false 0001126956 0001126956 2024-02-05 2024-02-05

 

 

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): February 5, 2024

 

 

 

Commission
File No.

 

Exact Name of Registrant as
Specified in its Charter and
Principal Office Address and
Telephone Number

 

State of
Incorporation

  

I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number

1-16681  

Spire Inc.

700 Market Street

St. Louis, MO 63101

314-342-0500

  Missouri    74-2976504

 

 

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 13e-4(c))

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 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

The information set forth below under Item 8.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated herein by reference into this Item 2.03.

Item8.01 Other Events.

On February 5, 2024, the selling securityholders (as defined below) agreed to purchase $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2021 Series A 0.75% remarketable senior notes due 2026 (the “Remarketable Notes”) of Spire Inc. (“Spire”) in connection with the remarketing of the senior notes comprising a component of the equity units originally issued in February 2021 pursuant to the Purchase Contract and Pledge Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2021, between Spire and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as purchase contract agent, attorney-in-fact of the holders of certain purchase contracts, collateral agent and custodial agent, and U.S. Bank National Association, as securities intermediary.

Also on February 5, 2024, Spire entered into a Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement (the “SPRRA”), dated February 5, 2024, among Spire and the several purchasers named therein (the “selling securityholders”), pursuant to which the selling securityholders agreed to sell the Remarketable Notes to Spire on or about February 12, 2024 in exchange for $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Spire’s 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026 (the “Senior Notes”) and a cash payment.

The SPRRA granted the selling securityholders the right, by written notice to Spire, to offer the Senior Notes to the public in secondary public offerings from time to time. The selling securityholders delivered a public offer notice to Spire on February 5, 2024 with respect to all the Senior Notes they held. On February 5, 2024, Spire entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), dated February 5, 2024, with the selling securityholders and the several underwriters named therein in connection with the public offering (the “Public Offering”) of $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes consisting of $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Senior Notes issued and sold by Spire and $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Senior Notes sold by the selling securityholders.

The Public Offering is expected to close on February 12, 2024. Spire intends to use the net proceeds from its sale of the Senior Notes to repay existing indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. Spire will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Senior Notes by the selling securityholders. The sum of the amount to be received by the selling securityholders for the Senior Notes in the Public Offering and the amount of cash the selling securityholders will receive from Spire pursuant to the SPRRA is equal to the purchase price of the Remarketable Notes to be purchased by the selling securityholders in the remarketing transaction. Copies of the SPRRA and the Underwriting Agreement are filed as Exhibits 1.1 and 1.2 to this Current Report, respectively, and are expressly incorporated by reference herein and in Spire’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-264799) (the “Registration Statement”), which became automatically effective upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 9, 2022. The foregoing descriptions of the SPRRA and the Underwriting Agreement are qualified in their entirety by reference to Exhibits 1.1 and 1.2, respectively.

This Current Report on Form 8-K is being filed, in part, for the purpose of filing the SPRRA and the Underwriting Agreement and such exhibits are hereby incorporated in the Registration Statement.

 


Item9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

The following exhibits are filed as part of this report.

 

Exhibit
Number
    

Exhibit

  1.1      Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 5, 2024, among Spire Inc. and the several purchasers named in Schedule A thereto.
  1.2      Underwriting Agreement, dated February 5, 2024, among Spire Inc., the several selling securityholders named in Exhibit A thereto and the several underwriters named in Exhibit B thereto.
  104      Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 


SIGNATURE

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.

 

        SPIRE INC.
Date: February 9, 2024     By:  

/s/ Steven P. Rasche

            Steven P. Rasche
           

Executive Vice President,

Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 1.1

Spire Inc.

$175,000,000 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026

Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement

This Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement (this “New Notes Purchase Agreement”) is entered into on February 5, 2024 between Spire Inc., a Missouri corporation (the “Company”), and each of the several purchasers named in Schedule A hereto (the “Purchasers”).

The Company proposes to issue and sell to the several Purchasers $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026 of the Company, which shall have the principal terms set forth on Schedule B hereto (the “New Notes”). The New Notes are to be issued under the Indenture (for Unsecured Debt Securities), dated as of August 19, 2014, between the Company and Regions Bank (as successor to UMB Bank & Trust, N.A.), as Trustee (the “New Notes Trustee”), as previously amended or supplemented prior to the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2(b) hereof) (as so amended or supplemented, the “New Notes Base Indenture”), and as to be further amended or supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 12, 2024, between the Company and the New Notes Trustee (the “New Notes Supplemental Indenture” and the New Notes Base Indenture, as amended or supplemented by the New Notes Supplemental Indenture, the “New Notes Indenture”). The several Purchasers have agreed to purchase, in a remarketing transaction, $175,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 2021 Series A 0.75% Remarketable Senior Notes due 2026 (the “Remarketable Notes”). The Remarketable Notes were issued pursuant to the Indenture (For Unsecured Debt Securities), as amended or supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, each dated as of February 16, 2021, between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (such original Indenture (For Unsecured Debt Securities), as amended or supplemented by such First Supplemental Indenture, the “Remarketable Notes Indenture”).

1. Purchase and Sale. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, the principal amount of the New Notes set forth opposite the name of such Purchaser on Schedule A hereto, and the Company agrees to pay the cash amount set forth opposite the name of such Purchaser on Schedule A hereto (each such amount, a “Cash Payment”) to such Purchaser, in exchange for consideration consisting of the principal amount of the Remarketable Notes set forth opposite the name of such Purchaser on Schedule A hereto. Each Purchaser represents and warrants to the Company that it is an accredited investor as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). To the extent the aggregate principal amount of the Remarketable Notes purchased by any Purchaser in the remarketing transaction referred to above is different from the aggregate principal amount of Remarketable Notes set forth opposite its name in Schedule A hereto, the aggregate principal amount of New Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser hereunder, and the Cash Payment payable to such Purchaser hereunder, shall be increased (or decreased) in proportion to the increase (or decrease) in such principal amount of Remarketable Notes, and the principal amount of Remarketable Notes to be delivered by such Purchaser in respect thereof shall be correspondingly increased (or decreased).

 


2. Delivery and Payment. Delivery of, and payment for, the New Notes shall be made at the office, on the date and at the time specified in Schedule B hereto (such date and time of delivery and payment for the New Notes being herein called the “Closing Date”) and the aggregate Cash Payment due to all Purchasers shall be made to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (“Wells Fargo”) on behalf of the several Purchasers by wire transfer of immediately available funds on the Closing Date. Such aggregate Cash Payment may be netted against amounts owed to the Company by Wells Fargo on behalf of the several Purchasers. Payment for the New Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date shall be made by the Purchasers’ tender of the Remarketable Notes to the Company. Delivery of the New Notes to be purchased on the Closing Date shall be made to the Purchasers, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such New Notes to the Purchasers duly paid by the Company, against delivery by the Purchasers of the Remarketable Notes. The New Notes shall be delivered registered in the names of the Purchasers or their nominee, unless the Purchasers shall otherwise instruct. Each of the Purchasers (other than Wells Fargo) hereby authorizes, for its account, Wells Fargo to accept delivery of and acknowledge receipt for the amount of the Cash Payment and any definitive certificate for the principal amount of the New Notes (as well as to surrender such definitive certificate for transfer under the New Notes Indenture), in each case as set forth opposite the name of such Purchaser on Schedule A hereto, and to accept receipt for and pay the purchase price of such New Notes, including tender the Remarketable Notes opposite the name of such Purchaser on Schedule A hereto.

3. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Purchaser that:

(a) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since September 30, 2023, except as otherwise stated in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended on such date (the “Annual Report”) or any subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) (such Annual Report, Quarterly Reports and Current Reports, collectively, the “Disclosure”), (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, properties, management or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liability or obligation or entered into any transaction or agreement that, individually or in the aggregate, is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business or operations from fire, explosion, flood, earthquake or other natural disaster or calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or disturbance or court or governmental action, order or decree that could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect and (iii) except for regular quarterly cash dividends on the Company’s common stock in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

 

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(b) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Missouri and has power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business and to enter into and perform its obligations under this New Notes Purchase Agreement, the New Notes Indenture and the New Notes; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(c) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or limited liability company, as the case may be, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each such subsidiary that is a corporation and all of the issued and outstanding limited liability company interests, membership interests or other similar interests of each such subsidiary that is a limited liability company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity (a “Lien”). The only subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit A hereto and Exhibit A hereto accurately sets forth whether each such subsidiary is a corporation or limited liability company and the jurisdiction of organization of each such subsidiary.

(d) Authorization of New Notes Purchase Agreement. This New Notes Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(e) New Notes. The New Notes are in the form contemplated by the New Notes Indenture and have been duly authorized by the Company and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when duly authenticated by the New Notes Trustee and delivered against delivery of the Remarketable Notes as provided in this New Notes Purchase Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer and conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally including court decisions interpreting such laws, (ii) general principles of equity, including concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity), (iii) the power of courts to award damages in lieu of equitable remedies, (iv) laws and public policy underlying such laws with respect to rights to indemnification and contribution and (v) constitutional bounds on laws that govern the enforceability of choice of law provisions in agreements (the “Enforceability Exceptions”), and will be entitled to the benefits provided by the New Notes Indenture.

 

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(f) New Notes Indenture. The New Notes Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company; the New Notes Base Indenture has been and, at the Closing Date, the New Notes Supplemental Indenture will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company; assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the New Notes Trustee, the New Notes Base Indenture constitutes and, as of the Closing Date, the New Notes Supplemental Indenture will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions; and the New Notes Indenture was duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”).

(g) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its Organizational Documents (as defined below) or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any Company Document (as defined below), except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this New Notes Purchase Agreement, the New Notes Indenture and the New Notes, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein, do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default, Termination Event or Repayment Event (each as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any Company Documents, except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Liens that would neither, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect nor materially and adversely affect the performance by the Company of its obligations under this New Notes Purchase Agreement or the New Notes Indenture, nor will such action result in any violation of (i) the provisions of the Organizational Documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective assets, properties or operations, except, in the case of clause (ii), for such violations that would neither, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect nor materially and adversely affect the performance by the Company of its obligations under this New Notes Purchase Agreement. For the purposes hereof, the following capitalized terms shall have the following meanings: (A) “Company Documents” means all other contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, swap agreements, hedging agreements, leases or other instruments or agreements to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, including the Existing Indentures and any other instruments, agreements and documents filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Annual Report or any subsequent report filed by the Company under the Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K of the Commission; provided that if

 

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any instrument, agreement or other document filed or incorporated by reference as such an exhibit has been redacted or if any portion thereof has been deleted or is otherwise not included as part of such exhibit (whether pursuant to a request for confidential treatment or otherwise), the term “Company Documents” shall nonetheless mean such instrument, agreement or other document, as the case may be, in its entirety, including any portions thereof that shall have been so redacted, deleted or otherwise not filed, (B) “Existing Indentures” means (1) the Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of February 1, 1945 between Spire Missouri Inc. (formerly known as Laclede Gas Company and Laclede Gas Light Company), a Missouri Corporation, and UMB Bank & Trust, N.A., as successor trustee, (2) the Amended and Restated Indenture of Mortgage, dated as of September 1, 2011, between Spire Gulf Coast Inc. (formerly known as Mobile Gas Service Corporation) and Commerce Bank, as successor trustee, and (3) the Remarketable Notes Indenture, (C) “Organizational Documents” means (1) in the case of a corporation, its articles of incorporation and bylaws, (2) in the case of a limited liability company, its articles of organization, certificate of formation or similar organizational documents and its operating agreement, limited liability company agreement, membership agreement or other similar agreement and (3) in the case of any other entity, the organizational and governing documents of such entity, (D) “Repayment Event” means any event or condition that, either immediately or with notice or passage of time or both, (1) gives the holder of any bond, note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person or entity acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or (2) gives any counterparty (or any person or entity acting on such counterparty’s behalf) under any swap agreement, hedging agreement or similar agreement or instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary of the Company is a party the right to liquidate or accelerate the payment obligations, or designate an early termination date under such agreement or instrument, as the case may be, and (E) “Termination Event” means any event or condition that gives any person or entity the right, either immediately or with notice or passage of time or both, to terminate or limit (in whole or in part) any Company Documents or any rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries thereunder, including upon the occurrence of a change of control of the Company or other similar events.

(h) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of the principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that might reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(i) Absence of Proceedings. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries that might reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this New Notes Purchase Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations under this New Notes Purchase Agreement; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject that are not disclosed in the Disclosure, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(j) Absence of Further Requirements. (i) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, (ii) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any holder of capital stock or other securities of the Company or creditor of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (iii) no authorization, approval, waiver or consent under any Company Document and (iv) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any other person or entity is necessary or required for the authorization, execution, delivery or performance of this New Notes Purchase Agreement, the New Notes Indenture or the New Notes by the Company, for the offering of the New Notes as contemplated by this New Notes Purchase Agreement, or for the consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated by this New Notes Purchase Agreement, the New Notes Indenture or the New Notes, except (A) such as have been obtained or made, (B) under the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the Trust Indenture Act and, in each case, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and (C) that no representation is made as to such as may be required under state or foreign securities laws.

(k) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; and, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, all such Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses that individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(l) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by any of them (if any) and good title to all other properties and assets owned by any of them, in each case, free and clear of all Liens (other than the Lien of the Existing Indentures) except such as (a) are disclosed in the Disclosure or (b) are not, individually or in the aggregate, material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, are not required to be disclosed by the Company under Exchange Act, do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; all real property, buildings and other improvements, and all equipment and other property held under lease or sublease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases or subleases, as the case may be, with, solely in the case of leases or subleases

 

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relating to real property, buildings or other improvements, such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property and buildings or other improvements by the Company and its subsidiaries, and all such leases and subleases are in full force and effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises or to the continued use of the leased or subleased equipment or other property except for such claims that, if successfully asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(m) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the New Notes as herein contemplated will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” (as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended).

(n) Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (iii) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, Liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (iv) there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(o) Absence of Registration Rights. Other than the Purchasers, there are no persons or entities with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) registered by the Company under the Securities Act, and there are no persons or entities with co-sale rights, tag-along rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) included in the offering contemplated hereby or sold in connection with the sale of the New Notes.

 

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(p) Tax Returns. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed (or have obtained extensions thereof), except where the failure so to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes (including any estimated taxes) required to be paid and any other assessment, fine or penalty, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such tax, assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate actions and except for such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties the nonpayment of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and any fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(r) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person or entity acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that has resulted or would result in a violation by any such person or entity of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”), including any 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 and the Company and its subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company, its other affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and that are reasonably expected to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(s) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with 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), the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving a violation by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

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(t) OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors or officers nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or other person or entity acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department or the U.S. Department of State; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use any of the proceeds from the sale of the New Notes by the Company in the offering contemplated by this New Notes Purchase Agreement, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available any such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, to engage in, facilitate or finance any activities with or involving any person or entity that is currently the target of any U.S. sanctions in a manner that would result in a violation of U.S. sanctions.

(u) ERISA Compliance. None of the following events has occurred or exists that might reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect: (i) a failure to fulfill the obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as amended (“ERISA”), with respect to a Plan (as defined below) determined without regard to any waiver of such obligations or extension of any amortization period; (ii) an audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory agency with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (iii) any breach of any contractual obligation, or any violation of law or applicable qualification standards, with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by the Company or any of its subsidiaries. None of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur that, individually or in the aggregate, could result in a Material Adverse Effect: (A) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year; (B) a material increase in the “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 715) of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year; (C) any event or condition giving rise to a liability under Title IV of ERISA; or (D) the filing of a claim by one or more employees or former employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries related to its or their employment. For purposes of this Section 3(u) and the definition of ERISA, the term “Plan” means a “plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA), subject to Title IV of ERISA, other than a “multiemployer plan” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA), with respect to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries may have any liability.

 

9


(v) No Restrictions on Dividends. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise bound by any instrument or agreement that limits or prohibits or could limit or prohibit, directly or indirectly, the Company from paying any dividends or making other distributions on its capital stock, and no subsidiary of the Company is a party to or otherwise bound by any instrument or agreement that limits or prohibits or could limit or prohibit, directly or indirectly, any subsidiary of the Company from (A) paying any dividends or making any other distributions on its capital stock, limited or general partnership interests, limited liability company interests or other equity interests, as the case may be, or (B) repaying any loans or advances from or (except for instruments or agreements that by their express terms prohibit the transfer or assignment thereof or of any rights thereunder) transferring any of its properties or assets to, the Company or any other subsidiary, in each case except as under the Existing Indentures or as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure.

(w) Brokers. There is not a broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any of the transactions contemplated by this New Notes Purchase Agreement, except for underwriting discounts and commissions in connection with a public offering of the New Notes as described in Section 7 hereof.

4. Agreements. The Company agrees with each Purchaser that:

(a) The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this New Notes Purchase Agreement, and it shall reimburse the Purchasers for reasonable fees and disbursements for their outside counsel for the transactions contemplated by this New Notes Purchase Agreement in an amount not in excess of $250,000.

(b) The Company will cooperate with the Purchasers and use all commercially reasonable efforts to permit the New Notes to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), including its direct and indirect participants, the Euroclear System and Clearstream Banking S.A., as applicable.

5. Conditions to the Obligations of the Purchasers. The obligations of the several Purchasers to purchase the New Notes shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein at the date hereof and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of their obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) The Company shall have furnished to the Purchasers in form and substance satisfactory to the Purchasers, the opinion of the Company’s Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Corporate Secretary, or such other counsel for the Company as may be acceptable to the Purchasers, dated the Closing Date, substantially to the effect set forth hereto as Exhibit B-1, the opinion of Stinson LLP, dated the Closing Date, substantially to the effect set forth hereto as Exhibit B-2, and the opinion of Spain & Gillon, LLC, local counsel for Spire Alabama Inc., an Alabama corporation that is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, dated the Closing Date, substantially to the effect set forth hereto as Exhibit B-3.

 

10


(b) The Purchasers shall have received from their counsel such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to the issuance and sale of the New Notes, the New Notes Indenture and such other related matters as the Purchasers may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as it requests for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon such matters.

(c) The Company shall have furnished to the Purchasers a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by the President, an Executive Vice President or a Senior Vice President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or principal accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.

(d) At or prior to the Closing Date, the Purchasers shall be in possession of the Remarketable Notes purchased by such Purchasers pursuant to the Remarketable Notes Purchase Agreement, dated the date hereof.

If (i) any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this New Notes Purchase Agreement or (ii) any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this New Notes Purchase Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Purchasers and their counsel, this New Notes Purchase Agreement and all obligations of the Purchasers hereunder may be cancelled on, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Purchasers. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

6. Reimbursement of Purchasers’ Expenses. If the sale of the New Notes provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Purchasers set forth in Section 5 hereof is not satisfied, or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof, the Company will reimburse the Purchasers upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel (subject to Section 4(a) above)) that shall have been incurred by it in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the New Notes.

7. Resale of New Notes by Purchasers.

(a) The Company understands that each Purchaser may retain or sell the New Notes from time to time in its absolute discretion. If one or more Purchasers provide a written notice in the form set forth in Schedule C hereto that such Purchaser or Purchasers propose to make a public offering of the New Notes (a “Public Offer Notice”) with respect to at least $50 million aggregate principal amount of the New Notes, then the provisions set forth in Annex A to Schedule C hereto shall apply, and at the request of such Purchaser or Purchasers the Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), including terms and conditions consistent with the provisions of Annex A hereto, and take such other actions in connection therewith as such Purchaser or Purchasers shall request in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of New Notes in the United States. Each Purchaser represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Company that any sale or other disposition of the New Notes shall be made only pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, as contemplated by the provisions set forth in Annex A to Schedule C hereto.

 

11


(b) Notwithstanding Section 7(a), the Company may suspend the use of the Prospectus (as defined in Annex A to Schedule C hereto) for a period not to exceed 60 consecutive days or an aggregate of 120 days in any 12-month period (each a “Suspension Period”) if (i) required by applicable law or (ii) the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company shall have determined in good faith that under circumstances related to acquisition or divestiture of assets, pending corporate developments, public filings with the Commission, or other similar events, it is in the best interests of the Company to suspend the use of the Prospectus, by giving written notice of such suspension to the Purchasers, which notice need not specify the nature of the event giving rise to such suspension; provided, however, that no Suspension Period pursuant to clause (ii) of this Section 7(b) shall commence prior to the date 10 days after the date of this New Notes Purchase Agreement.

8. Representations and Agreements to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or its officers set forth in or made pursuant to this New Notes Purchase Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Purchasers or any of their officers, directors or controlling persons, and will survive delivery of and payment for the New Notes.

9. Notices. Unless otherwise provided herein, all notices required under the terms and provisions hereof shall be in writing, either delivered by hand, by mail or by facsimile or electronic mail and confirmed to the recipient, and any such notice shall be effective when received (a) if sent to the several Purchasers, on behalf of the several Purchasers, to:

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor,

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Attention: Transaction Management

Email: tmgcapitalmarkets@wellsfargo.com

and (b) if sent to the Company, to:

Spire Inc.

700 Market Street

St. Louis, Missouri 63101

Attention: Matthew J. Aplington

Email: Matt.Aplington@spireenergy.com

10. Successors. This New Notes Purchase Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

11. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) each of the Purchasers is acting solely as a purchaser in connection with the sale of the New Notes and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company, on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers, on the other hand, has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this New Notes Purchase Agreement, irrespective of whether or not any of the Purchasers has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;

 

12


(b) the price to be paid by the Purchasers for the New Notes set forth in this New Notes Purchase Agreement was established by the Company and the Purchasers following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Purchasers;

(c) it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this New Notes Purchase Agreement;

(d) the Purchasers have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate;

(e) it is aware that the Purchasers and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions that may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that none of the Purchasers has any obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and

(f) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against any of the Purchasers for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that none of the Purchasers shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person or entity asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of the Company or any stockholders, employees or creditors thereof.

12. Integration. This New Notes Purchase Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Purchasers, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

13. Applicable Law. This New Notes Purchase Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

14. Recognition of U.S. Special Resolution. In the event that (a) any Purchaser that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Purchaser of this New Notes Purchase Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this New Notes Purchase Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this New Notes Purchase Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States and (b) any Purchaser that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Purchaser becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this New Notes Purchase Agreement that may be exercised against such Purchaser 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 New Notes Purchase Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

13


For purposes of this Section 18, (i) a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. Section 1841(k), (ii) “Covered Entity” means (A) a “covered entity” (as defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 252.82(b)), (B) a “covered bank” (as defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 47.3(b)) or (C) a “covered FSI” (as defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 382.2(b)), (iii) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable, and (iv) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (A) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations thereunder and (B) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations thereunder.

15. Trial By Jury. Each of the Company (on its own behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and the Purchasers 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 New Notes Purchase Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

16. General Provisions. This New Notes Purchase Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this New Notes Purchase Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This New Notes Purchase Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one 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) 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. All references herein to the words “include” and “including” (and variations thereof) shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation” or “but not limited to”; and the use of the word “or” shall not be exclusive.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

14


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this New Notes Purchase Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.

 

SPIRE INC.
By:  

/s/ Steven P. Rasche

Name:   Steven P. Rasche
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page to the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement]


WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC,

as Purchaser

By:  

/s/ Carolyn Hurley

Name:   Carolyn Hurley
Title:   Managing Director

MIZUHO SECURITIES USA LLC,

as Purchaser

By:  

/s/ Stephen E. Leamer

Name:   Stephen E. Leamer
Title:   Managing Director

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC,

as Purchaser

By:  

/s/ Natalie Smithson

Name:   Natalie Smithson
Title:   Vice President

 

[Signature Page to the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

SUBSIDIARIES OF THE COMPANY

 

Name

  

Jurisdiction of

Organization

  

Type of Entity

  

Names of General
Partners/Managing

Members

Belle Butte LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC

Laclede Development

Company

   Missouri    Corporation   

Laclede Insurance Risk

Services, Inc.

   South Carolina    Corporation   
MoGas Pipeline, LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC
Omega Pipeline Company, LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC
Spire Alabama Inc.    Alabama    Corporation   
Spire CNG Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire EnergySouth Inc.    Delaware    Corporation   
Spire Gulf Inc.    Alabama    Corporation   
Spire Marketing Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire Midstream LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Resources LLC
Spire Mississippi Inc.    Mississippi    Corporation   
Spire Missouri Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire NGL Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire Oil Services LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire NGL Inc.
Spire Resources LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Inc.
Spire Services Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire STL Pipeline LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC
Spire Storage Salt Plains LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Belle Butte LLC
Spire Storage West LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Belle Butte LLC

 

Ex. A-1


EXHIBIT C

FORM OF OFFICERS’ CERTIFICATE

February 12, 2024

We the undersigned, hereby certify that we are duly elected, qualified and acting officers of Spire Inc., a Missouri corporation (the “Company”), and that, as such, we are authorized to execute and deliver this Officers’ Certificate on behalf of the Company. This Officers’ Certificate is being delivered in connection with the purchase of $175,000,000 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026 (collectively, the “New Notes”) of the Company by the several purchasers party to a Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 5, 2024, between the Company and such purchasers (the “New Notes Purchase Agreement”), and, if applicable, the resale by one or more of such purchasers of the New Notes pursuant to a Public Offer Notice, dated February 5, 2024, given by or on behalf of the purchasers named therein and received by the Company (the “Public Offer Notice”), hereby certifies to such several purchasers pursuant to Section 5(c) of the New Notes Purchase Agreement and, if applicable, Section 3(d) of Annex A to Schedule C of the New Notes Purchase Agreement and the Public Offer Notice that to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation:

(a) the representations and warranties of the Company in the New Notes Purchase Agreement and, if applicable, Annex A to Schedule C of the New Notes Purchase Agreement are true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof as though made on and as of this date;

(b) the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied pursuant to the New Notes Purchase Agreement and, if applicable, Annex A to Schedule C of the New Notes Purchase Agreement at or prior to the date hereof; and

(c) if applicable, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or notice objecting to its use has been issued, and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending by the Securities and Exchange Commission as of the date hereof.

Capitalized terms used herein that are not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Public Offer Notice and the New Notes Purchase Agreement.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

Ex. C-1


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has duly executed this certificate as of the date first set forth above.

 

 

Name:   Steven P. Rasche
Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

Name:   Adam W. Woodard
Title:   Vice President and Treasurer

 

Ex. C-2


SCHEDULE A

 

Purchaser

   Principal
Amount of

New Notes
     Cash Payment      Principal
Amount of
Remarketable
Notes
 

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

   $ 97,224,000      $ 390,595.39      $ 97,224,000  

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

   $ 38,888,000      $ 156,231.73      $ 38,888,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

   $ 38,888,000      $ 156,231.73      $ 38,888,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 175,000,000      $ 703,058.85      $ 175,000,000  

 

Sch. A-1


SCHEDULE B

 

Title and Principal Terms of the New Notes
Title:    5.300% Senior Notes due 2026
New Notes Indenture:    Indenture (for Unsecured Debt Securities), dated as of August 19, 2014, between the Company and Regions Bank (as successor to UMB Bank & Trust, N.A.), as the Trustee, as previously amended or supplemented prior to the Closing Date and as to be further amended or supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 12, 2024, between the Company and such Trustee
Principal amount:    $175,000,000
Interest rate:    5.300% per annum
Interest payment dates:    March 1 and September 1, commencing September 1, 2024, and at maturity
   Interest will accrue on the New Notes from and including the Closing Date at the Interest Rate set forth above
Maturity:    March 1, 2026
Denominations:    Beneficial interests in the New Notes will be held in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof
Sinking fund provisions:    None
Redemption provisions:    None
Provisions regarding repayment at the option of holders:    None
Closing date, time and location:    9:00 A.M., New York City Time, February 12, 2024, at the offices of Bracewell LLP, 31 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10020, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers

 

Sch. B-1


SCHEDULE C

FORM OF PUBLIC OFFER NOTICE

Public Offer Notice

[Date]

Spire Inc.

700 Market Street

St. Louis, Missouri 63101

Attention: Matthew J. Aplington

 

  Re:

5.300% Senior Notes due 2026

To Whom it May Concern:

Reference is made to the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 5, 2024 (the “New Notes Purchase Agreement”), between Spire Inc. (the “Company”) and the several purchasers set forth on Schedule A thereto (the “Purchasers”).

This notice by or on behalf of the undersigned Purchaser or Purchasers (the “Selling Securityholder(s)”) constitutes a Public Offer Notice in accordance with Section 7 of the New Notes Purchase Agreement. The Selling Securityholder(s) intend(s) to make a public offering of the New Notes as soon after the execution hereof as in the judgment of the Selling Securityholder(s) is advisable, but in any event on or prior to the Applicable Time, and initially offer the New Notes on the terms set forth in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus (each as defined in Annex A hereto). In accordance with Section 7 of the New Notes Purchase Agreement, the provisions of Annex A hereto shall apply to such public offering of the New Notes.

For the purposes of this notice, including Annex A hereto, the “Applicable Time” shall be ___:___ [A.M.][P.M.], New York City time, _____________, 20__, the “Resale Closing Date” shall be 9:00 A.M., New York City time, _____________, 20__, and all deliveries required to be made on the Resale Closing Date shall be made at the offices of Bracewell LLP, 31 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10020, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Selling Securityholders and the Company.

Capitalized terms used herein that are not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the New Notes Purchase Agreement.

 

Sch. C-1


Very truly yours,

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC,

as Selling Securityholder

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

MIZUHO SECURITIES USA LLC,

as Selling Securityholder

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC,

as Selling Securityholder

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

[Signature Page to Public Offer Notice]


Annex A

Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Public Offer Notice to which this Annex A is annexed (the “Public Offer Notice”) and the New Notes Purchase Agreement.

1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with the Selling Securityholders that:

(a) Prospectus. The Company has prepared and previously delivered to the Selling Securityholders a preliminary prospectus supplement dated [•] relating to the New Notes and a related prospectus dated [•] (the “Base Prospectus”). Such preliminary prospectus supplement and Base Prospectus, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Pre-Pricing Prospectus.” Promptly after the execution and delivery of this Annex A, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a prospectus supplement dated [•] (the “Prospectus Supplement”) and will file the Prospectus Supplement and the Base Prospectus with the Commission, all in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and Rule 424(b), and the Company has previously advised the Selling Securityholders of all information (financial and other) that will be set forth therein. The Prospectus Supplement and the Base Prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Selling Securityholders for use in connection with the offering of the New Notes (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, are herein called, collectively, the “Prospectus.”

(b) Status as a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. At (A) the respective times the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto were filed with the Commission, (B) the time of the most recent amendment to the Registration Statement for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was any post-effective amendment thereto, any report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference therein or any form of prospectus), (C) any time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of paragraph (c) of Rule 163) made any offer relating to the New Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 and (D) the date hereof, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405), including not having been and not being an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405, without taking into account any determination made by the Commission pursuant to paragraph (2) of the definition of such term in Rule 405); and without limitation to the foregoing, the Company has at all relevant times met, meets and will at all relevant times meet the requirements of Rule 164 for the use of a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” (as defined in Rule 405) and the New Notes, since their registration on the Registration Statement, have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such “automatic shelf registration statement.” The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) objecting to the use of the automatic

 

Annex A-1


shelf registration statement form. Any written communication that was an offer relating to the New Notes made by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this sentence only, of paragraph (c) of Rule 163) prior to the filing of the Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 163 and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the Securities Act provided by Rule 163.

(c) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the New Notes have been duly registered under the Securities Act pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the Securities Act, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. The Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission on May 9, 2022.

(d) Registration Statement, Prospectus and Disclosure at Time of Sale. At the respective times that the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the time the Company filed the Annual Report (including any amendments thereto) with the Commission, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Selling Securityholders pursuant to paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments to any of the foregoing complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act and, in each case, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and did not and will not contain an 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.

At the respective times the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or issued, at the Closing Date, and at any time when a prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered in connection with sales of New Notes (whether to meet the requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As of the Applicable Time (except in the case of clause (c) below) and as of each time prior to the Closing Date that an investor agrees (orally or in writing) to purchase or, if applicable, reconfirms (orally or in writing) an agreement to purchase any New Notes from the Selling Securityholders, neither (a) the Pricing Term Sheet (as defined in Section 2(k) below), any other Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Pre-Pricing Prospectus as of the Applicable Time,

 

Annex A-2


considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (b) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, nor (c) any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued subsequent to the Applicable Time, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, or delivered to the Selling Securityholders for use in connection with the offering of the New Notes, complied when so filed or when so delivered, as the case may be, in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

The representations and warranties in the preceding paragraphs of this Section 1(d) do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Selling Securityholders expressly for use therein, or to any statements in or omissions from the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee under the New Notes Indenture. The New Notes Indenture has been qualified under and conforms in all material respects to the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

The copies of the Registration Statement and any amendments to any of the foregoing and the copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing that have been or subsequently are delivered to the Selling Securityholders in connection with the offering of the New Notes (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise) were and will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T of the Commission. For purposes of this Annex A, references to the “delivery” or “furnishing” of any of the foregoing documents to the Selling Securityholders, and any similar terms, include electronic delivery.

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (if any), as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offering and sale of the New Notes did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus that has not been superseded or modified.

(e) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, at the respective times they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and did not and will not contain an 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

Annex A-3


(f) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP (“D&T”) are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and, in each case, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

(g) Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules (if any) and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved and comply with all applicable accounting requirements under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and, in each case, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as applicable. Any supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement presents fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP, the information required to be stated therein. No pro forma financial statements, and no financial statements of any entity or business other than the Company, are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. All “non-GAAP financial measures” (as defined in the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply with Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K of the Commission, to the extent applicable.

(h) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of [•] is as set forth in the column entitled “Actual” and in the corresponding line items under the caption “Capitalization” in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, at the time of the purchase of the New Notes by the Selling Securityholders on the Closing Date, the capitalization of the Company will be as set forth in the column entitled “As Adjusted” and in the corresponding line items under such caption (in each case except for issuances, if any, subsequent to [•] pursuant to employee or director stock option, stock purchase or other equity incentive plans or any dividend reinvestment plan described in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, upon the exercise of options issued pursuant to any such stock option, stock purchase or other equity incentive plans as so described, or upon the exercise of options described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other person or entity.

 

Annex A-4


(i) Accuracy of Descriptions and Exhibits. The information in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences” and the information in the Annual Report under the captions “Business—Gas Utility—Regulatory Matters,” “Legal Proceedings,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates—Regulatory Accounting” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Regulatory Matters,” and in Item 13 thereof under the caption “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence,” in each case to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, summaries of provisions of the Company’s Organizational Documents or any other instruments or agreements, summaries of legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, is correct in all material respects; all descriptions in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of any other Company Documents are accurate in all material respects; and there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, leases or other instruments, agreements or documents required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein that have not been so described and filed as required.

(j) Accounting and Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain and have established and maintained effective “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act). The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been, at any time during the Company’s three consecutive fiscal years ended with and including the Company’s most recent fiscal year for which audited financial statements are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or at any time subsequent thereto, any material weakness (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the Commission) in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Annual Report and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended [•], since the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal year for which audited financial statements are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been 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. The Company and its subsidiaries have established, maintained and periodically evaluate the effectiveness of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined

 

Annex A-5


in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); and such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act and the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement are recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure. The Company’s independent public accountants and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors have been advised of all material weaknesses, if any, and significant deficiencies (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the Commission), if any, in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and of all fraud, if any, whether or not material, involving management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, in each case that occurred or existed, or was first detected, at any time during the Company’s five consecutive fiscal years ended with and including the Company’s most recent fiscal year for which audited financial statements are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or at any time subsequent thereto.

(k) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder with which any of them is required to comply, including Section 402 thereof related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 thereof related to certifications.

(l) Absence of Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the New Notes.

(m) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical, demographic, market-related and similar data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate and accurately reflect the materials upon which such data is based or from which it was derived.

(n) Lending and Other Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any lending or similar relationship with any Selling Securityholder or any bank or other lending institution affiliated with any Selling Securityholder; and (ii) there are and have been no transactions, arrangements or dealings between the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on one hand, and any Selling Securityholder or any of its “affiliates” or “associated persons” (as so defined), on the other hand, that, under FINRA Rule 5110 or 5121, must be disclosed in a submission to FINRA in connection with the sale of the New Notes contemplated hereby or disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or Prospectus.

 

Annex A-6


(o) Offering Materials. Without limitation to the provisions of Section 8 hereof, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute, directly or indirectly (other than through the Selling Securityholders), any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405) or other offering materials in connection with the offering or sale of the New Notes, other than the Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing that are filed with the SEC and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses (as defined in Section 8 hereof).

(p) Interactive Data. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language 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.

(q) No Conflict. The resale of the New Notes as contemplated by the New Notes Purchase Agreement and the Public Offer Notice and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in, the New Notes Purchase Agreement and the Public Offer Notice with respect to such resale will not (i) violate any law or any regulation, order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or governmental instrumentality applicable to the Company, (ii) result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, the Organizational Documents of the Company or (iii) result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it is bound, except in case of clause (i) or (iii) above for such violations, breaches or defaults that would not in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or thereunder.

2. Agreements. The Company agrees with the Selling Securityholders:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 2(b) hereof, will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and Rule 433 and will notify the Selling Securityholders immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or when any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments with respect to any of the foregoing from the Commission (and shall promptly furnish the Selling Securityholders with a copy of any comment letters and any transcript of oral comments, and shall furnish the Selling Securityholders with copies of any written responses thereto a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed filing thereof with the Commission and will not file any such response to which the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall reasonably object), (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the

 

Annex A-7


use of any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, or any notice from the Commission objecting to the use of the form of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or of the suspension of the qualification of the New Notes for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the New Notes. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and the suspension or loss of any qualification of the New Notes for offering or sale and any loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, and if any such stop order is issued, or any such suspension or loss occurs, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the New Notes within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, except to the extent such filing fees have been paid prior to the date hereof.

(b) Filing of Amendments. The Company will give the Selling Securityholders notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment, supplement or revision to any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act or otherwise, and the Company will furnish the Selling Securityholders with copies of any such documents within a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall reasonably object. The Company has given the Selling Securityholders notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time. The Company will give the Selling Securityholders notice of its intention to make any filing pursuant to the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from the Applicable Time through the Closing Date (or, if later, through the end of the period during which the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) to be delivered by applicable law (whether to meet the requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise)) and will furnish the Selling Securityholders with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall reasonably object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Selling Securityholders and counsel for the Selling Securityholders, without charge, copies of the Registration Statement (including any amendments thereto and any exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof) and copies of all consents and certificates of experts.

 

Annex A-8


(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Selling Securityholder, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto as such Selling Securityholder reasonably requests, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Selling Securityholder, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) to be delivered by applicable law (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), such number of copies of the Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing as such Selling Securityholder may reasonably request.

(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and, in each case, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the New Notes as contemplated by this Annex A, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered in connection with sales of the New Notes (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary (or if the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall notify the Company that, in their judgment, it is necessary) to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus so that the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or then prevailing, not misleading or if it is necessary (or, if the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall notify the Company that, in their judgment, it is necessary) to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and, in each case, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the Company will promptly notify the Selling Securityholders of such event or condition and of its intention to file such amendment or supplement (or, if the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall have notified the Company as aforesaid, the Company will promptly notify the Selling Securityholders of its intention to prepare such amendment or supplement) and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 2(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such untrue statement or omission or to comply with such requirements, and, in the case of an amendment or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment become effective as soon as practicable, and the Company will furnish to the Selling Securityholders such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Selling Securityholders may reasonably request. If at any time an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement or if an event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary (or, if the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall notify the Company that, in their judgment, it is necessary) to amend or supplement

 

Annex A-9


such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus so that it will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or then prevailing, not misleading, or if it is necessary (or, if the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall notify the Company that, in their judgment, it is necessary) to amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the Company will promptly notify the Selling Securityholders of such event or condition and of its intention to file such amendment or supplement (or, if the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall have notified the Company as aforesaid, the Company will promptly notify the Selling Securityholders of its intention to prepare such amendment or supplement) and will promptly prepare and, if required by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, file with the Commission, subject to Section 2(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission or to comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Selling Securityholders such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Selling Securityholders may reasonably request.

(f) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Selling Securityholders, to qualify the New Notes for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the New Notes to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Selling Securityholders may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the New Notes (but in no event for a period of not less than one year from the date of this Annex A); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the New Notes have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the New Notes (but in no event for a period of not less than one year from the date of this Annex A).

(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Selling Securityholders the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

(h) Restriction on Sale of Securities. From and including the date of this Annex A through and including the earlier to occur of (i) Closing Date and (ii) the date of the termination of the fixed price offering restrictions applicable to the Selling Securityholders, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Selling Securityholders, issue, offer, pledge, assign, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option or right to sell or otherwise transfer or dispose of any debt securities of the Company that are similar to the New Notes (other than the New Notes issued under the New Notes Purchase Agreement or, if applicable, the Underwriting Agreement) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any debt securities of the Company that are similar to the New Notes.

 

Annex A-10


(i) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(j) Preparation of Prospectus. Immediately following the delivery of the Public Offer Notice or, if entry into an Underwriting Agreement is requested, the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company will, subject to Section 2(b) hereof, prepare the Prospectus, which shall contain the selling terms of the New Notes, the plan of distribution thereof and such other information as may be required by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or as the Selling Securityholders and the Company may deem appropriate, and will file or transmit for filing the Prospectus with the Commission in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on clause (8) of Rule 424(b)).

(k) Pricing Term Sheet. The Company will prepare a pricing term sheet (the “Pricing Term Sheet”) containing certain final terms of the New Notes in form and substance satisfactory to the Selling Securityholders, and will file the Pricing Term Sheet as an “issuer free writing prospectus” pursuant to Rule 433 in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433; provided that the Company shall furnish the Selling Securityholders with copies of the Pricing Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall reasonably object.

3. Conditions to the Resale of the New Notes.

The resale of the New Notes pursuant to this Annex A shall be subject, in the discretion of the Selling Securityholders, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein, or in certificates signed by any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company (whether signed on behalf of such officer, the Company or such subsidiary) delivered to the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders, are, at and as of the date of the Public Offer Notice, as of the date of the effectiveness of any amendment to the Registration Statement filed, and the Resale Closing Date, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its covenants and other obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

 

Annex A-11


(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Selling Securityholders and the Commission shall not have notified the Company of any objection to the use of the form of the Registration Statement. The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on clause (8) of Rule 424(b)) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed with the Commission shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433, and, prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have provided evidence satisfactory to the Selling Securityholders of such timely filings.

(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Date, the Selling Securityholders shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Date, of each of Stinson LLP, counsel for the Company, and Matthew J. Aplington, Esq., Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Corporate Secretary of the Company, with respect to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and such other matters as the Selling Securityholders may reasonably request.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Selling Securityholders. At the Closing Date, the Selling Securityholders shall have received the favorable letter, dated as of the Closing Date, of Bracewell LLP, counsel for the Selling Securityholders, with respect to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and such other matters as the Selling Securityholders may reasonably request.

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (in each case exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Annex A), any material adverse change or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change in the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, properties, management or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and, at the Closing Date, the Selling Securityholders shall have received a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by the President, an Executive Vice President or a Senior Vice President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or principal accounting officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Annex A or, if entry into an Underwriting Agreement is requested, the Underwriting Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date under or pursuant to this Annex A or, if entry into an Underwriting Agreement is requested, the Underwriting Agreement and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission and the Commission has not notified the Company of any objection to the use of the form of the Registration Statement.

 

Annex A-12


(e) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the delivery of the Public Offer Notice or, if entry into an Underwriting Agreement is requested, the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, the Selling Securityholders shall have received the letter of D&T dated the date of the Public Offer Notice or Underwriting Agreement and in form and substance satisfactory to the Selling Securityholders and addressed to the Selling Securityholders, confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to the Company and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualifications of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission and containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements of the Company and certain financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any electronic road show) and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing.

(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Date, the Selling Securityholders shall have received the letter of D&T dated as of the Closing Date and in form and substance satisfactory to the Selling Securityholders, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in their letter furnished pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.

(g) Additional Documents. At the Closing Date, counsel for the Selling Securityholders shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the New Notes as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, contained herein or in the Underwriting Agreement, if applicable, or as the Selling Securityholders or counsel for the Selling Securityholders may otherwise reasonably request; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the New Notes as herein contemplated and in connection with the other transactions contemplated hereby or by the Underwriting Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Selling Securityholders.

If any condition specified in this Section 3 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Annex A may be terminated by the Selling Securityholders by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that, in the case of any such termination of this Annex A, Sections 5, 7 and 8 hereof shall survive such termination of this Annex A and remain in full force and effect.

 

Annex A-13


4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including any amendments thereto and, in each case, any exhibits) and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing, (ii) the word processing and delivery to the Selling Securityholders of the Underwriting Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the New Notes, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the New Notes and the issuance and delivery of the New Notes to be sold by the Company to the Selling Securityholders, including any issue or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other taxes or duties payable in connection with the sale, issuance or delivery of the New Notes to the Selling Securityholders, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) the qualification or exemption of the New Notes under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Selling Securityholders in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of a blue sky survey and any supplements thereto, (vi) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Selling Securityholders of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing, (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Selling Securityholders of copies of a blue sky survey and any Canadian “wrapper” and any supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing, (viii) the fees and expenses of (including fees and disbursements of counsel for) the New Notes Trustee in connection with the offer and sale of the New Notes, (ix) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Selling Securityholders in connection with, the review, if any, by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the New Notes, (x) all fees charged by any rating agencies for rating the New Notes, (xi) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with the approval of the New Notes for clearance, settlement and book-entry transfer through DTC and (xii) the costs and expenses of the Company and any of its officers, directors, counsel or other representatives in connection with presentations or meetings undertaken in connection with the offering of the New Notes, including expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics and the production and hosting of any electronic road shows, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with road show presentations, and travel, lodging, transportation, and other expenses of the officers, directors, counsel and other representatives of the Company incurred in connection with any such presentations or meetings.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Annex A is terminated by the Selling Securityholders in accordance with the provisions of Section 3, Section 6(a)(i), Section 6(a)(iii)(A) or Section 6(a)(v) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Selling Securityholders for all of its out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Selling Securityholders.

 

Annex A-14


5. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Selling Securityholder, its affiliates, and its and their officers, directors, employees, partners and members and each person, if any, who controls any Selling Securityholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, a “Company Indemnified Party”) as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, to which such Company Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433), or any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433) that does not constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred by such Company Indemnified Party, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred by such Company Indemnified Party in investigating, preparing for or defending against any subpoena or litigation, or any proceeding, subpoena or investigation by any governmental agency or body, whether commenced or threatened, or any loss, claim, damage, liability or action whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under clause (i) or (ii) above,

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Selling Securityholders expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or arises out of, or is based on, statements or omissions from the part of the Registration Statement that shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of the New Notes Trustee under the New Notes Indenture, or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or in any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Selling Securityholders as aforesaid consists of the information described as such in Section 5(b) hereof.

 

Annex A-15


(b) Indemnification by the Selling Securityholders. Each Selling Securityholder agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, a “Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party”), against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 5(a) hereof, to which such Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Selling Securityholders expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the information furnished to the Company by such Selling Securityholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), consists exclusively of the information regarding the beneficial ownership by such Selling Securityholder of the New Notes set forth in the table under the caption “Selling Securityholders” in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(c) Actions Against Parties; Notification. Each Company Indemnified Party or Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party (in any such case, an “Indemnified Party”) shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under Section 5(a) or Section 5(b) hereof, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture or impairment of procedural or substantive rights or defenses) by such failure, provided that the failure to notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Party otherwise than under Section 5(a) or 5(b) hereof. Counsel for the Indemnified Party shall be selected as follows: counsel for the Company Indemnified Party shall be selected by the Selling Securityholders, and counsel for the Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel for the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of an Indemnified Party) also be counsel for such Indemnified Party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such Indemnified Party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the

 

Annex A-16


indemnifying party will not be liable to such Indemnified Party under this Section 5 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. In no event shall the indemnifying party be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for the Company Indemnified Party and the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for the Selling Securityholder Indemnified Parties, in each case in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 5 (whether or not the Indemnified Parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Party.

(d) Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an Indemnified Party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse such Indemnified Party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this Section 5, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 5(a)(ii) hereof effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such Indemnified Party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in clauses (a) through (d) of this Section 5 is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an Indemnified Party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such Indemnified Party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Selling Securityholders on the other hand from the offering of the New Notes hereunder or pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Selling Securityholders on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

Annex A-17


The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Selling Securityholders on the other hand in connection with the offering of the New Notes hereunder or pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the sale of the New Notes to the Selling Securityholders pursuant to the New Notes Purchase Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Selling Securityholders, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the New Notes as set forth on such cover.

The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Selling Securityholders on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or by the Selling Securityholders on the other hand and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Selling Securityholders agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this clause (e) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Selling Securityholders 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 above in this clause (e). The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an Indemnified Party and referred to above in this clause (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in investigating, preparing for or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this clause (e), no Selling Securityholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the New Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Selling Securityholder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any 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 or entity who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this clause (e), each affiliate of any Selling Securityholder, each officer, director, employee, partner and member of any Selling Securityholder or any such affiliate, and each person, if any, who controls any Selling Securityholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Selling Securityholder, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Selling Securityholders’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this clause (e) are several in proportion to the aggregate principal amount of New Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A to the New Notes Purchase Agreement and not joint.

 

Annex A-18


6. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination; General. The Selling Securityholders may terminate this Annex A, by notice to the Company, at any time on or prior to the Closing Date (i) if there has been, at any time on or after the date of the Public Offer Notice or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (in each case exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of the Public Offer Notice), any Material Adverse Effect or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions (including as a result of terrorist activities), in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Selling Securityholders, impracticable or inadvisable to market the New Notes or to enforce contracts for the sale of the New Notes, (iii) if (A) trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NYSE, (B) trading generally on the NYSE, the Nasdaq Stock Market or in the over-the-counter market has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by the NYSE or the Nasdaq Stock Market or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority or (C) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States or in Europe, (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either federal or New York authorities or (v) if there shall have occurred, at any time on or after the date of the Public Offer Notice, any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act) or any public announcement that any such organization has placed its rating on the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any such debt securities under surveillance or review or on a so-called “watch list” (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating) or any announcement by any such organization that the Company or any such debt securities has been placed on negative outlook.

(b) Liabilities. If this Annex A is terminated in accordance with the procedures described in this Section 6, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that Sections 5, 7 and 8 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

Annex A-19


7. Parties to Agreement. This Annex A shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Selling Securityholders, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Annex A is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Selling Securityholders, the Company and their respective successors and the other Indemnified Parties and their successors, heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Annex A or any provision herein contained. This Annex A and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Selling Securityholders and the Company and their respective successors, and the other Indemnified Parties and their successors, heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person or entity. No purchaser of New Notes from any Selling Securityholder shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

8. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that it has not made and, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Selling Securityholders, it will not make, any offer relating to the New Notes that constitutes or would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) or that otherwise constitutes or would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) or portion thereof required to be filed with the Commission or required to be retained by the Company pursuant to Rule 433; provided that the prior written consent of the Selling Securityholders shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, listed on Schedule I hereto and, to any electronic road show in the form previously provided by the Company to and approved by the Representatives. Any such free writing prospectus consented to or deemed to have been consented to as aforesaid is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents, warrants and agrees that it has treated and will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Schedule I hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.

9. Definitions and Interpretation.

(a) As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Annex A to the Public Offer Notice, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:

EDGAR” means the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System.

FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) relating to the offering of the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” (as defined in paragraph (d)(8)(i) of Rule 433), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to paragraph (d)(5)(i) of Rule 433 because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, and all free writing prospectuses that are listed in Schedule I hereto, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to paragraph (g) of Rule 433.

 

Annex A-20


Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by it being specified in Schedule I hereto.

Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.

preliminary prospectus” means any prospectus together with, if applicable, the accompanying prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted the public offering price of the Securities or that was captioned “Subject to Completion,” together with the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The term “preliminary prospectus” includes the Pre-Pricing Prospectus.

Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S–3 (Registration No. 333-264799) filed on May 9, 2022 and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S–3 under the Securities Act and the Rule 430B Information; provided that any Rule 430B Information shall be deemed part of the Registration Statement only from and after the time specified pursuant to Rule 430B.

Rule 163,” “Rule 164,” “Rule 172,” “Rule 173(d),” “Rule 401(g)(2),” “Rule 405,” “Rule 424(b),” Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Securities Act.

Rule 430B Information” means the information included in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing filed pursuant to clause (2), (5) or (7) of Rule 424(b) that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the time it first became effective but is deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B.

(b) All references herein to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the version thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR and all versions thereof delivered (physically or electronically) to the Representatives or the Underwriters.

 

Annex A-21


(c) All references herein to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Annex A to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

(d) All references herein to the words “include” and “including” (and variations thereof) shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation” or “but not limited to”; and the use of the word “or” shall not be exclusive.

 

 

Annex A-22


SCHEDULE I TO ANNEX A

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus

Final Pricing Term Sheet dated [_____].

Schedule I to Annex A

Exhibit 1.2

 

 

 

Spire Inc.

$350,000,000 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Dated: February 5, 2024

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

SECTION 1.

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

     2  

SECTION 2.

 

SALE AND DELIVERY TO UNDERWRITERS; CLOSING

     16  

SECTION 3.

 

COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

     17  

SECTION 4.

 

PAYMENT OF EXPENSES

     21  

SECTION 5.

 

CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS’ OBLIGATIONS

     22  

SECTION 6.

 

CONDITIONS OF THE SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS’ OBLIGATIONS

     24  

SECTION 7.

 

INDEMNIFICATION

     24  

SECTION 8.

 

CONTRIBUTION

     27  

SECTION 9.

 

REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY

     29  

SECTION 10.

 

TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT

     29  

SECTION 11.

 

DEFAULT BY ONE OR MORE OF THE UNDERWRITERS

     30  

SECTION 12.

 

NOTICES

     31  

SECTION 13.

 

PARTIES

     31  

SECTION 14.

 

GOVERNING LAW AND TIME

     31  

SECTION 15.

 

EFFECT OF HEADINGS; COUNTERPARTS

     31  

SECTION 16.

 

DEFINITIONS

     32  

SECTION 17.

 

PERMITTED FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

     35  

SECTION 18.

 

ABSENCE OF FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP

     35  

SECTION 19.

 

RECOGNITION OF U.S. SPECIAL RESOLUTION

     36  

SECTION 20.

 

RESEARCH ANALYST INDEPENDENCE

     37  

SECTION 21.

 

TRIAL BY JURY

     37  

 

i


EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A       Selling Securityholders
Exhibit B       Underwriters
Exhibit C       Pricing Term Sheet
Exhibit D       Subsidiaries of the Company
Exhibit E       Form of Opinion of Stinson LLP
Exhibit F       Form of Opinion of Matthew J. Aplington, Esq.
Exhibit G       Form of Opinion of Spain & Gillon, LLC
Exhibit H       Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses

 

ii


Spire Inc.

$350,000,000 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

February 5, 2024

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

1271 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway, 29th Floor

New York, New York 10036

As the several Underwriters

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Spire Inc., a Missouri corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with the several selling securityholders named in Exhibit A hereto (collectively, the “Selling Securityholders”) and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (“Wells Fargo”), Mizuho Securities USA LLC (“Mizuho”) and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Exhibit B hereto (collectively, including Wells Fargo, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 11 hereof), for whom Wells Fargo, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley are acting as representatives (each of Wells Fargo, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley, in such capacity, a “Representative” and, collectively, the “Representatives”), with respect to the sale by each of the Company and the Selling Securityholders and the purchase by the several Underwriters of an aggregate of $350,000,000 principal amount of the Company’s 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026 (the “Securities”), of which (i) an aggregate of $175,000,000 principal amount thereof (the “Secondary Notes”) are proposed to be sold by the Selling Securityholders and purchased by the Underwriters, in each case acting severally and not jointly, and (ii) an aggregate of $175,000,000 principal amount thereof (the “Primary Notes”) are proposed to be issued and sold by the Company and purchased by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly. Certain terms used in this Underwriting Agreement (this “Agreement”) are defined in Section 16 hereof. If the Representatives are the only firms listed in Exhibit B hereto, then the terms “Underwriters” and “Representatives” as used herein shall each be deemed to refer to such firms.

 

1


The Securities are to be issued pursuant to the Indenture (For Unsecured Debt Securities), dated as of August 19, 2014, between the Company and Regions Bank (as successor in interest to UMB Bank & Trust, N.A.), as trustee (the “Trustee”), as previously amended or supplemented prior to the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2(b) hereof) (as so amended or supplemented, the “Base Indenture”), and as to be further amended or supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture thereto, dated as of the Closing Date, between the Company and the Trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture” and the Base Indenture, as amended or supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”).

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

The Company has prepared and previously delivered to you a preliminary prospectus supplement dated February 5, 2024 relating to the Securities and a related prospectus dated May 9, 2022 (the “Base Prospectus”). Such preliminary prospectus supplement and the Base Prospectus, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Pre-Pricing Prospectus.” Promptly after the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a prospectus supplement dated February 5, 2024 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) and will file the Prospectus Supplement and the Base Prospectus with the Commission, all in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and Rule 424(b), and the Company has previously advised you of all information (financial and other) that will be set forth therein. The Prospectus Supplement and the Base Prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are herein called, collectively, the “Prospectus.”

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(1) Status as a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. At (A) the respective times the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto were filed with the Commission, (B) the time of the most recent amendment to the Registration Statement for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was any post-effective amendment thereto, any report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act and incorporated by reference therein or any form of prospectus), (C) any time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause (1) only, of paragraph (c) of Rule 163) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 and (D) the date hereof, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405), including not having been and not being an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405, without taking into account any determination made by the Commission pursuant to paragraph (2) of the definition of such term in Rule 405); and without limitation to the foregoing, the Company has at all relevant times met, meets and will at all relevant times meet the requirements of Rule 164 for the use of a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405) in connection with the offering

 

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contemplated hereby. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405), and the Securities, since their registration on the Registration Statement, have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such “automatic shelf registration statement.” The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. Any written communication that was an offer relating to the Securities made by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this sentence only, of paragraph (c) of Rule 163) prior to the filing of the Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 163 and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.

(2) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the Securities have been duly registered under the 1933 Act pursuant to the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. The Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission on May 9, 2022.

(3) Registration Statement, Prospectus and Disclosure at Time of Sale. At the respective times that the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the time the Company filed the Annual Report (including any amendments thereto) with the Commission, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments to any of the foregoing complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act and did not and will not contain an 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.

At the respective times the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or issued, at the Closing Date, and at any time when a prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered in connection with sales of Securities (whether to meet the requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

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As of the Applicable Time (except in the case of clause (C) below) and as of each time prior to the Closing Date that an investor agrees (orally or in writing) to purchase or, if applicable, reconfirms (orally or in writing) an agreement to purchase any Securities from the Underwriters, neither (A) the Pricing Term Sheet (as defined in Section 3(l) hereof), any other Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the Pre-Pricing Prospectus as of the Applicable Time, considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, nor (C) any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued subsequent to the Applicable Time, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424(b), or delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, complied when so filed or when so delivered, as the case may be, in all material respects with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

The representations and warranties in the preceding paragraphs of this Section 1(a)(3) do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein or by any Selling Securityholder expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any such Underwriter as aforesaid consists of the information described as such in Section 7(c) hereof and the only information furnished by any such Selling Securityholder as aforesaid consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof, or to any statements in or omissions from the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee under the Indenture. The Indenture has been qualified under and conforms in all material respects to the 1939 Act.

The copies of the Registration Statement and any amendments to any of the foregoing and the copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing that have been or subsequently are delivered to the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise) were and will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T of the Commission. For purposes of this Agreement, references to the “delivery” or “furnishing” of any of the foregoing documents to the Underwriters, and any similar terms, include electronic delivery.

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (if any), as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offering and sale of the Securities did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus that has not been superseded or modified.

 

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(4) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, at the respective times they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations and did not and will not contain an 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(5) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP (“D&T”) are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the PCAOB.

(6) Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules (if any) and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved and comply with all applicable accounting requirements under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations, as applicable. Any supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP, the information required to be stated therein. No pro forma financial statements, and no financial statements of any entity or business other than the Company, are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. All “non-GAAP financial measures” (as defined in the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply with Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K of the Commission, to the extent applicable.

(7) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (in each case exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), (A) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, properties, management or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (in each case exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liability or obligation or entered into any transaction or agreement that, individually or in the aggregate, is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, and neither

 

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the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business or operations from fire, explosion, flood, earthquake or other natural disaster or calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or disturbance or court or governmental action, order or decree that could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect and (C) except for regular quarterly cash dividends on the Company’s common stock in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

(8) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Missouri and has power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(9) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or limited liability company, as the case may be, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each such subsidiary that is a corporation and all of the issued and outstanding limited liability company interests, membership interests or other similar interests of each such subsidiary that is a limited liability company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any Lien. The only subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit D hereto and Exhibit D hereto accurately sets forth whether each such subsidiary is a corporation or limited liability company and the jurisdiction of organization of each such subsidiary.

(10) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of December 31, 2023 is as set forth in the column entitled “Actual” and in the corresponding line items under the caption “Capitalization” in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus and, at the time of the purchase of the Securities by the Underwriters on the Closing Date, the capitalization of the Company will be as set forth in the column entitled “As Adjusted” and in the corresponding line items under such caption (in each case except for issuances, if any,

 

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subsequent to December 31, 2023 pursuant to employee or director stock option, stock purchase or other equity incentive plans or any dividend reinvestment plan described in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, upon the exercise of options issued pursuant to any such stock option, stock purchase or other equity incentive plans as so described, or upon the exercise of options described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other person or entity.

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

(12) The Securities. The Securities are in the form contemplated by the Indenture and have been duly authorized by the Company and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when the Primary Notes are duly authenticated by the Trustee and delivered by the Company to the Underwriters against payment of the purchase price therefor as provided in this Agreement and the Secondary Notes are duly authenticated by the Trustee and delivered by the Company to the Selling Securityholders against payment of the purchase price therefor as provided in the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement, dated the date hereof, between the Company and the Selling Securityholders (the “Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement”), the Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by (A) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer and conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally including court decisions interpreting such laws, (B) general principles of equity, including concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity), (C) the power of courts to award damages in lieu of equitable remedies, (D) laws and public policy underlying such laws with respect to rights to indemnification and contribution and (E) constitutional bounds on laws that govern the enforceability of choice of law provisions in agreements (the “Enforceability Exceptions”), and will be entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture; and the Securities will conform in all material respects to the respective statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(13) The Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company, the Base Indenture has been and, at the Closing Date, the Supplemental Indenture will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee, the Base Indenture constitutes and, as of the Closing Date, the Supplemental Indenture will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions; and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and at the most recent effective date of the Registration Statement, the Indenture was duly qualified under the 1939 Act.

 

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(14) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its Organizational Documents or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any Company Document, except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein, do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default, Termination Event or Repayment Event under, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any Company Documents, except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Liens that would neither, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect nor materially and adversely affect the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities, nor will such action result in any violation of (A) the provisions of the Organizational Documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (B) any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective assets, properties or operations, except, in the case of clause (B) above, for such violations that would neither, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect nor materially and adversely affect the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities.

(15) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of the principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that might reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(16) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or that might reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect or to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject that are not described in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(17) Accuracy of Descriptions and Exhibits. The information in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences” and the information in the Annual Report under the captions “Business—Gas Utility—Regulatory Matters,” “Legal Proceedings,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates—Regulatory Accounting” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Regulatory Matters,” and in Item 13 thereof under the caption “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence,” in each case to the extent that it constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, summaries of provisions of the Company’s Organizational Documents or any other instruments or agreements, summaries of legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, is correct in all material respects; all descriptions in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of any other Company Documents are accurate in all material respects; and there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, leases or other instruments, agreements or documents required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein that have not been so described and filed as required.

(18) Absence of Further Requirements. (A) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign, (B) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any holder of capital stock or other securities of the Company or creditor of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (C) no authorization, approval, waiver or consent under any Company Document and (D) no authorization, approval, vote or consent of any other person or entity is necessary or required for the authorization, execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities by the Company, for the offering of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement, or for the consummation of any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities, in each case on the terms contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except (i) such as have been obtained or made, (ii) under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act and (iii) that no representation is made as to such as may be required under state or foreign securities laws.

(19) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; and, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions

 

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of all such Governmental Licenses, all such Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses that individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(20) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by any of them (if any) and good title to all other properties and assets owned by any of them, in each case, free and clear of all Liens (other than the Lien of the Existing Indentures) except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) are not, individually or in the aggregate, material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, are not required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; all real property, buildings and other improvements, and all equipment and other property held under lease or sublease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases or subleases, as the case may be, with, solely in the case of leases or subleases relating to real property, buildings or other improvements, such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property and buildings or other improvements by the Company and its subsidiaries, and all such leases and subleases are in full force and effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises or to the continued use of the leased or subleased equipment or other property except for such claims that, if successfully asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(21) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the receipt and application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use Of Proceeds” will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” (each as defined in the 1940 Act).

(22) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals,

 

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pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, Liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(23) Absence of Registration Rights. Other than the Selling Securityholders, there are no persons or entities with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) (A) registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement or (B) otherwise registered by the Company under the 1933 Act, and there are no persons or entities with co-sale rights, tag-along rights or other similar rights to have any securities (debt or equity) included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement or sold in connection with the sale of the Securities.

(24) Tax Returns. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed (or have obtained extensions thereof), except where the failure so to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes (including any estimated taxes) required to be paid and any other assessment, fine or penalty, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such tax, assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate actions and except for such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties the nonpayment of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(25) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and any fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(26) Accounting and Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain and have established and maintained effective “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15 of the 1934 Act Regulations). The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been, at any time during the Company’s three consecutive fiscal years ended with and including the Company’s most recent fiscal year for which audited financial statements are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or at any time subsequent thereto, any material weakness (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the Commission) in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Annual Report and the Quarterly Report, since the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal year for which audited financial statements are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been 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. The Company and its subsidiaries have established, maintained and periodically evaluate the effectiveness of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 of the 1934 Act Regulations); and such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act and the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement are recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

The Company’s independent public accountants and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors have been advised of all material weaknesses, if any, and significant deficiencies (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the Commission), if any, in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and of all fraud, if any, whether or not material, involving management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, in each case that occurred or existed, or was first detected, at any time during the Company’s five consecutive fiscal years ended with and including the Company’s most recent fiscal year for which audited financial statements are included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or at any time subsequent thereto.

(27) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with which any of them is required to comply, including Section 402 thereof related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 thereof related to certifications.

 

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(28) Absence of Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(29) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical, demographic, market-related and similar data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate and accurately reflect the materials upon which such data is based or from which it was derived.

(30) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person or entity acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that has resulted or would result in a violation by any such person or entity of the FCPA, including any 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 defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and its subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its other affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and that are reasonably expected to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(31) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with 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), the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving a violation by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(32) OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors or officers nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or other person or entity acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department or the U.S. Department of State; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities by the Company in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available any such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, to engage in, facilitate or finance any activities with or involving any person or entity that is currently the target of any U.S. sanctions in a manner that would result in a violation of U.S. sanctions.

 

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(33) ERISA Compliance. None of the following events has occurred or exists that might reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect: (A) a failure to fulfill the obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of ERISA with respect to a Plan (as defined below) determined without regard to any waiver of such obligations or extension of any amortization period; (B) an audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory agency with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (C) any breach of any contractual obligation, or any violation of law or applicable qualification standards, with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by the Company or any of its subsidiaries. None of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur that, individually or in the aggregate, could result in a Material Adverse Effect: (i) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year; (ii) a material increase in the “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 715) of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company’s most recently completed fiscal year; (iii) any event or condition giving rise to a liability under Title IV of ERISA; or (iv) the filing of a claim by one or more employees or former employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries related to its or their employment. For purposes of this Section 1(a)(33) and the definition of ERISA, the term “Plan” means a “plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA, other than a “multiemployer plan” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA), with respect to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries may have any liability.

(34) Lending and Other Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any lending or similar relationship with any Underwriter or any bank or other lending institution affiliated with any Underwriter, (B) the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities by the Company hereunder to reduce or retire the balance of any loan or credit facility extended by any Underwriter or any of its “affiliates” or “associated persons” (as defined in FINRA Rule 5121) or otherwise direct any such proceeds to any Underwriter or any of its “affiliates” or “associated persons” (as so defined) and (C) there are and have been no transactions, arrangements or dealings between the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on one hand, and any Underwriter or any of its “affiliates” or “associated persons” (as so defined), on the other hand, that, under FINRA Rule 5110 or 5121, must be disclosed in a submission to FINRA in connection with the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby or disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or Prospectus.

 

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(35) Offering Materials. Without limitation to the provisions of Section 17 hereof, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute, directly or indirectly (other than through the Underwriters), any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405) or other offering materials in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities, other than the Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing that are filed with the Commission and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses (as defined in Section 17 hereof).

(36) No Restrictions on Dividends. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise bound by any instrument or agreement that limits or prohibits or could limit or prohibit, directly or indirectly, the Company from paying any dividends or making other distributions on its capital stock, and no subsidiary of the Company is a party to or otherwise bound by any instrument or agreement that limits or prohibits or could limit or prohibit, directly or indirectly, any subsidiary of the Company from (A) paying any dividends or making any other distributions on its capital stock, limited or general partnership interests, limited liability company interests or other equity interests, as the case may be, or (B) repaying any loans or advances from or (except for instruments or agreements that by their express terms prohibit the transfer or assignment thereof or of any rights thereunder) transferring any of its properties or assets to, the Company or any other subsidiary, in each case except under the Existing Indentures or as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(37) Brokers. There is not a broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for underwriting discounts and commissions in connection with the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.

(38) Interactive Data. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language 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.

(b) Representations and Warranties of the Selling Securityholders. Each Selling Securityholder, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Date and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(1) At the Closing Date, such Selling Securityholder will have good and marketable title to the Secondary Notes to be sold by it, free and clear of all Liens, and full right, power and authority to effect the sale and delivery of the Secondary Notes; and upon the delivery of, against payment for, the Secondary Notes pursuant to this Agreement, and assuming an Underwriter does not have notice of any adverse claim, such Underwriter will acquire good and marketable title thereto, free and clear of all Liens.

 

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(2) Such Selling Securityholder has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder, and this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Securityholder.

(3) No consent, approval or waiver is required under any instrument or agreement to which such Selling Securityholder is a party or by which such Selling Securityholder is bound in connection with the offering, sale or purchase by the Underwriters of any of the Secondary Notes that may be sold by such Selling Securityholder under this Agreement or the consummation by such Selling Securityholder of any of the other transactions contemplated hereby.

(4) Such Selling Securityholder will deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by U.S. Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).

(5) Such Selling Securityholder has not and until the Closing Date will not create any derivative or security linked to the Secondary Notes.

(c) Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (whether signed on behalf of such officer, the Company or such subsidiary) or any representative of the Selling Securityholders and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or the Selling Securityholders, as the case may be, to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) The Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (i) each Selling Securityholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to sell the principal amount of the Secondary Notes set forth opposite its name in Exhibit A hereto to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase the principal amount of the Secondary Notes set forth opposite its name in Exhibit B hereto (plus any additional principal amount of the Secondary Notes that such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 hereof) from the several Selling Securityholders, at a price equal to 99.540% of the principal amount thereof, and (ii) the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, the aggregate principal amount of the Primary Notes set forth in Exhibit B hereto, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase the principal amount of the Primary Notes set forth opposite its name in Exhibit B hereto (plus any additional aggregate principal amount of Primary Notes that such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 hereof) from the Company, at a price equal to 99.540% of the principal amount thereof.

 

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(b) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Securities shall be made at the offices of Bracewell LLP, 31 West 52nd Street, Suite 1900, New York, New York 10019, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives, the Selling Securityholders and the Company, at 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on February 12, 2024 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 hereof), or such other time not later than five business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives, the Selling Securityholders and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the “Closing Date”).

Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to (i) in the case of the Secondary Notes, Wells Fargo, for the respective accounts of the Selling Securityholders, to a bank account designated by Wells Fargo against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Secondary Notes to be purchased by them and (ii) in the case of the Primary Notes, to the Company to a single bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Primary Notes to be purchased by them, in each case with any transfer taxes payable in connection therewith duly paid by the Company. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Securities that it has agreed to purchase. Each of the Representatives, individually and not as a Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Date, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

(c) Delivery of Securities. The Company shall make one or more global certificates (collectively, the “Global Securities”) representing the Securities available for inspection by the Representatives not later than 1:00 p.m., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date and, on the Closing Date, the Company shall, upon the surrender for transfer of the Secondary Notes by the Representatives, deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Global Securities to DTC or to the Trustee, acting as custodian for DTC, as applicable, in accordance with the Indenture.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and Rule 433 and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or when any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments with respect to any of the foregoing from the Commission (and shall promptly furnish the Representatives with a copy of any comment letters and any transcript of oral comments, and shall furnish the Representatives with copies of any written responses thereto a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed filing thereof with the Commission and will not file any such response to which any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object), (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any

 

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stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, or any notice from the Commission objecting to the use of the form of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and the suspension or loss of any qualification of the Securities for offering or sale and any loss or suspension of any exemption from any such qualification, and if any such stop order is issued, or any such suspension or loss occurs, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations, except to the extent such filing fees have been paid prior to the date hereof.

(b) Filing of Amendments. The Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment, supplement or revision to any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act or otherwise, and the Company will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents within a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time. The Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any filing pursuant to the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations from the Applicable Time through the Closing Date (or, if later, through the end of the period during which the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) to be delivered by applicable law (whether to meet the requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise)) and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, copies of the Registration Statement (including any amendments thereto and any exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof) and copies of all consents and certificates of experts.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) to be delivered by applicable law (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), such number of copies of the Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing as such Underwriter may reasonably request.

 

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(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary (or if any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall notify the Company that, in its judgment, it is necessary) to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus so that the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or then prevailing, not misleading or if it is necessary (or, if any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall notify the Company that, in its judgment, it is necessary) to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event or condition and of its intention to file such amendment or supplement (or, if any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall have notified the Company as aforesaid, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of its intention to prepare such amendment or supplement) and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such untrue statement or omission or to comply with such requirements, and, in the case of an amendment or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment become effective as soon as practicable, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement or if an event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary (or, if any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall notify the Company that, in its judgment, it is necessary) to amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus so that it will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or then prevailing, not misleading, or if it is necessary (or, if any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall notify the Company that, in its judgment, it is necessary) to amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event or condition and of its intention to file such amendment or supplement (or, if any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall have notified the Company as aforesaid, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of its intention to prepare such amendment or supplement) and will promptly prepare and, if required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission or to comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

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(f) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the Securities to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Securities (but in no event for a period of not less than one year from the date of this Agreement); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as required for the distribution of the Securities (but in no event for a period of not less than one year from the date of this Agreement).

(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Primary Notes in the manner specified in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(i) Restriction on Sale of Securities. From and including the date of this Agreement through and including the earlier to occur of (i) Closing Date and (ii) the date of the termination of the fixed price offering restrictions applicable to the Underwriters, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, issue, offer, pledge, assign, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of any debt securities of the Company that are similar to the Securities (other than the Securities issued under this Agreement or the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any debt securities of the Company that are similar to the Securities.

(j) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required (or, but for the provisions of Rule 172, would be required) by applicable law to be delivered (whether to meet the request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173(d) or otherwise), will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

 

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(k) Preparation of Prospectus. Immediately following the execution of this Agreement, the Company will, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, prepare the Prospectus, which shall contain the public offering price and terms of the Securities, the plan of distribution thereof and such other information as may be required by the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or as the Representatives and the Company may deem appropriate, and will file or transmit for filing the Prospectus with the Commission in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on clause (8) of Rule 424(b)).

(l) Pricing Term Sheet. The Company will prepare a pricing term sheet (the “Pricing Term Sheet”) containing certain final terms of the Securities in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C and otherwise in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, and will file the Term Sheet as an “issuer free writing prospectus” pursuant to Rule 433 in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433; provided that the Company shall furnish the Representatives with copies of the Pricing Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including any amendments thereto and, in each case, any exhibits thereto) and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing, (ii) the word processing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, the Supplemental Indenture and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities and the issuance and delivery of the Securities to be sold by the Company to the Underwriters, including any issue or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other taxes or duties payable in connection with the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) the qualification or exemption of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of a blue sky survey and any supplements thereto, (vi) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing, (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of a blue sky survey and any Canadian “wrapper” and any supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing, (viii) the fees and expenses of (including fees and disbursements of counsel for) the Trustee in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities, (ix) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the review, if any, by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (x) all fees charged by any rating agencies for rating the Securities, (xi) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with the approval of the Securities for clearance, settlement and book-entry transfer through DTC and (xii) the costs and expenses of the Company and any of its officers, directors, counsel or other representatives in connection with presentations or meetings undertaken in connection with the offering of the Securities, including expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics and the production and hosting of any electronic road shows, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with road show presentations, and travel, lodging, transportation, and other expenses of the officers, directors, counsel and other representatives of the Company incurred in connection with any such presentations or meetings.

 

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(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 10(a)(i), Section 10(a)(iii)(A) or Section 10(a)(v) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Securityholders contained in this Agreement, or in certificates signed by any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company (whether signed on behalf of such officer, the Company or such subsidiary) or any representative of the Selling Securityholders delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Securityholders of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives and the Commission shall not have notified the Company of any objection to the use of the form of the Registration Statement. The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on clause (8) of Rule 424(b)) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed with the Commission shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433, and, prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have provided evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filings.

(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Date, of each of (i) Stinson LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such opinion for each of the other Underwriters, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit E hereto and to such further effect as the Representatives may reasonably request, (ii) Matthew J. Aplington, Esq., Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Corporate Secretary of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such opinion for each of the other Underwriters, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit F hereto and to such further effect as the Representatives may reasonably request and (iii) Spain & Gillon, LLC, local counsel for Spire Alabama Inc., an Alabama corporation that is wholly owned by the Company, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such opinion for each of the other Underwriters, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit G hereto and to such further effect as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

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(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the favorable letter, dated as of the Closing Date, of Bracewell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters (“Underwriters’ Counsel”), together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, with respect to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (in each case exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), any material adverse change or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change in the condition (financial or other), results of operations, business, properties, management or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and, at the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by the President, an Executive Vice President or a Senior Vice President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or principal accounting officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct at and as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date under or pursuant to this Agreement and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission and the Commission has not notified the Company of any objection to the use of the form of the Registration Statement.

(e) Accountants Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received the letter of D&T dated the date of this Agreement and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and addressed to the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the 1933 Act with respect to the Company and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualifications of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission and containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements of the Company and certain financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (other than any electronic road show) and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing.

(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the letter of D&T dated as of the Closing Date and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in their letter furnished pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.

 

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(g) Additional Documents. At the Closing Date, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, contained in this Agreement, or as any Representative or counsel for the Underwriters may otherwise reasonably request; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives.

(h) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company and the Selling Securityholders at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that, in the case of any such termination of this Agreement, Section 1, Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section 12, Section 13, Section 14, Section 15, Section 16, Section 18, Section 20 and Section 21 hereof shall survive such termination of this Agreement and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Conditions of the Selling Securityholders Obligations. The obligations of the Selling Securityholders to sell and deliver the Secondary Notes on the Closing Date are subject to the conditions that at the Closing Date (i) they shall have purchased the Secondary Notes pursuant to the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement and (ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission. If such conditions shall not have been satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Selling Securityholders by notice to the Company and the Representatives, without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that, in the case of any such termination of this Agreement, Section 1, Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section 12, Section 13, Section 14, Section 15, Section 16, Section 18, Section 20 and Section 21 hereof shall survive such termination of this Agreement and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 7. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless (i) each Underwriter, its affiliates and agents and its and their officers, directors, employees, partners and members and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) and (ii) each Selling Securityholder, its affiliates and agents and its and their officers, directors, employees, partners and members and each person, if any, who controls any Selling Securityholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act (each, a “Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party”) as follows:

 

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(A) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433), or any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433) that does not constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(B) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred by such Indemnified Party, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

(C) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in investigating, preparing for or defending against any subpoena or litigation, or any proceeding, subpoena or investigation by any governmental agency or body, whether commenced or threatened, or any loss, claim, damage, liability or action whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under clause (A) or (B) above,

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives or by any Selling Securityholder, in each case expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or arises out of, or is based on, statements or omissions from the part of the Registration Statement that shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility under the 1939 Act of the Trustee under the Indenture, or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or in any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters as aforesaid consists of the information described as such in Section 7(c) hereof and the only information furnished by the Selling Securityholders as aforesaid consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.

(b) Indemnification by the Selling Securityholders. Each Selling Securityholder agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement (each, a “Company Indemnified Party”), each Underwriter Indemnified Party and each other Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 7(a) hereof, to which any such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the 1933

 

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Act, the 1934 Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Securityholder expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the information furnished to the Company by such Selling Securityholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), consists exclusively of the information regarding the beneficial ownership by such Selling Securityholder of the Secondary Notes set forth in the table under the caption “Selling Securityholders” in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(c) Indemnification by the Underwriters. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless each Company Indemnified Party and each Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 7(a) hereof, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), consists exclusively of the following information appearing in the Pre-Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus: (i) the information regarding the concession and reallowance appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” therein and (ii) the information regarding market making, stabilization, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids appearing in the second, third and fourth paragraphs under the second table set forth in such caption (but only insofar as such information described in clauses (i) and (ii) above concerns the Underwriters).

(d) Actions Against Parties; Notification. Each Company Indemnified Party, Selling Securityholder Indemnified Party or Underwriter Indemnified Party (in any such case, an “Indemnified Party”) shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under Section 7(a), 7(b) or 7(c) hereof, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture or impairment of procedural or substantive rights or defenses) by such failure, provided that the failure to notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Party otherwise than under Section 7(a), 7(b) or 7(c) hereof. Counsel for the Indemnified Parties shall be selected as follows: counsel for the Company Indemnified Parties shall be selected by the

 

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Company, counsel for the Selling Securityholder Indemnified Parties shall be selected by Wells Fargo, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley and counsel for the Underwriter Indemnified Parties shall be selected by the Representatives. An indemnifying party may, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel for the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of an Indemnified Party) also be counsel for such Indemnified Party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such Indemnified Party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such Indemnified Party under this Section 6 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. In no event shall the indemnifying party be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for the Company Indemnified Parties, the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for the Selling Securityholder Indemnified Parties and the fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for the Underwriter Indemnified Parties, in each case in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 7 or Section 8 hereof (whether or not the Indemnified Parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Party.

(e) Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an Indemnified Party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse such Indemnified Party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this Section 7, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by clause (B) of Section 7(a) hereof effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such Indemnified Party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

SECTION 8. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 7 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an Indemnified Party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such Indemnified Party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company or the Selling Securityholders, as the case may be, on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company or the Selling Securityholders, as the case may be, on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

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The relative benefits received by the Company, the Selling Securityholders and the Underwriters, respectively, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company or the Selling Securityholders, as the case may be, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on such cover.

The relative fault of the Company, the Selling Securityholders and the Underwriters, respectively, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Selling Securityholders or the Underwriters, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Selling Securityholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the aggregate proceeds from the sale of the Secondary Notes sold by such Selling Securityholder exceeds the amount of the purchase price paid by such Selling Securityholder for such Secondary Notes pursuant to the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement, which amount shall be deemed to equal the purchase price paid by such Selling Securityholder for the Remarketable Notes (as defined in the Securities Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement) delivered by such Selling Securityholder thereunder net of the cash payment received by such Selling Securityholder pursuant thereto.

The Company, the Selling Securityholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and 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 above in this Section 8. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an Indemnified Party and referred to above in this Section 8 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in investigating, preparing for or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

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 any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

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No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person or entity who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 8, each affiliate of any Selling Securityholder or Underwriter, each officer, director, employee, partner and member of any Selling Securityholder or Underwriter or any such affiliate, and each person, if any, who controls any Selling Securityholder or Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Selling Securityholder or Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. Each Underwriter’s obligation to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite its name in Exhibit B hereto and not joint.

SECTION 9. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (whether signed on behalf of such officer, the Company or such subsidiary) or any representative of the Selling Securityholders and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any officer, director, employee, partner, member or agent of any Underwriter or any person or entity controlling any Underwriter, by or on behalf of any Selling Securityholder, any officer, director, employee, partner, member or agent of any Selling Securityholder or any person or entity controlling any Selling Securityholder or by or on behalf of the Company, any officer, director or employee of the Company or any person or entity controlling the Company and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 10. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination; General. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company and the Selling Securityholders, at any time on or prior to the Closing Date (i) if there has been, at any time on or after the date of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (in each case exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), any Material Adverse Effect or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions (including as a result of terrorist activities), in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if (A) trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NYSE, (B) trading generally on the NYSE, the Nasdaq Stock Market, or in the over-the-counter market has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have

 

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been required, by the NYSE or the Nasdaq Stock Market or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority or (C) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States or in Europe, (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either federal or New York authorities or (v) if there shall have occurred, at any time on or after the date of this Agreement, any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act) or any public announcement that any such organization has placed its rating on the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any such debt securities under surveillance or review or on a so-called “watch list” (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating) or any announcement by any such organization that the Company or any such debt securities has been placed on negative outlook.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 10, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that Section 1, Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section 12, Section 13, Section 14, Section 15, Section 16, Section 18, Section 20 and Section 21 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 11. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Date to purchase the Securities that it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(1) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount of such Defaulted Securities in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters; or

(2) if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default that does not result in a termination of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 11.

 

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SECTION 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be effective only upon receipt and shall be mailed, delivered by hand or overnight courier, or transmitted by electronic mail or fax (with the receipt of such fax to be confirmed by telephone). Notices to (a) the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives c/o Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Transaction Management, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020, Attention: Debt Capital Markets and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Investment Banking Division, (b) the Selling Securityholders shall be directed to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Transaction Management, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020, Attention: Debt Capital Markets and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Investment Banking Division and (c) the Company shall be directed to it at Spire Inc., 700 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63101, Attention: Matthew J. Aplington.

SECTION 13. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Selling Securityholders and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Selling Securityholders, the Company and their respective successors and the other Indemnified Parties and their successors, heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Selling Securityholders and the Company and their respective successors, and the other Indemnified Parties and their successors, heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person or entity. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 15. Effect of Headings; Counterparts. The Section and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and 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) 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.

 

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SECTION 16. Definitions.

(a) As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:

Annual Report” means the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

Applicable Time” means 2:50 p.m. (New York City time) on February 5, 2024 or such other time as agreed by the Company, the Selling Securityholders and the Representatives.

Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Company Documents” means all other contracts, indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan or credit agreements, bonds, notes, debentures, evidences of indebtedness, swap agreements, hedging agreements, leases or other instruments or agreements to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, including the Existing Indentures and any other instruments, agreements and documents filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Annual Report or any subsequent report filed by the Company under the Exchange Act (including the Quarterly Report) pursuant to Rule 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K of the Commission; provided that if any instrument, agreement or other document filed or incorporated by reference as such an exhibit has been redacted or if any portion thereof has been deleted or is otherwise not included as part of such exhibit (whether pursuant to a request for confidential treatment or otherwise), the term “Company Documents” shall nonetheless mean such instrument, agreement or other document, as the case may be, in its entirety, including any portions thereof that shall have been so redacted, deleted or otherwise not filed.

DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.

EDGAR” means the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System.

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder.

Existing Indentures means (i) the Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of February 1, 1945 between Spire Missouri Inc. (formerly known as Laclede Gas Company and Laclede Gas Light Company, a Missouri corporation), and UMB Bank & Trust, N.A., as successor trustee, (ii) the Amended and Restated Indenture of Mortgage dated as of September 1, 2011 between Spire Gulf Inc. (formerly known as Mobile Gas Service Corporation) and Commerce Bank, as successor trustee and (iii) the Indenture dated as of February 16, 2021 between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor trustee, in each case as amended or supplemented.

FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

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FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) relating to the offering of the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” (as defined in paragraph (d)(8)(i) of Rule 433), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to paragraph (d)(5)(i) of Rule 433 because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, and all free writing prospectuses that are listed in Exhibit H hereto, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to paragraph (g) of Rule 433.

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Exhibit H hereto.

Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

Lien” means any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity.

NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.

OFAC” means the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department.

Organizational Documents” means (i) in the case of a corporation, its articles of incorporation and bylaws, (ii) in the case of a limited liability company, its articles of organization, certificate of formation or similar organizational documents and its operating agreement, limited liability company agreement, membership agreement or other similar agreement and (iii) in the case of any other entity, the organizational and governing documents of such entity.

PCAOB” means the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

preliminary prospectus” means any prospectus together with, if applicable, the accompanying prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted the public offering price of the Securities or that was captioned “Subject to Completion,” together with the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. The term “preliminary prospectus” includes the Pre-Pricing Prospectus.

Quarterly Report” means the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S–3 (File No. 333-264799) filed on May 9, 2022 and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S–3 under the 1933 Act and the Rule 430B Information; provided that any Rule 430B Information shall be deemed part of the Registration Statement only from and after the time specified pursuant to Rule 430B.

 

33


Repayment Event” means any event or condition that, either immediately or with notice or passage of time or both, (i) gives the holder of any bond, note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person or entity acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or (ii) gives any counterparty (or any person or entity acting on such counterparty’s behalf) under any swap agreement, hedging agreement or similar agreement or instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary of the Company is a party the right to liquidate or accelerate the payment obligations, or designate an early termination date under such agreement or instrument, as the case may be.

Rule 163,” “Rule 164,” “Rule 172,” “Rule 173(d),” “Rule 401(g)(2),” “Rule 405,” “Rule 424(b),” Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the 1933 Act.

Rule 430B Information” means the information included in any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing filed pursuant to clause (2), (5) or (7) of Rule 424(b) that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the time it first became effective but is deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof.

Termination Event” means any event or condition that gives any person or entity the right, either immediately or with notice or passage of time or both, to terminate or limit (in whole or in part) any Company Documents or any rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries thereunder, including upon the occurrence of a change of control of the Company or other similar events.

1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

1933 Act Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act.

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

1934 Act Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act.

1939 Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

1940 Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(b) All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the version thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR and all versions thereof delivered (physically or electronically) to the Representatives or the Underwriters.

 

34


(c) All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the 1934 Act that is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

(d) All references in this Agreement to the words “include” and “including” (and variations thereof) shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation” or “but not limited to”; and the use of the word “or” shall not be exclusive.

SECTION 17. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that it has not made and, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make, any offer relating to the Securities that constitutes or would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) or that otherwise constitutes or would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) or portion thereof required to be filed with the Commission or required to be retained by the Company pursuant to Rule 433; provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, listed on Exhibit H hereto and, to any electronic road show in the form previously provided by the Company to and approved by the Representatives. Any such free writing prospectus consented to or deemed to have been consented to as aforesaid is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents, warrants and agrees that it has treated and will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit H hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.

SECTION 18. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company and the Selling Securityholders acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) each of the Underwriters is acting solely as an underwriter in connection with the sale of the Securities and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company or such Selling Securityholder, as the case may be, on the one hand, and any of the Underwriters, on the other hand, has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not any of the Underwriters has advised or is advising the Company or such Selling Securityholder on other matters;

 

35


(b) the public offering price of the Securities and the price to be paid by the Underwriters for the Securities set forth in this Agreement were established by the Company and the Selling Securityholders following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representatives;

(c) it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(d) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company and such Selling Securityholder has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate;

(e) it is aware that the Underwriters and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions that may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and such Selling Securityholder and that none of the Underwriters has any obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company or such Selling Securityholder by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and

(f) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against any of the Underwriters for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that none of the Underwriters shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person or entity asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company or such Selling Securityholder or any stockholders, employees or creditors thereof.

SECTION 19. Recognition of U.S. Special Resolution. In the event that (a) any Underwriter or Selling Securityholder that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter or Selling Securityholder 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 and (b) any Underwriter or Selling Securityholder that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter or Selling Securityholder becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter or Selling Securityholder 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 18, (i) a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. Section 1841(k), (ii) “Covered Entity” means (A) a “covered entity” (as defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 252.82(b)), (B) a “covered bank” (as defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 47.3(b)) or (C) a “covered FSI” (as defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 382.2(b)), (iii) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Section 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable, and (iv) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (A) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations thereunder and (B) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations thereunder.

 

36


SECTION 20. Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ respective research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ respective research analysts and research departments may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations or publish research reports with respect to the Company or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their respective research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters’ respective investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the Company and other entities that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

SECTION 21. Trial By Jury. Each of the Company (on its own behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), the Selling Securityholders and the Underwriters 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 Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

37


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters, the Selling Securityholders and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
SPIRE INC.
By  

/s/ Steven P. Rasche

  Name:   Steven P. Rasche
  Title:   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, as of

 the date first above written:

 

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
By  

/s/ Carolyn Hurley

  Authorized Signatory
MIZUHO SECURITIES USA LLC
By  

/s/ Stephen E. Leamer

  Authorized Signatory
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC
By  

/s/ Natalie Smithson

  Authorized Signatory

As the several Selling Securityholders named in Exhibit A hereto

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, as of the

 date first above written:

 

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
By  

/s/ Carolyn Hurley

  Authorized Signatory
MIZUHO SECURITIES USA LLC
By  

/s/ Stephen E. Leamer

  Authorized Signatory
MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC
By  

/s/ Natalie Smithson

  Authorized Signatory

As the several Underwriters named in Exhibit B hereto

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

Selling Securityholders

 

Name of Selling Securityholder

   Principal
Amount of
Secondary Notes
 

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

   $ 97,224,000  

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

   $ 38,888,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

   $ 38,888,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 175,000,000  
  

 

 

 

 

A-1


EXHIBIT B

 

Name of Underwriter

   Principal
Amount of
Primary Notes
     Principal
Amount of
Secondary Notes
 

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

   $ 97,224,000      $ 97,224,000  

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

   $ 38,888,000      $ 38,888,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

   $ 38,888,000      $ 38,888,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 175,000,000      $ 175,000,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

B-1


EXHIBIT C

PRICING TERM SHEET

Spire Inc.

Pricing Term Sheet

February 5, 2024

$350,000,000 5.300% Senior Notes due 2026

 

Issuer:    Spire Inc.
Selling Securityholders:   

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Ratings (Moody’s / S&P)*:    [Intentionally omitted]
Pricing Date:    February 5, 2024
Settlement Date**:    February 12, 2024 (T+5)
Security Type:    Senior Notes
Maturity Date:    March 1, 2026
Interest Payment Dates:    March 1 and September 1, commencing on September 1, 2024
Principal Amount:    $350,000,000
Benchmark Treasury:    4.250% due January 31, 2026
Benchmark Price / Yield:    99-19 34 / 4.453%
Spread to Benchmark:    +85 bps
Yield to Maturity:    5.303%
Coupon:    5.300%
Public Offering Price:    99.990% of the principal amount
No Optional Redemption:    The notes may not be redeemed prior to the maturity date
CUSIP / ISIN:    84857L AC5 / US84857LAC54
Joint Book-Running Managers:   

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

 

*

Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

**

It is expected that delivery of the notes will be made against payment for the notes on or about February 12, 2024, which is the fifth business day following the date of this pricing term sheet (such settlement cycle being referred to as “T+5”). Under Rule 15(c)6-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes on the date of this pricing term sheet or the next two succeeding business days will be required, by virtue of the fact that the notes initially will settle in T+5, to specify an alternative settlement cycle at the time of any such trade to prevent failed settlement. Purchasers of the notes who wish to trade the notes on the date of this pricing term sheet or the next two succeeding business days should consult their own advisors.

 

C-1


The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a preliminary prospectus supplement and a prospectus) and a prospectus supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the offering to which this communication relates (File No. 333-264799). Before you invest, you should read the prospectus supplement for this offering, the issuer’s prospectus in that registration statement and any 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 searching the SEC online data base (EDGAR) on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus supplement and prospectus if you request it by calling Wells Fargo Securities, LLC toll-free at 1-800-645-3751, Mizuho Securities USA LLC toll-free at 1-866-271-7403 or Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at 1-866-718-1649.

 

C-2


EXHIBIT D

SUBSIDIARIES OF THE COMPANY

 

Name

  

Jurisdiction of Organization

  

Type of Entity

  

Names of General Partners/
Managing Members

Belle Butte LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC
Laclede Development Company    Missouri    Corporation   
Laclede Insurance Risk Services, Inc.    South Carolina    Corporation   
MoGas Pipeline, LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC
Omega Pipeline Company, LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC
Spire Alabama Inc.    Alabama    Corporation   
Spire CNG Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire EnergySouth Inc.    Delaware    Corporation   
Spire Gulf Inc.    Alabama    Corporation   
Spire Marketing Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire Midstream LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Resources LLC
Spire Mississippi Inc.    Mississippi    Corporation   
Spire Missouri Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire NGL Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire Oil Services LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire NGL Inc.
Spire Resources LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Inc.
Spire Services Inc.    Missouri    Corporation   
Spire STL Pipeline LLC    Missouri    Limited Liability Company    Spire Midstream LLC
Spire Storage Salt Plains LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Belle Butte LLC
Spire Storage West LLC    Delaware    Limited Liability Company    Belle Butte LLC

 

D-1


EXHIBIT H

ISSUER GENERAL USE FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

1. Pricing Term Sheet containing certain final terms of the Securities, substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto.

 

H-1

v3.24.0.1
Document and Entity Information
Feb. 05, 2024
Cover [Abstract]  
Document Type 8-K
Document Period End Date Feb. 05, 2024
Entity File Number 1-16681
Entity Registrant Name Spire Inc.
Entity Address Address Line 1 700 Market Street
Entity Address City Or Town St. Louis
Entity Address State Or Province MO
Entity Address Postal Zip Code 63101
City Area Code 314
Local Phone Number 342-0500
Entity Incorporation State Country Code MO
Entity Tax Identification Number 74-2976504
Written Communications false
Soliciting Material false
Pre Commencement Tender Offer false
Pre Commencement Issuer Tender Offer false
Entity Emerging Growth Company false
Amendment Flag false
Entity Central Index Key 0001126956

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