COVENANTS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND AND THE ACQUIRED FUND 5.1 The Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund each will operate its business in the ordinary course between the date hereof and the Closing Date, it being understood that such ordinary course of business will include customary dividends and distributions.
5.2 The Trust will call a meeting of the Acquired Fund Shareholders to consider and act upon this Agreement and to take all other action necessary to obtain approval of the transactions contemplated herein.
5.3 Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund will each take, or cause to be taken, all action, and do or cause to be done, all things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
5.4 As promptly as practicable, but in any case within sixty days after the Closing Date, the Acquired Fund shall furnish the Acquiring Fund, in such form as is reasonably satisfactory to the Acquiring Fund, a statement of the earnings and profits of the Acquired Fund for federal income tax purposes which will be carried over to the Acquiring Fund as a result of Section 381 of the Code and which will be certified by the Trust's President and its Treasurer.
5.5 The Acquired Fund will provide the Acquiring Fund with information reasonably necessary for the preparation of the Prospectus/Proxy Statement, referred to in paragraph 4.1(o), all to be included in a Registration Statement on Form N-14 of the Acquiring Fund (the "Registration Statement"), in compliance with the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the 1940 Act in connection with the meeting of the Acquired Fund Shareholders to consider approval of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein.
5.6 The Acquiring Fund agrees to use all reasonable efforts to obtain the approvals and authorizations required by the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act as it may deem appropriate in order to continue its operations after the Closing Date.
5.7 Prior to the Valuation Date, the Acquired Fund shall have declared a dividend or dividends, with a record date and ex-dividend date prior to the Valuation Date, which, together with all previous dividends, shall have the effect of distributing to its shareholders all of its investment company taxable income, if any, plus the excess of its interest income, if any, excludable from gross income under Section 103(a) of the Code over its deductions disallowed under Sections 265 and 171(a)(2) of the Code for the taxable periods or years ended on or before December 31, 1996 and for the period from said date to and including the Closing Date (computed without regard to any deduction for dividends paid), and all of its net capital gain, if any, realized in taxable periods or years ended on or before December 31, 1996 and in the period from said date to and including the Closing Date.
REPRESENTATIONS OF THE ACQUIRING FUND The Corporation, on behalf of the Acquiring Fund, represents and warrants to the Trust, on behalf of the Acquired Fund, as follows:
a) The Acquiring Fund is a legally designated, separate series of a corporation, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland.
b) The Corporation is registered as an open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act, and the Trust's registration with the Commission as an investment company under the 1940 Act is in full force and effect.
c) The current prospectus and statement of additional information of the Acquiring Fund conform in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated or necessary to make such statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
d) The Acquiring Fund is not, and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will not, result in a violation of the Corporation's Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws or of any material agreement, indenture, instrument, contract, lease, or other undertaking to which the Acquiring Fund is a party or by which it is bound. e) Except as otherwise disclosed in writing to and accepted by the Acquired Fund, no litigation, administrative proceeding or investigation of or before any court or governmental body is presently pending or to its knowledge threatened against the Acquiring Fund or any of its properties or assets, which, if adversely determined, would materially and adversely affect its financial condition, the conduct of its business or the ability of the Acquiring Fund to carry out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Acquiring Fund knows of no facts that might form the basis for the institution of such proceedings and it is not a party to or subject to the provisions of any order, decree, or judgment of any court or governmental body that materially and adversely affects its business or its ability to consummate the transaction contemplated herein. f) The financial statements of the Acquiring Fund as of April 30, 2003 and for the fiscal year then ended have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and such statements (copies of which have been furnished to the Acquired Funds) fairly reflect the financial condition of the Acquiring Fund as of such date, and there are no known contingent liabilities of the Acquiring Fund as of such date that are not disclosed in such statements. g) The unaudited financial statements of the Acquiring Fund as of October 31, 2003, and for the fiscal year then ended have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and such statements (copies of which have been furnished to the Acquired Fund) fairly reflect the financial condition of the Acquiring Fund as of such date, and there are no known contingent liabilities of the Acquiring Fund as of such date that are not disclosed in such statements. h) Since the date of the financial statements referred to in paragraph (g) above, there have been no material adverse changes in the Acquiring Fund's financial condition, assets, liabilities or business (other than changes occurring in the ordinary course of business), or any incurrence by the Acquiring Fund of indebtedness maturing more than one year from the date such indebtedness was incurred, except as otherwise disclosed to and accepted by the Acquired Fund. For the purposes of this paragraph (h), a decline in the net asset value of the Acquiring Fund shall not constitute a material adverse change. i) All federal and other tax returns and reports of the Acquiring Fund required by law to be filed, have been filed. All federal and other taxes shown due on such returns and reports have been paid or provision shall have been made for their payment. To the best of the Acquiring Fund's knowledge, no such return is currently under audit, and no assessment has been asserted with respect to such returns.
Representations of the Acquiring Funds (a) In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A), the Acquiring Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to Acquiring Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquired Fund if such Acquiring Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to its investment in such Acquired Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or this Agreement.
(b) An Acquiring Fund shall promptly notify an Acquired Fund:
i. of any purchase or acquisition of shares in an Acquired Fund that causes such Acquiring Fund to hold 3% or more of such Acquired Fund’s total outstanding voting securities;
ii. of any purchase or acquisition of shares in an Acquired Fund that causes such Acquiring Fund to hold 5% or more of such Acquired Fund’s total outstanding voting securities;
iii. where an Acquiring Fund and its Advisory Group (as defined in the Rule), individually or in the aggregate, hold more than 25% of such Acquired Fund’s total outstanding voting securities; and
iv. if at any time an Acquiring Fund no longer holds voting securities of an Acquired Fund in excess of an amount noted in (i), (ii), or (iii) above.
(c) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Acquiring Fund that has an “affiliated person” (as defined under the 1940 Act) that is: (i) a broker-dealer, (ii) a broker-dealer or bank that borrows as part of a securities lending program, or (iii) a futures commission merchant or a swap dealer, will: (a) not make an investment in an Acquired Fund that causes such Acquiring Fund to hold 5% or more of such Acquired Fund’s total outstanding voting securities without prior approval from the Acquired Fund, and (b) notify the Acquired Fund if any investment by the Acquiring Fund that complied with (a) at the time of purchase no longer complies.
(d) The requirements set forth in Sections 3(b)(i), 3(b)(ii), and 3(c) shall not apply where the Acquiring Fund’s full portfolio is sub-advised by any affiliate of BlackRock, Inc.
(e) An Acquiring Fund shall provide an Acquired Fund with information regarding the amount of such Acquiring Fund’s investments in the Acquired Fund, and information regarding affiliates of the Acquiring Fund, upon the Acquired Fund’s reasonable request.
(f) Each Acquiring Fund acknowledges that it may not rely on this Agreement to invest in the Ineligible Funds (as defined in Schedule B) and that the Enumerated Funds are subject to certain additional conditions described on the list of Ineligible Funds and Enumerated Funds (the “12d1-4 List”). Each Acquiring Fund acknowledges that the 12d1-4 List is available as described in Schedule B, and further acknowledges that it is an Acquiring Fund’s obligation to review the 12d1-4 List on an ongoing basis for any changes which may occur from time to time.
Representations of the Acquired Funds In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A), the Acquired Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to Acquired Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquiring Fund if such Acquired Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to an investment by the Acquiring Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or this Agreement.
Merger or Consolidation Transfer of Assets If the Owner Trustee merges or consolidates with, or transfers its corporate trust business or assets to, any Person, the resulting, surviving or transferee Person will be the successor Owner Trustee so long as that Person is qualified and eligible under Section 9.1. The Owner Trustee will (i) notify the Issuer and the Administrator (who will notify the Rating Agencies) of the merger or consolidation within 15 Business Days of the event and (ii) file a certificate of amendment to the Certificate of Trust as required by Section 9.3(e).
The Acquisition At the Closing (as defined below), each Stockholder shall sell to Group 1 and Group 1 shall purchase from each Stockholder that number of shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share of the Company ("Company Common Stock") as set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II hereto in exchange for that number of shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share of Group 1 ("Group 1 Common Stock") set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II hereto (as may be appropriately adjusted for stock splits, reverse stock splits and/or stock dividends). In the event that the Board of Directors of Group 1 approves a reverse stock split upon the recommendation of the Representatives of the Underwriters in connection with the IPO, the number of shares of Group 1 Common Stock to be received by the shareholders of the Founding Companies shall be decreased proportionately as a result of the reverse stock split; provided, however, that in the event that the number of shares of Group 1 Common Stock resulting from the reverse stock split recommended by the Representatives of the Underwriters is less than the number of shares resulting from a 4.444 for 5 reverse stock split, a 4.444 for 5 reverse stock split shall be implemented and the number of shares of Group 1 Common Stock resulting from such 4.444 for 5 reverse stock split to be received by the shareholders of the Founding Companies shall be further decreased proportionately to the number of shares that would have been issued to the shareholders of the Founding Companies had the reverse stock split recommended by the Representatives of the Underwriters been implemented. If the number of shares of Group 1 Common Stock received by a Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement includes a fractional share as a result of a reverse stock split affecting the Group 1 Common Stock, such fractional share shall be rounded up to the nearest whole share of Group 1 Common Stock.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power In the event that, at any time after a Person becomes an Acquiring Person, directly or indirectly, (i) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person, (ii) any Person shall consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the Company) or cash or any other property, or (iii) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other Person other than the Company or one or more of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that (A) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto or as the surviving corporation) as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of such other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (B) the issuer of such Common Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (C) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (D) such issuer shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13 if at the time of such transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers. For purposes hereof, the "earning power" of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall be determined in good faith by the Company's Board of Directors on the basis of the operating earnings of each business operated by the Company and its Subsidiaries during the three fiscal years preceding the date of such determination (or, in the case of any business not operated by the Company or any Subsidiary during three full fiscal years preceding such date, during the period such business was operated by the Company or any Subsidiary).
MERGER, CONSOLIDATION, TRANSFER OF ASSETS Merge into or consolidate with any other entity; make any substantial change in the nature of Borrower's business as conducted as of the date hereof; acquire all or substantially all of the assets of any other entity; nor sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or a substantial or material portion of Borrower's assets except in the ordinary course of its business.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or Earning Power.
(a) In the event that, following the Stock Acquisition Date, directly or indirectly, either (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)) shall consolidate with, or merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all or part of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock shall be converted into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer) to any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies with Section 11(o)), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (any such event being a "Section 13 Event"), then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as provided in Section 7(e), shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current Purchase Price, such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock of the Principal Party, which shares shall not be subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal, transfer restrictions or other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by (1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of Units of Preferred Stock for which a Right is exercisable immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event (or, if a Section 1l (a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of such Units for which a Right would be exercisable hereunder but for the occurrence of such Section 1l (a)(ii) Event by the Purchase Price which would be in effect hereunder but for such first occurrence) and (2) dividing that product (which, following the fast occurrence of a Section 13 Event, shall be the "Purchase Price" for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the current market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d)) per share of the Common Stock of such Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13 Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) the term "Company" shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, thereafter be deemed to refer to such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that the provisions of Section 11 shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient number of
Fundamental Changes; Disposition of Assets; Acquisitions Enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation, or liquidate, wind-up or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution) or convey, sell, lease or license, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of, in one transaction or a series of transactions, all or any part of its business, assets or property of any kind whatsoever, whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, leased or licensed, or acquire by purchase or otherwise (other than purchases or other acquisitions of inventory, materials and equipment and Consolidated Capital Expenditures in the ordinary course of business) all or substantially all of the assets of, all of the Equity Interests of, or a business line or unit or a division of, any Person, except:
(i) any Group Member may be merged or consolidated with or into any other Group Member, or be liquidated, wound up or dissolved, or all or any part of its business, assets or property may be conveyed, sold, leased, transferred or otherwise disposed of, in one transaction or a series of transactions, to any other Group Member; provided, that (x) in the case of a merger or consolidation of a Group Member that is not a Loan Party with or into a Borrower or Guarantor, such Borrower or such Guarantor, as applicable, shall be the continuing or surviving Person, (y) in the case of a merger or consolidation of a Guarantor with or into another Guarantor, a Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving Person and (z) in the case of a merger or consolidation of a Guarantor with or into a Borrower, such Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person, and (ii) any Restricted Subsidiary may merge with any other person in order to effect an Investment permitted pursuant to Section 6.06 so long as the continuing or surviving person shall be a Restricted Subsidiary, which shall be a Loan Party if the merging Restricted Subsidiary was a Loan Party and which together with each of its Restricted Subsidiaries shall have complied with the requirements of Section 5.12, 5.13 and 5.14, as applicable and if such transaction involves the U.S. Borrower, the U.S. Borrower shall be the continuing or surviving Person;
(b) any Group Member (other than the U.S. Borrower in the case of a disposition of all of its assets) may dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to a Borrower or any other Loan Party, and any Group Member that is not a Loan Party may dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to another Group Member that is not a Loan Party;
(c) sales or other dispositions of assets that do not constitute Asset Sales;
(i) Asset Sales, the proceeds of which (valued at the principal amount thereof in the case of non-cash proceeds consisting of notes or other debt Securities and valued at fair market value in the case of other non-cash proceeds) when aggregated with the proceeds of all other Asset Sales made pursuant to this clause (d)(i) in any Fiscal Year, are less than (x) 2.0% of Consolidated Total Assets plus (y) an amount equal to any unutilized portion of the amount permitted under subclause (x) for any preceding Fiscal Year; provided that in no event shall the proceeds of any Asset Sale, when aggregated with the proceeds of all other Asset Sales made pursuant to this clause (d)(i) in any Fiscal Year, exceed 5.0% of Consolidated Total Assets; and (ii) the Asset Sale described on Schedule 6.08(d); provided that, in the case of each of clause (i) and (ii), (1) the consideration received for such assets shall be in an amount at least equal to the fair market value thereof (determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the U.S. Borrower (or a duly authorized committee thereof)), (2) except in the case of any Asset Sale to any Restricted Subsidiary, no less than 75.0% thereof shall be paid in cash or Cash Equivalents, and (3) except in the case of any Asset Sale to any Restricted Subsidiary, the Net Cash Proceeds thereof shall be applied as required by Section 2.14(a);
(e) any Group Member may sell or discount, in each case without recourse and in the ordinary course of business, accounts receivable arising in the ordinary course of business (x) which are overdue, or (y) which such Group Member may reasonably determine are difficult to collect but only in connection with the compromise or collection thereof consistent with prudent business practice (and not as part of any bulk sale or financing of receivables);
(f) any Group Member may enter into licenses or sublicenses of Software, Trademarks and other Intellectual Property and general intangibles in the ordinary course of business and which do not materially interfere with the business of the Group Members taken as a whole;
(i) any disposition of Securitization Assets to a Securitization Subsidiary in connection with a Qualified Securitization Financing and (ii) any disposition of accounts receivable in connection with receivables factoring arrangements in the ordinary course of business;
(h) dispositions of cash and Cash Equivalents;
(i) Permitted Acquisitions; provided, that in respect of acquisitions of Persons which do not become Loan Parties or of assets which are not acquired by Loan Parties, the consideration for such Persons or assets shall not exceed an aggregate amount of 5.0% of Consolidated Total Assets over the term of this Agreement; and
(i) Permitted Sale and Lease-Backs and (ii) Sale and Lease-Backs otherwise permitted by Section 6.10(ii), provided that the Net Cash Proceeds of Sale and Lease-Backs (other than Permitted Sale and Lease-Backs) shall be applied as required by Section 2.14(a); provided, further, that, the case of clause (ii), the net proceeds received by the applicable Group Member are at least equal to the fair market value of such asset or Investment (as determined by the U.S. Borrower’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof));
(k) sales or other dispositions of the Equity Interests of, or other ownership interests in or assets or property, including Indebtedness, or other securities of, any Joint Venture (including the China JV); provided that, in each case, the net proceeds received by the applicable Group Member are at least equal to the fair market value of such asset or Investment (as determined by the U.S. Borrower’s Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof);
(l) any lease, assignment or sublease in the ordinary course of business which does not materially interfere with the business of the Group Members taken as a whole; and
(m) Investments made in accordance with Section 6.06 and Restricted Payments made in accordance with Section 6.04.
