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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333-34042
40,000,000 Shares
THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC.
Common Stock
[GOLDMAN SACHS LOGO]
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This prospectus is to be used by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in connection with
the resale of up to 40,000,000 shares of common stock held by the retired
limited partners and employees of Goldman Sachs.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. may effect resales of the shares from time to time:
- in underwritten public offerings;
- in brokerage transactions on securities exchanges, including the New York
Stock Exchange;
- in one or more block transactions as principal or agent; or
- in one or more negotiated transactions.
Goldman Sachs will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the
shares by Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Goldman Sachs' common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol "GS". On May 3, 2000 the last reported sale price for the common
stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $91.13.
See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 3 to read about factors you should
consider before buying shares of the common stock.
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NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY OTHER REGULATORY BODY
HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR
ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL
OFFENSE.
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GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
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Prospectus dated May 4, 2000.
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AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is required to file annual, quarterly and
current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may
read and copy any documents filed by us at the SEC's public reference room at
450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Our filings
with the SEC are also available to the public through the SEC's Internet site at
http://www.sec.gov and through the NYSE, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York
10005, on which our common stock is listed.
We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC relating to
the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus. This prospectus is a part
of the registration statement and does not contain all of the information in the
registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to a
contract or other document of Goldman Sachs, please be aware that the reference
is only a summary and that you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of
the registration statement for a copy of the contract or other document. You may
review a copy of the registration statement at the SEC's public reference room
in Washington, D.C., as well as through the SEC's Internet site.
The SEC's rules allow us to "incorporate by reference" information into
this prospectus. This means that we can disclose important information to you by
referring you to another document. Any information referred to in this way is
considered part of this prospectus from the date we file that document. Any
reports filed by us with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and before
the date that the offering of the shares of common stock offered through this
prospectus is terminated will automatically update and, where applicable,
supersede any information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by
reference in this prospectus.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. incorporates by reference into this
prospectus the following documents or information filed with the SEC:
(1) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 26, 1999
(File No. 001-14965);
(2) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended February 25, 2000
(File No. 001-14965);
(3) Current Report on Form 8-K, dated March 21, 2000 (File No. 001-14965);
(4) Current Report on Form 8-K, dated May 4, 2000 (File No. 001-14965);
(5) The description of common stock contained in the Registration Statement
on Form 8-A, dated April 27, 1999 (File No. 001-14965), of The Goldman
Sachs Group, Inc., filed with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(6) All documents filed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. under Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 after
the date of this prospectus and before the termination of this
offering.
We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial
owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon his or her written or oral
request, a copy of any or all documents referred to above which have been or may
be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, excluding exhibits to those
documents unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into those
documents. You can request those documents from our Director of Investor
Relations, 10 Hanover Square, New York, New York 10005, telephone (212)
357-2674.
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RISK FACTORS
An investment in the common stock involves a number of risks, some of
which, including market, liquidity, credit, operational, legal and regulatory
risks, could be substantial and are inherent in our businesses. You should
carefully consider the following information about these risks, together with
the other information in this prospectus, before buying shares of common stock.
MARKET FLUCTUATIONS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESSES IN MANY WAYS
As an investment banking and securities firm, our businesses are materially
affected by conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions
generally, both in the United States and elsewhere around the world. The
financial markets in the United States and elsewhere have achieved record or
near record levels, and the favorable business environment in which we operate
will not continue indefinitely. In the event of a market downturn, our
businesses could be adversely affected in many ways, including those described
below. Our revenues are likely to decline in such circumstances and, if we were
unable to reduce expenses at the same pace, our profit margins would erode. For
example, in the second half of fiscal 1998, we recorded negative net revenues
from our Trading and Principal Investments business and from mid-August to mid-
October the number of equity underwritings and announced mergers and
acquisitions transactions in which we participated declined substantially due to
adverse economic and market conditions. Even in the absence of a market
downturn, we are exposed to substantial risk of loss due to market volatility.
We May Incur Significant Losses from Our Trading and Investment Activities Due
to Market Fluctuations and Volatility
We generally maintain large trading and investment positions, including
merchant banking investments, in the fixed income, currency, commodity and
equity markets, and in real estate and other assets. To the extent that we own
assets, i.e., have long positions, in any of those markets, a downturn in those
markets could result in losses from a decline in the value of those long
positions. Conversely, to the extent that we have sold assets we do not own,
i.e., have short positions, in any of those markets, an upturn in those markets
could expose us to potentially unlimited losses as we attempt to cover our short
positions by acquiring assets in a rising market. We may from time to time have
a trading strategy consisting of holding a long position in one asset and a
short position in another, from which we expect to earn revenues based on
changes in the relative value of the two assets. If, however, the relative value
of the two assets changes in a direction or manner that we did not anticipate or
against which we are not hedged, we might realize a loss in those paired
positions. In addition, we maintain substantial trading positions that can be
adversely affected by the level of volatility in the financial markets, i.e.,
the degree to which trading prices fluctuate over a particular period, in a
particular market, regardless of market levels.
Our Investment Banking Revenues May Decline in Adverse Market or Economic
Conditions
Unfavorable financial or economic conditions would likely reduce the number
and size of transactions in which we provide underwriting, mergers and
acquisitions advisory and other services. Our Investment Banking revenues, in
the form of financial advisory and underwriting fees, are directly related to
the number and size of the transactions in which we participate and would
therefore be adversely affected by a sustained market downturn. In particular,
our results of operations would be adversely affected by a significant reduction
in the number or size of mergers and acquisitions transactions.
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We May Generate Lower Revenues from Commissions and Asset Management Fees
A market downturn would likely lead to a decline in the volume of
transactions that we execute for our customers and, therefore, to a decline in
the revenues we receive from commissions and spreads. In addition, because the
fees that we charge for managing our clients' portfolios are in many cases based
on the value of those portfolios, a market downturn that reduces the value of
our clients' portfolios or increases the amount of withdrawals would reduce the
revenue we receive from our asset management business.
Even in the absence of a market downturn, below-market performance by our
mutual funds may result in increased withdrawals and reduced inflows, which
would reduce the revenue we receive from our asset management business.
Holding Large and Concentrated Positions May Expose Us to Large Losses
Concentration of risk in the past has increased the losses that we have
incurred in our arbitrage, market-making, block trading, underwriting and
lending businesses and may continue to do so in the future. Goldman Sachs has
committed substantial amounts of capital to these businesses, which often
require Goldman Sachs to take large positions in the securities of a particular
issuer or issuers in a particular industry, country or region. Moreover, the
trend in all major capital markets is towards larger and more frequent
commitments of capital in many of these activities. In particular, we are
experiencing an increase in the number and size of block trades that we execute,
and we expect this trend to continue.
Our Hedging Strategies May Not Prevent Losses
If any of the variety of instruments and strategies we utilize to hedge our
exposure to various types of risk are not effective, we may incur losses. Many
of our strategies are based on historical trading patterns and correlations. For
example, if we hold a long position in an asset, we may hedge this position by
taking a short position in an asset where the short position has, historically,
moved in a direction that would offset a change in value in the long position.
However, these strategies may not be fully effective in mitigating our risk
exposure in all market environments or against all types of risk. Unexpected
market developments may affect our hedging strategies.
A Prolonged Market Downturn Could Impair Our Operating Results
While we encountered extremely difficult market conditions in mid-August to
mid-October 1998, the financial markets rebounded late in the fourth quarter of
fiscal 1998. At some time in the future, there may be a more sustained period of
market decline or weakness that will leave us operating in a difficult market
environment and subject us to the risks that we describe in this section for a
longer period of time.
Market Risk May Increase the Other Risks That We Face
In addition to the potentially adverse effects on our businesses described
above, market risk could exacerbate other risks that we face. For example, if we
incur substantial trading losses, our need for liquidity could rise sharply
while our access to liquidity could be impaired. In addition, in conjunction
with a market downturn, our customers and counterparties could incur substantial
losses of their own, thereby weakening their financial condition and increasing
our credit risk to them. Our liquidity risk and credit risk are described below.
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OUR RISK MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MAY LEAVE US EXPOSED TO UNIDENTIFIED
OR UNANTICIPATED RISK
We have devoted significant resources to develop our risk management
policies and procedures and expect to continue to do so in the future.
Nonetheless, our hedging strategies and other risk management techniques may not
be fully effective in mitigating our risk exposure in all market environments or
against all types of risk, including risks that are unidentified or
unanticipated. Some of our methods of managing risk are based upon our use of
observed historical market behavior. As a result, these methods may not predict
future risk exposures, which could be significantly greater than the historical
measures indicate. For example, the market movements of the late third and early
fourth quarters of fiscal 1998 were larger and involved greater divergences in
relative asset values than we anticipated. This caused us to experience trading
losses that were greater and recurred more frequently than some of our risk
measures indicated were likely to occur.
Other risk management methods depend upon evaluation of information
regarding markets, clients or other matters that is publicly available or
otherwise accessible by Goldman Sachs. This information may not in all cases be
accurate, complete, up-to-date or properly evaluated. Management of operational,
legal and regulatory risk requires, among other things, policies and procedures
to record properly and verify a large number of transactions and events, and
these policies and procedures may not be fully effective.
LIQUIDITY RISK COULD IMPAIR OUR ABILITY TO FUND OPERATIONS AND JEOPARDIZE OUR
FINANCIAL CONDITION
Liquidity, i.e., ready access to funds, is essential to our businesses. In
addition to maintaining a cash position, we rely on three principal sources of
liquidity: borrowing in the debt markets; access to the repurchase and
securities lending markets; and selling securities and other assets.
An Inability to Access the Debt Markets Could Impair Our Liquidity
We depend on continuous access to the debt capital markets to finance our
day-to-day operations. An inability to raise money in the long-term or
short-term debt capital markets, or an inability to access the repurchase and
securities lending markets, could have a substantial negative effect on our
liquidity. Our access to debt in amounts adequate to finance our activities
could be impaired by factors that affect Goldman Sachs in particular or the
financial services industry in general. For example, lenders could develop a
negative perception of our long-term or short-term financial prospects if we
incurred large trading losses, if the level of our business activity decreased
due to a market downturn, if regulatory authorities took significant action
against us or if we discovered that one of our employees had engaged in serious
unauthorized or illegal activity. Our ability to borrow in the debt markets also
could be impaired by factors that are not specific to Goldman Sachs, such as a
severe disruption of the financial markets or negative views about the prospects
for the investment banking, securities or financial services industries
generally.
We also depend on banks to finance our day-to-day operations. As a result
of the recent consolidation in the banking industry, some of our lenders have
merged or consolidated with other banks and financial institutions. While we
have not been materially adversely affected to date, it is possible that further
consolidation could lead to a loss of a number of our key banking relationships
and a reduction in the amount of credit extended to us.
An Inability to Access the Short-Term Debt Markets Could Impair Our Liquidity
We depend on the issuance of commercial paper and promissory notes as a
principal source of unsecured short-term funding for our operations. Our
liquidity depends to an important degree on our ability to refinance these
borrowings on a continuous basis. Investors who hold our
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outstanding commercial paper and promissory notes have no obligation to purchase
new instruments when the outstanding instruments mature.
Our Liquidity Could Be Adversely Affected If Our Ability to Sell Assets Is
Impaired
If we were unable to borrow in the debt capital markets, we would need to
liquidate assets in order to meet our maturing liabilities. In certain market
environments, such as times of market volatility or uncertainty, overall market
liquidity may decline. In a time of reduced liquidity, we may be unable to sell
some of our assets, or we may have to sell assets at depressed prices, which
could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Our ability to sell our assets may be impaired if other market participants
are seeking to sell similar assets into the market at the same time. In the late
third and early fourth quarters of fiscal 1998, for example, the markets for
some assets were adversely affected by simultaneous attempts by a number of
institutions to sell similar assets.
A Reduction in Our Credit Ratings Could Adversely Affect Our Liquidity and
Competitive Position and Increase Our Borrowing Costs
Our borrowing costs and our access to the debt capital markets depend
significantly on our credit ratings. These ratings are assigned by rating
agencies, which may reduce or withdraw their ratings or place Goldman Sachs on
"credit watch" with negative implications at any time. Credit ratings are also
important to Goldman Sachs when competing in certain markets and when seeking to
engage in longer-term transactions, including over-the-counter derivatives. A
reduction in our credit ratings could increase our borrowing costs and limit our
access to the capital markets. This, in turn, could reduce our earnings and
adversely affect our liquidity and competitive position.
CREDIT RISK EXPOSES US TO LOSSES CAUSED BY FINANCIAL OR OTHER PROBLEMS
EXPERIENCED BY THIRD PARTIES
We are exposed to the risk that third parties that owe us money, securities
or other assets will not perform their obligations. These parties include our
trading counterparties, customers, clearing agents, exchanges, clearing houses
and other financial intermediaries as well as issuers whose securities we hold.
These parties may default on their obligations to us due to bankruptcy, lack of
liquidity, operational failure or other reasons. This risk may arise, for
example, from holding securities of third parties; entering into swap or other
derivative contracts under which counterparties have long-term obligations to
make payments to us; executing securities, futures, currency or commodity trades
that fail to settle at the required time due to non-delivery by the counterparty
or systems failure by clearing agents, exchanges, clearing houses or other
financial intermediaries; and extending credit to our clients through bridge or
margin loans or other arrangements.
We May Suffer Significant Losses from Our Credit Exposures
In recent years, we have significantly expanded our swaps and other
derivatives businesses and placed a greater emphasis on providing credit and
liquidity to our clients. As a result, our credit exposures have increased in
amount and in duration. In addition, we have also experienced, due to
competitive factors, pressure to assume longer-term credit risk, extend credit
against less liquid collateral and price more aggressively the credit risks that
we take.
Our Clients and Counterparties May Be Unable to Perform Their Obligations to Us
as a Result of Economic or Political Conditions
Country, regional and political risks are components of credit risk, as
well as market risk. Economic or political pressures in a country or region,
including those arising from local market
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disruptions or currency crises, may adversely affect the ability of clients or
counterparties located in that country or region to obtain foreign exchange or
credit and, therefore, to perform their obligations to us. See "-- We Are
Exposed to Special Risks in Emerging and Other Markets" for a further discussion
of our exposure to these risks.
Defaults by a Large Financial Institution Could Adversely Affect Financial
Markets Generally and Us Specifically
The commercial soundness of many financial institutions may be closely
interrelated as a result of credit, trading, clearing or other relationships
between the institutions. As a result, concerns about, or a default by, one
institution could lead to significant liquidity problems, losses or defaults by
other institutions. This is sometimes referred to as "systemic risk" and may
adversely affect financial intermediaries, such as clearing agencies, clearing
houses, banks, securities firms and exchanges, with which we interact on a daily
basis, and could adversely affect Goldman Sachs.
The Information That We Use in Managing Our Credit Risk May Be Inaccurate or
Incomplete
Although we regularly review our credit exposure to specific clients and
counterparties and to specific industries, countries and regions that we believe
may present credit concerns, default risk may arise from events or circumstances
that are difficult to foresee or detect, such as fraud. We may also fail to
receive full information with respect to the trading risks of a counterparty. In
addition, in cases where we have extended credit against collateral, we may find
that we are undersecured, for example, as a result of sudden declines in market
values that reduce the value of collateral.
OPERATIONAL RISKS MAY DISRUPT OUR BUSINESSES, RESULT IN REGULATORY ACTION
AGAINST US OR LIMIT OUR GROWTH
We face operational risk arising from mistakes made in the confirmation or
settlement of transactions or from transactions not being properly recorded,
evaluated or accounted for. Our businesses are highly dependent on our ability
to process, on a daily basis, a large number of transactions across numerous and
diverse markets in many currencies, and the transactions we process have become
increasingly complex. Consequently, we rely heavily on our financial, accounting
and other data processing systems. If any of these systems do not operate
properly or are disabled, we could suffer financial loss, a disruption of our
businesses, liability to clients, regulatory intervention or reputational
damage. The inability of our systems to accommodate an increasing volume of
transactions could also constrain our ability to expand our businesses. In
recent years, we have substantially upgraded and expanded the capabilities of
our data processing systems and other operating technology, and we expect that
we will need to continue to upgrade and expand in the future to avoid disruption
of, or constraints on, our operations.
LEGAL AND REGULATORY RISKS ARE INHERENT AND SUBSTANTIAL IN OUR BUSINESSES
Substantial legal liability or a significant regulatory action against
Goldman Sachs could have a material adverse financial effect or cause
significant reputational harm to Goldman Sachs, which in turn could seriously
harm our business prospects.
Our Exposure to Legal Liability Is Significant
We face significant legal risks in our businesses and the volume and amount
of damages claimed in litigation against financial intermediaries are
increasing. These risks include potential liability under securities or other
laws for materially false or misleading statements made in connection with
securities and other transactions, potential liability for the "fairness
opinions" and other advice we provide to participants in corporate transactions
and disputes over the
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terms and conditions of complex trading arrangements. We also face the
possibility that counterparties in complex or risky trading transactions will
claim that we improperly failed to tell them of the risks or that they were not
authorized or permitted to enter into these transactions with us and that their
obligations to Goldman Sachs are not enforceable. Particularly in our rapidly
growing business focused on high net worth individuals, we are increasingly
exposed to claims against Goldman Sachs for recommending investments that are
not consistent with a client's investment objectives or engaging in unauthorized
or excessive trading. During a prolonged market downturn, we would expect these
types of claims to increase. We are also subject to claims arising from disputes
with employees for alleged discrimination or harassment, among other things.
These risks often may be difficult to assess or quantify and their existence and
magnitude often remain unknown for substantial periods of time. We incur
significant legal expenses every year in defending against litigation, and we
expect to continue to do so in the future.
Extensive Regulation of Our Businesses Limits Our Activities and May Subject Us
to Significant Penalties
Goldman Sachs, as a participant in the financial services industry, is
subject to extensive regulation by governmental and self-regulatory
organizations in the United States and in virtually all other jurisdictions in
which it operates around the world.
The requirements imposed by our regulators are designed to ensure the
integrity of the financial markets and to protect customers and other third
parties who deal with Goldman Sachs and are not designed to protect our
shareholders. Consequently, these regulations often serve to limit our
activities, including through net capital, customer protection and market
conduct requirements. We face the risk of significant intervention by regulatory
authorities, including extended investigation and surveillance activity,
adoption of costly or restrictive new regulations and judicial or administrative
proceedings that may result in substantial penalties. Among other things, we
could be fined or prohibited from engaging in some of our business activities.
Legal Restrictions on Our Clients May Reduce the Demand for Our Services
New laws or regulations or changes in enforcement of existing laws or
regulations applicable to our clients may also adversely affect our businesses.
For example, changes in antitrust enforcement could affect the level of mergers
and acquisitions activity and changes in regulation could restrict the
activities of our clients and, therefore, the services we provide on their
behalf.
EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT COULD HARM GOLDMAN SACHS AND IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT AND
DETER
There have been a number of highly publicized cases involving fraud or
other misconduct by employees in the financial services industry in recent
years, and we run the risk that employee misconduct could occur. Misconduct by
employees could include binding Goldman Sachs to transactions that exceed
authorized limits or present unacceptable risks, or hiding from Goldman Sachs
unauthorized or unsuccessful activities, which, in either case, may result in
unknown and unmanaged risks or losses. Employee misconduct could also involve
the improper use or disclosure of confidential information, which could result
in regulatory sanctions and serious reputational or financial harm. It is not
always possible to deter employee misconduct and the precautions we take to
prevent and detect this activity may not be effective in all cases.
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY IS INTENSELY COMPETITIVE AND RAPIDLY
CONSOLIDATING
The financial services industry -- and all of our businesses -- are
intensely competitive, and we expect them to remain so. We compete on the basis
of a number of factors, including transaction execution, our products and
services, innovation, reputation and price. We have experienced intense price
competition in some of our businesses in recent years, such as
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underwriting fees on investment grade debt offerings and privatizations. We
believe that we may experience pricing pressures in these and other areas in the
future as some of our competitors seek to obtain market share by reducing
prices.
We Face Increased Competition Due to a Trend Toward Consolidation
In recent years, there has been substantial consolidation and convergence
among companies in the financial services industry. In particular, a number of
large commercial banks, insurance companies and other broad-based financial
services firms have established or acquired broker-dealers or have merged with
other financial institutions. Many of these firms have the ability to offer a
wide range of products, from loans, deposit-taking and insurance to brokerage,
asset management and investment banking services, which may enhance their
competitive position. They also have the ability to support investment banking
and securities products with commercial banking, insurance and other financial
services revenues in an effort to gain market share, which could result in
pricing pressure in our businesses. Recently enacted federal financial reform
legislation significantly expands the activities permissible for firms
affiliated with a U.S. bank. This legislation may accelerate consolidation and
increase competition in the financial services industry and will enable banking
organizations to compete more effectively across a broad range of activities.
Consolidation Has Increased Our Need for Capital
This trend toward consolidation and convergence has significantly increased
the capital base and geographic reach of our competitors. This trend has also
hastened the globalization of the securities and other financial services
markets. As a result, we have had to commit capital to support our international
operations and to execute large global transactions.
Our Ability to Expand Internationally Will Depend on Our Ability to Compete
Successfully with Local Financial Institutions
We believe that some of our most significant challenges and opportunities
will arise outside the United States. In order to take advantage of these
opportunities, we will have to compete successfully with financial institutions
based in important non-U.S. markets, particularly in Europe. Some of these
institutions are larger and better capitalized, and have a stronger local
presence and a longer operating history in these markets.
TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING OUR BUSINESSES AND PRESENTING US WITH NEW CHALLENGES
Technology is fundamental to our overall business strategy. The rapid
growth of the Internet and e-commerce, and the introduction of new technology,
are changing our businesses and presenting us with new challenges.
Our Revenues May Decline from Volatility or a Downturn in the Technology Sector
We have made a significant commitment to providing investment banking
advisory and underwriting services to the technology and related sectors,
including communications, media and entertainment. If investment banking
activity in these sectors were to decrease, our financial results could be
adversely affected.
In addition to our advisory activities, we have made substantial
investments in technology and related businesses through our merchant banking
activities. Volatility or a downturn in these sectors may adversely affect the
value of our investments.
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Our Revenues May Decline Due to Competition from Alternative Trading Systems
Securities and futures transactions are now being conducted through the
Internet and other alternative, non-traditional trading systems, and it appears
that the trend toward alternative trading systems will continue and probably
accelerate. A dramatic increase in computer-based or other electronic trading
may adversely affect our commission and trading revenues, disintermediate the
firm from certain transaction flows, reduce our participation in the trading
markets and the associated access to market information and lead to the creation
of new and stronger competitors.
WE ARE EXPOSED TO SPECIAL RISKS IN EMERGING AND OTHER MARKETS
In conducting our businesses in major markets around the world, including
many developing markets in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, we are
subject to political, economic, legal, operational and other risks that are
inherent in operating in other countries. These risks range from difficulties in
settling transactions in emerging markets to possible nationalization,
expropriation, price controls and other restrictive governmental actions. We
also face the risk that exchange controls or similar restrictions imposed by
foreign governmental authorities may restrict our ability to convert local
currency received or held by us in their countries into U.S. dollars or other
currencies, or to take those dollars or other currencies out of those countries.
To date, a relatively small part of our businesses has been conducted in
emerging and other markets. As we expand our businesses in these areas, our
exposure to these risks will increase.
Turbulence in Emerging Markets May Adversely Affect Our Businesses
In the last several years, various emerging market countries have
experienced severe economic and financial disruptions, including significant
devaluations of their currencies and low or negative growth rates in their
economies. The possible effects of these conditions include an adverse impact on
our businesses and increased volatility in financial markets generally.
Moreover, economic or market problems in a single country or region are
increasingly affecting other markets generally. For example, the economic crisis
in Russia in August 1998 adversely affected other emerging markets and led to
turmoil in financial markets worldwide. A continuation of these situations could
adversely affect global economic conditions and world markets and, in turn,
could adversely affect our businesses. Among the risks are regional or global
market downturns and, as noted above, increasing liquidity and credit risks.
Compliance with Local Laws and Regulations May Be Difficult
In many countries, the laws and regulations applicable to the securities
and financial services industries are uncertain and evolving, and it may be
difficult for us to determine the exact requirements of local laws in every
market. Our inability to remain in compliance with local laws in a particular
foreign market could have a significant and negative effect not only on our
businesses in that market but also on our reputation generally. We are also
subject to the risk that transactions we structure might not be legally
enforceable in all cases. See "-- Legal and Regulatory Risks Are Inherent and
Substantial in Our Businesses -- Our Exposure to Legal Liability Is Significant"
for additional information concerning these matters.
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OUR BUSINESSES MAY BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY AN INABILITY TO RECRUIT, RETAIN AND
MOTIVATE KEY EMPLOYEES
Our performance is largely dependent on the talents and efforts of highly
skilled individuals. Competition in the financial services industry for
qualified employees is intense. We also compete for employees with high
technology companies and other companies outside of the financial services
industry. Our continued ability to compete effectively in our businesses depends
on our ability to attract new employees and to retain and motivate our existing
employees.
In connection with our initial public offering and the conversion of
Goldman Sachs from partnership to corporate form, the managing directors who
were profit participating limited partners received substantial amounts of
common stock in exchange for their interests in Goldman Sachs. Because these
shares of common stock were received in exchange for partnership interests,
ownership of these shares is not dependent upon these managing directors'
continued employment. While these shares are subject to certain restrictions on
transfer under a shareholders' agreement and under our plan of incorporation,
the transfer restrictions under the shareholders' agreement and the plan of
incorporation may be waived at any time and from time to time. See "-- Our Share
Price May Decline Due to the Large Number of Shares Eligible for Future Sale"
for a discussion of the ability of our board of directors and the shareholders'
committee that administers the shareholders' agreement to waive these
restrictions.
In connection with our initial public offering and conversion of Goldman
Sachs from partnership to corporate form, employees, other than the managing
directors who were profit participating limited partners, received grants of
restricted stock units, stock options or interests in a defined contribution
plan. Since our initial public offering, we have also made, and anticipate
making in the future, other equity-based awards to our employees. The incentives
to attract, retain and motivate employees provided by these awards may not be
effective.
GOLDMAN SACHS IS CONTROLLED BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTORS WHOSE INTERESTS MAY DIFFER
FROM THOSE OF OTHER SHAREHOLDERS
Collectively, our managing directors beneficially own over 270,000,000
shares of common stock, or in excess of 60% of the total shares of common stock
outstanding. Substantially all of these shares are subject to a shareholders'
agreement, which provides for coordinated voting by the parties. Further, both
Sumitomo Bank Capital Markets, Inc. and Kamehameha Activities Association, which
together own approximately 10% of the total shares of common stock outstanding,
have agreed to vote their shares of common stock in the same manner as a
majority of the shares held by our managing directors are voted.
As a result of these arrangements, the managing directors currently are
able to elect our entire board of directors, control the management and policies
of Goldman Sachs and, in general, determine, without the consent of the other
shareholders, the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted
to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations and the sale
of all or substantially all of the assets of Goldman Sachs. The managing
directors currently are able to prevent or cause a change in control of Goldman
Sachs.
Provisions of Our Organizational Documents May Discourage an Acquisition of
Goldman Sachs
Our organizational documents contain provisions that impede the removal of
directors and may discourage a third party from making a proposal to acquire us.
For example, our board of directors may, without the consent of shareholders,
issue preferred stock with greater voting rights than the common stock. See
"Description of Capital Stock -- Certain Anti-Takeover Matters" for a discussion
of these anti-takeover provisions.
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OUR SHARE PRICE MAY DECLINE DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR
FUTURE SALE
Future sales of substantial amounts of common stock in the public market or
otherwise, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect
the prevailing market price of the common stock. A substantial number of shares
of common stock are eligible for future sale as described below:
- Over 250,000,000 shares held by the managing directors who were profit
participating limited partners are transferable in three annual
installments beginning May 2002; earlier sales could occur with the
consent of our board of directors and the shareholders' committee;
- Sumitomo Bank Capital Markets, Inc. and Kamehameha Activities
Association, which in the aggregate beneficially own approximately 10% of
our outstanding common stock, have the right commencing May 8, 2000 to
cause Goldman Sachs to register up to 13,768,167 of their shares of
common stock in the aggregate, plus an additional 9,178,778 shares in the
aggregate with the consent of Goldman Sachs, in each of the next two
years, and up to 22,946,945 shares in the aggregate in each subsequent
year; earlier sales could occur with the consent of our board of
directors;
- Of the over 45,000,000 shares held by the former retired limited
partners, 30,236,022 shares are transferable beginning May 8, 2000 and
may be resold by Goldman, Sachs & Co. pursuant to this prospectus, and
the remainder are transferable beginning May 2002; earlier sales could
occur with the consent of our board of directors;
- Over 25,000,000 shares may be delivered pursuant to restricted stock
units granted in connection with our initial public offering for which no
future service is required in three annual installments beginning June
2000; most of the shares delivered in the first such installment may be
resold by Goldman, Sachs & Co. pursuant to this prospectus; and
- Over 80,000,000 shares may be delivered pursuant to restricted stock
units and stock options granted in connection with our initial public
offering and pursuant to contributions made to our defined contribution
plan in connection with our initial public offering in three annual
installments beginning on the third anniversary of our initial public
offering.
We also pay a portion of our employees' compensation in equity-based awards
and issue equity-based awards to help retain and motivate our employees. Shares
may be delivered under these awards from time to time, depending on the
applicable vesting and delivery provisions.
As discussed above, Sumitomo Bank Capital Markets, Inc. and Kamehameha
Activities Association each have the right, commencing May 8, 2000, to require
Goldman Sachs to register for sale a portion of their shares of common stock. If
either of Sumitomo Bank Capital Markets, Inc. or Kamehameha Activities
Association decides to sell its shares, either by exercising its registration
rights or by mutual agreement with us, we may decide to offer former profit
participating limited partners the opportunity to register and sell a portion of
their shares at the same time. Separately, we may also permit our former profit
participating limited partners to sell a portion of their shares pursuant to
Rule 144 and to pledge a portion of their shares in order to fund investments in
certain of our merchant banking funds. Any decision by our board of directors or
the shareholders' committee to permit such sales or pledges would be based on
market conditions and other factors.
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THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC.
Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking and securities firm,
providing a full range of investing, advisory and financing services worldwide
to a substantial and diversified client base, which includes corporations,
financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. Founded in
1869, it is one of the oldest and largest investment banking firms. Our
headquarters are located at 85 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004, telephone
(212) 902-1000, and we maintain offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong
and other major financial centers around the world.
PRICE RANGE OF OUR COMMON STOCK AND DIVIDENDS
Our common stock commenced trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol "GS" on May 4, 1999. Prior to that date, there was no public market for
our common stock. The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the
high and low closing prices per share for our common stock as reported by the
Consolidated Tape Association and the dividend declared per share of common
stock and nonvoting common stock:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
DIVIDEND
DECLARED
FISCAL YEAR 1999 HIGH LOW PER SHARE
- ---------------- ------ ------ ---------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
Second fiscal quarter (from May 4, 1999 to May 28, 1999).... $74.13 $64.50 --
Third fiscal quarter (May 29, 1999 to August 27, 1999)...... 72.25 55.81 $0.12
Fourth fiscal quarter (August 28, 1999 to November 26,
1999)..................................................... 82.81 57.69 0.12
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FISCAL YEAR 2000
- ----------------
<S> <C> <C> <C>
First fiscal quarter (November 27, 1999 to February 25,
2000)..................................................... 94.19 74.50 0.12
Second fiscal quarter (February 26, 2000 through May 3,
2000)..................................................... 121.31 82.75 0.12(1)
</TABLE>
- ---------------
(1) This dividend is payable on May 25, 2000 to voting and nonvoting common
stockholders of record on April 24, 2000.
On May 3, 2000, the last reported sales price for our common stock on the
New York Stock Exchange was $91.13 per share. As of April 20, 2000, there were
590 holders of record of our common stock.
The holders of our common stock and nonvoting common stock share
proportionately on a per share basis in all dividends and other distributions
declared by our board of directors.
The declaration of dividends by Goldman Sachs is subject to the discretion
of our board of directors. Our board of directors will take into account such
matters as general business conditions, our financial results, capital
requirements, contractual, legal and regulatory restrictions on the payment of
dividends by us to our shareholders or by our subsidiaries to us, the effect on
our debt ratings and such other factors as our board of directors may deem
relevant.
On March 20, 2000, our board of directors approved a common stock
repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to 15 million shares of our
common stock. The repurchase program will be effected from time to time,
depending on market conditions and other factors, through open market purchases
and privately negotiated transactions.
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our
authorized capital stock consists of 4,350,000,000 shares, each with a par value
of $0.01 per share, of which:
- 150,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock;
- 4,000,000,000 shares are designated as common stock, 441,276,403 shares
of which were outstanding as of April 20, 2000; and
- 200,000,000 shares are designated as nonvoting common stock, 7,440,362
shares of which were outstanding as of April 20, 2000.
All outstanding shares of common stock and nonvoting common stock are validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
The shareholders' agreement contains provisions relating to the voting and
disposition of certain shares of common stock. See "Risk Factors -- Our
Businesses May Be Adversely Affected by an Inability to Recruit, Retain and
Motivate Key Employees" and "-- Goldman Sachs Is Controlled by Its Managing
Directors Whose Interests May Differ from Those of Other Shareholders" for a
discussion of those provisions.
PREFERRED STOCK
Our authorized capital stock includes 150,000,000 shares of preferred
stock. Our board of directors is authorized to divide the preferred stock into
series and, with respect to each series, to determine the designations and the
powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations and
restrictions thereof, including the dividend rights, conversion or exchange
rights, voting rights, redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences,
sinking fund provisions and the number of shares constituting the series. Our
board of directors could, without shareholder approval, issue preferred stock
with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power of the
holders of common stock and which could have certain anti-takeover effects.
Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock, the
number of authorized shares of any series of preferred stock may be increased or
decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by
resolution adopted by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative
vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares
of capital stock entitled to vote on the matter, voting together as a single
class.
COMMON STOCK
Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share owned of
record on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. There are no
cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the shares
of common stock voting for the election of directors can elect all the directors
if they choose to do so, subject to any voting rights of holders of preferred
stock to elect directors. For a discussion of the ability of the parties to the
shareholders' agreement to elect all of our directors, see "Risk
Factors -- Goldman Sachs Is Controlled by Its Managing Directors Whose Interests
May Differ from Those of Other Shareholders".
Subject to the preferential rights of any holders of any outstanding series
of preferred stock, the holders of common stock, together with the holders of
the nonvoting common stock, are entitled to such dividends and distributions,
whether payable in cash or otherwise, as may be declared from time to time by
our board of directors from legally available funds. Subject to the preferential
rights of holders of any outstanding series of preferred stock, upon our
liquidation, dissolution or winding-up and after payment of all prior claims,
the holders of common stock, with the shares of the common stock and the
nonvoting common stock being considered as a single class for this purpose, will
be entitled to receive pro rata all our assets. Any dividend in shares of common
stock paid on or with respect to shares of common stock may be paid only with
shares of common stock. Other than the shareholder protection rights discussed
below,
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<PAGE> 15
holders of common stock have no redemption or conversion rights or preemptive
rights to purchase or subscribe for securities of Goldman Sachs.
NONVOTING COMMON STOCK
The nonvoting common stock has the same rights and privileges as, and ranks
equally and shares proportionately with, and is identical in all respects as to
all matters to, the common stock, except that the nonvoting common stock has no
voting rights other than those voting rights required by law. All of the
outstanding shares of nonvoting common stock are beneficially owned by Sumitomo
Bank Capital Markets, Inc. on the date of this prospectus.
Our board of directors will not declare or pay dividends, and no dividend
will be paid, with respect to any outstanding share of common stock or nonvoting
common stock, unless, simultaneously, the same dividend is paid with respect to
each share of common stock and nonvoting common stock, except that in the case
of any dividend in the form of capital stock of a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs,
the capital stock of the subsidiary distributed to holders of common stock may
differ from the capital stock of the subsidiary distributed to holders of the
nonvoting common stock to the extent and only to the extent that the common
stock and the nonvoting common stock differ. Any dividend paid on or with
respect to nonvoting common stock may be paid only with shares of nonvoting
common stock.
The nonvoting common stock will, upon transfer by Sumitomo Bank Capital
Markets, Inc. to a third party, and in certain other circumstances, convert into
shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis. The nonvoting common stock has
standard anti-dilution provisions.
SHAREHOLDER PROTECTION RIGHTS
Each share of common stock and non-voting common stock has attached to it a
shareholder protection right. The shareholder protection rights are currently
represented only by the certificates for the shares and will not trade
separately from the shares unless and until:
- it is announced by Goldman Sachs that a person or group has become the
beneficial owner of 15% or more of the outstanding common stock (other
than persons deemed to beneficially own common stock solely because they
are parties to the shareholders' agreement, members of the shareholders'
committee or certain other persons)(an "acquiring person"); or
- ten business days (or such later date as our board of directors may fix
by resolution) after the date a person or group commences a tender or
exchange offer that would result in such person or group becoming an
acquiring person.
If and when the shareholder protection rights separate and prior to the date of
the announcement by Goldman Sachs that any person has become an acquiring
person, each shareholder protection right will entitle the holder to purchase,
in the case of shareholder protection rights relating to the common stock,
1/100 of a share of Series A participating preferred stock or, in the case of
shareholder protection rights relating to the nonvoting common stock, 1/100 of a
share of Series B participating preferred stock, in each case, for an exercise
price of $250. Each 1/100 of a share of Series A participating preferred stock
and Series B participating preferred stock would have economic and voting terms
equivalent to one share of common stock and nonvoting common stock,
respectively.
Upon the date of the announcement by Goldman Sachs that any person or group
has become an acquiring person, each shareholder protection right (other than
shareholder protection rights beneficially owned by the acquiring person or
their transferees, which shareholder protection rights become void) will entitle
its holder to purchase, for the exercise price, a number of shares of common
stock or, in the case of shareholder protection rights relating to nonvoting
common stock, a number of shares of nonvoting common stock having a
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<PAGE> 16
market value of twice the exercise price. Also, if, after the date of the
announcement by Goldman Sachs that any person has become an acquiring person,
the acquiring person controls our board of directors and:
- Goldman Sachs is involved in a merger or similar form of business
combination and (i) any term of the transaction provides for different
treatment of the shares of capital stock held by the acquiring person as
compared to the shares of capital stock held by all other shareholders or
(ii) the person with whom such transaction occurs is the acquiring person
or an affiliate thereof; or
- Goldman Sachs sells or transfers assets representing more than 50% of its
assets or generating more than 50% of its operating income or cash flow
to any person other than Goldman Sachs or its wholly owned subsidiaries,
then each shareholder protection right will entitle its holder to purchase, for
the exercise price, a number of shares (A) with respect to shareholder
protection rights relating to the common stock, of capital stock with the
greatest voting power in respect of the election of directors and (B) with
respect to shareholder protection rights relating to the nonvoting common stock,
of capital stock identical to the stock described in clause (A) except with
voting provisions identical to that of the nonvoting common stock, of either the
acquiring person or the other party to such transaction, depending on the
circumstances of the transaction, having a market value of twice the exercise
price. If any person or group acquires from 15% to and including 50% of the
common stock, our board of directors may, at its option, exchange each
outstanding shareholder protection right, except for those held by an acquiring
person or their transferees, for one share of common stock or, in the case of
shareholder protection rights relating to nonvoting common stock, one share of
nonvoting common stock.
The shareholder protection rights may be redeemed by our board of directors
for $0.01 per shareholder protection right prior to the date of the announcement
by Goldman Sachs that any person has become an acquiring person. Our charter
permits this redemption right to be exercised by our board of directors (or
certain directors specified or qualified by the terms of the instrument
governing the shareholder protection rights).
The shareholder protection rights will not prevent a takeover of Goldman
Sachs. However, these rights may cause substantial dilution to a person or group
that acquires 15% or more of the common stock unless the shareholder protection
rights are first redeemed by our board of directors.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION MATTERS
Our charter provides that a director of Goldman Sachs will not be liable to
Goldman Sachs or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary
duty as a director, except in certain cases where liability is mandated by the
Delaware General Corporation Law. Our by-laws provide for indemnification, to
the fullest extent permitted by law, of any person made or threatened to be made
a party to any action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that such person
is or was a director or officer of Goldman Sachs, or is or was a director of a
subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, or is or was a member of the shareholders'
committee acting under the shareholders' agreement or, at the request of Goldman
Sachs, serves or served as a director or officer of or in any other capacity
for, or in relation to, any other enterprise, against all expenses, liabilities,
losses and claims actually incurred or suffered by such person in connection
with the action, suit or proceeding. Our by-laws also provide that, to the
extent authorized from time to time by our board of directors, Goldman Sachs may
provide to any one or more employees and other agents of Goldman Sachs or any
subsidiary or other enterprise, rights of indemnification and to receive payment
or reimbursement of expenses, including attorneys' fees, that are similar
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<PAGE> 17
to the rights conferred by the by-laws on directors and officers of Goldman
Sachs or any subsidiary or other enterprise.
CHARTER PROVISIONS APPROVING CERTAIN ACTIONS
Our charter provides that our board of directors may determine to take the
following actions, in its sole discretion, and Goldman Sachs and each
shareholder of Goldman Sachs will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be
deemed to have approved and ratified, and waived any claim relating to, the
taking of any of these actions:
- causing Goldman Sachs to register with the SEC for resale shares of
common stock held by our directors, employees and former directors and
employees and our subsidiaries and affiliates and former partners and
employees of The Goldman Sachs Group, L.P. and its subsidiaries and
affiliates as discussed under "Risk Factors -- Our Share Price May
Decline Due to the Large Number of Shares Eligible for Future Sale"; and
- making payments to, and other arrangements with, certain former limited
partners of Goldman Sachs, including managing directors who were profit
participating limited partners, in order to compensate them for, or to
prevent, significantly disproportionate adverse tax or other consequences
arising out of our incorporation.
SECTION 203 OF THE DELAWARE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
Goldman Sachs is subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware
General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held
Delaware corporation from engaging in a "business combination" with an
"interested stockholder" for a period of three years after the date of the
transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the
business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A "business
combination" includes a merger, asset sale or a transaction resulting in a
financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An "interested stockholder" is
a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or, in certain
cases, within three years prior, did own) 15% or more of the corporation's
outstanding voting stock. Under Section 203, a business combination between
Goldman Sachs and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies
one of the following conditions:
- prior to the time the stockholder became an interested stockholder, the
board of directors of Goldman Sachs must have previously approved either
the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the
stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
- on consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder
becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at
least 85% of the voting stock of Goldman Sachs outstanding at the time
the transaction commenced (excluding, for purposes of determining the
number of shares outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors
and officers); or
- the business combination is approved by the board of directors of Goldman
Sachs and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders
by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting
stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.
Our board of directors has adopted a resolution providing that neither the
shareholders' agreement nor the voting agreements of Sumitomo Bank Capital
Markets, Inc. and Kamehameha Activities Association will create an "interested
stockholder".
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<PAGE> 18
CERTAIN ANTI-TAKEOVER MATTERS
Our charter and by-laws include a number of provisions that may have the
effect of encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other
unilateral takeover proposals to negotiate with our board of directors rather
than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include:
CLASSIFIED BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Our charter provides for a board of directors divided into three classes,
with one class to be elected each year to serve for a three-year term. As a
result, at least two annual meetings of shareholders may be required for the
shareholders to change a majority of our board of directors. In addition, the
shareholders of Goldman Sachs can only remove directors for cause by the
affirmative vote of the holders of not less than 80% of the outstanding shares
of capital stock of Goldman Sachs entitled to vote in the election of directors.
Vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by our board of
directors. The classification of directors and the inability of shareholders to
remove directors without cause and to fill vacancies on the board of directors
makes it more difficult to change the composition of our board of directors, but
promotes a continuity of existing management.
CONSTITUENCY PROVISION
In accordance with our charter, a director of Goldman Sachs may (but is not
required to) in taking any action (including an action that may involve or
relate to a change or potential change in control of Goldman Sachs) consider,
among other things, the effects that Goldman Sachs' actions may have on other
interests or persons (including its employees, former partners of The Goldman
Sachs Group, L.P. and the community) in addition to our shareholders.
ADVANCE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS
Our by-laws establish advance notice procedures with regard to shareholder
proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or
new business to be brought before meetings of shareholders of Goldman Sachs.
These procedures provide that notice of such shareholder proposals must be
timely given in writing to the Secretary of Goldman Sachs prior to the meeting
at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be
received at the principal executive offices of Goldman Sachs not less than 90
days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual
meeting for the preceding year. The notice must contain certain information
specified in the by-laws.
SPECIAL MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS
Our charter and by-laws deny shareholders the right to call a special
meeting of shareholders. Our charter and by-laws provide that special meetings
of the shareholders may be called only by a majority of the board of directors.
NO WRITTEN CONSENT OF SHAREHOLDERS
Our charter requires all shareholder actions to be taken by a vote of the
shareholders at an annual or special meeting, and does not permit our
shareholders to act by written consent, without a meeting.
MAJORITY VOTE NEEDED FOR SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
Our by-laws require that any shareholder proposal be approved by a majority
of all of the outstanding shares of common stock and not by only a majority of
the shares present at the
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meeting and entitled to vote. This requirement may make it more difficult to
approve shareholder resolutions.
AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS AND CHARTER
Our charter requires the approval of not less than 80% of the voting power
of all outstanding shares of Goldman Sachs' capital stock entitled to vote to
amend any by-law by shareholder action or the charter provisions described in
this section. Those provisions make it more difficult to dilute the
anti-takeover effects of our by-laws and our charter.
BLANK CHECK PREFERRED STOCK
Our charter provides for 150,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock.
The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock may enable
the board of directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to
obtain control of Goldman Sachs by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy
contest or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary
obligations, the board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal
is not in the best interests of Goldman Sachs, the board of directors could
cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without shareholder approval in one
or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or
other rights of the proposed acquiror or insurgent shareholder or shareholder
group. In this regard, the charter grants our board of directors broad power to
establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of
preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the
amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of
common stock and nonvoting common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect
the rights and powers, including voting rights, of such holders and may have the
effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of Goldman
Sachs.
LISTING
The common stock is listed on the NYSE.
TRANSFER AGENT
The transfer agent for the common stock is ChaseMellon Shareholder
Services, L.L.C.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
This prospectus covers the resale by Goldman, Sachs & Co. of up to
40,000,000 shares of common stock. Of these shares, approximately 30,000,000 are
shares that are held by retired limited partners of The Goldman Sachs Group,
L.P. and will be transferable beginning on May 8, 2000. The remaining shares
represent shares of common stock that will be delivered to our employees in June
2000 pursuant to certain restricted stock units granted in connection with our
initial public offering. All of these shares of common stock may be sold by the
retired limited partners and employees to the public without registration under
the Securities Act of 1933.
We will not receive any proceeds from any sale of the shares. We will pay
all costs, expenses and fees in connection with any resale by Goldman, Sachs &
Co., including fees of our counsel and accountants, fees payable to the SEC and
listing fees. We estimate those fees and expenses to be approximately $2
million.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. may sell the shares of common stock covered by this
prospectus from time to time, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale,
at prices related to market prices, at a fixed price or prices subject to change
or at negotiated prices, by a variety of methods including the following:
- in privately negotiated transactions;
- in a block trade in which Goldman, Sachs & Co. will attempt to sell a
block of shares of common stock as agent but may position and resell a
portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
- in an underwritten public offering;
- directly to one or more purchasers;
- through agents; or
- in any combination of the above.
At any time a particular offer of the shares of common stock covered by
this prospectus is made, a revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, if
required, will be distributed which will set forth the aggregate amount of
shares of common stock covered by this prospectus being offered and the terms of
the offering, including the name or names of any underwriters, dealers, brokers
or agents, any discounts, commissions, concessions and other items constituting
compensation and any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed
or paid to dealers. Such prospectus supplement will be filed with the SEC to
reflect the disclosure of additional information with respect to the
distribution of the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. may also deliver this prospectus in connection with
any overallotment sales made in connection with any offering.
In connection with the sale of the shares of common stock covered by this
prospectus through underwriters, underwriters may receive compensation in the
form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may also receive commissions
from purchasers of shares of common stock for whom they may act as agent.
Underwriters may sell to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive
compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the
underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as
agent.
Goldman, Sachs & Co., a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., may be
one such underwriter. Rule 2720 of the Conduct Rules of the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc. imposes certain requirements when an NASD member
such as Goldman, Sachs & Co. distributes an affiliated company's equity
securities. Any underwritten offering pursuant to this prospectus in which
Goldman, Sachs & Co. participates will comply with the applicable
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<PAGE> 21
requirements of Rule 2720. No sales will be made to discretionary accounts
without the prior specific written approval of the customer.
The common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "GS".
Because Goldman, Sachs & Co. is a member of the NYSE and because of its
relationship to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., it is not permitted under the
rules of the NYSE to make markets in or recommendations regarding the purchase
or sale of the common stock.
Any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents participating in the
distribution of the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus may be
deemed to be "underwriters" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933,
and any commissions or discounts received by any of those underwriters,
broker-dealers or agents may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or
discounts under the Securities Act of 1933.
In connection with the proposed resales of shares of common stock by
Goldman, Sachs & Co. pursuant to this prospectus, our board of directors has
exercised its authority under our plan of incorporation and charter to adopt a
supplement to our existing registration rights instrument. You should refer to
the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement for a copy of the
registration rights instrument and the supplemental registration rights
instrument. See "Available Information". We have agreed in the registration
rights instrument, as supplemented, to pay all of the expenses related to the
registration of the shares covered by this prospectus, as well as all of
Goldman, Sachs & Co.'s expenses related to any sale of shares pursuant to this
prospectus. We also have agreed to indemnify Goldman, Sachs & Co., as well as
the retired limited partners and employees whose shares Goldman, Sachs & Co.
resells pursuant to this prospectus, against certain liabilities, including
those arising under the Securities Act of 1933.
VALIDITY OF COMMON STOCK
The validity of the shares of common stock acquired by Goldman, Sachs & Co.
from the retired limited partners of The Goldman Sachs Group, L.P. and offered
hereby has been, and the validity of the shares of common stock acquired by
Goldman, Sachs & Co. from employees of Goldman Sachs and offered hereby will be,
passed upon for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. by Sullivan & Cromwell, New York,
New York.
21
<PAGE> 22
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Goldman Sachs as of November 27, 1998 and
November 26, 1999 and for each of the three years in the period ended November
26, 1999 incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the financial
statement schedule incorporated by reference in the registration statement have
been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in
auditing and accounting.
The historical income statement, balance sheet and common share data
included in "Selected Consolidated Financial Data" for each of the five fiscal
years in the period ended November 26, 1999 incorporated by reference in this
prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, given on the authority of
said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
With respect to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
of Goldman Sachs as of and for the three months ended February 25, 2000 and for
the three months ended February 26, 1999, incorporated by reference in this
prospectus, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP reported that they have applied limited
procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such
information. However, their separate report dated April 5, 2000 incorporated by
reference herein states that they did not audit and they do not express an
opinion on the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should
be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is not subject to the liability provisions of Section
11 of the Securities Act of 1933 for their report on the unaudited condensed
consolidated financial statements because this report is not a "report" or a
"part" of the registration statement prepared or certified by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the
Securities Act of 1933.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO THE PRIVATE
SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
We have included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus statements
that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe
harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only
our belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are
inherently uncertain and outside of our control. It is possible that our actual
results may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results indicated
in these forward-looking statements.
Information regarding important factors that could cause actual results to
differ, perhaps materially, from those in our forward-looking statements is
contained under the caption "Risk Factors" in this prospectus.
22
<PAGE> 23
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No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any
information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must
not rely on any unauthorized information or representations. This prospectus is
an offer to sell or to buy only the shares offered hereby, but only under
circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information
contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Page
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<S> <C>
Available Information.................. 2
Risk Factors........................... 3
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ......... 13
Price Range of Our Common Stock and
Dividends............................ 13
Description of Capital Stock........... 14
Plan of Distribution................... 20
Validity of Common Stock............... 21
Experts................................ 22
Cautionary Statement Pursuant to The
Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995.......................... 22
</TABLE>
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40,000,000 Shares
THE GOLDMAN SACHS
GROUP, INC.
Common Stock
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[GOLDMAN SACHS LOGO]
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GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
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