GWW WW Grainger Inc

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 12, 2024

 

 

W.W. GRAINGER, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Commission file number: 1-5684

 

Illinois		36-1150280
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

100 Grainger Parkway, Lake Forest Illinois		60045-5201
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

 

(847) 535-1000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions.

 

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

 

Title of each class		Trading Symbol		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock		GWW		New York Stock Exchange

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

Item 8.01.

Other Events.

 

In connection with the sale of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.450% Senior Notes due 2034 by W.W. Grainger, Inc. (the “Company”), the Company is filing herewith the following exhibits to its Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-271476):

 

1. Underwriting Agreement, dated as of September 5, 2024, by and among the Company and BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, acting as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule II thereto;

 

2. Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 12, 2024, by and between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Trustee (including Form of Note); and

 

3. Opinion of Jones Day.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

 (d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit  No.		Description
1.1		Underwriting Agreement, dated as of September 5, 2024, by and among the Company and BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, acting as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule II thereto.
4.1		Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 12, 2024, by and between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Trustee (including Form of Note).
5.1		Opinion of Jones Day.
23.1		Consent of Jones Day (included in Exhibit 5.1).
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

		W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
Date: September 12, 2024	By:	/s/ Ronald J. Edwards
	Name:	Ronald J. Edwards
	Title:	Vice President, Corporate Secretary

 

 

 

Exhibit 1.1

 

Execution Version

 

W.W. GRAINGER, INC.

 

$500,000,000

 

4.450% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2034

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

 

September 5, 2024

 

 

September 5, 2024

 

To the Representatives named in Schedule I hereto
for the Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), the principal amount of its debt securities identified in Schedule I hereto (the “Securities”), to be issued under the indenture specified in Schedule I hereto (the “Indenture”) between the Company and the Trustee identified in such Schedule (the “Trustee”). If the firm or firms listed in Schedule II hereto include only the Representatives listed in Schedule I hereto, then the terms “Underwriters” and “Representatives” as used herein shall each be deemed to refer to such firm or firms.

 

The Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement, including a prospectus (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto) on Form S-3, relating to securities (the “Shelf Securities”), including the Securities, to be issued from time to time by the Company. The registration statement as amended to the date of this Agreement, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement,” and the related prospectus covering the Shelf Securities dated April 27, 2023 is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Prospectus.” The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” and the term “preliminary prospectus” means any preliminary form of the Prospectus. For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the documents set forth opposite the caption “Time of Sale Prospectus” in Schedule I hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “Basic Prospectus,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein on the date hereof. The terms “supplement,” “amendment,” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.

 

 

1.   Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

 

(a)           The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission. If the Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, the Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) eligible to use the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement and the Company has not received notice that the Commission objects to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement.

 

(b)           (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain, and each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement as of the date hereof does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply, and as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (v) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Securities in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (vi) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (vii) the Prospectus in the form used to confirm sales and on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), in each case, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to (A) statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein or (B) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), of the Trustee.

 

 

(c)           The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule I hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

 

(d)           The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Illinois, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

(e)           Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company, as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act (each, a “Significant Subsidiary”) has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

 

(f)            This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

 

(g)           On the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and shall constitute a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability.

 

(h)           The Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

 

(i)            The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities will not contravene (i) any provision of applicable law, (ii)  the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (iv) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, except, in the case of Section 1(i)(iii), for any such contravention as could not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities, except for those that (x) have already been obtained or (y) may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states or non U.S. jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.

 

(j)            There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

 

(k)           There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or to materially and adversely affect the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the this Agreement or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.

 

 

(l)            Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(m)          The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(n)           The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals could not reasonably be expected to have, singly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(o)           There are no known costs or known actual or threatened liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which, singly or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(p)           Except as described or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or as described in any other periodic reports of the Company filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the last five years, within the past five years, none of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any director or executive officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would constitute a material violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), or any other applicable anti-corruption law, including without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in the furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA or any other applicable anti-corruption law, and except as described or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or as described in any other periodic reports of the Company filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the last five years, within the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries, and to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance in all material respects with the FCPA and all other applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

 

(q)           The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(r)            (i)  None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any director or executive officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:

 

(A)  the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor

 

(B)  located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of comprehensive Sanctions, including, without limitation, the Crimea Region of Ukraine and the non-Ukrainian government controlled areas of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”).

 

 

(ii)  The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:

 

(A)  to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or

 

(B)  in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

 

(iii)  Since April 24, 2019, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, and are not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory that, at the time of the dealing or transaction, is or was the subject of Sanctions.

 

(s)           The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect (except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company).

 

(t)            The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement is accurate. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

(u)           The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto in all material respects.

 

(v)           Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with, the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of, to the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of, any breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to any IT Systems or Personal Data, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal and publicly available policies of the Company, and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data, the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, and the collection, use, transfer, or other processing of Personal Data by or on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries.

 

(w)          Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) the Company and/or its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, domain names, social media identifiers and accounts, copyrights, inventions, and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and all other intellectual property and similar proprietary or industrial rights throughout the world (including all registrations and applications for registration of, and all goodwill associated with, the foregoing) (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used in, or necessary for, their respective businesses as currently conducted; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, within the past six years, the conduct of the Company and its subsidiaries’ respective businesses has not infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any Intellectual Property of any third party, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice, alleging infringement, misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property of any third party or challenging the ownership, validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property of the Company and its subsidiaries; (iii) to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property of the Company and its subsidiaries has not been infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any third party; (iv) the Company and its subsidiaries have taken reasonable steps in accordance with normal industry practice to maintain the confidentiality of all trade secrets of the Company and its subsidiaries, the value of which to the Company and its subsidiaries is contingent upon maintaining the confidentiality thereof.

 

 

2.    Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amounts of Securities set forth in Schedule II hereto opposite its name at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto.

 

3.    Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Securities as soon after this Agreement has become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by you that the Securities are to be offered to the public upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.

 

4.    Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City on the closing date and time set forth in Schedule I hereto, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as may be mutually agreed upon in writing by you and the Company. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”

 

Payment for the Securities shall be made against delivery of the Securities to you through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) on the Closing Date for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters in definitive global form registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Underwriters duly paid.

 

 

5.    Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following conditions:

 

(a)           Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

 

(i)              there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded the Company or any of the securities of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act; and

 

(ii)             there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

 

(b)           The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section ‎5(a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

 

(c)           The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Jones Day, outside counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibit A dated the Closing Date.

 

(d)           The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of the Vice President, Corporate Secretary for the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibit B dated the Closing Date.

 

(e)           The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters shall request.

 

(f)            The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Ernst & Young LLP, registered independent public accountants for the Company, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

 

 

6.    Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)           To furnish to you, without charge, a signed copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and to deliver to each of the Underwriters during the period mentioned in Section ‎6(e) or ‎6(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

 

(b)           Prior to the completion of the offering of the Securities, before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object with the exception of any filings required under the Exchange Act.

 

(c)           To furnish to you a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which you reasonably object.

 

(d)           Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(e)           If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

 

(f)            If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which Securities may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

(g)           To endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not so qualified or to take any action that would subject the Company to taxation or service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not so subject as of the date hereof.

 

(h)           To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, including Rule 158.

 

 

(i)            Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Securities under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses incurred by them in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including the filing fees payable to the Commission relating to the Securities (within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1), if applicable), all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section ‎6(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters (not to exceed $5,000 in the aggregate) in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky memorandum, (iv) any fees charged by the rating agencies for the rating of the Securities, (v) the cost of the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Securities, (vi) the costs and charges of the Trustee, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, (viii) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section ‎8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution,” and the last paragraph of Section ‎10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Securities by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

 

(j)            If the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement occurs before all the Securities have been sold by the Underwriters, prior to the third anniversary to file a new shelf registration statement and to take any other action necessary to permit the public offering of the Securities to continue without interruption; references herein to the Registration Statement shall include the new registration statement declared effective by the Commission;

 

(k)           During the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing to and including the Closing Date, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities of the Company or warrants to purchase or otherwise acquire debt securities of the Company substantially similar to the Securities (other than (i) the Securities, (ii) commercial paper issued in the ordinary course of business or (iii) securities or warrants permitted with the prior written consent of the Representatives identified in Schedule I with the authorization to release this lock-up on behalf of the Underwriters).

 

 

(l)            To prepare a final term sheet relating to the offering of the Securities, containing only information that describes the final terms of the Securities or the offering in a form consented to by the Representatives, and to file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) under the Securities Act following the date the final terms have been established for the offering of the Securities.

 

7.    Covenants of the Underwriters. (a) Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

 

(b)           Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company, other than the term sheet relating to the Securities containing customary information and conveyed to the purchasers of Securities, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus.

 

(c)           Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and agrees with respect to offers and sales outside the United States that:

 

(i)             in relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area, it has not made and will not make an offer of Securities which are the subject of the offering contemplated by the Final Prospectus to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (“EEA”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of the following,

 

a.

a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II”); or

 

b.

a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the “Insurance Distribution Directive”), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or

 

c.

not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”);

 

 

(ii)            it has not offered, sold or otherwise made available and will not offer, sell or otherwise make available any Securities to any retail investor in the United Kingdom (“UK”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of:

 

a.

a retail client as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the “EUWA”); or

 

b.

a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, the “FSMA”) and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or

 

c.

not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK Prospectus Regulation”);

 

(iii)            (a) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the Securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to Grainger; and (b) it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Securities in, from or otherwise involving the UK;

 

(iv)           the Securities have not been and will not be registered pursuant to Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended (the “FIEA”)). The Securities have not been directly or indirectly offered or sold, and will not be directly or indirectly offered or sold in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (as defined under Item 5, Paragraph 1, Article 6 of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (Act No. 228 of 1949, as amended)), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEA and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan;

 

 

(v)            the Securities have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document other than (i) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “SFO”) and any rules made under the SFO, or (ii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap.32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “C(WUMP)O”) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the C(WUMP)O.

 

No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the Securities has been or will be issued, or has been or will be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to Securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made under the SFO;

 

(vi)           the Securities have not been and will not be offered or sold or made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and the Prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale or invitation for subscription or purchase of the Securities have not been and will not be circulated or distributed, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than (a) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act) pursuant to Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, (b) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1) of the Securities and Futures Act or to any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the Securities and Futures Act, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the Securities and Futures Act, or (c) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the Securities and Futures Act, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the Securities and Futures Act.

 

8.    Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (an “electronic road show”), or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

 

 

(b)            Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, electronic road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through you, expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, electronic road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, and the following statements set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: the third and eighth paragraphs and the third sentence of the seventh paragraph under the heading “Underwriting.”

 

(c)            In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section ‎8(a) or ‎8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonably incurred and documented fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such reasonably incurred fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives authorized to appoint counsel under this Section set forth in Schedule I hereto, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section ‎8(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section ‎8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

 

 

(d)            To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section ‎8(a) or ‎8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause ‎8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause ‎8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth in the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective principal amounts of Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.

 

 

(e)            The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section ‎8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section ‎8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

 

(f)            The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.

 

9.             Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by written notice given by you to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, the New York Stock Exchange, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

 

 

10.            Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

 

If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase the Securities that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the principal amount of Securities that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section ‎10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

 

If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

 

11.            Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Securities, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Underwriters with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Securities.

 

(b)            The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including its stockholders, employees or creditors, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

 

12.            Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes. (a) the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

(b)            In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

 For purposes of this Section a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

13.            Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

 

14.            Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

 

15.            Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.

 

16.            Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to you at the addresses set forth in Schedule I hereto; and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to the address set forth in Schedule I hereto.

 

 

	Very truly yours,
	W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
	By:	/s/ Sarah Naim
		Name: Sarah Naim
		Title: Vice President, Treasury & Financial Services

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

Accepted as of the date hereof

 

BOFA SECURITIES, INC.

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC  

 

Acting severally on behalf of themselves

and the several Underwriters named in

Schedule II hereto

 

By:	BofA Securities, Inc.
By:	/s/ Christopher Cote
	Name:  Christopher Cote
	Title:    Managing Director

 

By:	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
By:	/s/ Stephen Sheiner
	Name:  Stephen Sheiner
	Title:    Executive Director

 

By:	Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
By:	/s/ Carolyn Hurley
	Name: Carolyn Hurley
	Title: Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

Representatives:
Representatives authorized to release lock-up under Section 2:	BofA Securities, Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
Representatives authorized to appoint counsel under Section 8(c):	BofA Securities, Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
Indenture:	Indenture dated as of June 11, 2015 between the Company and the Trustee, as supplemented by a Fifth Supplemental Indenture to be dated as of September 12, 2024 between the Company and the Trustee
Trustee:	U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association
Registration Statement File No.:	333-271476
Time of Sale Prospectus:	1.       Prospectus dated April 27, 2023 relating to the Shelf Securities   2.       Preliminary prospectus dated September 5, 2024 relating to the Securities   3.       free writing prospectus dated September 5, 2024, filed by the Company under    Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, substantially in the form of Schedule III hereto
Securities to be purchased:	4.450% Senior Notes due 2034
Aggregate Principal Amount:	$500,000,000
Purchase Price:	99.246% of the principal amount of the Securities, plus accrued interest, if any, from September 12, 2024
Maturity:	September 15, 2034
Interest Rate:	4.450% per annum, accruing from September 12, 2024

 

 

Interest Payment Dates:	March 15 and September 15, commencing March 15, 2025
Closing Date and Time:	September 12, 2024, 10:00 a.m.
Closing Location:	Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 450 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10017
Address for Notices to Underwriters:	BofA Securities, Inc. 114 West 47th Street NY8-114-07-01 New York, New York 10036 Attention: High Grade Debt Capital Markets Transaction Management/Legal Facsimile: (646) 855-5958   J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10179 Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk Facsimile: (212) 834-6081   Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor Charlotte, NC 28202 Attention: Transaction Management Email: tmgcapitalmarkets@wellsfargo.com
Address for Notices to the Company:	W.W. Grainger, Inc. 100 Grainger Parkway Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 Attention: Chief Financial Officer and Chief Legal Officer Email: Corporate.Secretary@grainger.com

 

 

SCHEDULE II

 

Underwriter		Principal Amount of Securities To Be Purchased
BofA Securities, Inc.		$	110,000,000
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC		$	110,000,000
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC		$	110,000,000
RBC Capital Markets, LLC		$	52,500,000
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.		$	52,500,000
Lloyds Securities Inc..		$	15,000,000
PNC Capital Markets LLC		$	15,000,000
Academy Securities, Inc. (acting on behalf of Northern Trust)		$	8,750,000
Loop Capital Markets LLC		$	8,750,000
ING Financial Markets LLC		$	8,750,000
BBVA Securities Inc.		$	8,750,000
Total		$	500,000,000

 

 

SCHEDULE III

 

Pricing Term Sheet

September 5, 2024

4.450% Senior Notes due September 15, 2034

 

Issuer:	W.W. Grainger, Inc.
Principal Amount:	$500,000,000
Ratings (Moody’s / S&P):*	A2 (Stable) / A+ (Stable)
Maturity Date:	September 15, 2034
Coupon (Interest Rate):	4.450% per annum
Price to Public:	99.896% of Principal Amount
Yield to Maturity:	4.463%
Benchmark Treasury:	3.875% due August 15, 2034
Spread to Benchmark Treasury:	+73 basis points
Benchmark Treasury Price / Yield:	101-05+ / 3.733%
Interest Payment Dates:	March 15 and September 15, commencing March 15, 2025
Make-whole Call:	Prior to June 15, 2034, make-whole call at Treasury rate plus 15 basis points
Par Call:	On or after June 15, 2034
Trade Date:	September 5, 2024
Settlement Date:	September 12, 2024 (T+5)
CUSIP / ISIN:	384802 AF1 / US384802AF19
Joint Book-Running Managers:	BofA Securities, Inc. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Wells Fargo Securities, LLC RBC Capital Markets, LLC U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
Co-Managers	Lloyds Securities Inc. PNC Capital Markets LLC Academy Securities, Inc. (acting on behalf of Northern Trust) Loop Capital Markets LLC ING Financial Markets LLC BBVA Securities Inc.

 

 

*Note: An explanation of the significance of ratings may be obtained from the ratings agencies. Generally, ratings agencies base their ratings on such material and information, and such of their own investigations, studies and assumptions, as they deem appropriate. The security ratings above are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold the securities offered hereby. The ratings may be subject to review, revision, suspension, reduction or withdrawal at any time by the rating agencies. Each of the security ratings above should be evaluated independently of any other security rating.

 

Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in one business day, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes prior to the business day before the date of delivery will be required, by virtue of the fact that the notes initially settle in T+5, to specify an alternate settlement arrangement at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of the notes who wish to trade the notes prior to the business day before the date of delivery should consult their advisors.

 

The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus and supplement(s) thereto, if you request it by calling BofA Securities, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-294-1322, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC collect at 1-212-834-4533 and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC toll-free at 1-800-645-3751.

 

 

EXHIBIT a

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

[Intentionally Omitted]

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.1

 

 

W.W. GRAINGER, INC.

 

AND

 

U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, TRUSTEE

 

 

4.450% Senior Notes due 2034

 

 

FIFTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

 

Dated as of September 12, 2024

 

to

 

Indenture Dated as of June 11, 2015

 

Debt Securities

 

 

 

FIFTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of September 12, 2024, (this “Supplemental Indenture”), between W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (the “Company”), and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association (the “Trustee”).

 

Recitals of the Company

 

WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an Indenture (the “Base Indenture”), dated as of June 11, 2015 (as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance from time to time of one or more series of Securities;

 

WHEREAS, Section 9.1(e) of the Base Indenture provides that the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holders of Securities, enter into an indenture supplemental to the Base Indenture to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.1 and 3.1 of the Base Indenture;

 

WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture to provide for the issuance of $500,000,000 principal amount of its 4.450% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Notes”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture; all the conditions and requirements necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture, when duly executed and delivered, a valid and binding agreement in accordance with its terms and for the purposes herein expressed, have been performed and fulfilled; and the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture have been duly authorized in all respects.

 

NOW THEREFORE, THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITNESSETH: For and in consideration of the premises and the issuance of the series of Securities provided for herein, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree as follows:

 

 

ARTICLE 1

 

RELATION TO THE BASE INDENTURE; DEFINITIONS; RULES OF CONSTRUCTION

 

Section 1.1         Relation to the Base Indenture. This Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of the Base Indenture.

 

Section 1.2         Definitions. For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture, the following terms shall have the respective meanings set forth in this Section 1.2.

 

“Applicable Procedures” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(h).

 

“Base Indenture” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday and other than a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York, are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

“Certificated Security” means a Security registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.4 hereof, substantially in the form of the Security attached hereto as Exhibit A and that does not bear the Global Security Legend.

 

“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following: (1) the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), other than the Company or one of its Subsidiaries becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Company’s Voting Stock or other Voting Stock into which the Company’s Voting Stock is reclassified, consolidated, exchanged or changed, measured by voting power rather than number of shares; (2) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets and the assets of its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to one or more Persons, other than the Company or one of its Subsidiaries; or (3) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors are not Continuing Directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction shall not be deemed to be a Change of Control if (1) the Company becomes a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company and (2)(A) the direct or indirect holders of the Voting Stock of such holding company immediately following that transaction are substantially the same as the holders of the Company’s Voting Stock immediately prior to that transaction or (B) immediately following that transaction no “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) (other than a holding company satisfying the requirements of this sentence) is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such holding company.

 

“Change of Control Offer” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a).

 

 

“Change of Control Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a).

 

“Change of Control Payment Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a).

 

“Change of Control Triggering Event” means the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Rating Event.

 

“Company” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereof.

 

“Continuing Director” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Company’s Board of Directors who (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date the Notes were issued or (2) was nominated for election, elected or appointed to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination, election or appointment (either by a specific vote or by approval of the Company’s proxy statement in which such member was named as a nominee for election as a director).

 

“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“Global Security” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(a).

 

“Global Security Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 2.4(c), which is to be placed on all Global Securities issued under the Indenture.

 

“H.15” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Treasury Rate” in this Section 1.2.

 

“H.15 TCM” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Treasury Rate” in this Section 1.2.

 

“Indenture” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

 

“Investment Grade Rating” means a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, and the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any replacement rating agency or rating agencies.

 

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor to its ratings agency business.

 

“Notes” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto, and means any Notes authenticated and delivered pursuant to the Indenture.

 

“Par Call Date” means June 15, 2034 (the date that is three months prior to the stated Maturity of the Notes).

 

“Participant” means a member of, or a participant in, the Depositary.

 

 

“Paying Agent” means any Person (including the Company) authorized by the Company to pay the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Securities on behalf of the Company.

 

“Rating Agencies” means (1) each of Moody’s and S&P, and (2) if either Moody’s or S&P ceases to rate the Notes or fails to make a rating of the Notes publicly available for reasons outside of the Company’s control, a “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 Board Resolution) as a replacement agency for Moody’s or S&P, or both of them, as the case may be.

 

“Rating Event” means the rating on the Notes is lowered by each of the Rating Agencies and the Notes are rated below an Investment Grade Rating by each of the Rating Agencies on any day within the 60-day period (which 60-day period will be extended so long as the rating of the Notes is under publicly announced consideration for a possible downgrade by any of the Rating Agencies) after the earlier of (1) the occurrence of a Change of Control and (2) public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or the Company’s intention to effect a Change of Control; provided, however, that a Rating Event otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating will not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus will not be deemed a Rating Event for purposes of the definition of Change of Control Triggering Event) if the Rating Agencies making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply do not announce or publicly confirm or inform the Trustee in writing at the Company’s request that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control has occurred at the time of the Rating Event).

 

“Remaining Life” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Treasury Rate” in this Section 1.2.

 

“S&P” means S&P Global Ratings, a division of S&P Global Inc. and any successor to its ratings agency business.

 

“Supplemental Indenture” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereof.

 

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Company in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

 

 

The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily) - H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities–Treasury constant maturities–Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable: (1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”); or (2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields – one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life – and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or (3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.

 

If on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second Business Day preceding such Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the Par Call Date, as applicable. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the Par Call Date, one with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date and one with a maturity date following the Par Call Date, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the Par Call Date or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

 

“Trustee” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereof until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving thereunder.

 

“Voting Stock” means, with respect to any specified “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), as of any date, the capital stock of such person that is at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such person.

 

 

Section 1.3         Rules of Construction. For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture, except as expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

 

(a)            capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings specified in the Base Indenture;

 

(b)            all references herein to Articles and Sections, unless otherwise specified, refer to the corresponding Articles and Sections of this Supplemental Indenture;

 

(c)            the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision; and

 

(d)            in the event of a conflict with the definition of terms in the Base Indenture, the definitions in this Supplemental Indenture shall control.

 

ARTICLE 2

 

THE NOTES

 

Section 2.1         Title of the Notes. There are hereby established by this Supplemental Indenture a separate series of Securities under the Indenture, designated as the “4.450% Senior Notes due 2034.”

 

Section 2.2         Limitation on Aggregate Principal Amount.

 

(a)            The Notes are initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $500,000,000, except for such Notes authorized and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of other notes, pursuant to Sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 9.6 or 11.7 of the Base Indenture. The Company may, from time to time, without notice to or the consent of any Holders of the Securities of any series, issue Securities under the Indenture in addition, and with identical terms, to the $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes (other than issue date, public offering price and the amount of the first payment of interest). Any such additional Securities and the Notes will be treated as a single series for purposes of the Indenture; provided that if the additional Securities are not fungible with the Notes for United States federal income tax purposes, the additional Securities will have a separate CUSIP number. Any such increase in the authorized aggregate principal amount of the Notes shall be evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee, without further action by the Company.

 

Section 2.3         Terms of the Notes.

 

(a)            DTC is hereby designated as the Depositary for the Notes, which shall be issued in the form of Global Securities as further provided in Section 2.4.

 

(b)            The principal of the Notes is payable on September 15, 2034.

 

(c)            The Notes shall bear interest at an annual rate of 4.450%, from September 15, 2024, or from the most recent date on which interest has been paid or provided for, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year commencing March 15, 2025, until the principal of such Notes is paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable will be paid to the person in whose name the Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding March 1 or September 1, respectively. If the date on which interest is payable is not a Business Day, the interest will be paid on the next following Business Day and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

 

 

(d)            Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and any such interest on the Notes will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in New York, New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register. U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association is appointed as the Trustee and Paying Agent for the Notes to perform the functions set forth in the Indenture to be performed by such offices.

 

(e)            At any time prior to the Par Call Date the Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:

 

·      (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the Notes matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date, and

 

·      100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed,

 

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

 

On or after the Par Call Date, the Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

 

(f)             The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the Redemption Price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error, and the Trustee is entitled to rely conclusively on the accuracy of the Company’s calculation of the Redemption Price without independent verification.

 

(g)            Notice of any redemption will be mailed or electronically delivered (or otherwise transmitted in accordance with the Depositary’s procedures) at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed.

 

(h)            In the case of a partial redemption, selection of the Notes for redemption will be made pro rata, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee deems appropriate and fair in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary of such Notes at the time of such partial redemption that apply to such partial redemption (the “Applicable Procedures”). No Notes of a principal amount of $2,000 or less will be redeemed in part. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to the Note will state the portion of the principal amount of the Note to be redeemed. A new Note in a principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Note will be issued in the name of the Holder of the Note upon surrender for cancellation of the original Note. For so long as the Notes are held by DTC (or another Depositary), the redemption of the Notes shall be done in accordance with the Applicable Procedures.

 

 

(i)             Unless the Company defaults in payment of the Redemption Price, on and after the Redemption Date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.

 

(j)             The Notes are not entitled to any mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments.

 

(k)            The Notes shall be issued in registered form in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

(l)             The entire principal amount of the Notes shall be payable upon the acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2 of the Indenture.

 

(m)           Additional Amounts will not be payable to the Holders of the Notes.

 

(n)            The Notes shall have such other terms and provisions as are provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A hereto, which terms and provisions are hereby expressly made a part of the Indenture and, to the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Indenture, all Notes shall be identical in all respects. Notwithstanding any differences among them, all Notes issued under the Indenture, including any Notes issued after the date hereof pursuant to and in accordance with the terms hereof, shall vote and consent together on all matters as one class.

 

(o)            The Company shall be required to offer to purchase the Notes, in accordance with Section 2.5 hereof, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event.

 

Section 2.4         Book Entry Provisions; Transfer and Exchange.

 

(a)            The Notes shall be issued initially in the form of one or more permanent global notes (“Global Securities”). Each Global Security initially shall (i) be registered in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or the nominee of such Depositary, (ii) be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary or with the Trustee as custodian for such Depositary, (iii) bear the Global Security Legend and (iv) be dated the date of its authentication. Except as provided in Section 2.4(b), owners of beneficial interests in Global Securities will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Notes.

 

Participants shall have no rights under the Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary, or the Trustee as its custodian, or under such Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or shall impair, as between the Depositary and its Participants, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of any Security.

 

 

(b)            Notwithstanding any other provision in the Indenture, no Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and no transfer of a Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name of any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof unless (i) such Depositary (A) has notified the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or (B) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered as such under the Exchange Act, and in either case of (A) or (B) the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary within 90 calendar days, (ii) the Company, at its option, executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order stating that it elects to cause the issuance of the Securities in certificated form and that all Global Securities shall be exchanged in whole for Securities that are not Global Securities (in which case, such exchange shall be effected by the Trustee) or (iii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Notes. In all cases, Certificated Securities delivered in exchange for any Global Security or beneficial interests in Global Securities will be registered in the names, and issued in any approved denominations, requested by or on behalf of the Depositary (in accordance with its customary procedures). Global Securities also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 3.4 and 3.6 of the Base Indenture. Every Security authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Security or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.4 or Sections 3.4 and 3.6 of the Base Indenture, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Security. A Global Security may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.4(b).

 

(c)            Legend. The following legend shall appear on the face of all Global Securities.

 

“THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITARY OR A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF CEDE & CO. OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE.

 

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT AND ANY SUCH CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.”

 

 

Section 2.5         Change of Control.

 

(a)            If a Change of Control Triggering Event occurs with respect to the Notes, unless the Company has exercised its option to redeem the Notes (as described in Section 2.3(e)), the Company will be required to make an offer (the “Change of Control Offer”) to each Holder of the Notes to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof) of such Holder’s Notes on the terms set forth below. In the Change of Control Offer, the Company will be required to offer payment in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes repurchased to, but excluding, the date of repurchase (the “Change of Control Payment”). Within 30 days following any Change of Control Triggering Event or, at the option of the Company, prior to any Change of Control, but after public announcement of the transaction that constitutes or may constitute the Change of Control, the Company will deliver a notice to Holders of the Notes, with a copy to the Trustee, describing the transaction that constitutes or may constitute the Change of Control Triggering Event and offering to repurchase the Notes on the date specified in the notice, which date will be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is delivered (the “Change of Control Payment Date”). The notice will, if delivered prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, state that the offer to purchase is conditioned on the Change of Control Triggering Event occurring on or prior to the Change of Control Payment Date. The Trustee (in each of its capacities) shall not be responsible for or liable for determining, monitoring or confirming whether any Change of Control Triggering Event has occurred. The Trustee shall not be responsible for monitoring the Company’s rating status, whether a Rating Event has occurred or making any request upon any Rating Agency.

 

(b)            On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful:

 

(i)            accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;

 

(ii)           deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and

 

(iii)          deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being repurchased.

 

(c)            The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company and the third party repurchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer.

 

 

(d)            The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act, and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control Triggering Event. To the extent that the provisions of any such securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Section 2.5, the Company will comply with those securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section 2.5 by virtue of any such conflict.

 

Section 2.6         Events of Default. In addition to the Events of Default specified in Section 5.1 of the Base Indenture, the following shall constitute an “Event of Default” with respect to the Notes: any default in the payment of any Change of Control Payment in respect of the Notes as when the same becomes due and payable in accordance with Section 2.5 hereof. Such additional Event of Default is expressly included in this Supplemental Indenture for the benefit of, and shall be solely applicable to, the series of Securities established as the Notes by this Supplemental Indenture.

 

ARTICLE 3

 

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

Section 3.1         Ratification. The Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects hereby adopted, ratified and confirmed.

 

Section 3.2         Counterparts. This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages of the parties hereto transmitted by Facsimile or PDF may be used in lieu of the originals and shall constitute effective execution and delivery and shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

 

Section 3.3         Governing Law and Waiver of Jury Trial. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE AND THE NOTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CHOICE OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

Section 3.4         Trustee. The Trustee makes no representations as to, and shall not be responsible for, the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or the Notes. The recitals herein are deemed to be those of the Company and not of the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of the Notes or the proceeds thereof. Neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall be responsible for monitoring the Company’s ratings or determining whether a Rating Event has occurred. All of the provisions contained in the Base Indenture in respect of the rights, privileges, immunities, protections, indemnities, powers and duties of the Trustee shall be applicable in respect of this Supplemental Indenture as fully and with like force and effect as though fully set forth in full therein.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

	W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
	By:	/s/ Deidra C. Merriwether
	Name:	Deidra C. Merriwether
	Title:	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
	U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
	By:	/s/ Linda Garcia
	Name:	Linda Garcia
	Title:	Vice President

 

[Signature page to Fifth Supplemental Indenture]

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Form of Notes

 

 

W.W. GRAINGER, INC.

 

4.450% SENIOR NOTE DUE 2034

 

[Insert the Global Security Legend, if applicable, pursuant to the provisions of the Fifth Supplemental Indenture]

 

No. _________

$

 

CUSIP
ISIN

 

W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (herein called the “Company,” which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to ______________, the principal sum of _______________________ Dollars ($____________) or such other principal amount as set forth on Schedule I hereto on September 15, 2034, and to pay interest thereon from September 12, 2024 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 in each year commencing March 15, 2025, at the rate of 4.450% per annum until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment.

 

The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security is registered at the close of business on the March 1 or the September 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided, however, that, if such Interest Payment Date would fall on a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date shall be the following day that is a Business Day and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

 

Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and any such interest on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in New York, New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register.

 

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

 

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been manually executed by or on behalf of the Trustee under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

* * * * *

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed by the manual or facsimile signature of one of its authorized officers.

 

	W.W. Grainger, Inc.
	By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication

 

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within mentioned Indenture.

 

	U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Trustee
	By:
		Authorized Signatory
	Dated:

 

 

W.W. GRAINGER, INC.

 

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee, as supplemented by a Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 12, 2024, between the Company and the U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture) (collectively, the “Indenture”), to which Indenture reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof, initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $500,000,000.

 

At any time prior to June 15, 2034 (the date that is three months prior to the stated maturity of the Securities) (the “Par Call Date”), the Securities are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:

 

·      (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the Securities matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus  15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date, and

 

·      100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed,

 

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

 

On or after the Par Call Date, the Securities are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday and other than a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York, are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Company in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

 

The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily) - H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities–Treasury constant maturities–Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable: (1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”); or (2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields – one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life – and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or (3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.

 

 

If on the third Business Day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second Business Day preceding such Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the Par Call Date, as applicable. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the Par Call Date, one with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date and one with a maturity date following the Par Call Date, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the Par Call Date or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

 

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

 

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series under the Indenture to be affected at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of all the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

 

 

The Indenture does not limit the incurrence of additional debt by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; however, it does limit the creation of certain Liens and the entry into certain sale and leaseback transactions by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries. The limitations are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions.

 

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, as prescribed herein and in the Indenture.

 

“Global Security” and “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities evidencing all or part of a series of Securities, issued to the Depositary (as hereinafter defined) for such series or its nominee, registered in the name of such Depositary or its nominee, bearing the Global Securities Legend and dated the date of its authentication. “Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as the Depositary by the Company.

 

No holder of any beneficial interest in this Security held on its behalf by a Depositary or a nominee of such Depositary shall have any rights under the Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and such Depositary or nominee may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall impair, as between a Depositary and such holders of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary as Holder of any Security.

 

This Security is exchangeable, in whole but not in part, for Securities registered in the names of Persons other than the Depositary or its nominee or in the name of a successor to the Depositary or a nominee of such successor depositary only if (i) the Depositary (a) notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the Global Securities and the Company fails to appoint a successor depositary within 90 calendar days or (b) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and the Company fails to appoint a successor depositary within 90 calendar days, (ii) at any time the Company in its sole discretion determines to issue Certificated Securities or (iii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Securities. If this Security is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence, it shall be exchangeable for Securities issuable in minimum denominations of $2,000 and in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof and registered in such names as the Depositary holding this Security shall direct. Subject to the foregoing, this Security is not exchangeable, except for a Security or Securities of the same aggregate denominations to be registered in the name of such Depositary or its nominee or in the name of a successor to the Depositary or a nominee of such successor depositary.

 

No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on this Security, or for any claim based hereon, or otherwise in respect hereof, or based on or in respect of the Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto, against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or any successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise, all such liability being, by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof, expressly waived and released.

 

All capitalized terms used in this Security and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

 

This Security, including without limitation the obligation of the Company contained herein to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on this Security in accordance with the terms hereof and of the Indenture, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York.

 

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

To assign this Security, fill in the form below:
(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Security to

 

(Insert assignee’s social security or tax I.D. no.)

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

 

and irrevocably appoint ____________________________________ agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.

 

	Your Signature:
		(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security)

 

Date:

 

Medallion Signature Guarantee:

 

 

Schedule I

 

SCHEDULE OF TRANSFERS AND EXCHANGES

 

The following increases or decreases in Principal Amount of this Global Security have been made:

 

Date of Exchange		Amount of Decrease in Principal Amount of this Global Security		Amount of Increase in Principal Amount of this Global Security		Principal Amount of this Global Security following such Decrease or Increase		Signature of Authorized Signatory of trustee or Custodian

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

 

North Point • 901 Lakeside Avenue • Cleveland, Ohio 44114.1190

 

Telephone: +1.216.586.3939 • jonesday.com

 

 

 

 

September 12, 2024

 

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

100 Grainger Parkway

Lake Forest, Illinois 60045

 

Re:

$500,000,000 of 4.450% Senior Notes due 2034 of W.W. Grainger, Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We are acting as counsel for W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 4.450% Senior Notes due 2034 (the “Notes”), pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated September 5, 2024 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), by and among the Company and BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, acting as representatives of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule II thereto. The Notes are being issued under the Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015 (the “Base Indenture”), by and between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 12, 2024 (the Base Indenture, as so supplemented, the “Indenture”), by and between the Company and the Trustee.

 

In connection with the opinion expressed herein, we have examined such documents, records and matters of law as we have deemed relevant or necessary for purposes of such opinion. Based on the foregoing, and subject to the further limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.

 

For the purposes of the opinion expressed herein, we have assumed that (i) the Trustee has authorized, executed and delivered the Indenture, (ii) the Notes have been duly authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and (iii) the Indenture is the valid, binding and enforceable obligation of the Trustee.

 

The opinion expressed herein is limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent transfer and fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference, moratorium or other similar laws and related regulations and judicial doctrines from time to time in effect relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and (ii) general equitable principles and public policy

 

 

 

AMSTERDAM • ATLANTA • BEIJING • BOSTON • BRISBANE • BRUSSELS • CHICAGO • CLEVELAND • COLUMBUS • DALLAS DETROIT • DUBAI • DÜSSELDORF • FRANKFURT • HONG KONG • HOUSTON • IRVINE • LONDON • LOS ANGELES • MADRID MELBOURNE • MEXICO CITY • MIAMI • MILAN • MINNEAPOLIS • MUNICH • NEW YORK • PARIS • PERTH • PITTSBURGH SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SÃO PAULO • SHANGHAI • SILICON VALLEY • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TAIPEI • TOKYO • WASHINGTON

 

 

 

 

W.W. Grainger, Inc.

September 12, 2024

Page 2

 

 

 

considerations, whether such principles and considerations are considered in a proceeding at law or at equity.

 

As to facts material to the opinion and assumptions expressed herein, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of the officers and other representatives of the Company and others. The opinion expressed herein is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the laws of the State of Illinois, in each case as currently in effect, and we express no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated the date hereof and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Reg. No. 333-271476) (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company to effect the registration of the Notes under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) and to the reference to Jones Day under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus supplement constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

	Very truly yours,
	/s/ Jones Day

 

 

v3.24.2.u1

Cover	Sep. 12, 2024
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 12, 2024
Entity File Number	1-5684
Entity Registrant Name	W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0000277135
Entity Tax Identification Number	36-1150280
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	IL
Entity Address, Address Line One	100 Grainger Parkway
Entity Address, City or Town	Lake Forest
Entity Address, State or Province	IL
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	60045-5201
City Area Code	847
Local Phone Number	535-1000
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock
Trading Symbol	GWW
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false

---