Price Adjustments 17.1 Prices for Goods/Services supplied in terms of this Agreement shall be subject to review as indicated in the Schedule of Requirements/Works Order annexed hereto.
17.2 No less than 2 [two] months prior to any proposed Price adjustment, the Parties shall commence negotiations for Prices for the next period or as otherwise indicated in Schedule 1 hereto. The Parties shall have regard for market-related pricing of equivalent goods, continuous improvement initiatives, costs [including labour, raw materials and transport/delivery], order size and frequency and changes to the specification of the Goods/Services.
17.3 Pursuant to clause 17.2 above, the Supplier/Service Provider shall keep full and accurate records of all costs associated with the supply of the Goods/Services to Transnet, in a form to be approved in writing by Transnet. The Supplier/Service Provider shall produce such records to Transnet for inspection at all reasonable times on request and such records may, at Transnet's option, be audited by Transnet or its designated representatives.
17.4 Should Transnet and the Supplier/Service Provider fail to reach an agreement on Price for the successive period, either Party shall be entitled to submit this matter to dispute resolution in accordance with clause 32 of the Master Agreement [Dispute Resolution].
17.5 If during the period of this Agreement Transnet can purchase similar Goods/Services of a like quality from another supplier at a total delivered cost to a Transnet facility that is lower than the total delivered cost of the Goods/Services purchased hereunder from the Supplier/Service Provider, Transnet may notify the Supplier/Service Provider of such total delivered cost and the Supplier/Service Provider shall have an opportunity to adjust the Price of the Goods/Services purchased hereunder, on such a basis as to result in the same total delivered cost to Transnet, within 30 [thirty] calendar days of such notice. If the Supplier/Service Provider fails to do so or cannot legally do so, Transnet may (i) purchase the Goods/Services from such other supplier in which case the obligations, including, but not limited to, any purchase and sale requirements and/or commitments, if any, of Transnet and the Supplier/Service Provider hereunder shall be reduced accordingly; (ii) terminate this Agreement without any penalty, liability or further obligation; or (iii) continue purchases under this Agreement.
17.6 If during the period of this Agreement the Supplier/Service Provider sells any materials which are the same as, equivalent to, or substantially similar to the Goods/Services herein, at a total delivered cost to a third party lower than the total delivered cost to a Transnet facility, then the Supplier/Service Provider has an opportunity to adjust its Price for the Goods/Services purchased hereunder within 30 [thirty] calendar days so that the Price is the same or lower than the total delivered cost of such third party. If the Supplier/Service Provider fails to do so or cannot legally do so, Transnet may (i) purchase the Goods/Services from any other such supplier, in which case the obligations, including, but not limited to, any purchase and sale requirements and/or commitments, if any, of Transnet and the Supplier/Service Provider hereunder shall be reduced accordingly; or
Price Adjustment Civil works contracts of long duration (more than 18 months) shall contain an appropriate price adjustment clause.
Price Adjustments for OGS Centralized Contracts Periodic price adjustments will occur no more than twice per year on a schedule to be established solely by OGS. Pricing offered shall be fixed for the first twelve (12) months of the Contract term. Such price increases will only apply to the OGS Centralized Contracts and shall not be applied retroactively to Authorized User Agreements or any Mini-bids already submitted to an Authorized User. Price decreases may be made at any time. Additionally, some price decreases shall be calculated in accordance with Appendix B, section 17, Pricing.
Purchase Price Adjustments (a) Schedule 2.4 sets forth the Seller’s good faith estimate of the Net Working Capital (the “Estimated Net Working Capital”) as of September 30, 2013, together with a calculation of the Closing Purchase Price based on such estimate. The Estimated Net Working Capital shall be determined in accordance with Section 2.6 and the other terms of this Agreement.
(b) As promptly as possible, but in any event within forty five (45) days after the Closing Date, the Buyer will deliver to the Seller a balance sheet of the Company (the “Closing Balance Sheet”) and a statement showing the calculation of the Net Working Capital derived from the Closing Balance Sheet (together with the Closing Balance Sheet, the “Preliminary Closing Statement”), in each case as of the Reference Time. The Closing Balance Sheet shall be prepared, and the Net Working Capital and the Preliminary Closing Statement shall be determined, in accordance with Section 2.6 and the definitions and other terms set forth in this Agreement. The Preliminary Closing Statement shall contain line item detail comparable to the Balance Sheet with respect to the components of Net Working Capital of the Company as of the Reference Time. After delivery of the Preliminary Closing Statement, the Buyer shall give the Seller and its accountants and representatives reasonable access at reasonable times to review the Company’s books and records and work papers related to the preparation of the Preliminary Closing Statement subject to customary confidentiality restrictions. The Seller and its accountants and representatives may make inquiries of the Buyer and its accountants regarding questions concerning or disagreements with the Preliminary Closing Statement arising in the course of its review thereof, and the Buyer shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause any such accountants to cooperate with and respond to such inquiries. If the Seller has any objections to the Preliminary Closing Statement, the Seller shall deliver to the Buyer a statement setting forth its objections thereto (an “Objections Statement”). If an Objections Statement is not delivered by the Seller to the Buyer within twenty (20) days after delivery of the Preliminary Closing Statement, the Preliminary Closing Statement shall be final, binding and non-appealable by the Parties hereto. The Seller and the Buyer shall negotiate in good faith to resolve any such objections for fifteen (15) days after the delivery of the Objections Statement, but if they do not reach a final resolution, the Seller and the Buyer shall submit such dispute to PricewaterhouseCoopers, or if they are not independent pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission at the time, another nationally recognized independent accounting firm reasonably acceptable to the Buyer and the Seller (the “Dispute Resolution Firm”) within three (3) Business Days following the end of the fifteen (15)-day period from the date of the delivery of the Objections Statement. Any further submissions to the Dispute Resolution Firm must be written and delivered to each party to the dispute. The Dispute Resolution Firm shall consider work papers and other documents and information related to those items and amounts which are identified in the Objections Statement as being items which the Seller and the Buyer are unable to resolve. The Dispute Resolution Firm’s determination will be based on the definition of Net Working Capital and the other definitions and terms contained herein and shall be in amounts between the disputed amounts set forth in the Preliminary Closing Statement and the Objections Statement. The Seller and the Buyer shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Dispute Resolution Firm to resolve all disagreements as soon as practicable and in any event within thirty (30) days after the submission of any dispute. Further, the Dispute Resolution Firm’s determination shall be based solely on the presentations by the Buyer and the Seller which are in accordance with the terms and procedures set forth in this Agreement (i.e., not on the basis of an independent review). The resolution of the dispute by the Dispute Resolution Firm shall be, absent manifest error, final, binding and non-appealable on the Parties hereto. The costs and expenses of the Dispute Resolution Firm shall be allocated fifty percent (50%) to the Buyer and fifty percent (50%) to the Seller.
(c) If the Net Working Capital as finally determined pursuant to Section 2.4(b) above is greater than the Target Working Capital, the Buyer shall promptly pay to the Seller the amount of such excess in cash. If the Net Working Capital as finally determined pursuant to Section 2.4(b) above is less than the Target Working Capital (such amount, the “Working Capital Deficiency”), the Seller and the Buyer shall promptly cause an amount equal to the Working Capital Deficiency to be paid to the Buyer from the Working Capital Escrow Amount; provided, however, that if the Working Capital Deficiency is in excess of the Working Capital Escrow Amount (such excess amount, the “Working Capital Indemnity Amount”), then the Buyer may elect to seek indemnification for the Working Capital Indemnity Amount either (i) from the Indemnity Escrow Amount or (ii) directly from the Seller. The net adjustment amount payable to the Seller or the Buyer under this Section 2.4(c) (such amount, the “Net Adjustment Amount”) shall be paid in accordance with Section 2.5.
Purchase Price Adjustment (a) Within 90 days following the Closing, the Buyer shall prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and delivered, to the Seller a statement (the “Closing Schedule”) setting forth:
(i) the Buyer’s determination of the actual amounts of (A) the Adjustment Amount, including the Final Adjustment Amount Overage or the Final Adjustment Amount Underage (the “Final Adjustment Amount”), and (B) the Seller Indebtedness Amount, in each case as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on the Closing Date without taking into account any of the transactions to be completed on the Closing Date in accordance with the terms of this Agreement;
(ii) a calculation of any adjustments to the Closing Payment based on such calculations (the adjusted Closing Payment as a result of such calculation being the “Final Closing Payment”); and
(iii) a calculation of the accounts receivable contained in the Preliminary Adjustment Amount that were not collected by Buyer within the thirty (30) days immediately following the Closing and the accounts receivable existing at the Closing but not taken into account in calculating the Adjustment Amount (the “Excluded AR”).
(b) Within fifteen (15) days after delivery of the Closing Schedule, the Seller may deliver a notice to Buyer either: (i) concurring with the Closing Schedule (a “Notice of Concurrence”); or (ii) disagreeing therewith (a “Notice of Disagreement”). If the Seller delivers a Notice of Disagreement, then it shall be accompanied by the Seller’s proposed revisions to the Closing Schedule. If the Seller fails to deliver any notice within such 15-day period, the Seller shall be deemed to have delivered a Notice of Concurrence.
(c) If a Notice of Concurrence is delivered or deemed delivered, and if the Final Closing Payment is less than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall be entitled to payment out of the Royalty Consideration in the full amount of such shortfall. If a Notice of Concurrence is delivered or deemed delivered, and the Final Closing Payment is greater than the Closing Payment, Buyer shall pay to the Seller the full amount of such excess (with such payment being in shares of Buyer Common Stock priced at $1.50 per share) within thirty (30) days of the delivery of the Notice of Concurrence.
(d) If a Notice of Disagreement is delivered, then the Seller and the Buyer shall, during the 15-day period following such delivery (the “Negotiation Period”), use commercially reasonable efforts to agree on the Final Adjustment Amount. If, during such period, the Seller and the Buyer are unable to reach agreement, they promptly shall engage a nationally recognized certified public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to each such party (the “Independent Auditor”) to resolve the disagreement, and any such resolution shall be final, conclusive and binding upon the parties hereto, absent fraud or manifest error. To the extent the Final Closing Payment as determined by the Independent Auditor is less than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall be entitled to payment out of the Royalty Consideration in the full amount of such shortfall. To the extent the Final Closing Payment as determined by the Independent Auditor is more than the Closing Payment, the Buyer shall pay to the Seller the full amount of such excess (with such payment being in shares of Buyer Common Stock priced at $1.50 per share) within thirty (30) days of such resolution.
(e) Each of the Seller and the Buyer shall pay fifty percent (50%) of the fees and expenses of the Independent Auditor.
Conversion Price Adjustments The conversion price shall be subject to adjustment (without duplication) from time to time as follows:
(a) In case the Company shall, while any of the Debentures are outstanding, (i) pay a dividend or make a distribution with respect to its Company Common Stock exclusively in shares of Company Common Stock, (ii) subdivide its outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, (iii) combine its outstanding shares of Company Common Stock into a smaller number of shares or (iv) issue by reclassification of its shares of Company Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, the conversion privilege and the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such action shall be adjusted so that the Holder of any Debentures thereafter surrendered for conversion shall be entitled to receive the number of shares of capital stock of the Company which he would have owned immediately following such action had such Debentures been converted immediately prior thereto. An adjustment made pursuant to this subsection (a) shall become effective immediately after the record date in the case of a dividend or other distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in case of a subdivision, combination or reclassification (or immediately after the record date if a record date shall have been established for such event). If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to this subsection (a), the Holder of any Debenture thereafter surrendered for conversion shall become entitled to receive shares of two or more classes or series of capital stock of the Company, the Board of Directors (whose determination shall be conclusive and shall be described in a Board Resolution filed with the Trustee) shall determine the allocation of the adjusted Conversion Price between or among shares of such classes or series of capital stock. In the event that such dividend, distribution, subdivision, combination or issuance is not so paid or made, the Conversion Price shall again be adjusted to be the Conversion Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(b) In case the Company shall, while any of the Debentures are Outstanding, issue rights or warrants to all holders of its Company Common Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of Company Common Stock at a price per share less than the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on such record date, the Conversion Price for the Debentures shall be adjusted so that the same shall equal the price determined by multiplying the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the date of issuance of such rights or warrants by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding on the date of issuance of such rights or warrants plus the number of shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of shares so offered for subscription or purchase would purchase at such Current Market Price, and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding on the date of issuance of such rights or warrants plus the number of additional shares of Company Common Stock offered for subscription or purchase. Such adjustment shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such rights or warrants. For the purposes of this subsection, the number of shares of Company Common Stock at any time outstanding shall not include shares held in the treasury of the Company. The Company shall not issue any rights or warrants in respect of shares of Company Common Stock held in the treasury of the Company. In case any rights or warrants referred to in this subsection in respect of which an adjustment shall have been made shall expire unexercised after the same shall have been distributed or issued by the Company, the Conversion Price shall be readjusted at the time of such expiration to the Conversion Price that would have been in effect if no adjustment had been made on account of the distribution or issuance of such expired rights or warrants.
(c) Subject to the last sentence of this subparagraph, in case the Company shall, by dividend or otherwise, distribute to all holders of its Company Common Stock evidences of its indebtedness, shares of any class or series of capital stock, cash or assets (including securities, but excluding any rights or warrants referred to in subparagraph (b), any dividend or distribution paid exclusively in cash and any dividend or distribution referred to in subparagraph (a) of this Section 13.4), the Conversion Price shall be reduced so that the same shall equal the price determined by multiplying the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Conversion Price reduction contemplated by this subparagraph (c) by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on the date fixed for the payment of such distribution (the "Reference Date") less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive and described in a resolution of the Board of Directors), on the Reference Date, of the portion of the evidences of indebtedness, shares of capital stock, cash and assets so distributed applicable to one share of Company Common Stock and the denominator shall be such Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock, such reduction to become effective immediately prior to the opening of business on the day following the Reference Date. In the event that such dividend or distribution is not so paid or made, the Conversion Price shall again be adjusted to be the Conversion Price which would then be in effect if such dividend or distribution had not occurred. For purposes of this subparagraph (c), any dividend or distribution that includes shares of Company Common Stock or rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase shares of Company Common Stock shall be deemed instead to be (i) a dividend or distribution of the evidences of indebtedness, shares of capital stock, cash or assets other than such shares of Company Common Stock or such rights or warrants (making any Conversion Price reduction required by this subparagraph (c)) immediately followed by (ii) a dividend or distribution of such shares of Company Common Stock or such rights or warrants (making any further conversion price reduction required by subparagraph (a) or (b)), except (A) the Reference Date of such dividend or distribution as defined in this subparagraph shall be substituted as (x) "the record date in the case of a dividend or other distribution," and (y) "the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such rights or warrants" and (z) "the date fixed for such determination" within the meaning of subparagraphs (a) and (b) and (B) any shares of Company Common Stock included in such dividend or distribution shall not be deemed outstanding for purposes of computing any adjustment of the conversion price in subparagraph (a).
(d) In case the Company shall pay or make a dividend or other distribution on its Company Common Stock exclusively in cash (excluding (i) all cash dividends, if the amount thereof does not exceed the per share amount of the immediately preceding regular cash dividend (as adjusted to reflect any of the events referred to in subparagraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) of this Section and (ii) all cash dividends, if the annualized amount thereof per share of Company Common Stock does not exceed 12.5% of the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on the trading day immediately preceding the date of declaration of such dividend), the Conversion Price shall be reduced so that the same shall equal the price determined by multiplying the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Conversion Price reduction contemplated by this subparagraph (d) by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on the date fixed for the payment of such distribution less the amount of cash so distributed (excluding that portion of such distribution that does not exceed 12.5% of the Current Market Price per share, determined as provided above) applicable to one share of Company Common Stock and the denominator shall be such Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock, such reduction to become effective immediately prior to the opening of business on the day following the date fixed for the payment of such distribution; provided, however, that in the event the portion of the cash so distributed applicable to one share of Company Common Stock is equal to or greater than the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on the record date mentioned above (excluding that portion of such distribution that does not exceed 12.5% of the Current Market Price per share, determined as provided above), in lieu of the foregoing adjustment, adequate provision shall be made so that each Holder of shares of Debentures shall have the right to receive upon conversion the amount of cash such Holder would have received had such Holder converted each share of the Debentures immediately prior to the record date for the distribution of the cash (less that portion of such distribution that does not exceed 12.5% of the Current Market Price per share, determined as provided above). In the event that such dividend or distribution is not so paid or made, the Conversion Price shall again be adjusted to be the conversion price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(e) In case a tender or exchange offer (other than an odd-lot offer) made by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company for all or any portion of Company Common Stock shall expire and such tender or exchange offer shall involve the payment by the Company or such Subsidiary of consideration per share of Company Common Stock having a fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive and described in a resolution of the Board of Directors) at the last time (the "Expiration Time") tenders or exchanges may be made pursuant to such tender or exchange offer (as it shall have been amended) that exceeds 110% of the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on the trading day next succeeding the Expiration Time, the Conversion Price shall be reduced so that the same shall equal the price determined by multiplying the Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Conversion Price reduction contemplated by this subparagraph (e) by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding (including any tendered or exchanged shares) at the Expiration Time (including the Purchased Shares) (as defined below) multiplied by the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on the Trading Day next succeeding the Expiration Time and the denominator shall be the sum of (x) the fair market value (determined as aforesaid) of the aggregate consideration payable to stockholders based on the acceptance (up to any maximum specified in the terms of the tender or exchange offer) of all shares validly tendered or exchanged and not withdrawn as of the Expiration Time (the shares deemed so accepted, up to any such maximum, being referred to as the "Purchased Shares") (excluding that portion of such consideration that does not exceed 110% of the Current Market Price per share) and (y) the product of the number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding (less any Purchased Shares) at the Expiration Time and the Current Market Price per share of Company Common Stock on the trading day next succeeding the Expiration Time, such reduction to become effective immediately prior to the opening of business on the day following the Expiration Time. In the event that such tender or exchange offer is not so made, the Conversion Price shall again be adjusted to be the Conversion Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(f) If the distribution date for the Rights of the Company provided in any stockholder rights agreement occurs prior to the Conversion Date, and a Holder of the Debentures who converts such Debentures after such distribution date is not entitled to receive the Rights that would otherwise be attached (but for the date of conversion) to the shares of Company Common Stock received upon such conversion, then an adjustment shall be made to the Conversion Price pursuant to clause (ii) of Section 13.4(a) as if the Rights were being distributed to Company Common Stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such conversion. If such an adjustment is made and the Rights are later redeemed, invalidated or terminated, then a corresponding reversing adjustment shall be made to the Conversion Price, on an equitable basis, to take account of such event.
(g) The Company shall have the right to reduce from time to time the Conversion Price by any amount selected by the Company for any period of at least 30 days; provided, that Company shall give at least 15 days' written notice of such reduction to the Trustee and the Property Trustee. The Company may, at its option, make such reductions in the Conversion Price, in addition to those set forth above in Section 13.4(a), as the Board of Directors deems advisable to avoid or diminish any income tax to holders of Company Common Stock resulting from any dividend or distribution of stock (or rights to acquire stock) or from any event treated as such for United States Federal income tax purposes.
(h) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 13.4, no adjustment of the Conversion Price will be made upon the issuance of any shares of Company Common Stock (or securities convertible or exchangeable for Company Common Stock), except as specifically provided above, including pursuant to any present or future plan providing for the reinvestment of dividends or interest payable on securities of the Company and the investment of additional optional amounts in shares of Company Common Stock under any such plan, or the issuance of any shares of Company Common Stock or options or rights to purchase such shares pursuant to any present or future employee benefit plan or program of the Company or pursuant to any option, warrant, right, or exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security which does not constitute an issuance to all holders of Company Common Stock of rights or warrants entitling holders of such rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Company Common Stock at less than the Current Market Price. Further, such issuances shall not be deemed to constitute an issuance of Company Common Stock or exercisable, exchangeable or convertible securities by the Company to which any of the adjustment provisions described above applies. There shall also be no adjustment of the Conversion Price in case of the issuance of any stock (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for stock) of the Company except as specifically described in this Article 13. No adjustment in the Conversion Price will be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% of the Conversion Price, but any adjustment that would otherwise be required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in a subsequent adjustment.
(i) If any action would require adjustment of the Conversion Price pursuant to more than one of the provisions described above, only one adjustment shall be made and such adjustment shall be the amount of adjustment that has the highest absolute value to the Holder of the Debentures.
Purchase Price Credit Adjustments If on any day:
(a) the Outstanding Balance of a Receivable purchased from any Originator is:
(i) reduced as a result of any defective or rejected or returned goods or services, any cash discounts, any volume discounts or any adjustment or otherwise by such Originator or any Affiliate thereof (other than as a result of a charge-off of such Receivable or cash Collections applied to such Receivable),
(ii) reduced or canceled as a result of a setoff in respect of any claim by any Person (whether such claim arises out of the same or a related transaction or an unrelated transaction),
(iii) reduced on account of the obligation of such Originator or any Affiliate thereof to pay to the related Obligor any rebate or refund, or
(iv) less on the date of its sale then the amount reflected in the applicable Purchase Report, or
(b) any of the representations and warranties set forth in Sections 2.1(i), (j), (l), (r), (s), (t), (u) and the second sentence of Section 2.1(q) hereof is not true when made or deemed made with respect to any such Receivable, then, in such event, Buyer shall be entitled to a credit (each, a “Purchase Price Credit”) against the Purchase Price otherwise payable to the applicable Originator hereunder equal to (x) in the case of clauses (a)(i) – (iv) above, the amount of such reduction or cancellation or the difference between the actual Outstanding Balance and the amount reflected in the applicable Purchase Report, as applicable, and (y) in the case of clause (b) above, the amount of the Outstanding Balance of such Receivable, which shall be reconveyed by the Buyer to the applicable Originator following receipt of such amount. If such Purchase Price Credit exceeds the Original Balance of the Receivables originated by the applicable Originator on any day, such Originator shall pay the remaining amount of such Purchase Price Credit in cash immediately, provided that if the applicable Termination Date has not occurred, such Originator shall be allowed to deduct the remaining amount of such Purchase Price Credit from any indebtedness owed to it under its Subordinated Note.
Pricing Adjustments a. In the event an adjustment is made to the computation of the net asset value of Fund shares as reported to Insurance Company under paragraph 7, (1) the correction will be handled in a manner consistent with SEC guidelines and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended and (2) the Funds or Transfer Agent shall notify Insurance Company as soon as practicable after discovering the need for any such adjustment. Notification may be made in the following manner:
Post-Closing Purchase Price Adjustment 1.9.1 Within ninety (90) days following the Closing Date, Seller shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, and deliver to Purchaser a statement (the “Closing Net Working Capital Statement”) which shall set forth the Net Working Capital of the Newsprint Business and of Apache as of the Closing Time (which shall be set forth separately for each of the Newsprint Business and Apache, but as aggregated shall be referred to as the “Closing Net Working Capital”) and shall be prepared in accordance with Seller’s past accounting methods, policies, practices and procedures and in the same manner, with consistent classification and estimation methodology, as the Financial Statements were prepared, except that the Excluded Assets and the Newsprint Retained Obligations shall be excluded. The Closing Net Working Capital Statement may not be amended by Seller after it is delivered to Purchaser.
1.9.2 Purchaser shall, within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the Closing Net Working Capital Statement to it, complete its review of the Closing Net Working Capital reflected on the Closing Net Working Capital Statement. If Purchaser wishes to dispute the Closing Net Working Capital, Purchaser shall notify Seller in writing in reasonable detail of such disagreement and any reason therefore (“Purchaser’s Objection”), setting forth a specific description of the basis of Purchaser’s Objection and the adjustments to the Closing Net Working Capital that Purchaser believes should be made, on or before the last day of such thirty (30) day period, which Purchaser’s Objection may not be amended by Purchaser after it is delivered to Seller (except to withdraw any such Purchaser’s Objection). Any items on the Closing Net Working Capital Statements not disputed in Purchaser’s Objection shall be irrevocably deemed to be accepted by Purchaser. Seller shall then have thirty (30) days to review and respond to Purchaser’s Objection. If Seller and Purchaser are unable to resolve all of their disagreements with respect to the determination of the foregoing items within thirty (30) days following Seller’s receipt of Purchaser’s Objection (the “Negotiation Period”), they shall refer their remaining differences to a mutually agreeable independent accounting firm of national recognition (other than an independent accounting firm utilized by any of Seller, Apache or Purchaser or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing within the past three (3) years) acceptable to both Seller and Purchaser or if Seller and Purchaser are unable to agree as to such third party accounting firm within ten (10) days after the conclusion of the Negotiation Period, either Seller or Purchaser may request that the Chairman of the American Arbitration Association (or the nominated representative of the Chairman) appoint a third party accounting firm meeting the aforementioned requirements to resolve the dispute (the accounting firm selected being referred to as the “CPA Firm”), who shall determine, only with respect to the remaining differences so submitted, whether and to what extent, if any, the Closing Net Working Capital requires adjustment. The procedure and schedule under which any dispute shall be submitted to the CPA Firm shall be as follows:
(a) Within ten (10) days after the later of (i) the end of the Negotiation Period and (ii) the selection of the CPA Firm, Purchaser shall submit any unresolved elements of the Purchaser’s Objection to the CPA Firm in writing (with a copy to Seller), supported by any documents and/or affidavits upon which it relies. Failure to timely do so shall constitute a withdrawal by Purchaser of the Purchaser’s Objection with respect to any unresolved element to which such failure relates.
(b) Within fifteen (15) days following Purchaser’s submission of the unresolved elements of the Purchaser’s Objection as specified in sub-clause (a) above, Seller shall submit its response to the CPA Firm in writing (with a copy to Purchaser), supported by any documents and/or affidavits upon which it relies. Failure to timely do so shall constitute an acceptance by Seller with respect to any unresolved elements to which such failure relates.
(c) The CPA Firm shall deliver its written determination to Purchaser and Seller no later than the thirtieth (30th) day after the remaining differences underlying Purchaser’s Objection are referred to the CPA Firm, or such longer period of time as the CPA Firm determines is necessary.
Interest Rate Adjustment The interest rate payable will be subject to adjustments from time to time if either Moody’s or S&P or, if applicable, Fitch or any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” within the meaning of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act selected by the Company (as certified by a resolution of the Company’s board of directors) as a replacement for Moody’s or S&P, as the case may be (each, a “Substitute Rating Agency”) downgrades (or downgrades and subsequently upgrades) the credit rating assigned to the Notes, in the manner described below. Each of Moody’s, S&P and any Substitute Rating Agency is an “Interest Rate Rating Agency,” and together they are “Interest Rate Rating Agencies.”
(a) If the rating assigned by Moody’s (or, if applicable, any Substitute Rating Agency) of the Notes is decreased to a rating set forth in the immediately following table, the interest rate on the Notes will increase such that it will equal the interest rate payable on the Notes of such series on the date of their initial issuance plus the percentage set forth opposite the rating in the table below (plus, if applicable, the percentage set forth opposite the rating in the table under Section 108(b) below): Ba1 0.25 % Ba2 0.50 % Ba3 0.75 % B1 or below 1.00 % * Including the equivalent ratings of any Substitute Rating Agency.
(b) If the rating assigned by S&P (or, if applicable, any Substitute Rating Agency) of a series of Notes is decreased to a rating set forth in the immediately following table, the interest rate on the Notes of such series will increase such that it will equal the interest rate payable on the Notes of such series on the date of their initial issuance plus the percentage set forth opposite the rating in the table below (plus, if applicable, the percentage set forth opposite the rating in the table under Section 108(a) above): BB+ 0.25 % BB 0.50 % BB- 0.75 % B+ or below 1.00 % * Including the equivalent ratings of any Substitute Rating Agency. If at any time the interest rate on the Notes of a series has been increased and any of the Interest Rate Rating Agencies subsequently upgrades its rating of the Notes of such series, the interest rate on the Notes of such series will be decreased such that the interest rate for the Notes of such series equals the interest rate payable on the Notes of such series on the date of their initial issuance plus the percentages set forth opposite the ratings from the tables above in effect immediately following the upgrade in rating. If Moody’s (or any Substitute Rating Agency) subsequently upgrades its rating of the Notes of such series to Baa3 (or its equivalent, in the case of a Substitute Rating Agency) or higher, and S&P (or any Substitute Rating Agency) upgrades its rating to BBB- (or its equivalent, in the case of a Substitute Rating Agency) or higher, the interest rate on the Notes of such series will be decreased to the interest rate payable on the Notes of such series on the date of their initial issuance (and if one such upgrade occurs and the other does not, the interest rate on the Notes of such series will be decreased so that it does not reflect any increase attributable to the upgrading Interest Rate Rating Agency). In addition, the interest rates on the Notes of a series will permanently cease to be subject to any adjustment described above (notwithstanding any subsequent downgrade in the ratings by any of the Interest Rate Rating Agencies) if the Notes of such series become rated Baa1 and BBB+ (or, in either case, the equivalent thereof, in the case of a Substitute Rating Agency) or higher by Moody’s and S&P (or, in either case, any Substitute Rating Agency), respectively (or one of these ratings if the Notes of such series are only rated by one rating agency). Each adjustment required by any downgrade or upgrade in a rating set forth above, whether occasioned by the action of Moody’s or S&P (or, in either case, any Substitute Rating Agency), shall be made independent of any and all other adjustments. In no event shall (1) the interest rate on the Notes of a series be reduced to below the interest rate payable on the Notes of such series on the date of their initial issuance or (2) the total increase in the interest rate on the Notes of such series exceed 2.00% above the interest rate payable on the Notes of such series on the date of their initial issuance. No adjustments in the interest rate of the Notes of a series shall be made solely as a result of an Interest Rate Rating Agency ceasing to provide a rating on the Notes of such series. If at any time less than two Interest Rate Rating Agencies provide a rating of the Notes of such series for reasons beyond the Company’s control, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a rating of the Notes of such series from a Substitute Rating Agency, if one exists, in which case, for purposes of determining any increase or decrease in the interest rate on the Notes of such series pursuant to the tables above (a) such Substitute Rating Agency will be substituted for the last Interest Rate Rating Agency to provide a rating of the Notes of such series but which has since ceased to provide such rating, (b) the relative rating scale used by such Substitute Rating Agency to assign ratings to senior unsecured debt will be determined in good faith by an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company and, for purposes of determining the applicable ratings included in the applicable table above with respect to such Substitute Rating Agency, such ratings will be deemed to be the equivalent ratings used by Moody’s or S&P, as applicable, in such table and (c) the interest rate on the Notes of a series will increase or decrease, as the case may be, such that the interest rate equals the interest rate payable on the Notes of a series on the date of their initial issuance plus the appropriate percentage, if any, set forth opposite the deemed equivalent rating from such Substitute Rating Agency in the applicable table above (taking into account the provisions of clause (b) above) (plus any applicable percentage resulting from a decreased rating by the other Interest Rate Rating Agency). For so long as only one Interest Rate Rating Agency provides a rating of the Notes of a series, any subsequent increase or decrease in the interest rate of the Notes of such series necessitated by a reduction or increase in the rating by the Interest Rate Rating Agency providing the rating shall be twice the applicable percentage set forth in the applicable table above. For so long as no Interest Rate Rating Agency provides a rating of the Notes of a series, the interest rate on the Notes of such series will increase to, or remain at, as the case may be, 2.00% above the interest rate payable on the Notes of such series on the date of their initial issuance. Any interest rate increase or decrease described above will take effect from the first day of the interest period commencing after the date on which a rating change occurs that requires an adjustment in the interest rate. If any Interest Rate Rating Agency changes its rating of the Notes of a series more than once prior to any particular interest payment date, the last change by such agency prior to such interest payment date will control for purposes of any interest rate increase or decrease with respect to the Notes of a series described above relating to such rating agency’s action. If the interest rate payable on the Notes of a series is increased as described above, the term “interest,” as used with respect to the Notes of such series, will be deemed to include any such additional interest unless the context otherwise requires.
