Rule 433

Conditions to Permissible Post-filing Free Writing Prospectuses
a. Scope of section. This section applies to any free writing
prospectus with
respect to securities of any issuer (except as set forth in Rule 164 (§230.164))
that are the subject of a registration statement that has been filed under the
Act. Such a free writing prospectus that satisfies the conditions of this
section may include information the substance of which is not included in the
registration statement. Such a free writing prospectus that satisfies the
conditions of this section will be a prospectus permitted
under section 10(b) of the Act for purposes of sections 2(a)(10), 5(b)(1), and
5(b)(2) of the Act and will, for purposes of considering it a prospectus, be
deemed to be public, without regard to its method of use or distribution,
because it is related to the public offering of securities that are the subject
of a filed registration statement.
b. Permitted use of free writing prospectus. Subject to the conditions of this
paragraph (b) and satisfaction of the conditions set forth in paragraphs (c) through (g) of this section, a free writing prospectus may be used under this section and
Rule 164 in connection with a registered offering of securities:
1. Eligibility and prospectus conditions for seasoned issuers
and well-known seasoned issuers. Subject to the provisions of Rule 164(e), (f),
and (g), the issuer or any other offering participant may use a free writing
prospectus in the following offerings after a registration statement relating to
the offering has been filed that includes a prospectus that, other than by
reason of this section or Rule 431, satisfies the requirements of section 10 of
the Act:
(i) Offerings of securities registered on Form S-3 (§239.33 of this
chapter)
pursuant to General Instruction I.B.1, I.B.2, I.B.5, I.C., or I.D. thereof;
(ii) Offerings of securities registered on Form F-3 (§239.13 of this chapter)
pursuant to General Instruction I.A.5, I.B.1, I.B.2, or I.C. thereof;
(iii) Any other offering not excluded from reliance on this section and
Rule 164
of securities of a well-known seasoned issuer; and
(iv) Any other offering not excluded from reliance on this section and
Rule 164
of securities of an issuer eligible to use Form S-3 or Form F-3 for primary
offerings pursuant to General Instruction I.B.1 of such Forms.
2. Eligibility and prospectus conditions for non-reporting and unseasoned
issuers. If the issuer does not fall within the provisions of paragraph (b)(1)
of this section, then, subject to the provisions of Rule 164(e), (f), and (g),
any person participating in the offer or sale of the securities may use a free
writing prospectus as follows:
(i) If the free writing prospectus is or was
prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by an issuer or any other
offering participant, if consideration has been or will be given by the issuer
or other offering participant for the dissemination (in any format) of any free
writing prospectus (including any published article, publication, or
advertisement), or if section 17(b) of the Act requires disclosure that
consideration has been or will be given by the issuer or other offering
participant for any activity described therein in connection with the free
writing prospectus, then a registration statement relating to the offering must
have been filed that includes a prospectus that, other than by reason of this
section or Rule 431, satisfies the requirements of section 10 of the Act,
including a price range where required by rule, and the free writing prospectus
shall be accompanied or preceded by the most recent such prospectus; provided,
however, that use of the free writing prospectus is not conditioned on providing
the most recent such prospectus if a prior such prospectus has been provided and
there is no material change from the prior prospectus reflected in the most
recent prospectus; provided, further that after effectiveness and availability
of a final prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10(a) of the Act, no
such earlier prospectus may be provided in satisfaction of this condition, and
such final prospectus must precede or accompany any free writing
prospectus provided after such availability, whether or not an earlier
prospectus had been previously provided.
Notes to paragraph (b)(2)(i) of Rule 433.
1. The condition that a free writing prospectus shall be accompanied or preceded
by the most recent prospectus satisfying the requirements of section 10 of the
Act would be satisfied if a free writing prospectus that is an electronic
communication
contained an active hyperlink to such most recent prospectus; and
2. A communication for which disclosure would be required under section 17(b) of
the Act as a result of consideration given or to be given, directly or
indirectly, by or on behalf of an issuer or other offering participant is an
offer by the issuer or such other offering participant as the case may be and
is, if written, a free writing prospectus of the issuer or other offering
participant.
(ii) Where paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section does not apply, a registration
statement relating to the offering has been filed that includes a prospectus
that, other than by reason of this section or Rule 431 satisfies the
requirements of section 10 of the Act, including a price range where required by
rule. For purposes of paragraph (f) of this section, the prospectus
included in the registration relating to the offering that has been filed does
not have to include a price range otherwise required by rule.
3. Successors. A successor issuer will be considered to
satisfy the applicable provisions of this paragraph (b) if:
(i) Its predecessor and it, taken together, satisfy the conditions, provided
that the succession was primarily for the purpose of changing the state or other
jurisdiction of incorporation of the predecessor or forming a holding company
and the assets and liabilities of the successor at the time of succession were substantially the
same as those of the predecessor; or
(ii) All predecessors met the conditions at the time of succession and the
issuer has continued to do so since the succession.
c. Information in a free writing prospectus.
1. A free writing prospectus used in reliance on this
section may include information the substance of which is not included in the
registration statement but such information shall not conflict with:
(i) Information contained in the filed registration statement, including any
prospectus or prospectus supplement that is part of the registration statement
(including pursuant to Rule 430B or Rule 430C) (§230.430B or §230.430C) and not
superseded or modified; or
(ii) Information contained in the issuer's periodic and current reports filed or
furnished to the Commission pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by
reference into the registration statement and not superseded or modified.
1.
(i) A free writing prospectus used in reliance on this section shall contain
substantially the following legend:
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with
the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you
invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and
other documents the
issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer
and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on
the SEC Web site at
www.sec.gov.
Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in
the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by
calling toll-free 1-8[xx-xxx-xxxx].
(ii) The legend also may provide an e-mail address at which the documents
can be requested and may indicate that the documents also are available by
accessing the issuers Web site and provide the Internet address and the
particular location of the
documents on the Web site.
d. Filing conditions.
1. Except as provided in paragraphs (d)(3), (d)(4),
(d)(5), (d)(6), (d)(7), (d)(8), and (f) of this section, the following shall
be filed with the Commission under this section by a means reasonably
calculated to result in filing no later than the date of first use. The free
writing prospectus filed for purposes of this section will not be filed as
part of the registration statement:
i. The issuer shall file:
A. Any issuer free writing prospectus, as
defined in paragraph (h) of this section;
B. Any issuer information that is contained in a free
writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of or used by any other
offering participant (but not information prepared by or on behalf
of a person other than the issuer on the basis of or derived from
that issuer information); and
C. A description of the final terms of the
issuers securities in the offering or of the offering contained in
a free writing prospectus or portion thereof prepared by or on
behalf of the issuer or any offering participant, after such terms
have been established for all classes in the offering; and
ii. Any offering participant, other than the issuer, shall file any
free writing prospectus that is used or referred to by such offering
participant and distributed by or on behalf of such person in a manner
reasonably designed to lead to its broad unrestricted
dissemination.
2. Each free writing prospectus or issuer information
contained in a free writing prospectus filed under this section shall
identify in the filing the Commission file number for the related
registration statement or, if that file number is unknown, a description
sufficient to identify the related registration statement.
3. The condition to file a free writing prospectus under
paragraph (d)(1) of this section shall not apply if the free writing
prospectus does not contain substantive changes from or additions to a free
writing prospectus previously filed with the Commission.
4. The condition to file issuer information contained
in a free writing prospectus of an offering participant other than the
issuer shall not apply if such information is included (including through
incorporation by reference) in a prospectus or free writing prospectus
previously filed that relates to the offering.
5. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (d)(1)
of this section:
i. To the extent a free writing prospectus or
portion thereof otherwise required to be filed contains a description of
terms of the issuers securities in the offering or of the offering that
does not reflect the final terms, such free writing prospectus or
portion thereof is not required to be filed; and
ii. A free writing prospectus or portion thereof
that contains only a description of the final terms of the issuers
securities in the offering or of the offerings shall be filed by the
issuer within two days of the later of the date such final terms have
been established for all classes of the offering and the date of first
use.
6.
i. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph
(d) of this section, in an offering of asset-backed securities, a free
writing prospectus or portion thereof required to be filed that contains
only ABS informational and computational materials as defined in Item
1101(a) of Regulation AB (§229.1101 of this chapter), may be filed under
this
section within the timeframe permitted by Rule 426(b) (§230.426(b)) and
such filing will satisfy the filing conditions under this section.
ii. In the event that a free writing prospectus
is used in reliance on this section and Rule 164 and the conditions of
this section and Rule 164 (which may include the conditions of paragraph
(d)(6)(i) of this section) are satisfied with respect thereto, then the
use of that free writing prospectus shall not be conditioned on
satisfaction of the provisions, including without limitation the filing
conditions, of Rule 167 and Rule 426 (§230.167 and §230.426). In the
event that ABS informational and computational materials are used in
reliance on Rule 167 and Rule 426 and the conditions of those rules are
satisfied with respect thereto, then the use of those materials shall
not be conditioned on the satisfaction of the conditions of Rule 164 and
this section.
iii. If a free writing prospectus used in an
offering of asset-backed securities in reliance on this section and Rule
164 includes the specific address of or a hyperlink to an Internet Web
site containing static pool information and is filed in accordance with
this paragraph (d), the static pool information relating to the
asset-backed securities offering at that specific address is included in
the free writing prospectus, and the filing including such address or
hyperlink satisfies the filing conditions under this section.
7. The condition to file a free writing prospectus or
issuer information pursuant to this paragraph (d) for a free writing
prospectus used at the same time as a communication in a business
combination transaction subject to Rule 425 (§230.425)
shall be satisfied if:
i. The free writing prospectus or issuer
information is filed in accordance with the provisions of Rule 425,
including the filing timeframe of Rule 425;
ii. The filed material pursuant to Rule 425
indicates on the cover page that it also is being filed pursuant to Rule
433; and
iii. The filed material pursuant to Rule 425
contains the information specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
8. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
paragraph (d):
i. A road show for an offering that is a written
communication is a free writing prospectus, provided that, except as
provided in paragraph (d)(8)(ii) of this section, a written
communication that is a road show shall not be required to be filed; and
ii. In the case of a road show that is a written
communication for an offering of common equity or convertible equity
securities by an issuer that is, at the time of the filing of the
registration statement for the offering, not required to file reports
with the Commission pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, such a road show is required to be
filed pursuant to this section unless the issuer of the securities makes
at least one version of a bona fide electronic road show available
without restriction by means of graphic communication to any person,
including any potential investor in the securities (and if there is more
than one version of a road show
for the offering that is a written communication, the version available
without restriction is made available no later than the other versions).
Note to paragraph (d)(8):
A communication that is provided or transmitted simultaneously with a
road show and is provided or transmitted in a manner designed to make
the communication available only as part of the road show and not
separately is deemed to be part of the road show. Therefore, if the road
show is not a written communication, such a simultaneous communication
(even if it would otherwise be a graphic communication or other written
communication) is also deemed not to be written.
If the road show is written and not required to be filed, such a
simultaneous communication is also not required to be filed. Otherwise,
a written communication that is an offer contained in a separate file
from a road show, whether or not the road show is a written
communication, or otherwise transmitted separately from a road show,
will be a
free writing prospectus subject to any applicable filing conditions of
paragraph (d) of this section.
e. Treatment of information on, or hyperlinked from, an issuer's
Web site.
1. An offer of an issuers securities that is
contained on an issuers Web site or hyperlinked by the issuer from the
issuers Web site to a third partys Web site is a written offer of such
securities by the issuer and, unless otherwise exempt or excluded from the
requirements of section 5(b)(1) of the Act, the filing conditions of
paragraph (d) of this section apply to such offer.
2. Notwithstanding paragraph (e)(1) of this
section, historical issuer information that is identified as such and
located in a separate section of the issuers Web site containing historical
issuer information, that has not been incorporated by reference
into or otherwise included in a prospectus of the issuer for the offering
and that has nototherwise been used or referred to in connection with the
offering, will not be considered a current offer of the issuers securities
and therefore will not be a free writing
prospectus.
f. Free writing prospectuses published or distributed by media.
Any written offer for which an issuer or any other offering participant or any
person acting on its behalf provided, authorized, or approved information that
is prepared and published or disseminated by a person unaffiliated with the
issuer or any other offering participant that is in the business of publishing,
radio or television broadcasting or otherwise disseminating written
communications would be considered at the time of publication or dissemination
to be a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the issuer or such
other offering participant for purposes of this section subject to the
following:
1. The conditions of paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section will not apply and
the conditions of paragraphs (c)(2) and (d) of this section will be
deemed to be satisfied if:
(i) No payment is made or consideration given by or on behalf of the issuer
or other offering participant for the written communication or its
dissemination; and
(ii) The issuer or other offering participant in question files the written
communication with the Commission, and includes in the filing the legend
required by paragraph (c)(2) of this section, within four business days
after the issuer or other offering participant becomes aware of the
publication, radio or television broadcast, or other dissemination of the
written communication.
1. The filing obligation under paragraph (f)(1)(ii) of
this section shall be subject to the following:
(i) The issuer or other offering participant shall not be required to file a
free writing prospectus if the substance of that free writing prospectus has
previously been filed with the Commission;
(ii) Any filing made pursuant to paragraph (f)(1)(ii) of this section may
include information that the issuer or offering participant in question
reasonably believes is necessary or appropriate to correct information
included in the communication; and
(iii) In lieu of filing the actual written communication as published or
disseminated as required by paragraph (f)(1)(ii) of this section, the issuer
or offering participant in question may file a copy of the materials
provided to the media, including transcripts of interviews or similar
materials, provided the copy or transcripts contain all the information
provided to the media.
2. For purposes of this paragraph (f) of this section,
an issuer that is in the business of publishing or radio or television
broadcasting may rely on this paragraph (f) as to any publication or radio
or television broadcast that is a free writing prospectus in respect of an
offering of securities of the issuer if the issuer or an affiliate:
(i) Is the publisher of a bona fide newspaper, magazine, or business or
financial publication of general and regular circulation or bona fide
broadcaster of news including business and financial news;
(ii) Has established policies and procedures for the independence of the
content of the publications or broadcasts from the offering activities of
the issuer; and
(iii) Publishes or broadcasts the communication in the ordinary course.
g. Record retention. Issuers and offering participants shall
retain all free
writing prospectuses they have used, and that have not been filed pursuant to
paragraph (d) or (f) of this section, for three years following the initial bona
fide offering of the securities in question.
Note to paragraph (g) of §230.433.
To the extent that the record retention requirements of Rule 17a-4 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.17a-4 of this chapter) apply to free
writing prospectuses required to be retained by a broker-dealer under this
section, such free writing prospectuses are required to be retained in
accordance with such requirements.
h. Definitions.
For purposes of this section:
1. An issuer free writing prospectus
means a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the issuer or
used or referred to by the issuer and, in the case of an asset-backed
issuer, prepared by or on behalf of a depositor, sponsor, or servicer (as
defined in Item 1101 of Regulation AB) or affiliated depositor or used or
referred to by any such person.
2. Issuer information means material
information about the issuer or its securities that has been provided by or
on behalf of the issuer.
3. A written communication or information is prepared
or provided by or on behalf of a person if the person or an agent
or representative of the person authorizes the communication or information
or approves the communication or information before it is used. An offering
participant other than the issuer shall not be an agent or representative of
the issuer solely by virtue of its acting as an offering participant.
4. A road show means an offer (other than a
statutory prospectus or a portion of a statutory prospectus filed as part of
a registration statement) that contains a presentation regarding an offering
by one or more members of the issuers management (and in the case of an
offering of asset-backed securities, management involved in the
securitization or servicing function of one or more of the depositors,
sponsors, or servicers (as such terms are defined in Item 1101 of Regulation
AB) or an affiliated
depositor) and includes discussion of one or more of the issuer, such
management, and the securities being offered; and
5. A bona fide electronic road show means a
road show that is a written communication transmitted by graphic means that
contains a presentation by one or more officers of an issuer or other
persons in an issuers management (and in the case of an offering of
asset-backed securities, management involved in the securitization or
servicing function of one or more of the depositors, sponsors, or servicers
(as such terms are defined in Item 1101 of Regulation AB) or an affiliated
depositor) and, if more than one road show that is a written communication
is being used, includes discussion of the same general areas of information
regarding the issuer, such management, and the securities being offered as
such other issuer road show or shows for the same offering that are written
communications.
Note to §230.433.
This section does not affect the operation of the provisions of
clause (a) of section 2(a)(10) of the Act providing an exception
from the definition of "prospectus."
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