positions in such securities and instruments.
An affiliate of BofA Securities, Inc. is a syndication agent, co-bookrunner, co-lead arranger, a lender and an issuing bank and an affiliate of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is administrative agent, advisor, co-bookrunner,co-lead arranger, a lender and an issuing bank under the Company’s fourth amended and restated credit agreement dated as of October 25, 2018. An affiliate of BofA Securities, Inc. is a lender and an affiliate of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is administrative agent and a lender under the 364-Day Credit Agreement.
S-19