PIONEER HI BRED INTERNATIONAL INC
8-A12B/A, 1998-10-13
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION-CROPS
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                 ---------------

                                  FORM 8-A/A-3

                  AMENDING FORM 8-A/A-1 DATED DECEMBER 17, 1996

                FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                       PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL, INC.
                    -----------------------------------------------------
                    (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter


                       IOWA                                  42-0470520
      ---------------------------------------             -------------------
      (State of incorporation or organization)            (I.R.S. Employer
                                                           Identification No.)

           400 Locust Street, Suite 800
           Des Moines, Iowa                                      50309
           --------------------------------------------------------------
           (Address of principal executive offices)           (Zip Code)


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


                                          Name of each exchange on which
                   Title of each class registered each class is registered
                ------------------------------- ------------------------------
                   Preferred Share Purchase Rights New York Stock Exchange


              Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:


                                      None
              -----------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Title of Class)


<PAGE>


Item 1.   Description of Securities to be Registered
- ------------------------------------------

        On April 6, 1989,  the Board of Directors  of the Company (the  "Board")
authorized  and  declared  a  dividend  of one common  share  purchase  right (a
"Right")  for each share of Common  Stock,  par value  $1.00 per  share,  of the
Company ("Common Stock") outstanding at the Close of Business (as defined in the
Amended and Restated  Rights  Agreement)  on April 6, 1989 (the "Record  Date"),
each Right  representing  the right to purchase  one (subject to  adjustment  as
provided in the Amended and Restated  Rights  Agreement)  share of Common Stock,
upon the terms and  subject  to the  conditions  set  forth in the  Amended  and
Restated Rights Agreement,  and has further authorized the issuance of one Right
with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between
the  Record  Date and the  Distribution  Date (as  defined  in the  Amended  and
Restated Rights Agreement);  provided,  however,  that Rights may be issued with
respect  to shares of Common  Stock  that  shall  become  outstanding  after the
Distribution  Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final
Expiration  Date in accordance  with the provisions of Section 23 of the Amended
and Restated Rights Agreement.

        On December 13, 1994,  the Board amended and  modified,  and on December
13, 1996,  the Board  amended and restated,  the terms of the Rights  Agreement,
dated as of April 6, 1989,  between the Company and the Rights Agent,  to, among
other  things,  modify  the Rights so that each  Right  represents  the right to
purchase one  one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (as defined in the Amended and
Restated Rights Agreement).

        On August 5, 1997,  the Board  authorized  the execution and delivery of
Amendment No. 1 to the Rights  Agreement  which amended the Amended and Restated
Rights Agreement.

        On March 10,  1998,  the Board  authorized  execution  and  delivery  of
Amendment  No. 2 which  amends the  Amended and  Restated  Rights  Agreement  as
amended.

     Item 2.  Exhibits.  
              -------- 

               1    Form of Amendment  No. 2 dated March 10, 1998 to the Amended
                    and Restated Rights  Agreement,  dated December 13, 1996, as
                    amended,  between  Pioneer Hi-Bred  International,  Inc. and
                    BankBoston  N.A.  (formally known as The First National Bank
                    of Boston).

SIGNATURE

        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, thereto duly authorized.

                                            Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.

                                            By: /s/ Charles S. Johnson
                                            Name:   Charles S. Johnson
                                            Title:  Chairman, President and
                                            Chief Executive Officer
Date: October 12, 1998




                                       2
<PAGE>





                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                  -------------

Exhibit   Description
- -------   -----------

               1    Form of Amendment  No. 2 dated March 10, 1998 to the Amended
                    and Restated Rights  Agreement,  dated December 13, 1996, as
                    amended,  between  Pioneer Hi-Bred  International,  Inc. and
                    BankBoston  N.A.  (formally known as The First National Bank
                    of Boston).


                                    EXHIBIT 1
                       Form of Rights Agreement Amendment

                           RIGHTS AGREEMENT AMENDMENT


        AMENDMENT NO. 2, dated as of March 10, 1998, to the AMENDED AND RESTATED
RIGHTS  AGREEMENT,  dated as of December  13, 1996 (the  "Amended  and  Restated
Rights  Agreement"),  between  Pioneer  Hi-Bred  International,  Inc.,  an  Iowa
corporation  (the "Company"),  and BankBoston N.A.  (formally known as The First
National Bank of Boston), a national banking association ("Rights Agent").

        On April 6, 1989,  the Board of Directors  of the Company (the  "Board")
authorized  and  declared  a  dividend  of one common  share  purchase  right (a
"Right")  for each share of Common  Stock,  par value  $1.00 per  share,  of the
Company ("Common Stock") outstanding at the Close of Business (as defined in the
Amended and Restated  Rights  Agreement)  on April 6, 1989 (the "Record  Date"),
each Right  representing  the right to purchase  one (subject to  adjustment  as
provided in the Amended and Restated  Rights  Agreement)  share of Common Stock,
upon the terms and  subject  to the  conditions  set  forth in the  Amended  and
Restated Rights Agreement,  and has further authorized the issuance of one Right
with respect to each share of Common Stock that shall become outstanding between
the  Record  Date and the  Distribution  Date (as  defined  in the  Amended  and
Restated Rights Agreement);  provided,  however,  that Rights may be issued with
respect  to shares of Common  Stock  that  shall  become  outstanding  after the
Distribution  Date and prior to the earlier of the Redemption Date and the Final
Expiration  Date in accordance  with the provisions of Section 23 of the Amended
and Restated Rights Agreement.

        On December 13, 1994,  the Board amended and  modified,  and on December
13, 1996,  the Board  amended and restated,  the terms of the Rights  Agreement,
dated as of April 6, 1989,  between the Company and the Rights Agent,  to, among
other  things,  modify  the Rights so that each  Right  represents  the right to
purchase one  one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (as defined in the Amended and
Restated Rights Agreement).

        On August 5, 1997,  the Board  authorized  the execution and delivery of
Amendment No. 1 to the Rights  Agreement  which amended the Amended and Restated
Rights Agreement.

        On March 10,  1998,  the Board  authorized  execution  and  delivery  of
Amendment  No. 2 which  amends the  Amended and  Restated  Rights  Agreement  as
amended.

        Accordingly,  in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

        SECTION 1. Amendments. The Designation, Preferences and Rights of Series
A Junior Participating Preferred Stock (the "Designation") of the Company as set
forth on Exhibit A to the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement shall be amended
as follows:

        Paragraph  1(a) of the  Designation  shall be amended by deleting in its
entirety and substituting the following language as Paragraph 1(a):

1.      Designation and Amount.
        -----------------------
        (a)  There  shall  be a series  of  Preferred  Stock of the  Corporation
        created out of the authorized  but unissued  shares of the capital stock
        of the  Corporation,  which series shall be  designated  Series A Junior
        Participating Preferred Stock (the "Participating  Preferred Stock"), to
        consist of six hundred thousand (600,000) shares, without par value.

        Paragraphs 2(a) and 2(b) of the Designation shall be amended by deleting
in its entirety and substituting  the following  language as Paragraphs 2(a) and
2(b):

2.      Dividend Rate.
        --------------
        (a) The  holders of shares of  Participating  Preferred  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 each  November,  February,  May and
        August  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  Participating  Preferred  Stock,  in an  amount  per  share
        (rounded  to the  nearest  cent)  equal to the greater of (a) $90 or (b)
        1,000 times the  aggregate  per share amount of all cash  dividends  and
        1,000  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,  par value of One Dollar  ($1.00) per share,  of the  Corporation
        (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
        Participating Preferred Stock.

        (b) On or after the first  issuance of any share or fractional  share of
        Participating  Preferred  Stock,  no dividend  on Common  Stock shall be
        declared  unless  concurrently  therewith a dividend or  distribution is
        declared on the  Participating  Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph
        (a) above;  and the declaration of any such dividend on the Common Stock
        shall be  expressly  conditioned  upon  payment  or  declaration  of and
        provision for a dividend on the  Participating  Preferred Stock as above
        provided.  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 $90.00 per share on the  Participating  Preferred
        Stock  shall  nevertheless  be  payable  on  such  subsequent  Quarterly
        Dividend Payment Date.

     SECTION 2. Effect of Amendment. Except as modified by this Amendment No. 2,
the Amended and Restated Rights  Agreement as amended shall remain in full force
and effect.

     SECTION 3. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of
this  Amendment  No. 2 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 4.  Governing  Law.  This  Amendment  No. 2 shall be deemed to be a
contract made under the laws of the State of Iowa and for all purposes  shall be
governed by and construed in accordance  with the laws of such State  applicable
to Contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.

     SECTION 5. Counterparts. This Amendment No. 2 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.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto have caused this  Agreement to be
duly executed and attested, all as of the date and year first above written.

                                    PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL, INC.

                                    By: ________________________________
                                        Charles S. Johnson, President and CEO
                                    By: ________________________________
                                        Jerry Chicoine, Exec, 
                                             Vice President & COO

                                    BANKBOSTON N.A.
                                The Rights Agent

                                    By: ________________________________
                                       _____________________,___________
                                                   Name and Title




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