Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement 333-194161
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Security |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Amount of Registration Fee(1) | ||||
| Class A common stock, par value $0.10 |
559 shares | $6.35 | $3,550 | $0.42 | ||||
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| (1) | The registration fee is being paid on a deferred basis in reliance upon Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated February 26, 2014)
The New York Times Company
Up to 559 Shares of Class A Common Stock
Issuable upon the Exercise of Warrants at $6.35 per Share
We are offering up to 559 shares of our Class A common stock, par value $0.10 per share, issuable upon the exercise of a like number of warrants issued by us on February 17, 2009. The warrants were issued to certain holders of our Class B common stock, par value $0.10 per share, pursuant to a preemptive rights offering conducted by us in connection with a private financing in which we issued notes and warrants to purchase shares of our Class A common stock to private investors. As a result of our issuance of the warrants to such private investors, under the terms of our Certificate of Incorporation, each holder of our Class B common stock had a preemptive right to purchase warrants for shares of our Class A common stock at the rate of 0.1112 warrants per share of Class B common stock held, at a price of $1.33 per warrant. The warrants may be exercised at any time prior to January 15, 2015 for an exercise price of $6.35 per share of Class A common stock.
The warrants are not listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange or any other stock exchange or market.
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “NYT.” The reported last sale price of our common stock on December 9, 2014, as reported in the consolidated reporting system, was $12.83 per share.
Investing in the shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and in our periodic reports referred to in the “Documents Incorporated By Reference” section in this prospectus supplement.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus supplement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus supplement is December 10, 2014
Prospectus Supplement
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Prospectus
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| DESCRIPTION OF STOCK PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND STOCK PURCHASE UNITS |
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the terms of the offering of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The second part is the accompanying prospectus dated February 26, 2014, which we refer to as the “accompanying prospectus.” The accompanying prospectus contains a description of our Class A common stock and gives more general information, some of which may not apply to our Class A common stock.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.
Before you invest in the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, you should carefully read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. The incorporated documents are described in this prospectus supplement under “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Documents Incorporated By Reference.”
Unless the context otherwise requires or as otherwise indicated, when we refer to “The New York Times Company,” we mean the corporation by that name, and when we refer to the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” in this prospectus supplement or when we otherwise refer to ourselves in this prospectus supplement, we mean The New York Times Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.
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The Company
The New York Times Company is a global media organization focused on creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. Our continued commitment to premium content and journalistic excellence makes The New York Times brand a trusted source of news and information for readers across various media.
Our company includes newspapers, digital businesses and investments in paper mills. We currently have one reportable segment with businesses that include:
| • | The New York Times (“The Times”); |
| • | the International New York Times; |
| • | our websites, NYTimes.com and international.nytimes.com; and |
| • | related businesses, such as The Times news services division, digital archive distribution, our conference business and other products and services under The Times brand. |
We generate revenues principally from circulation and advertising. Other revenues primarily consist of revenues from news services/syndication, digital archives, office rental income, conferences/events and e-commerce. Our main operating costs primarily consist of employee-related costs and raw materials, primarily newsprint.
Our principal executive office is at 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY, 10018 and our telephone number is (212) 556-1234. Our website is http://www.nytco.com. Information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and therefore is not part of this prospectus supplement.
The Offering
| Class A Common Stock offered upon exercise of 559 outstanding warrants |
559 shares | |
| Warrant Exercise Price |
$6.35 per share | |
| Warrant Expiration Date |
January 15, 2015 | |
| Use of Proceeds |
General corporate purposes | |
| NYSE Symbol |
NYT | |
See “Risk Factors.”
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Your investment in the shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants will involve a high degree of risk. For example, you may lose part or all of your initial investment and you should be prepared to sustain a total loss of the purchase price of your warrants. You should carefully consider the specific risks set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus referred to in “Documents Incorporated By Reference” before deciding whether an investment in our Class A common stock is suitable for you.
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain forward-looking statements that relate to future events or our future financial performance. We may also make forward-looking statements in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and otherwise. We have tried, where possible, to identify such statements by using words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “will,” “project,” “plan” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Any forward-looking statements are and will be based upon our then-current expectations, estimates and assumptions regarding future events and are applicable only as of the dates of such statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements. You should bear this in mind as you consider forward-looking statements. Factors that, individually or in the aggregate, we think could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results include those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus with the SEC. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are a part of that registration statement, which includes additional information.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. These SEC filings are also available to the public from the SEC’s Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, until the offerings under this prospectus supplement are completed:
| • | Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2013, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2014; |
| • | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 30, 2014, filed with the SEC on May 6, 2014; |
| • | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 29, 2014, filed with the SEC on August 5, 2014; |
| • | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 28, 2014, filed with the SEC on November 5, 2014; |
| • | Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 21, 2014, April 30, 2014 and October 1, 2014 (as to Item 8.01 only); and |
| • | The description of our Class A common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 10 filed under Section 12 of the Exchange Act on April 28, 1967, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we are not incorporating any document or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules. Any statement made in a document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or in any subsequently filed document that also is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement made in this prospectus supplement will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement.
You may request a copy of our filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:
The New York Times Company
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
(212) 556-1234
http://www.nytco.com
Attn: Office of the Secretary
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Assuming all of the warrants purchased in the preemptive rights offering are exercised for shares of Class A common stock, we estimate that the net proceeds to us would be approximately $3,550, which will be used by us for general corporate purposes.
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “NYT.”
The number of security holders of record as of December 9, 2014 was as follows: Class A common stock: 6,700; Class B common stock: 26.
Both classes of our common stock participate equally in our quarterly dividends. In September 2013, we announced the initiation of a quarterly dividend in which both classes of our common stock participate equally. Dividends of $.04 per share was paid on the Class A and Class B Common Stock in October 2013, January 2014, April 2014, July 2014, and October 2014. No dividends were declared or paid in 2012. We currently expect to continue to pay comparable cash dividends in the future, although changes in our dividend program will be considered by our Board of Directors in light of our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors considered relevant. In addition, our Board of Directors will consider restrictions in any existing indebtedness, such as the terms of our 6.625% senior unsecured notes due 2016, which restrict our ability to pay dividends.
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the closing high and low sales prices for our Class A common stock as reported in the consolidated reporting system.
| 2014* | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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High | Low | High | Low | High | Low | ||||||||||||||||||
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$ | 16.81 | $ | 13.75 | $ | 10.13 | $ | 8.18 | $ | 8.08 | $ | 6.50 | ||||||||||||
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17.26 | 14.64 | 11.06 | 8.73 | 7.04 | 5.98 | ||||||||||||||||||
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15.61 | 11.46 | 12.66 | 11.06 | 9.80 | 6.66 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Fourth Quarter |
13.61 | 11.22 | 15.47 | 11.94 | 10.88 | 7.86 | ||||||||||||||||||
| * | Through December 9, 2014. |
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Procedure for Exercise of the Warrants
Each warrant is exercisable, in whole or in part by the holder of the warrant, at any time or from time to time, but in no event later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, January 15, 2015, by (i) surrendering it, at the office of the warrant agent designated for such purpose, or at the office of its successor as warrant agent, with the notice of exercise, as set forth in the warrant certificate, and (ii) paying in full, in lawful money of the United States, by certified check, cashier’s check or bank draft payable to the order of the Company, drawn upon a United States bank, or postal, telegraphic or express money order payable to the order of the Company (or as otherwise agreed to by the Company), the exercise price for each full share of Class A common stock as to which the warrant is exercised and any and all applicable taxes due in connection with the exercise of the warrant, the exchange of the warrant for the Class A common stock, and the issuance of the Class A common stock.
Certificates for shares of Class A common stock issued upon exercise of the warrants will be issued in such name or names as the holder of the warrant may designate and will be delivered to such person or persons as soon as practicable after the date on which the warrant is duly exercised.
If you hold your warrants through a custodian bank, broker, dealer or other nominee, you should contact your nominee for instructions on how to exercise the warrants.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not be obligated to deliver any securities pursuant to the exercise of a warrant unless (i) a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise is effective, or (ii) in the opinion of counsel to the Company, the exercise of the warrants is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such securities are qualified for sale or exempt from qualification under applicable securities laws of the states or other jurisdictions in which the registered holders reside. Warrants may not be exercised by, or securities issued to, any registered holder in any state in which such exercise or issuance would be unlawful. In no event will we “net cash settle” any warrant.
Anti-Dilution Adjustments
The exercise price and the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of the warrants are subject to anti-dilution adjustments from time to time in the case of (i) stock splits, subdivisions, reclassifications or combinations; (ii) certain issuances of shares of Class A common stock or convertible securities; (iii) certain other distributions; (iv) certain repurchases of Class A common stock; or (v) certain business combinations.
Stockholder Rights
The holder of a warrant is not entitled to any voting rights or other rights as our stockholder prior to the date of exercise.
Warrant Agent
Computershare, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., collectively serve as the warrant agent, succeeding Mellon Investor Services LLC. Computershare, Inc. also serves as our registrar, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent.
Amendment
The warrant agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of the warrant agreement may be waived only with both our written consent and the consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding warrants.
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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences, as of the date of this prospectus supplement, to U.S. holders (as defined below) of the exercise or expiration of warrants, the sale of shares of Class A common stock and the receipt of distributions on shares of Class A common stock. The discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”), including the corresponding provisions of any successor law, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, published administrative rulings and judicial decisions in effect as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change or differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. However, the discussion does not address all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you if you are subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, or if you do not hold your warrants or shares of Class A common stock you acquire upon an exercise of the warrants as capital assets. We have not requested a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), with respect to any federal tax consequence. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences set forth below. For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of warrants who holds such warrants as a “capital asset” for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally property held for investment) and is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| • | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States (including certain former citizens and former long-term residents); |
| • | a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| • | an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| • | a trust (i) that is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and the control of one or more United States persons as defined in section 7701(a)(30) of the Code or (ii) that was in existence as of August 20, 1996 and that has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to a U.S. holder in light of such U.S. holder’s particular circumstances. For example, this discussion does not address:
| • | tax consequences to U.S. holders who may be subject to special tax treatment, such as dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities that elect to use the mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities, financial institutions, partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes (or investors in such entities), regulated investment companies, expatriates, real estate investment trusts, tax-exempt entities, insurance companies, individual retirement accounts or other tax-deferred account, or retirement plans; |
| • | tax consequences to persons holding shares of our Class B common stock, the preemptive rights, warrants acquired upon an exercise of the preemptive rights, or shares of Class A common stock acquired upon an exercise of the warrants, as part of a hedging, constructive sale or conversion, straddle or other risk reducing transaction; |
| • | tax consequences to U.S. holders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar; |
| • | the U.S. federal estate, gift, Medicare contribution tax or alternative minimum tax consequences, if any, to U.S. holders; or |
| • | any state, local, or foreign tax consequences. |
If a partnership or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal tax purposes holds shares of our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner of such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding warrants, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the tax treatment of the receipt, exercise and expiration of the preemptive rights, and the receipt, exercise, sale, and expiration of warrants that are acquired upon an exercise of the preemptive rights.
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This discussion is based upon the provisions of the Code, its legislative history, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, published rulings and judicial decisions as of the date of this prospectus. The foregoing authorities are subject to change or differing interpretations at any time with possible retroactive effect.
Exercise and Expiration of the Warrants
If a U.S. holder holds warrants, such holder will have no income, gain or loss upon a subsequent exercise of the warrants. Such holder’s tax basis in the shares of Class A common stock acquired on such holder’s exercise of the warrants shall equal the sum of the exercise price paid for such shares and the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the warrants. Such holder’s holding period for the acquired shares of Class A common stock will begin on the date the warrants are exercised.
If a U.S. holder holds warrants, and allows the warrants to expire unexercised, the expiration of the warrant will be treated as a sale or exchange of a capital asset on the expiration date. Because the term of the warrants is more than one year, the U.S. holder’s resulting capital loss will be a long-term capital loss.
Sale of Shares of Our Class A Common Stock and Receipt of Distributions on Shares of Our Class A Common Stock
If a U.S. holder exercises a warrant and acquires shares of Class A common stock, such holder will recognize capital gain, or loss, upon a subsequent sale of the shares, reflecting the amount by which the consideration received exceeds, or is less than, such holder’s tax basis in the shares. The capital gain or loss will be long-term if the U.S. holder’s holding period in the shares is more than one year. Capital gains recognized by individuals are taxable under current law at a maximum rate of 20%. Long-term capital gains recognized by corporations are taxable at ordinary corporate tax rates. If the U.S. holder has held the shares of our common stock for one year or less, the capital gain or loss will be short-term. Short-term capital gains recognized by individuals are taxed at a maximum rate equal to the maximum rate applicable to ordinary income. The deductibility of capital losses by shareholders may be limited.
Distributions, if any, on shares of Class A common stock acquired through the exercise of warrants will be taxable to a U.S. holder as a dividend to the extent that the cash and fair market value of property is allocable to our current and accumulated earnings and profits for the taxable year in which the distribution is made. Dividends received by corporate holders of shares of Class A common stock are taxable at ordinary corporate tax rates, subject to any applicable dividends-received deduction. Dividends received by individual holders of shares of Class A common stock are taxed under current law at the holder’s capital gain tax rate (a maximum rate of 20%) provided that the holder meets applicable holding period and other requirements. Any distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a tax-free return of basis, and any further distributions in excess of the U.S. holder’s tax basis in shares of Class A common stock will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such shares.
Backup Withholding
A U.S. holder may be subject to backup withholding (currently at a rate of 28%) with respect to dividend payments on shares of Class A common stock acquired through the exercise of a warrant or dispositions of warrants or such shares. Backup withholding may apply under certain circumstances if the U.S. holder (1) fails to furnish a social security or other taxpayer identification number, or TIN, (2) furnishes an incorrect TIN, (3) underreports interest or dividends, or (4) fails to provide a certified statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the TIN provided is correct and that the U.S. holder is not subject to backup withholding.
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The information in this section adds to the information in the “Plan of Distribution” section of the accompanying prospectus. Please read these two sections together.
We are offering directly to holders of the warrants 559 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at an exercise price of $6.35 per share.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, New York, New York, has delivered to us an opinion regarding the validity of the securities to be offered by this prospectus.
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PROSPECTUS
THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY
Class A Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities,
Warrants, Depositary Shares,
Stock Purchase Contracts and Stock Purchase Units
We, from time to time, may offer, issue and sell, together or separately:
| • | shares of our Class A common stock; |
| • | shares of our preferred stock; |
| • | debt securities, which will be our senior debt securities; |
| • | warrants to purchase our debt securities, shares of our Class A common stock, shares of our preferred stock, depositary shares or securities of third parties or other rights; |
| • | depositary shares representing an interest in our preferred stock; |
| • | stock purchase contracts to purchase shares of our Class A common stock, or preferred stock; and |
| • | stock purchase units, each representing ownership of a stock purchase contract and debt securities, preferred securities or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. treasury securities or any combination of the foregoing, securing the holder’s obligation to purchase our Class A common stock or preferred stock under the stock purchase contracts. |
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYT.”
This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to these securities and the general manner in which they may be offered. We will provide you with the specific terms of the securities to be offered in one or more supplements to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will also describe the specific manner in which we will offer these securities and may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest.
We may sell these securities on a continuous or delayed basis directly, through agents, dealers or underwriters as designated from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. We reserve the sole right to accept, and together with any agents, dealers and underwriters, reserve the right to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of securities. For additional information on the method of sale, refer to the section titled “Plan of Distribution” below. The names of any underwriters, dealers or agents involved in the sale of any securities, the specific manner in which they may be offered and any applicable commissions or discounts will be set forth in the prospectus supplement covering the sales of those securities. Our net proceeds from the sale of securities also will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our periodic reports referred to in the “Documents Incorporated By Reference” section in this prospectus, as well as any additional risk factors that may be contained in the relevant prospectus supplement to this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is February 26, 2014
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, using a shelf registration process. Under this process, we may sell from time to time any combination of the securities described in this prospectus.
This prospectus describes the general terms of these securities and the general manner in which we will offer the securities. Each time these securities are sold, this prospectus will be accompanied by a prospectus supplement that describes the specific terms of these securities and the specific manner in which they may be offered. You should carefully read the prospectus supplement and this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into the prospectus supplement and this prospectus before making your investment decision. The incorporated documents are described in this prospectus under “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Documents Incorporated By Reference.”
You should rely on the information provided in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any supplement to this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.
Unless the context otherwise requires or as otherwise indicated, when we refer to “The New York Times Company,” we mean the corporation by that name, and when we refer to the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” in this prospectus or when we otherwise refer to ourselves in this prospectus, we mean The New York Times Company and its consolidated subsidiaries.
We are a global media organization focused on creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. Our continued commitment to premium content and journalistic excellence makes The New York Times brand a trusted source of news and information for readers across various media.
Our company includes newspapers, digital businesses and investments in paper mills. We currently have one reportable segment with businesses that include:
| • | The New York Times (“The Times”); |
| • | the International New York Times; |
| • | our websites, NYTimes.com and international.nytimes.com; and |
| • | related businesses, such as The Times news services division, digital archive distribution, our conference business and other products and services under The Times brand. |
We generate revenues principally from circulation and advertising. Other revenues primarily consist of revenues from news services/syndication, digital archives, rental income and conferences/events. Our main operating costs primarily consist of employee-related costs and raw materials, primarily newsprint.
Our principal executive office is at 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY, 10018 and our telephone number is (212) 556-1234. Our website is http://www.nytco.com. Information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and therefore is not part of this prospectus.
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You should carefully consider the specific risks set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our periodic reports described in “Documents Incorporated By Reference” below and, if included in a prospectus supplement, under the caption “Risk Factors” in the prospectus supplement.
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain forward-looking statements that relate to future events or our future financial performance. We may also make written and oral forward-looking statements in our SEC filings and otherwise. We have tried, where possible, to identify such statements by using words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “will,” “could,” “project,” “plan” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Any forward-looking statements are and will be based upon our then-current expectations, estimates and assumptions regarding future events and are applicable only as of the dates of such statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements. You should bear this in mind as you consider forward-looking statements. Factors that we think could, individually or in the aggregate, cause our actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results include those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” above as well as other risks and factors identified from time to time in our SEC filings.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act relating to the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is a part of that registration statement, which includes additional information.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room. These SEC filings are also available to the public from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus the information that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, until the offering under this prospectus is completed:
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2013, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2014; and |
| • | The description of our Class A common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 10 filed under Section 12 of the Exchange Act on April 28, 1967, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we are not incorporating any document or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules. Any statement made in a document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any subsequently filed document that also is incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement made in this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
You may request a copy of our filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:
The New York Times Company
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
(212) 556-1234
Attn: Office of the Secretary
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We intend to use the net proceeds received from any offering of these securities for general corporate purposes, which may include the reduction of indebtedness, possible acquisitions and any other purposes that we may describe in a prospectus supplement. The precise amounts and timing of the application of proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability of other funds.
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CONSOLIDATED RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND RATIO OF EARNINGS TO
FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS
The table below sets forth our consolidated ratio of earnings to fixed charges and ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends for the periods presented. The following table should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein.
| For the Years Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||
| December 29, 2013 |
December 30, 2012 |
December 25, 2011 |
December 26, 2010 |
December 27, 2009 |
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| Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (1) |
2.58 | 4.94 | 1.76 | 1.65 | 0.02 | |||||||||||||||
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| Ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends (2) |
2.58 | 4.94 | 1.76 | 1.65 | 0.02 | |||||||||||||||
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| (1) | Our policy is to classify interest expense recognized on uncertain tax positions as income tax expense. We have excluded interest expense recognized on uncertain tax positions from the Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends. |
| (2) | We have authority to issue up to 200,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share; however, as of the dates for which information is presented in the above table no shares were outstanding and we did not have a preferred stock dividend obligation. Therefore, the ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends is equal to the ratio of earnings to fixed charges. |
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
This prospectus contains summary descriptions of the Class A common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, depositary shares, stock purchase contracts and stock purchase units that we may offer and sell from time to time. These summary descriptions are not meant to be complete descriptions of each security. However, at the time of an offering and sale, this prospectus together with the accompanying prospectus supplement will contain the material terms of the securities being offered, including the specific types, amounts, prices and detailed terms of any of these securities.
The summary below and that contained in any prospectus supplement are not complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, each as amended. The terms of these securities also may be affected by the New York Business Corporation Law.
Description of Class A Common Stock
Our authorized common stock consists of 300,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.10 per share, and 816,841 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.10 per share. As of February 21, 2014, there were 149,344,059 shares of Class A common stock and 816,841 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding.
The shares of Class A common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NYT”. Computershare is the transfer agent and registrar of the shares of common stock.
The shares of Class A common stock, when issued against full payment of the purchase price, will be fully paid and nonassessable (except to the extent provided in Section 630 of the New York Business Corporation Law).
Our Class A common stock is not redeemable, does not have any conversion rights and is not subject to call. Holders of shares of Class A common stock have no preemptive rights to subscribe for any additional securities that we may issue. The holders of Class A common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as and when declared from time to time by our Board of Directors out of funds legally available for distribution. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, the holders of Class A common stock will be entitled to participate equally and ratably, with the holders of our Class B common stock, in proportion to the number of shares held, in our net assets available for distribution to holders of common stock.
The holders of the Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share thereof held by them in the election of 30% of the Board of Directors proposed to be elected at any meeting of stockholders held for that purpose (or the nearest larger whole number if such percentage is not a whole number), voting separately and as a class. The holders of Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held by them in the election of the balance of the Board of Directors, voting separately and as a class. The holders of our Class A common stock and the holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to one vote for each share thereof, voting together and not as separate classes, upon:
| • | the reservation of any shares of capital stock for options granted or to be granted to our officers, directors or employees; |
| • | the acquisition of the stock or assets of any other company in the following circumstances: |
| • | If any officer, director or holder of 10% or more of any class of shares of our voting securities has an interest, directly or indirectly, in the company or assets to be acquired or in the consideration to be paid in the transaction; |
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| • | If the transaction involves the issuance of Class A common stock or Class B common stock or securities convertible into either, or any combination of the three, and if the aggregate number of shares of common stock so to be issued together with the common stock which could be issued upon conversion of such securities approximates (in the reasonable judgment of the Board of Directors) 20% of the aggregate number of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding immediately prior to such transaction; or |
| • | If the transaction involves issuance of Class A common stock or Class B common stock and any additional consideration, and if the value of the aggregate consideration so to be issued (including the value of any common stock which may be issuable in the future in accordance with the terms of the transaction) has in the reasonable judgment of the Board of Directors a combined fair value of approximately 20% or more of the aggregate market value of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding immediately prior to such transaction; and |
| • | any proposal submitted to a vote of stockholders in connection with the ratification of the selection of our auditors. |
Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, except as described above and as otherwise required by the laws of the State of New York, the entire voting power is vested solely and exclusively in the holders of our Class B common stock, the holders of Class B common stock being entitled to one vote for each share thereof held upon all matters requiring a vote of stockholders, and the holders of the Class A common stock shall have no voting power, and shall not have the right to participate in any meeting of stockholders or to have notice thereof.
Each share of Class B common stock may at any time be converted, at the option of the holder, into one fully paid and non-assessable (except to the extent provided in section 630 of the New York Business Corporation Law) share of Class A common stock. When shares of Class B common stock have been converted, under the terms of our certificate of incorporation, they are cancelled and not reissued.
Description of Preferred Stock
The following description of our preferred stock will apply generally to any future preferred stock that we may offer, but is not complete. We will describe the particular terms of any class or series of these securities in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our authorized preferred stock consists of 200,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, in one or more series and with rights, preferences, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, voting rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, that may be fixed or designated by our Board of Directors pursuant to the certificate of incorporation and the provisions set forth in the law of the State of New York.
The designations, relative rights, preferences and limitations of the preferred stock of each series will be fixed by our Board of Directors and stated in resolutions adopted by our Board of Directors relating to such series as follows:
| • | the number of shares to constitute the series and the distinctive designation thereof; |
| • | the dividend rate or rates to which the shares of the series shall be entitled and whether dividends shall be cumulative and, if so, the date from which dividends shall accumulate, and the quarterly dates on which dividends, if declared, shall be payable; |
| • | whether the shares of the series are redeemable, the limitations and restrictions in respect of such redemptions, the manner of selecting shares of the series for redemption if less than all shares are to be redeemed, and the amount per share, including the premium if any, which the holders of shares of the |
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| series shall be entitled to receive upon the redemption thereof, which amount may vary at different redemption dates and may be different in respect of shares redeemed through the operation of any retirement or sinking fund and in respect of shares otherwise redeemed; |
| • | whether the holders of shares of the series are entitled to receive, in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, an amount equal to the dividends accumulated and unpaid thereon, whether or not earned or declared, but without interest; |
| • | whether the shares of the series are subject to the operation of a purchase, retirement or sinking fund and, if so, whether the fund is cumulative or noncumulative, the extent to and the manner in which the fund shall be applied to the purchase or redemption of the shares of the series for retirement or to other corporate purposes, and the terms and provisions in respect of the operation thereof; |
| • | whether the shares of the series are convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of stock of any other class or series thereof or of any other series of the same class, and if so convertible or exchangeable, the price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the method, if any, of adjusting the same; |
| • | the voting powers, if any, of the shares of the series in addition to the voting powers provided by law; and |
| • | any other rights, preferences, limitations or restrictions not inconsistent with law or the provisions of our certificate of incorporation. |
Holders of preferred stock will have no preemptive rights to subscribe for any additional securities that we may issue.
In the event of any voluntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, the holders of any series of preferred stock shall be entitled to receive in full out of our assets, including our capital, before any amount shall be paid or distributed among the holders of the common stock or any other shares ranking junior to such series, the amounts fixed by the Board of Directors with respect to such series and set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After payment to the holders of the preferred stock of the full preferential amounts to which they are entitled, the holders of preferred stock, as such, shall have no right or claim to any of our remaining assets.
If liquidating distributions shall have been made in full to all holders of preferred stock, our remaining assets shall be distributed among the holders of any other classes or series of capital stock ranking junior to the preferred stock upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, according to their respective rights and preferences and in each case according to their respective numbers of shares.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
Please note that in this section, references to “we”, “us”, “ours” or “our” refer only to The New York Times Company and not to its subsidiaries. Also, in this section, references to “holders” mean those who own debt securities registered in their own names on the books maintained by us or the trustee for this purpose, and not those who own beneficial interests in debt securities registered in street name or in debt securities issued in book-entry form through one or more depositaries. Owners of beneficial interests in our debt securities should read the sections below entitled “Legal Ownership of Debt Securities.”
General
The debt securities offered by this prospectus will be our senior obligations and will rank equally with all of our other senior indebtedness. The debt securities will be issued under an indenture to be entered into between us and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee, as supplemented from time to time. A form of the indenture is filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You can obtain a copy of the indenture and any indenture supplements by following the directions outlined in “Where You Can Find More Information”, or by contacting the indenture trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon.
The following briefly summarizes the material provisions of the indenture and the debt securities, other than pricing and related terms that will be disclosed in an accompanying prospectus supplement for a particular series. You should read the more detailed provisions of the indenture, including the defined terms. You should also read the particular terms of a series of debt securities, which will be described in more detail in an accompanying prospectus supplement. So that you may easily locate the more detailed provisions, the numbers in parentheses below refer to sections in the indenture. Wherever particular sections or defined terms of the indenture are referred to, such sections or defined terms are incorporated into this prospectus by reference, and the statement in this prospectus is qualified by that reference.
The indenture provides that our senior debt securities may be issued in one or more series without limitation as to aggregate principal amount and with terms not inconsistent with the indenture, in each case, as we authorize from time to time. We also have the right, from time to time, to issue debt securities of any series previously issued. (Section 3.01)
Information in the Prospectus Supplement
The prospectus supplement for any offered series of debt securities will describe the following terms, as applicable:
| • | the title or designation; |
| • | the aggregate principal amount offered and authorized denominations; |
| • | the maturity date or dates; |
| • | any sinking fund or other provision for payment of the debt securities prior to their stated maturity; |
| • | whether the debt securities are fixed rate debt securities or floating rate debt securities or original issue discount debt securities; |
| • | if the debt securities are fixed rate debt securities, the yearly rate at which the debt security will bear interest, if any; |
| • | if the debt securities are floating rate debt securities, the method of calculating the interest rate; |
| • | if the debt securities are original issue discount debt securities, their yield to maturity; |
| • | the date or dates from which any interest will accrue, or how such date or dates will be determined, and the interest payment dates and any related record dates; |
| • | if other than in U.S. Dollars, the currency or currency unit in which payment will be made; |
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| • | any provisions for the payment of additional amounts for taxes; |
| • | the denominations in which the currency or currency unit of the securities will be issuable if other than denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof; |
| • | whether the debt securities will be convertible into or exchangeable for other securities and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be convertible; |
| • | the terms and conditions on which the debt securities may be redeemed at our option; |
| • | any obligation we may have to redeem, purchase or repay the debt securities at the option of a holder upon the happening of any event and the terms and conditions of redemption, purchase or repayment; |
| • | the names and duties of any co-indenture trustees, depositaries, auction agents, authenticating agents, calculation agents, paying agents, transfer agents or registrars for the debt securities; |
| • | any material provisions of the applicable indenture described in this prospectus that do not apply to the debt securities; |
| • | the place where we will pay principal and interest; |
| • | additional provisions, if any, relating to the defeasance of the debt securities; |
| • | any United States federal income tax consequences relating to the offered securities, if material; |
| • | the dates on which premiums, if any, will be paid; |
| • | our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of this deferral period; and |
| • | any other specific terms of the debt securities. |
We will issue the debt securities only in registered form. (Section 3.02) As currently anticipated, debt securities of a series will trade in book-entry form, and global securities will be issued in physical (paper) form, as described below under “Legal Ownership of Debt Securities.”
Covenants
Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions:
| • | consolidate or merge with or into any other person or permit any other person to consolidate or merge with or into us; or |
| • | transfer, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, |
unless, in either such case:
| • | in a transaction in which we do not survive or in which we sell, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets, the successor entity to us is organized under the laws of the United States, or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and expressly assumes, by supplemental indentures, all of our obligations under the indentures; |
| • | immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no default on the debt securities exists; and |
| • | an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel concerning certain matters are delivered to the trustee. (Section 8.01) |
Other Covenants
In addition, any offered series of debt securities may have additional covenants that will be described in the prospectus supplement, limiting or restricting, among other things:
| • | our ability to incur indebtedness; |
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| • | our ability to pay dividends or to repurchase or redeem our share capital; |
| • | our ability to create dividend and other payment restrictions affecting our subsidiaries; |
| • | sales of assets by us; |
| • | our ability to enter into transactions with affiliates; and |
| • | our ability to incur liens. |
Modification of the Indentures
Under the indenture, we and the trustee may amend the indenture, without the consent of any holder of the debt securities, to:
| • | evidence the succession of another obligor to the company and the assumption of the covenants in the indenture and in the debt securities by such successor; |
| • | add to our covenants for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of debt securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any rights or power conferred upon us; |
| • | add any additional events of default for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities (and if such events of default are to be for the benefit of less than all series of debt securities, stating that such additional events of default are expressly being included for the benefit of such series); |
| • | add or change any provision of the indenture to permit the issuance of the debt securities in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, with or without interest coupons; |
| • | add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of the indenture in respect of one or more series of debt securities, provided that any such addition, change or elimination (i) will neither apply to any debt security created prior to the execution of the supplemental indenture nor adversely affect the rights of the holders thereof in any material respect or (ii) will become effective only when no such debt securities are outstanding; |
| • | secure the debt securities; |
| • | establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series as permitted in the indenture; |
| • | reflect our consolidation or merger with or into any other person or permit the consolidation or merger of any other person with or into us, or the transfer, sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, in conformity with the limitations set forth in the indenture; |
| • | permit the issuance of uncertificated debt securities in addition to, or in place of, certificated debt securities; |
| • | appoint a successor trustee under the indenture; |
| • | cure ambiguities, omissions, mistakes, defects or inconsistencies; |
| • | conform any provisions of the indenture to the “Description of Debt Securities” contained in this prospectus or any similar provision in an applicable prospectus supplement; |
| • | make provisions with respect to the conversion rights of the holders of any debt securities; |
| • | maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act (Section 9.01); or |
| • | make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of the holders of any debt securities in any material respect. |
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We and the trustee may, with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of a series or such other percentage as may be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, modify the indenture or the rights of the holders of the securities of such series. However, no such modification may, without the consent of each holder of an affected debt security:
| • | change the fixed maturity of any such debt securities or the date on which any payment of interest on the debt securities is due and payable; |
| • | reduce the principal amount or interest rate on any debt security; |
| • | reduce the premium payable upon any redemption of the debt securities; |
| • | reduce the amount of principal payable on the acceleration of any securities issued originally at a discount; |
| • | change the place of payment of, or type of currency for payment of, debt securities; |
| • | impair the right to sue for the enforcement of any payment of principal, any installment of interest or premium on or after the maturity (including in connection with a redemption, on or after the redemption date) of the debt securities; |
| • | adversely affect the right, if any, to convert such debt securities, or modify the provisions of the indenture with respect to the ranking of the debt securities in a manner adverse to the holder thereof; |
| • | reduce the percentage of debt securities of a series whose holders need to consent to a modification or a waiver; |
| • | modify any of the provisions in the indenture related to modifications that require the consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of a series or provisions in the indenture related to the waiver of past defaults by the holders of debt securities, except to increase any such percentage or provide that certain other provisions may not be modified without the consent of each holder of the debt securities; |
| • | adversely affect any right of repayment or repurchase at the option of the holder of debt securities; or |
| • | reduce or postpone any sinking fund. (Section 9.02) |
Defaults
The indenture provides that events of default regarding any series of debt securities will be:
| • | our failure to pay interest on any debt security of such series for 30 days after such payment is due; |
| • | our failure to pay principal on any debt security of such series when due; |
| • | our failure to make any deposit of any sinking fund payment when due on debt securities of such series; |
| • | our failure to perform for 90 days after notice given by the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series any other covenant in the indenture other than a covenant (i) included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than such series or (ii) expressly excluded from events giving rise to a default with respect to such series; |
| • | our failure to pay beyond any applicable grace period, or the acceleration of, indebtedness in excess of $50,000,000, which failure to pay or acceleration is not rescinded or cured within 30 days of notice of such failure to pay or acceleration given by the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series; or |
| • | certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, whether voluntary or not, with respect to us or any material subsidiary. (Section 5.01) |
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In addition, the applicable prospectus supplement will describe any other event of default applicable to a series of debt securities.
If an event of default regarding debt securities of any series issued under the indenture (other than an event of default resulting from any events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization with respect to us) should occur and be continuing, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in the principal amount of outstanding debt securities of such series may declare the principal amount, together with all accrued and unpaid interest, if any, of each debt security of that series due and payable. If an event of default results from any events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization with respect to us, such amount with respect to the debt securities will be due and payable immediately without any declaration or other act on the part of the holders of outstanding debt securities or the trustee. (Section 5.02)
No event of default regarding one series of debt securities issued under the indenture is necessarily an event of default regarding any other series of debt securities.
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will be entitled to control certain actions of the trustee under the indenture and to waive certain past defaults regarding such series. (Sections 5.12 and 5.13) The trustee generally cannot be required by any of the holders of debt securities to take any action, unless one or more of such holders shall have provided to the trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the trustee. (Section 6.02)
If an event of default occurs and is continuing regarding a series of debt securities, the trustee may use any sums that it holds under the indenture for its own reasonable compensation and expenses incurred prior to paying the holders of debt securities of such series. (Section 5.06)
Before any holder of any series of debt securities may institute action for any remedy, the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the debt securities of that series outstanding must request the trustee to take action. Holders must also offer indemnity satisfactory to the trustee against liabilities incurred by the trustee for taking such action, and the trustee must have failed to institute any proceeding within 60 days after receiving such notice and offer of indemnity. These limitations do not apply if the holders of a majority of debt securities of the applicable series give an inconsistent direction. (Section 5.07) In addition, these limitations also do not apply, however, to a suit by a holder of any series of debt securities to enforce payment of principal, interest or premium, if any, and the right to convert such debt security, if applicable. (Section 5.08)
The trustee will, within 90 days after any default occurs, give notice of the default to the holders of the debt securities of that series, unless the default was already cured or waived. Unless there is a default in paying principal, interest or any premium when due, the trustee can withhold giving notice to the holders if it determines in good faith that the withholding of notice is in the interest of the holders. (Section 6.05)
We are required to furnish to the trustee an annual statement as to compliance with all conditions and covenants under the indenture. (Section 10.05)
Defeasance
After we have irrevocably deposited with the trustee cash or U.S. government securities, in trust for the benefit of the holders, sufficient to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities of any series of debt securities when due, and satisfied certain other conditions described below, we may elect to have our obligations under the indenture discharged with respect to the outstanding debt securities of that series (“legal defeasance and discharge”). Legal defeasance and discharge means that we will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding debt securities of such series under the indenture, except for:
| • | the rights of holders of the debt securities to receive principal, interest and any premium when due from amounts deposited with the trustee, which will be held in trust funds for the purpose of such payments; |
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| • | our obligations with respect to the debt securities concerning issuing temporary debt securities, registration of transfer of debt securities, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and the maintenance of an office or agency where securities may be presented for payment, transfer, exchange or, if applicable, conversion for security payments held in trust; |
| • | the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee; and |
| • | the defeasance provisions of the indenture. |
Alternatively, we may elect to have our obligations released with respect to certain covenants in the indenture (“covenant defeasance”). The released obligations include:
| • | our obligations relating to a merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets; |
| • | our obligation to present and keep in full force and effect our corporate existence; and |
| • | any other covenants applicable to a series of debt securities as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
Any omission to comply with these obligations so released will not constitute a default or an event of default with respect to the debt securities of any series. In the event covenant defeasance occurs, certain events relating to these obligations, as well as the failure to deposit a sinking fund payment when due and the failure to pay or acceleration of indebtedness in excess of $50,000,000, as described above under “Events of Default,” will no longer constitute an event of default for that series.
In order to exercise either legal defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to outstanding debt securities of any series, we must irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee as trust funds cash or specified United States government obligations in an amount, in each case, sufficient, in the written opinion of a reputable firm of certified public accountants, to pay and discharge all of the principal, interest and any premium at due date or maturity with respect to such series. In addition:
| • | in the case of legal defeasance, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel confirming that (i) we have received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service, a ruling or (ii) since the date of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case, to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge did not occur; |
| • | in the case of covenant defeasance and discharge, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that, under then applicable federal income tax law, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and covenant defeasance to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit and covenant defeasance did not occur; |
| • | no default with respect to the outstanding debt securities of that series may have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit after giving effect to the deposit or, in the case of legal defeasance and discharge, no default relating to bankruptcy or insolvency may have occurred and be continuing at any time on or before the 90th day after the date of such deposit, it being understood that this condition is not deemed satisfied until after the 90th day; |
| • | the legal defeasance and discharge or covenant defeasance must not cause the trustee to have a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, assuming all debt securities of a series were in default within the meaning of such Act; |
| • | the legal defeasance and discharge or covenant defeasance must not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which we are a party; |
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| • | we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel that any trust arising from such deposit does not require registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; |
| • | if the debt securities of such series are to be redeemed, we must have given notice of the redemption or have given the trustee irrevocable directions to give the notice of redemption in our name and at our expense under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee; and |
| • | we must deliver to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel stating that all conditions precedent with respect to the legal defeasance and discharge or covenant defeasance have been complied with. (Article XIII) |
Governing Law
Unless otherwise stated in the prospectus supplement, the debt securities and the indenture will be governed by New York law. (Section 1.13)
Concerning our Relationship with the Trustee
We have and may continue to have banking and other business relationships with The Bank of New York Mellon, or any subsequent trustee, in the ordinary course of business.
Payment and Paying Agents
Distributions on the debt securities other than those represented by global securities will be made in the designated currency against surrender of the debt securities at the principal corporate trust office or agency of the trustee in New York, New York. Payment will be made to the registered holder at the close of business on the record date for such payment. Interest payments will be made at the principal corporate trust office or agency of the trustee in New York, New York, or by a check mailed to the holder at his registered address. Payments in any other manner will be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Calculation Agents
Calculations relating to floating rate debt securities will be made by the calculation agent, an institution that we appoint as our agent for this purpose. We may appoint one of our affiliates as calculation agent. We may appoint a different institution to serve as calculation agent from time to time after the original issue date of the debt security without your consent and without notifying you of the change. The initial calculation agent will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
The debt securities may be presented for exchange, and debt securities other than a global security may be presented for registration of transfer, at the principal corporate trust office or agency of the trustee in New York, New York. Holders will not have to pay any service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with such registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities. (Section 3.05)
Legal Ownership of Debt Securities
Unless the prospectus supplement specifies otherwise, we will issue debt securities in registered form in the form of a global security. Accordingly, the debt securities will be represented by one or more global securities registered in the name of a financial institution that holds them as depositary on behalf of other financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system. These participating institutions, in turn, hold beneficial interests in the debt securities on behalf of themselves or their customers.
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For registered debt securities, only the person in whose name a debt security is registered is recognized under the indenture as the holder of that debt security. (Section 3.08) Debt securities issued in global form will be issued in the form of a global security registered in the name of the depositary or its nominees. Consequently, for debt securities issued in global form, we will recognize only the depositary as the holder of the debt securities and we will make all payments on the debt securities to the depositary. The depositary passes along the payments it receives to its participants, which in turn pass the payments along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the debt securities.
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This section describes the general terms and provisions of our warrants to acquire our securities that we may issue from time to time. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any warrant agreements and the warrants issuable thereunder. If any particular terms of the warrants described in the prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described herein, then the terms described herein will be deemed superseded by that prospectus supplement.
We may issue warrants for the purchase of our debt securities, Class A common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and they may be attached to or separate from the other securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement that we will enter into with a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, as detailed in the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation, or agency or trust relationship, with you. We will file a copy of the warrant and warrant agreement with the SEC each time we issue a series of warrants, and these warrants and warrant agreements will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. A holder of our warrants should refer to the provisions of the applicable warrant agreement and prospectus supplement for more specific information.
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants will describe the terms of those warrants, including, when applicable:
| • | the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which the price of the warrants may be payable; |
| • | the number of warrants offered; |
| • | the securities underlying the warrants, including the securities of third parties or other rights, if any, to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing, purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| • | the exercise price and the amount of securities you will receive upon exercise; |
| • | the procedure for exercise of the warrants and the circumstances, if any, that will cause the warrants to be automatically exercised; |
| • | the rights, if any, we have to redeem the warrants; |
| • | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the warrants will expire; |
| • | the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security; |
| • | the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
| • | the material U.S. federal income tax consequences; |
| • | the name of the warrant agent; and |
| • | any other material terms of the warrants. |
After your warrants expire they will become void. All warrants will be issued in registered form. The prospectus supplement may provide for the adjustment of the exercise price of the warrants.
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Warrants may be exercised at the appropriate office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Before the exercise of warrants, holders will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon exercise and will not be entitled to payments made to holders of those securities.
The applicable warrant agreement may be amended or supplemented without the consent of the holders of the warrants to which it applies to effect changes that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the warrants and that do not materially and adversely affect the interests of the holders of the warrants. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of warrants will not be effective unless the holders of at least a majority of the applicable warrants then outstanding approve the amendment. Every holder of an outstanding warrant at the time any amendment becomes effective, by continuing to hold the warrant, will be bound by the applicable warrant agreement as amended. The prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of warrants may provide that certain provisions of the warrants, including the securities for which they may be exercisable, the exercise price and the expiration date, may not be altered without the consent of the holder of each warrant.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
General
We may offer fractional shares of preferred stock, rather than full shares of preferred stock. If we do so, we may issue receipts for depositary shares that each represent a fraction of a share of a particular series of preferred stock. The prospectus supplement will indicate that fraction. The shares of preferred stock represented by depositary shares will be deposited under a depositary agreement between us and a bank or trust company that meets certain requirements and is selected by us, which we refer to as the “bank depositary.” Each owner of a depositary share will be entitled to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock represented by the depositary share. The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the depositary agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to those persons purchasing the fractional shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms of the offering.
We have summarized some common provisions of a depositary agreement and the related depositary receipts. The forms of the depositary agreement and the depositary receipts relating to any particular issue of depositary shares will be filed with the SEC each time we issue depositary shares, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you. If any particular terms of the depositary agreements and the related depositary receipts described in the prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described herein, then the terms described herein will be deemed superseded by that prospectus supplement.
Dividends and Other Distributions
If we pay a cash distribution or dividend on a series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares, the bank depositary will distribute such dividends to the record holders of such depositary shares. If the distributions are in property other than cash, the bank depositary will distribute the property to the record holders of the depositary shares. However, if the bank depositary determines that it is not feasible to make the distribution of property, the bank depositary may, with our approval, sell such property and distribute the net proceeds from such sale to the record holders of the depositary shares.
Redemption of Depositary Shares
If we redeem a series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares, the bank depositary will redeem the depositary shares from the proceeds received by the bank depositary in connection with the redemption. The redemption price per depositary share will equal the applicable fraction of the redemption price per share of the preferred stock. If fewer than all the depositary shares are redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot or pro rata as the bank depositary may determine.
Voting the Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of the preferred stock represented by depositary shares are entitled to vote, the bank depositary will mail the notice to the record holders of the depositary shares relating to such preferred stock. Each record holder of these depositary shares on the record date, which will be the same date as the record date for the preferred stock, may instruct the bank depositary as to how to vote the preferred stock represented by such holder’s depositary shares. The bank depositary will endeavor, insofar as practicable, to vote the amount of the preferred stock represented by such depositary shares in accordance with such instructions, and we will take all action that the bank depositary deems necessary in order to enable the bank depositary to do so. The bank depositary will abstain from voting shares of the preferred stock to the extent it does not receive specific instructions from the holders of depositary shares representing such preferred stock.
Amendment and Termination of the Depositary Agreement
The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the depositary agreement may be amended by agreement between the bank depositary and us. However, any amendment that
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materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary shares will not be effective unless such amendment has been approved by the holders of at least a majority of the depositary shares then outstanding. The depositary agreement may be terminated by the bank depositary or us only if:
| • | all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed or |
| • | there has been a final distribution in respect of the preferred stock in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company and such distribution has been distributed to the holders of depositary receipts. |
Charges of Bank Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will pay charges of the bank depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the preferred stock and any redemption of the preferred stock. Holders of depositary receipts will pay other transfer and other taxes and governmental charges and any other charges, including a fee for the withdrawal of shares of preferred stock upon surrender of depositary receipts, as are expressly provided in the depositary agreement to be for their accounts.
Withdrawal of Preferred Stock
Except as may be provided otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, upon surrender of depositary receipts at the principal office of the bank depositary, subject to the terms of the depositary agreement, the owner of the depositary shares may demand delivery of the number of whole shares of preferred stock and all money and other property, if any, represented by those depositary shares. Partial shares of preferred stock will not be issued. If the depositary receipts delivered by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares in excess of the number of depositary shares representing the number of whole shares of preferred stock to be withdrawn, the bank depositary will deliver to such holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares. Holders of preferred stock thus withdrawn may not thereafter deposit those shares under the depositary agreement or receive depositary receipts evidencing depositary shares therefor.
Miscellaneous
The bank depositary will forward to holders of depositary receipts all reports and communications from us that are delivered to the bank depositary and that we are required to furnish to the holders of the preferred stock.
Neither the bank depositary nor we will be liable if we are prevented or delayed by law or any circumstance beyond our control in performing our obligations under the depositary agreement. The obligations of the bank depositary and us under the depositary agreement will be limited to performance in good faith of our duties thereunder, and we will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary shares or preferred stock unless satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We may rely upon written advice of counsel or accountants, or upon information provided by persons presenting preferred stock for deposit, holders of depositary receipts or other persons believed to be competent and on documents believed to be genuine.
Resignation and Removal of Bank Depositary
The bank depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us notice of its election to do so, and we may at any time remove the bank depositary. Any such resignation or removal will take effect upon the appointment of a successor bank depositary and its acceptance of such appointment. The successor bank depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a bank or trust company meeting the requirements of the depositary agreement.
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DESCRIPTION OF STOCK PURCHASE CONTRACTS
AND STOCK PURCHASE UNITS
We may issue stock purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from or sell to us, and obligating us to sell to or purchase from the holders, a specified number of shares of Class A common stock or preferred stock at a future date or dates, which we refer to in this prospectus as stock purchase contracts. The price per share of the securities and the number of shares of the securities may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the stock purchase contracts, and may be subject to adjustment under anti-dilution formulas. The stock purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of units consisting of a stock purchase contract and debt securities, preferred securities or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. treasury securities, any other securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement or any combination of the foregoing, securing the holders’ obligations to purchase the securities under the stock purchase contracts, which we refer to herein as stock purchase units. The stock purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations under the stock purchase contracts in a specified manner. The stock purchase contracts also may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the stock purchase contracts or the stock purchase units, as the case may be, or vice versa, and those payments may be unsecured or pre-funded on some basis.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units. This description is not complete and the description in the prospectus supplement will not necessarily be complete, and reference is made to the stock purchase contracts, and, if applicable, collateral or depositary arrangements relating to the stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units, which will be filed with the SEC each time we issue stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units. If any particular terms of the stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units described in the prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described herein, then the terms described herein will be deemed superseded by that prospectus supplement. Certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the stock purchase units and the stock purchase contracts will also be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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We may sell the offered securities to one or more underwriters for public offering and sale by them or may sell the offered securities to investors directly or through agents, which agents may be affiliated with us. Direct sales to investors may be accomplished through subscription offerings or through subscription rights distributed to our shareholders. In connection with subscription offerings or the distribution of subscription rights to shareholders, if all of the underlying offered securities are not subscribed for, we may sell such unsubscribed offered securities to third parties directly or through agents and, in addition, whether or not all of the underlying offered securities are subscribed for, we may concurrently offer additional offered securities to third parties directly or through agents, which agents may be affiliated with us. Any underwriter or agent involved in the offer and sale of the offered securities will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Under this prospectus we may also offer shares of our Class A common stock, warrants to purchase shares of our Class A common stock, or any other securities convertible into or carrying rights or options to purchase shares of our Class A common stock, directly to holders of our Class B common stock in satisfaction of preemptive rights provided to the holders of Class B common stock under the terms of our certificate of incorporation and the New York Business Corporation Law upon certain offers and sales of securities by us under this prospectus or otherwise. The terms and conditions of any such offer will be set out in a prospectus supplement.
The distribution of the offered securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at prices related to the prevailing market prices at the time of sale, such as an “at the market offering,” or at negotiated prices, any of which may represent a discount from the prevailing market price. We also may, from time to time, authorize underwriters acting as our agents to offer and sell the offered securities upon the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. In connection with the sale of offered securities, underwriters may be deemed to have received compensation from us in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may also receive commissions from purchasers of offered securities for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell offered securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent.
Any underwriting compensation paid by us to underwriters or agents in connection with the offering of offered securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the offered securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the offered securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions, under the Securities Act. Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and to reimbursement for certain expenses. Any such indemnification agreements will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize dealers acting as our agents to solicit offers by institutions to purchase offered securities from us at the public offering price set forth in such prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in such prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate principal amount of offered securities sold pursuant to contracts shall be not less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions, and other institutions but will in all cases be subject to our approval.
Contracts will not be subject to any conditions except the purchase by an institution of the offered securities covered by its contracts shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which such institution is subject, and if the offered securities are being sold to underwriters, we shall have sold to such underwriters the total principal amount of the offered securities less the principal amount of the securities covered by contracts. Some of the underwriters and their affiliates may be customers of, engage in transactions with and perform services for us and our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.
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Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, New York, New York, has rendered an opinion to us regarding the validity of the securities to be offered by this prospectus.
The consolidated financial statements of The New York Times Company appearing in The New York Times Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2013 (including the schedule appearing therein), and the effectiveness of The New York Times Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 29, 2013, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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