SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-A
FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Pennsylvania 23-2960768
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(State of Incorporation (IRS Employer
or Organization) Identification No.)
6060 Ridge Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19128
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
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If this form relates to the registration of a class of If this form relates to the registration of a class of
securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act securities pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act
and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(c), and is effective pursuant to General Instruction A.(d),
please check the following box.[ ] please check the following box.[X]
Securities Act registration statement file number to which this form relates: N/A
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Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class Name of Each Exchange on Which
To be so Registered Each Class is to be Registered
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None None
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Preferred Share Purchase Rights
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(Title of class)
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INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT
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Item 1. Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered
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On September 13, 1999, the Board of Directors of Thistle Group
Holdings, Co. (the "Company") declared a dividend of one Preferred Share
Purchase Right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of common stock, par value
$.10 per share (the "Common Shares"), of the Company. The dividend is payable on
September 30, 1999 (the "Record Date") to the stockholders of record on that
date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one
one-hundredth of a share of the Company's Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
Series A, no par value per share ("Preferred Shares") at a price of $30 per one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and Registrar and
Transfer Company, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an
"Acquiring Person") have acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares or more than such person or group held on September
30, 1999 if such person or group held 15% or more of the outstanding Common
Shares on such date or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be
determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of
an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which
would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of
such outstanding Common Shares or more than such person held on September 30,
1999 if such person or group held 15% or more of the outstanding Common Shares
on such date (the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution Date"),
the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Share
certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share certificate
with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the
Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new
Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date, upon transfer or new
issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares, outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such notation or
a copy of the Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such
certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the
Rights.
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The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights
will expire on September 13, 2009 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the
Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed by
the Company, in each case, as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or other
securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to
adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights
or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or
securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than
the then current market price of the Preferred Shares or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends paid out of earnings or
retained earnings or dividends payable in Common Shares) or of subscription
rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to
adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or a stock
dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.
Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be
redeemable. Each holder of a Preferred Share will be entitled to a minimum
preferential quarterly dividend payment equal to the greater of $1 per share or
100 times the dividend declared per Common Share. In the event of liquidation,
each holder of a Preferred Share will be entitled to the greater of $100 per
share or 100 times the payment made per Common Share. Each Preferred Share will
have 100 votes, voting together with the Common Shares. Finally, in the event of
any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are
exchanged, each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount
received per Common Share. These rights are protected by customary antidilution
provisions.
Because of the nature of the Preferred Shares' dividend and liquidation
rights, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a Preferred Share
purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the long term value
of one Common Share.
In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other business
combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning
power are sold, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right
will thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then
current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of
the acquiring company which at the time of such transaction will have a market
value of two times the exercise price of the Right. In the event that any person
or group of affiliated or
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associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person proper provision shall be made so
that each holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the
Acquiring Person (which will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right
to receive upon exercise that number of Common Shares having a market value of
two times the exercise price of the Right.
At any time after the acquisition by a person or group of affiliated or
associated persons of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Shares and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or
more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may
exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which have
become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share or
one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share per Right (subject to adjustment).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price. No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share
and which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts) and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Common Shares on the last trading day prior to the date of
exercise.
At any time prior to the acquisition by a person or group of affiliated
or associated persons of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in
whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price").
The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time on such basis
and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise
the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to
receive the Redemption Price.
The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of the
Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, including an amendment
to lower certain thresholds described above, except that from and after such
time as any person becomes an Acquiring Person no such amendment may adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.
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Item 2. Exhibits
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Exhibit 1 Conformed copy of Rights Agreement dated as of September 30, 1999
between Thistle Group Holdings, Co. and Regstrar and Transfer
Company which includes as Exhibit A the form of Certificate of
Designation of Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series A of
Thistle Group Holdings, Co.; as Exhibit B the form of Rights
Certificate; and as Exhibit C a Summary of Rights to Purchase
Preferred Shares.
Exhibit 2 Letter to Thistle Group Holdings, Co. shareholders.
Exhibit 3 Press release dated September 17, 1999 announcing adoption of
Rights Plan.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
Date: September 30, 1999 By: /s/ John F. McGill
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John F. McGill, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
EXHIBIT 1
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
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THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
the "Company"
and
REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY
the "Rights Agent"
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of September 30, 1999
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PAGE
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Section 1. Certain Definitions 1
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent 3
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates 3
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates 5
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration 5
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or
Stolen Right Certificates 5
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date
of Rights 6
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates 7
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares 7
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date 7
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or
Number of Rights 8
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares 13
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets
or Earning Power 13
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares 14
Section 15. Rights of Action 15
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders 15
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder 15
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent 15
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PAGE
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Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent 16
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent 16
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent 18
Section 22. Issuance of New Right Certificates 18
Section 23. Redemption 18
Section 24. Exchange 19
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events 20
Section 26. Notices 21
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments 21
Section 28. Successors 21
Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement 21
Section 30. Severability 22
Section 31. Governing Law 22
Section 32. Counterparts 22
Section 33. Descriptive Headings 22
Signatures 23
Exhibit A - Certificate of Designation of Preferred Shares
Exhibit B - Form of Right Certificate
Exhibit C - Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT
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RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of September 30, 1999 between THISTLE GROUP
HOLDINGS, CO., a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company") and REGISTRAR AND
TRANSFER COMPANY, a New Jersey corporation (the "Rights Agent").
The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a
dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right") for each Common Share
(as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on September 30, 1999 (the
"Record Date"), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-hundredth
of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined) upon the terms and subject to the
conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the
issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall become
outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date,
the Redemption Date and the Final Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter
defined).
IN CONSIDERATION of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set
forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement,
the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates
(as such terms are hereinafter defined) of such Person, shall be the Beneficial
Owner (as such term is hereinafter defined) of 15% or more of the Common Shares
of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any
Subsidiary (as such term is hereinafter defined) of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan; provided,
however, that the term "Acquiring Person" does not include any Grandfathered
Person (as hereinafter defined), unless the Grandfathered Person subsequently
becomes the Beneficial Owner of more than the Grandfathered Percentage (as
hereinafter defined) of the Common Shares of the Company. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, no Person shall become an "Acquiring Person" as the result of an
acquisition of Common Shares by the Company which, by reducing the number of
shares outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares beneficially
owned by such Person to 15% (or, if applicable, the Grandfathered Percentage) or
more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding; provided, however,
that if a Person shall become the Beneficial Owner of 15% (or, if applicable,
the Grandfathered Percentage) or more of the Common Shares of the Company then
outstanding by reason of share purchases by the Company and shall, after such
share purchases by the Company, become the Beneficial Owner of any additional
Common Shares of the Company, then such Person shall be deemed to be an
"Acquiring Person." Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Board of Directors of
the Company determines in good faith that a Person who would otherwise be an
"Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this
paragraph (a), has become such inadvertently, and such Person, if required by
the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, divests as promptly as
practicable a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no
longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions
of this paragraph (a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an "Acquiring
Person" for any purposes of this Agreement.
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(b) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the meanings
ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as in
effect on the date of this Agreement.
(c) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own" any securities:
(i) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates beneficially owns, directly or
indirectly;
(ii) which such Person or any of such Person's
Affiliates or Associates has (A) the right to acquire
(whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of
time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than
customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling group members
with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), or upon the exercise
of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights (other than these Rights),
warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be
deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (1) securities tendered
pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or
any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are
accepted for purchase or exchange or (2) securities which a Person or any of
such Person's Affiliates or Associates may be deemed to have the right to
acquire pursuant to any merger or other acquisition agreement between the
Company and such Person (or one or more of his Affiliates or Associates) if such
agreement has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company prior to
there being an Acquiring Person; or (B) the right to vote pursuant to any
agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall
not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security if
the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security (1) arises
solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a
public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with,
the applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2)
is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any
comparable or successor report); or
(iii) which are beneficially owned, directly or
indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or
any such Person's Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or
understanding (other than customary agreements with and between underwriters and
selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of securities)
for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except to the extent contemplated
by the proviso to Section 1(c)(ii)(B)) or disposing of any securities of the
Company. Notwithstanding anything in this definition of Beneficial Ownership to
the contrary, the phrase "then outstanding" when used with reference to a
Person's Beneficial Ownership of securities of the Company shall mean the number
of such securities then issued and outstanding together with the number of such
securities not then actually issued and outstanding which such Person would be
deemed to own beneficially hereunder.
(d) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a
Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in Pennsylvania are authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
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(e) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00
P.M., Eastern Standard Time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date
is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time, on the
next succeeding Business Day.
(f) "Common Shares" when used with reference to the Company
shall mean the shares of common stock, $0.10 par value per share, of the
Company. "Common Shares" when used with reference to any Person other than the
Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest) with the greatest
voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of
another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such
first-mentioned Person.
(g) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3 hereof.
(h) "Final Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 7 hereof.
(i) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation or
other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such
entity.
(j) "Preferred Shares" shall mean shares of Junior
Participating Preferred Stock, Series A, No Par Value, having the rights and
preferences set forth in the Certificate of Designation attached as Exhibit A to
this Agreement.
(k) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7 hereof.
(l) "Shares Acquisition Date" shall mean the first date of
public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring
Person has become such.
(m) "Subsidiary" of any Person shall mean any corporation or
other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity
securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby appoints the
Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the holders of the Rights (who,
in accordance with Section 3 hereof, shall prior to the Distribution Date also
be the holders of the Common Shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions
hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The Company may
from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or
desirable and, upon acceptance of such appointment by a co-Rights Agent, the
provisions of this Agreement applicable to the Rights Agent shall be deemed also
to apply to such co-Rights Agent.
Section 3. Issue of Right Certificates. (a) Until the earlier of (i)
the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date or (ii) the tenth Business Day
(or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors
prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of
the commencement by any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the
Company or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any
such plan) of, or of the first public announcement of the intention of any
Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any
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entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan) to
commence, a tender or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in
any Person becoming the Beneficial Owner of Common Shares aggregating 15% or
more of the then outstanding Common Shares (including any such date which is
after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights; the
earlier of such dates being herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x)
the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof)
by the certificates for Common Shares registered in the names of the holders
thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and
not by separate Right Certificates, and (y) the right to receive Right
Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common
Shares. As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will
prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will
send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested, send) by
first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common
Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date, at the address of
such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in
substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a "Right Certificate"), evidencing
one Right for each Common Share so held. As of the Distribution Date, the Rights
will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.
(b) As soon as practicable after the adoption of this
Agreement, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase
Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the "Summary of
Rights"), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common
Shares as of the close of business on such date (and, if such date is prior to
the Record Date, then on the Record Date to such holders as were not included in
such prior mailing), at the address of such holder shown on the records of the
Company. With respect to certificates for Common Shares outstanding as of the
Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such
certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof together with a copy
of the Summary of Rights attached thereto. Until the Distribution Date (or the
earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date), the surrender for
transfer of any certificate for Common Shares outstanding on the Record Date,
with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also
constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares
represented thereby.
(c) Certificates for Common Stock which become outstanding
(including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last
sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest
of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date shall
have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them the
following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to
certain rights as set forth in a Rights Agreement between THISTLE GROUP
HOLDINGS, CO. and REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY dated as of September
30, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the
principal executive offices of THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO. Under
certain circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, such
rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be
evidenced by this certificate. THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO. will mail to
the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without
charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain
circumstances, as set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to
any Person who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) may become null and void.
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With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the
Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by
such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the
surrender for transfer of any such certificates shall also constitute the
transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented thereby. In
the event that the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares after the
Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such
Common Shares shall be deemed canceled and retired so that the Company shall not
be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares which are
no longer outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Right Certificates. The Right Certificates (and the
forms of election to purchase and of assignment to be printed on the reverse
thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit B hereto and may have such
marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to
comply with any applicable law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which the Rights
may from time to time be listed, or to conform to usage. Subject to the
provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates shall entitle the
holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred
Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share set forth therein (the "Purchase Price"), but the number of such
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall be subject
to adjustment as provided herein.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Right Certificates
shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, any of
its Vice-Chairman of the Board, its President, any of its Vice Presidents, or
its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed
thereto the Company's seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the
Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by
facsimile signature. The Right Certificates shall be manually countersigned by
the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned. In
case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right
Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company,
such Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent
and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though
the person who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer
of the Company and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company
by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right
Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right
Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any
such person was not such an officer.
Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will keep or cause to
be kept, at its principal office, books for registration and transfer of the
Right Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and
addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of
Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of
each of the Right Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right
Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates. Subject
to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business
on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on the
earlier of the Redemption Date or the Final Expiration Date, any Right
Certificate or Right
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Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become
void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant
to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates, entitling the registered holder
to purchase a like number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share as the
Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase. Any
registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right
Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered
to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right
Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal
office of the Rights Agent. Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and
deliver to the person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right
Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of
Right Certificates.
Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of the Right
Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or
security reasonably satisfactory to them, and, at the Company's request,
reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses
incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of
the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new
Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the
registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or
mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of
Rights. (a) The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the
Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole or in
part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender of the Right
Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof
duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the principal office of the Rights Agent,
together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, at or prior to the
earliest of (i) the close of business on September 13, 2009 (the "Final
Expiration Date"), (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in
Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date"), or (iii) the time at which such
Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof.
(b) The Purchase Price for each one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $30.00,
shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections 11 and
13 hereof and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America
in accordance with paragraph (c) below.
(c) Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed,
accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and
an amount equal to any applicable transfer tax required to be paid by the holder
of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by certified
check, cashier's check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the
Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer
agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to
be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes its transfer agent to
comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the depositary agent
depositary receipts representing such number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the
Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer
agent with the depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs the depositary
agent to comply with
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such request, (ii) when appropriate, requisition from the Company the amount of
cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with
Section 14 hereof, (iii) after receipt of such certificates, cause the same to
be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right
Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such
holder and (iv) when appropriate, after receipt deliver such cash to or upon the
order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.
(d) In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right
Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised
shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right
Certificate or to his duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates. All
Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up,
combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its
agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in canceled form,
or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Right
Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by
any of the provisions of this Rights Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the
Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so
cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the
Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights Agent shall deliver
all canceled Rights Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written
request of the Company destroy such canceled Right Certificates, and in such
case shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Availability of Preferred Shares. The Company covenants and
agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its
authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its
treasury, the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7. The
Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be
necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights
shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares
(subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and
issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.
The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and
payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be
payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of
any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights. The Company shall not,
however, be required to pay any transfer tax which may be payable in respect of
any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a person other than, or the
issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred
Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right
Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver
any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the exercise
of any Rights until any such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being
payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or
until it has been established to the Company's reasonable satisfaction that no
such tax is due.
Section 10. Preferred Shares Record Date. Each person in whose name any
certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for
all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred
Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date
upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and
payment of
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the Purchase Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided,
however, that if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the
Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are closed, such person shall be
deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate
shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares
transfer books of the Company are open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights
evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to
any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which the Rights shall be
exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive
dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall
not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except
as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of
Rights. The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by each Right
and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time
as provided in this Section 11.
(a)(i) In the event the Company shall at any time after the
date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in
Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine
the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or
(D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred
Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation
or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation),
except as provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the
time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such
subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares
of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so
that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to
receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such
Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the
Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, he would have owned
upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend,
subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no
event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less
than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company
issuable upon exercise of one Right.
(ii) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event any
Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right shall thereafter have
a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current
Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred
Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of
the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then
current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (y) 50% of
the then current per share market price of the Company's Common Shares
(determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of
such event. In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person and
the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action
which would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the
Rights.
From and after the occurrence of such event, any Rights that are or
were acquired or beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or
Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be void and any holder of such Rights
shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of
this Agreement. No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 that
represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would
be void pursuant to
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the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right
Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an
Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence
or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominees of such Acquiring
Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the
Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void
pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be canceled.
(iii) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common
Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing paragraph (ii),
the Company may substitute, for each Common Share that would otherwise be
issuable upon exercise of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction
thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share
multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market
price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or
fraction thereof.
(b) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the
issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares
entitling them (for a period expiring within 45 calendar days after such record
date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares or securities convertible
into Preferred Shares at a price per Preferred Share (or having a conversion
price per share, if a security convertible into Preferred Shares) less than the
then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in
Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the
number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total
number of Preferred Shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial
conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase
at such current market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of
Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional
Preferred Shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the
convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided,
however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise
of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock
of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right. In case such subscription
price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form
other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good
faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be
described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent. Preferred Shares owned by
or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the
purpose of any such computation. Such adjustment shall be made successively
whenever such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such rights, options
or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been
fixed.
(c) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making
of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the
Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in
Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred
to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such
record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect
immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which
shall be the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such
record date, less the
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<PAGE>
fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the
Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be
distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one
Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such current per share
market price of the Preferred Shares; provided, however, that in no event shall
the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the
aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued
upon exercise of one Right. Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever
such a record date is fixed; and in the event that such distribution is not so
made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(d) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the "current
per share market price" of any security ("current per share market price" for
the purpose of this Section 11(d)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average
of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the 30 consecutive
Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately prior to such
date; provided, however, that in the event that the current per share market
price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement
by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such
Security payable in shares of such Security or securities convertible into such
shares or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security
and prior to the expiration of 30 Trading Days after the ex-dividend date for
such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision,
combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per
share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market
price per share equivalent of such Security. The closing price for each day
shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place
on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in
either case as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York
Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the
New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction
reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national
securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or,
if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities
exchange the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid
and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the Nasdaq
or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not
quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices
as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security
selected by the Board of Directors of the company. The term "Trading Day" shall
mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the
Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of
business or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any
national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the Preferred Shares are not
publicly held or so listed or traded, "current per share market price" shall be
conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common
Shares as determined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 11(d)
(appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar
transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one hundred. If
neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so
listed or traded, "current per share market price" shall mean the fair value per
share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company,
whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights
Agent.
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(e) No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required
unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in
the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of
this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and
taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under this
Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one one-millionth
of a Preferred Share or to the nearest ten-thousandth of any other share as the
case may be. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any
adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier
of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such
adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any
Rights.
(f) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section
11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled
to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred
Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise
of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on
terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the
Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c), inclusive, and the
provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10 and 13 with respect to the Preferred Shares
shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.
(g) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to
any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to
purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the
Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
(h) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a
result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c), each Right
outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one
one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (i) multiplying (x) the number
of one one-hundredths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this
adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such
adjustment of the Purchase Price and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by
the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(i) The Company may elect on or after the date of any
adjustment of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in substitution
for any adjustment in the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights outstanding after
such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of
one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable
immediately prior to such adjustment. Each Right held of record prior to such
adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights
(calculated to the nearest one ten-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the
Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price. The
Company shall make a public announcement of its election to adjust the number of
Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and if known at the time,
the amount of the adjustment to be made. This record date may be the date on
which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right
Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of
the public announcement. If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each
adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the
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<PAGE>
Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of
record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing,
subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall
be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company,
shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of
adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right
Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holder shall be entitled
after such adjustment. Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued,
executed and countersigned in the manner provided for herein and shall be
registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the
record date specified in the public announcement.
(j) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued
may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share which was expressed in the initial Right Certificates
issued hereunder.
(k) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below one one-hundredths of the then par value, if
any, of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company
shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be
necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and
nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.
(l) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a
specified event, the Company may elect to defer until the occurrence of such
event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of
the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if
any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other
capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise
on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided,
however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other
appropriate instrument evidencing such holder's right to receive such additional
shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
(m) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this
Section 11, as and to the extent that it in its sole discretion shall determine
to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred
Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the
current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities
which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares,
dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights,
options or warrants referred to hereinabove in Section 11(b), hereafter made by
the Company to holders of its Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such
stockholders.
(n) In the event that at any time after the date of this
Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or
pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or (ii) effect a
subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares)
into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then in any such case (A) the
number of one one-hundredths of a
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Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right
shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction,
the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately
before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares
outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each Common Share outstanding
immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that number of
Rights which each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had
issued with respect to it. The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n)
shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such
a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.
Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Sections 11 and 13 hereof, the
Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment,
and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with
the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares or the
Preferred Shares a copy of such certificate and (c) mail a brief summary thereof
to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of Assets or
Earning Power. In the event, directly or indirectly, (a) the Company shall
consolidate with, or merge with and into, any other Person, (b) any Person shall
consolidate with the Company, or merge with and into the Company and the Company
shall be the continuing or surviving corporation of such merger and, in
connection with such merger, all or part of the Common Shares shall be changed
into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any other Person (or the
Company) or cash or any other property, or (c) the Company shall sell or
otherwise transfer (or one or more of its Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise
transfer), in one or more transactions, assets or earning power aggregating 50%
or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(taken as a whole) to any other Person other than the Company or one or more of
its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, then, and in each such case, proper provision
shall be made so that (w) each holder of a Right (except as otherwise provided
herein) shall thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at
the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of
Common Shares of such other Person (including the Company as successor thereto
or as the surviving corporation) as shall equal the result obtained by (A)
multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that
product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common
Shares of such other Person (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the
date of consummation of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer; (x) the
issuer of such Common Shares shall thereafter be liable for, and shall assume,
by virtue of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, all the obligations
and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement; (y) the term "the Company"
shall thereafter be deemed to refer to such issuer; and (z) such issuer shall
take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation of a sufficient
number of its Common Shares in accordance with Section 9 hereof) in connection
with such consummation as may be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof
shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to
the Common Shares thereafter deliverable upon the exercise of the Rights. The
Company shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer
unless prior thereto the Company and such issuer shall have executed and
delivered to the Rights Agent a supplemental agreement so providing. The Company
shall not enter into any transaction of the kind referred to in this Section 13
if at the time of such
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transaction there are any rights, warrants, instruments or securities
outstanding or any agreements or arrangements which, as a result of the
consummation of such transaction, would eliminate or substantially diminish the
benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights. The provisions of this Section
13 shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations or sales or
other transfers.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares. (a) The Company
shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right
Certificates which evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional
Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates
with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an
amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole
Right. For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a
whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day
immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been
otherwise issuable. The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price,
regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of
the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as reported in the
principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities
listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights
are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect
to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the
Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or
admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price
or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the
over-the-counter market, as reported by Nasdaq or such other system then in use
or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the
average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional
market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of
the Company. If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the
Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by
the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.
(b) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one
one-hundredth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute
certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than fractions
which are integral multiples of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share).
Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a
Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a
depositary selected by it; provided, that such agreement shall provide that the
holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and
preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred
Shares represented by such depositary receipts. In lieu of fractional Preferred
Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred
Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at
the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share. For the
purpose of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share
shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the
second sentence of Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior
to the date of such exercise.
(c) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Right
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional
shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).
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Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect of this
Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under
Section 18 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to
the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights
Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the
Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in his own behalf and for his own
benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding
against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, his right to
exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided
in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing
or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically
acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law
for any breach of this Agreement and will be entitled to specific performance of
the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Right Holders. Every holder of a Right, by
accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent
and with every other holder of a Right that:
(a) prior to the Distribution Date, the Right will be transferable only
in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;
(b) after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at
the principal office of the Rights Agent, duly endorsed or accompanied by a
proper instrument of transfer; and
(c) the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the
person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date,
the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner
thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of
ownership or writing on the Right Certificates or the associated Common Shares
certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all
purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be
affected by any notice to the contrary.
Section 17. Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder. No
holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive
dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any
other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the
exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein
or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right
Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any
right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any
corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends
or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by
such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the
provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent. The Company agrees to pay to
the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it
hereunder and, from time to time, on demand
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of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other
disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of this Agreement and
the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder. The Company also agrees to
indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss,
liability, or expense, incurred without negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or omitted by the
Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and administration of this
Agreement, including the costs and expenses of defending against any claim of
liability in the premises.
The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for,
or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with,
its administration of this Agreement in reliance upon any Right Certificate or
certificate for the Common Shares or for other securities of the Company,
instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit,
letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or
document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where
necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper person or persons, or
otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.
Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be
merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from
any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights
Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the stock transfer or
corporate trust business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent,
shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the
execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the
parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment
as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof. In case
at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by
this Agreement any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but
not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of
the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so
countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not
have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name
of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Right Certificates
shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this
Agreement.
In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and
at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name
and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and in case at the time any of
the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may
countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed
name; and in all such cases such Right Certificates shall have the full force
provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent undertakes the
duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and
conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates,
by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may
be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full
and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent as to any action
taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
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(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or
matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any
action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof
be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by a certificate signed by anyone of the Chairman of the Board, any
Vice-Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or
the Treasurer of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such
certificate shall be full authorization to the Rights Agent for any action taken
or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in
reliance upon such certificate.
(c) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company
and any other Person only for its own negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct.
(d) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of
any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the
Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to
verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to
have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof
(except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the
validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature
thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any
covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate;
nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights
(including the Rights becoming void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any
adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount
thereof) provided for in Sections 3, 11, 13, 23 or 24, or the ascertaining of
the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except
with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after
actual notice that such change or adjustment is required); nor shall it by any
act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the
authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to
this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares
will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and non
assessable.
(f) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and
delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may
reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by
the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to
accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from
any one of the Chairman of the Board, any Vice-Chairman of the Board, the
President, any Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company,
and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its
duties, and it shall not be liable for any action taken or suffered by it in
good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay
in acting while waiting for those instructions.
(h) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other
securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in
which the Company may be interested, or contract with or
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lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were
not Rights Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights
Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or any other legal
entity.
(i) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the
rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself
or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be
answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any
such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such
act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in
the selection and continued employment thereof.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement
upon 30 days notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent
of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to
the holders of the Rights Certificates by first class mail. The Company may
remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon 30 days notice in
writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may
be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by
registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by
first class mail. If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall
otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to
the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a
period of 30 days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been
notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (who shall,
with such notice, submit his Right Certificate for inspection by the Company),
then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent. After
appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers,
rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights
Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall
deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held
by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act
or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such
appointment the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the
predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares or
Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders
of the Right Certificates. Failure to give any notice provided for in this
Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or
validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of
the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates. Notwithstanding any of
the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company
may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form
as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change
in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other
securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 23. Redemption. (a) The Rights may be redeemed by action of the
Board of Directors pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 23 and shall not be
redeemed in any other manner.
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(b) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option,
at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem
all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of
$.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock
dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption
price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption Price"). The redemption
of the Rights by the Board of Directors may be made effective at such time on
such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole
discretion may establish.
(c) Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of
the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (b) of
this Section 23 and without any further action and without any notice, the right
to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the
holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price. The Company shall
promptly give public notice of any such redemption; provided, however, that the
failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity
of such redemption. Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors
ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (b), the Company
shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding
Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the
Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
transfer agent for the Common Shares. Any notice which is mailed in the manner
herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the
payment of the Redemption Price will be made. Neither the Company nor any of its
Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at
any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23
or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of
Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.
Section 24. Exchange. (a) The Board of Directors of the Company may, at
its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange
all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not
include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section
11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per
Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or
similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such exchange ratio being
hereinafter referred to as the "Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Board of Directors shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any
time after any person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company,
any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any entity
holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner
of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.
(b) Immediately upon the effective date of the action of the
Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant
to subsection (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without
any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right
thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common
Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the
Exchange Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such
exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such
notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange. The Company promptly
shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at
their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent
on the effective date of said action of the Board of Directors ordering the
exchange of Rights. Any notice which is mailed in the manner
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herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of exchange will state the method by which the exchange
of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected and, in the event of any
partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial
exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(c) In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common
Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any
exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with subsection (a) of this
Section 24, the Company may substitute, for each Common Share that would
otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or
fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred
Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share
market price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such Preferred
Shares or fraction thereof.
(d) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common
Shares. In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such
fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to
the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share. For the
purposes of this paragraph (d), the current market value of a whole Common Share
shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the
second sentence of Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior
to the date of exchange pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events. (a) In case the Company shall
propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of
its Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of its
Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer
to the holders of its Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to
purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of its
Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision
of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger
into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more
of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more
transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and
it Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay
any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or to effect a
subdivision, combination, or consolidation of the Common Shares (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares)
then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Right
Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed
action, which shall specify the record date for the purpose of such stock
dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation,
dissolution or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein
by the holders of the Preferred Shares or Common Shares, as the case may be, if
any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of
any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the
record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares or Common Shares, as
the case may be, for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other
action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action
or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Preferred Shares or
Common Shares, as the case may be.
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(b) In case any of the events set forth in Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof shall occur, then the Company shall as soon as practicable thereafter
give to each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26
hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such events which notice shall describe
such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section
11(a)(ii) hereof.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to
be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate
to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage-prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with
the Rights Agent) as follows:
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
6060 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19128
Attention: President
Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice or demand authorized
by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any
Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made
if sent by first-class mail, postage-prepaid, addressed (until another address
is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:
REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY
10 Commerce Drive
Cranford, New Jersey 07016-3572
Attention: Corporate Services Department
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the
Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage-prepaid,
addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry
books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. The Company may from time to
time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of
Right Certificates (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) to
make any provision with respect to the Rights which the Company may deem
necessary or desirable, any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a
writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent whether or not it would
adversely affect the holders of Right Certificates; provided, however, that from
and after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement
shall not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of
the holders of Rights. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may at any
time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person amend this
Agreement to lower the thresholds set forth in Sections 1(a) and 3(a).
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this
Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind
and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
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Section 29. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall
be construed to give to any person or corporation other than the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to
the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy
or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and
exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of
the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares).
Section 30. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or
other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the
terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.
Section 31. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Right Certificate
issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and for all purposes shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to
be made and performed entirely within such State.
Section 32. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed
to be an original and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one
and the same instrument.
Section 33. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the several
Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not
control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
Attest:
By /s/Jerry A. Naessens By /s/John F. McGill, Jr.
----------------------------- --------------------------------------
Jerry A. Naessens John F. McGill, Jr.
Chief Financial Officer President and Chief Executive Officer
REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY
By By
----------------------------- --------------------------------------
Secretary Authorized Officer
<PAGE>
Exhibit A
---------
FORM OF
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
of
JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES A
of
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
(Pursuant to Section 1522 of the Business Corporation Law
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO., a corporation organized and existing under
the Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (herein
referred to as the "Company"), in accordance with the provisions thereof and
ARTICLE 5 of the Company's Articles of Incorporation, does hereby CERTIFY:
I. The Articles of Incorporation of the Company fixes the total number
of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Company shall have the
authority to issue as Fifty Million (50,000,000) shares, of which Ten Million
(10,000,000) shares shall be shares of preferred stock of no par value per share
("Preferred Stock"), and Forty Million (40,000,000) shares shall be shares of
common stock of the par value of $.10 per share ("Common Stock").
II. The Articles of Incorporation of the Company expressly grants to
the Board of Directors of the Company authority to cause such shares of
preferred stock to be issued from time to time, by resolution adopted prior to
such issue, providing the voting powers, designations, preferences, rights and
qualifications, limitations or restrictions applicable to such shares.
III. Pursuant to authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the
Articles of Incorporation of the Company, the Board of Directors, by actions
duly taken on September 13, 1999, authorized and adopted the following
resolution providing for an issue of a series of its preferred stock to be
designated "Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series A":
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the
Board of Directors of the Company in accordance with the provisions of its
Articles of Incorporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of
Preferred Stock, no par value per share, of the Company and hereby states the
designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, preferences and
limitations thereof as follows:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series A" (the "Series A
Preferred Stock"), and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred
Stock shall be 100,000. Such number of shares may be increased or
<PAGE>
decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease
shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred stock to a number less
than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved
for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or
upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Company
convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of
Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series
A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock of the Company,
and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if
declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the
purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June,
September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as
a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of
Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent)
equal to the greater of (a) $1 or (b) subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, 100 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash
dividends, and 100 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all
non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in
shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock since the
immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the
first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or
fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Company shall
at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of
Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number
of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of
shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such
amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is
the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.
(B) The Company shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series
A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section immediately after
it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a
dividend payable in shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no
dividend or distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the
period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next subsequent
Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1 per share on the Series A
Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such subsequent Quarterly
Dividend Payment Date.
(C) Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding
shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next
preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such
shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
Date,in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date
of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend
Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders
of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend
and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such
dividends shall begin to
2
<PAGE>
accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but
unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series
A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at
the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a
share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of
Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or
distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days
prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall
have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof
to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the
Company. In the event the Company shall at any time declare or pay any dividend
on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision
or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted
by multiplying such number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number
of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other
Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar
stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the
holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Company
having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters
submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Company.
(C) Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided by
law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and
their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to
vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate
action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2
are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and
distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock
outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Company shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions,
on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon
liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred
Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other
distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up)
3
<PAGE>
with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on
the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which
dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts
to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up ) to the
Series A Preferred Stock provided that the Company may at any time
redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock
in exchange for shares of any stock of the Company ranking junior
(either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up)
to the Series A Preferred; or
(iv) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration
any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking
on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock, except in accordance
with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined
by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such
terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective
annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the
respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will
result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or
classes.
(B) The Company shall not permit any subsidiary of the Company
to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the
Company unless the Company could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4,
purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock
purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company in any manner whatsoever shall be
retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. All such shares
shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred
Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series of the Preferred Stock subject
to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein, in the
Company's Articles of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate of Designation
creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as otherwise
required by law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up. Upon any
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, no distribution shall be
made (A) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to
dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A
Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have received $100 per share, plus an amount equal to
accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared,
to the date of such payment provided that the holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share,
subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100
times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of
Common Stock, or (B) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity
(either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the
Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratable on the Series A
Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to
which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation,
dissolution or winding up. In the event the Company shall at any time declare or
pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or
effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock ( by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend
in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or
4
<PAGE>
lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate
amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled
immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (A) of the preceding
sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the
numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Company shall enter
into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the
shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or
securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case each share of
Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or
changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment
hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount of stock,
securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may
be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.
In the event the Company shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the
Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect subdivision or
combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common
Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each
such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the
exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by
multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall
not be redeemable.
Section 9. Rank. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank, with respect
to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior to all series
of any other class of the Company's Preferred Stock.
Section 10. Amendment. The Articles of Incorporation of the Company
shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the
powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to
affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least
two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting
together as a single class.
5
<PAGE>
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designation is executed on
behalf of the Company by its President and Chief Executive Officer and attested
by its Secretary this _____ day of September, 1999.
----------------------------------------
John F. McGill, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Attest:
- ---------------------------------
Jerry A. Naessens
Chief Financial Officer
6
<PAGE>
Exhibit B
---------
Form of Right Certificate
Certificate No. R- ______ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER__________ ____, 2009 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR
EXCHANGE OCCURS. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AND EXCHANGE ON
THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.
Right Certificate
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
This certifies that __________________________, or registered assigns,
is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which
entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of
the Rights Agreement, dated as of September 30, 1999 (the "Rights Agreement"),
between THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO., a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Company"),
and REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY, a New Jersey corporation (the "Rights
Agent"), to purchase from the Company at any time after Distribution Date (as
such term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., Eastern
Standard Time, on ____________ ____, 2009, at the principal office of the Rights
Agent, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-hundredth
share of the Company's Junior Participating Preferred Stock Series A, no par
value per share ("Preferred Shares"), of the Company, at a purchase price of
$_________ per one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"),
upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of
Election to Purchase duly executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate (and the number of one one-hundredths of a Preferred Share which may
be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set
forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of ___________, [200_], based
on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date. As provided in the Rights
Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-hundredths of a
Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced
by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the
happening of certain events.
This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are
hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which
Rights Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the
Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates. Copies of
the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the
Company and the above-mentioned offices of the Rights Agent.
This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon
surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for
another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date
evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like
<PAGE>
aggregate number of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right
Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to
purchase. If this Right Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall
be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right
Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the Rights evidenced
by this Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of
[$.01] per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Preferred
Shares or Common Shares.
No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any
Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral
multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share and which may, at the
election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights Agreement.
No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or
receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred
Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be
issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any
of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any
meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings of other actions affecting stockholders (except as
provided in the Rights Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose
until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company
and its corporate seal. Dated as of _________________ [200_].
ATTEST: THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
By
- ------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Countersigned:
REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER COMPANY
By
----------------------------
Authorized Signature
-2-
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
------------------
(To be executed by the registered holder if
such holder desires to transfer the Right Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED ____________________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address of transferee)
________________________________________________________________________________
this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and
does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ________________________
Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of THISTLE GROUP
HOLDINGS, CO., with full power of substitution.
Dated: _____________________, [200_]
---------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
________________________________________________________________________________
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement.)
---------------------------------------
Signature
By
------------------------------
Authorized Signature
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Certificate - continued
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
----------------------------
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise the Rights represented
by the Right Certificate.)
To: THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
______________________ Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase
the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that
certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right
Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights
shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security or other identifying number
________________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)
________________________________________________________________________________
Dated: __________________,[200_]
------------------------------------
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Signatures must be guaranteed by a member firm of a registered national
securities exchange, a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in
the United States.
<PAGE>
Form of Reverse Side of Right Certificate -- continued
________________________________________________________________________________
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this
Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an
Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights Agreement).
------------------------------------
Signature
________________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE
------
The signature in the foregoing Forms of Assignment and Election must
conform to the name written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every
particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of
Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not
completed, THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO. and the Rights Agent will deem the
beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an
Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Rights
Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.
<PAGE>
Exhibit C
---------
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
PREFERRED SHARES
On September 13, 1999, the Board of Directors of THISTLE GROUP
HOLDINGS, CO. (the "Company") declared a dividend of one Preferred Share
Purchase Right (a "Right") for each outstanding share of common stock, no par
value per share (the "Common Shares"), of the Company. The dividend is payable
on September 30, 1999 (the "Record Date") to the stockholders of record on that
date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one
one-hundredth of a share of the Company's Junior Participating Preferred Stock,
Series A, no par value per share ("Preferred Shares") at a price of $30.00 per
one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share (the "Purchase Price"), subject to
adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company and REGISTRAR AND
TRANSFER COMPANY, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an
"Acquiring Person") have acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares or more than such person or group held on September
30, 1999 if such person or group held 15% or more of the outstanding Common
Shares on such date or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be
determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any Person
becomes an Acquiring Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of
an intention to make, a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which
would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of
such outstanding Common Shares or more than such person or group held on
September 30, 1999 if such person or group held 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Shares on such date (the earlier of such dates being called the
"Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the
Common Share certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common
Share certificate with a copy of this Summary of Rights attached thereto.
The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date, the
Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares. Until the
Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), new
Common Share certificates issued after the Record Date, upon transfer or new
issuance of Common Shares will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
Common Shares, outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such notation or
a copy of this Summary of Rights being attached thereto, will also constitute
the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such
certificate. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the
Rights.
<PAGE>
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights
will expire on September 13, 2009 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the
Final Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed by
the Company, in each case, as described below.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of Preferred Shares or other
securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are subject to
adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Preferred
Shares, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Shares of certain rights
or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares at a price, or
securities convertible into Preferred Shares with a conversion price, less than
the then current market price of the Preferred Shares or (iii) upon the
distribution to holders of the Preferred Shares of evidences of indebtedness or
assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends paid out of earnings or
retained earnings or dividends payable in Common Shares) or of subscription
rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
The number of outstanding Rights and the number of one one-hundredths
of a Preferred Share issuable upon exercise of each Right are also subject to
adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or a stock
dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.
Preferred Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be
redeemable. Each holder of a Preferred Share will be entitled to a minimum
preferential quarterly dividend payment equal to the greater of $1 per share or
100 times the dividend declared per Common Share. In the event of liquidation,
each holder of a Preferred Share will be entitled to a payment of $100 per share
provided that such holders shall be entitled to an aggregate payment of 100
times the payment made per Common Share. Each Preferred Share will have 100
votes, voting together with the Common Shares. Finally, in the event of any
merger, consolidation or other transaction in which Common Shares are exchanged,
each Preferred Share will be entitled to receive 100 times the amount received
per Common Share. These rights are protected by customary antidilution
provisions.
Because of the nature of the Preferred Shares' dividend and liquidation
rights, the value of the one one-hundredth interest in a Preferred Share
purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the long term value
of one Common Share.
In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other business
combination transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning
power are sold, proper provision will be made so that each holder of a Right
will thereafter have the right to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then
current exercise price of the Right, that number of shares of common stock of
the acquiring company which at the time of such transaction will have a market
value of two times the exercise price of the Right. In the event that any person
or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person proper
provision shall be made so that each
2
<PAGE>
holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person
(which will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon
exercise that number of Common Shares having a market value of two times the
exercise price of the Right.
At any time after the acquisition by a person or group of affiliated or
associated persons of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Shares and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or
more of the outstanding Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may
exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which have
become void), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio of one Common Share or
one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share per Right (subject to adjustment).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price. No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued (other than
fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preferred Share
and which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary
receipts) and in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Common Shares on the last trading day prior to the date of
exercise.
At any time prior to the acquisition by a person or group of affiliated
or associated persons of beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the outstanding
Common Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in
whole, but not in part, at a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price").
The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time on such basis
and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may
establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise
the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to
receive the Redemption Price.
The terms of the Rights may be amended by the Board of Directors of the
Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, including an amendment
to lower certain thresholds described above, except that from and after such
time as any person becomes an Acquiring Person no such amendment may adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the Rights.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such, will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to a Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated
September 30, 1999. A copy of the Rights Agreement is available to shareholders
of the Company free of charge from the Company. This summary description of the
Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by
reference to the Rights Agreement, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
EXHIBIT 2
<PAGE>
[Company Letterhead]
September 30, 1999
To Our Shareholders:
On September 13, 1999 the Board of Directors of Thistle Group Holdings,
Co. adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan. The adoption of the Plan is designed to
assure Thistle Group's stockholders receive full consideration in the event of
any proposed takeover of the Company and guard against partial tender offers,
squeeze-outs, open market accumulations and other such activity. Our balance
sheet and earnings have demonstrated solid growth during these 14 months. The
Company does, however, recognize the weakness in the market for small bank's and
thrifts and has adopted a plan that will allow the Company to focus on the
continued implementation of its strategic initiatives, namely core growth and
the reduction of excess capital which will result in increased shareholder
value. The Plan allows the board to maintain its fiduciary flexibility to review
and analyze transactions that accrete to earnings and long term value.
Under the Plan, each shareholder of record of Thistle Group's common
stock at the close of business on September 30, 1999 will receive a dividend
distribution of one Right for each outstanding share of common stock. The Rights
expire on September 13, 2009 and thereafter have no further value. They are
redeemable by the Board of Directors at a price of $.01 per Right at any time
within the ten year period until a person or group has acquired 15% or more of
our then outstanding common stock.
The Rights will not (i) be taxable to shareholders or to the Company
upon declaration or receipt; (ii) prevent shareholders from exercising their
rights to vote as shareholders of Thistle Group; (iii) be dilutive; (iv) have
any effect on reported earnings per share; and (v) affect the manner in which
shareholders may presently buy or sell the Company's common stock.
The Rights are not exercisable until after the distribution date. Until
the distribution date, the Rights are attached to the common stock and are not
traded separately from the common stock. No separate certificates evidencing the
Rights will be issued to shareholders of record on September 30, 1999. The
Rights, together with the common stock, will be represented by the certificates
for the common stock. After the distribution date, the Rights will detach from
the common stock and separate Rights certificates will be issued.
A distribution date will occur 10 days after the date of public
announcement that a person or group has acquired 15% or more of the then
outstanding common stock or 10 business days after a person announces an offer
to acquire 15% or more of the common stock. When the Rights first become
exercisable, unless a person or group has acquired 15% or more of the Company's
shares, a holder will be entitled to buy from the Company one one-hundredth of a
share of a new series of junior participating preferred stock for $30. If
Thistle Group is involved in a merger or other business combination, the Rights
will entitle a holder to buy a number of shares of common stock of the acquiring
company having a market value of twice the exercise price of each Right. For
example, if at the time of the business combination the acquiring company's
stock has a per
<PAGE>
share value of $8.00, the holder of each Right would be entitled to receive 8
shares of the acquiring company's common stock for $32, i.e., at a 50% discount.
If any person or group acquires 15% or more of the Company's
outstanding common stock, holders (other than such person or any member of such
group) will be entitled to buy a number of additional shares of our common stock
having a market value of twice the exercise price of each Right. For example, if
at the time of the 15% acquisition Thistle Group's stock were to have a market
value per share equal to $16.00, the holder of each Right (other than such
person or member of such group) would be entitled to receive 4 shares of our
common stock for $32.
Following the acquisition by any person or group of 15% or more of our
common stock, but only prior to the acquisition by a person or group of a 50%
stake, the Board of Directors can exchange the Rights (other than Rights held by
such person or group), in whole or in part, for one share of common stock (or
one one-hundredth of a share of the new series of junior participating preferred
stock) per Right. This has an economically dilutive effect on the acquiror, and
provide a corresponding benefit to the remaining rights holders that provides
comparable value without requiring you to go through the process and expense of
exercising your Rights.
As noted above, the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable,
however, stockholders may recognize taxable income upon the occurrence of
certain subsequent events.
In addition to the purchase rights, we also authorized the new series
of nonredeemable, junior participating preferred stock purchasable upon exercise
of the Rights. Each preferred share will be entitled to an aggregate dividend
equal to the greater of $1 per share or 100 times the dividend declared on the
common shares. In the event of liquidation, the holders of the preferred shares
will be entitled to receive an aggregate liquidation payment equal to the
greater of $100 or 100 times the payment made per share of common stock. Each
preferred share will have 100 votes, voting together with the common shares.
Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in which
common shares are exchanged, each preferred share will be entitled to receive
100 times the amount received per common share. These rights are protected by
customary anti-dilution provisions. In the event of issuance of preferred shares
upon exercise of the Rights, depositary receipts may be issued for to facilitate
trading. The dividend, liquidation and voting rights, and the non-redemption
feature, of the preferred shares are designed so that the value of the one
one-hundredth interest in a preferred share purchasable with each Right will
approximate the value of one share of common stock.
Upon written request, we will provide you a copy of a "Summary of
Rights to Purchase Shares" which explains the Plan in further detail.
On behalf of the Board of Directors.
John F. McGill, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
EXHIBIT 3
<PAGE>
Thistle Group Holdings, Co.
Contacts: John F. McGill Jr., President
- -------- Pam Cyr, Dir. of Investor Relations
NEWS 6060 Ridge Avenue
RELEASE Philadelphia, PA 19128
- -------- Phone: 215-483-2800
Fax: 215-483-0885
THISTLE GROUP HOLDINGS, CO. ANNOUNCES 20% INCREASE IN CASH
DIVIDEND AND DISTRIBUTION OF PREFERRED STOCK PURCHASE
RIGHT
Philadelphia, PA, September 17 , 1999- Thistle Group Holdings, Co., (NASDAQ:
THTL) announced today that the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly
cash dividend of $0.06 per share. The dividend will be paid on October 15, 1999
to stockholders of record as of September 30, 1999. This represents an increase
of 20% over the cash dividend of $.05 per share which had been paid previously.
The Company also announced that the Board of Directors of the Company today
declared a dividend distribution of one Preferred Share Purchase Right on each
outstanding share of common stock, par value $.10 per share.
John F. McGill, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company,
stated "the adoption of the Rights Plan is designed to assure Thistle Group's
stockholders receive full consideration in the event of any proposed takeover of
the Company and guard against partial tender offers, squeeze-outs, open market
accumulations and other such activity." McGill stated further "the balance sheet
and earnings have demonstrated solid growth during these 14 months. The Company
does, however, recognize the weakness in the market for small bank's and thrifts
and has adopted a plan that will allow the Company to focus on the continued
implementation of its strategic initiatives, namely core growth and the
reduction of excess capital which will result in increased shareholder value.
The plan allows the board to maintain its fiduciary flexibility to review and
analyze transactions that accrete to earnings and long term value."
The Rights will be exercisable only if a person or group acquires 15% or more of
the Company's common stock or announces a tender offer the consummation of which
would result in ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of the common
stock. Each Right will entitle stockholders to buy one one-hundredth of a share
of a new series of junior participating preferred stock at an exercise price of
$30.
If the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination
transaction, each Right will entitle its holder to purchase, at the Right's
then-current exercise price, a
<PAGE>
number of the acquiring company's common shares having a market value of twice
such price. In addition, if a person or group acquires 15% or more of the
Company's outstanding common stock, each Right will entitle its holder (other
than such person or members of such group) to purchase, at the Right's
then-current exercise price, a number of the company's common shares having a
market of twice such price.
Following the acquisition by a person or group of beneficial ownership of 15% or
more of the Company's common stock and prior to an acquisition of 50% or more of
the common stock, the Board of Directors may exchange the Rights (other than
Rights owned by such person or group), in whole or in part, at an exchange ratio
of one share of common stock (or one one-hundredth of a share of the new series
of junior participating preferred stock) per Right.
Prior to the acquisition by a person or group of beneficial ownership of 15% or
more of the Company's common stock, the Rights are redeemable for one cent per
Right at the option of the Board of Directors.
The dividend distribution will be made effective on September 30 , 1999, payable
to stockholders of record on that date. The Rights will expire on September 13,
2009. The Rights distribution is not taxable to stockholders.
Thistle also offers a dividend reinvestment plan. Through the plan, holders of
common stock may have their dividends and optional cash contributions of between
$100 and $1,000 per quarter reinvested in additional common shares without
incurring brokerage commissions or service charges. Shareholders not enrolled in
this plan, as well as brokers and custodians who hold stock for clients, may
receive a copy of the plan and enrollment card by contacting Registrar and
Transfer Investor Relations Department a (800) 368-5948 or Pam Cyr, Director of
Investor Relations at (215) 483-2800.
Thistle Group Holdings, Co. is a Philadelphia based Unitary Thrift Holding whose
principal subsidiary is Roxborough Manayunk Bank. At June 30, 1999 the Company
had total assets, deposits and stockholders' equity of $524 million, $279
million, and $82 million, respectively.
