In connection with the offering, the Representatives, on behalf of the underwriters, may purchase and sell bonds in the open market. These transactions may include over-allotment, syndicate covering transactions, and stabilizing transactions. Over-allotment involves syndicate sales of bonds in excess of the principal amount of bonds to be purchased by the underwriter in the offering, which creates a syndicate short position. Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the bonds in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions consist of certain bids or purchases of bonds made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the bonds while the offering is in progress.
The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the Representatives, in covering syndicate short positions or making stabilizing purchases, repurchase bonds originally sold by or for the account of that syndicate member.
Any of these activities may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the bonds. They may also cause the price of the bonds to be higher than the price that otherwise would 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.
We estimate that our total expenses for this offering, excluding the underwriting discounts, will be $2,200,000 and will be payable by us.
Certain of the underwriters are dealers on our commercial paper program and, from time to time, make a market in or hold our commercial paper. Such underwriters may receive some of the proceeds of this offering if we repay commercial paper they hold. Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates have performed investment banking, commercial banking and advisory services for us and our affiliates from time to time for which they have received customary fees and expenses. The underwriters and their affiliates may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for us and our affiliates in the ordinary course of their business.
We expect delivery of the bonds will be made against payment therefor on or about March 2, 2023, which is the third business day after the date of this prospectus supplement. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the bonds on the date of this prospectus supplement will be required, by virtue of the fact that the bonds initially will not settle in T+2, to specify an alternative settlement cycle at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement and should consult their own advisor.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.
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, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing, corporate trust and brokerage activities.
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 our securities and instruments or those of our affiliates. If any of the underwriters or their affiliates have a lending relationship with us, certain of those underwriters or their affiliates routinely hedge, and certain other of those underwriters or their affiliates may
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