PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)
We have entered into a sales agreement dated February 22, 2024 (the “sales agreement”), with Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Barclays Capital Inc., BBVA Securities Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., BTIG, LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Citizens JMP Securities, LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Jefferies LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Regions Securities LLC, Santander US Capital Markets LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, TD Securities (USA) LLC, Truist Securities, Inc., UBS Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (each, an “Agent” and together, the “Agents”), the Forward Sellers (as defined below) and the Forward Purchasers (as defined below) providing for the offer and sale of up to 120,000,000 shares of our common stock from time to time through the Agents, acting as our sales agents, or through the Forward Sellers, acting as sales agents to the relevant Forward Purchasers, or directly to one or more of the Agents, acting as principal.
The sales agreement contemplates that, in addition to the issuance and sale by us of shares of our common stock to or through the Agents, we may enter into separate forward sale agreements under separate master forward sale agreements and related supplemental confirmations (each, a “forward sale agreement” and, collectively, the “forward sale agreements”), each with Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Barclays Capital Inc., BBVA Securities Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citibank, N.A., Citizens JMP Securities, LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Jefferies LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Nomura Global Financial Products, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Regions Securities LLC, Santander US Capital Markets LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, TD Securities (USA) LLC, Truist Securities, Inc., UBS Securities LLC or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC or one of their respective affiliates (in such capacity, each a “Forward Purchaser” and, collectively, the “Forward Purchasers”). If we enter into a forward sale agreement with any Forward Purchaser, we expect that such Forward Purchaser or its affiliate will attempt to borrow from third parties and sell, through the relevant Forward Seller, acting as sales agent for such Forward Purchaser, shares of our common stock to hedge such Forward Purchaser’s exposure under such forward sale agreement. We refer to an Agent or to Nomura Securities International, Inc. (acting through BTIG, LLC as agent), when acting as sales agent for the relevant Forward Purchaser, as, individually, a “Forward Seller” and, collectively, the “Forward Sellers.” Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, the “appointed,” “applicable” or “relevant” Forward Seller with respect to a particular Forward Purchaser will be the Forward Seller entity that is the same entity as, or an affiliate of, such Forward Purchaser. We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of shares of our common stock borrowed by a Forward Purchaser or its affiliate and sold through the appointed Forward Seller.
Sales of shares of our common stock, if any, as contemplated by this prospectus supplement made through the Agents or the Forward Sellers will be made by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices, by privately negotiated transactions (including block sales) or by any other methods permitted by applicable law.
Neither an Agent, as our sales agent, nor a Forward Seller is required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of shares of our common stock, but each has agreed, subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, to use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations, to sell shares of our common stock on the terms agreed upon by such Agent or such Forward Seller, us and, in the case of shares offered through a Forward Seller, the relevant Forward Purchaser from time to time. The sales agreement provides that the shares of our common stock offered and sold through the Agents, as our sales agents, or through the Forward Sellers, pursuant to the sales agreement will be offered and sold through only one Agent or one Forward Seller at any given time on any trading day.
We will report at least quarterly the number of shares of common stock sold by or through the Agents acting as our sales agents or as principal, the number of shares of common stock sold through the Forward Sellers, the net proceeds to us, the aggregate compensation paid by us to the Agents in connection with those sales of our common stock, and the number of shares of common stock sold or delivered upon